For many youth, hockey is not only an after-school sport with friends, but a way to develop leadership and life skills.
The Fort McKay Hockey Academy (FMHA) is designed to do just that for the children and teens of Fort McKay First Nation. The FMHA program recently got a boost from Syncrude with a $30,000 donation.
“In its third year now, the hockey academy has grown from about 10 to 70 youth between the ages of 4 and 17,” says Simon Adams, Director of Community Services with Fort McKay First Nation.
From parent volunteers and family members in the stands to cheer on games, the program is very positive for not only the kids involved, but for our community as a whole,
simon adams
The Fort McKay Hockey Academy works closely with the Fort McKay School to help create a learning environment to develop students’ self-esteem and interpersonal skills, foster leadership through character building, and to utilize passion for sport to generate excellence in the classroom and in the community.
Syncrude’s donation is helping to support the costs of instructors, ice times and equipment for new and returning players.
The 2016-2017 Academy includes two dynamic ice training sessions per week as well as dryland sessions.
Supporting the FMHA also reflects the six key commitment areas of Syncrude’s Aboriginal Relations program, including business development, community development, education and training, employment, the environment and corporate leadership.
