Argyle gymnastics team at risk
May 8, 2023
It’s a stressful week for the provincial champion gymnasts at Argyle Secondary as BC School Sports considers the future of the sport. There is a push from other regions of BC to drop the sport from the high school roster - but Argyle and the North Shore are fighting to keep it.
Communications errors
For decades the Argyle gymnastics team has been flourishing. Just this past February students took home the provincial championship - again. In fact, according to team sponsor Darren Rath, it’s thriving throughout the North Shore, however, that is not the case in all parts of BC.
A sport for all
Generally speaking, there are two categories of sports in high school - team sports (football, rugby, basketball, etc.) and individual sports scored as a team (gymnastics, wrestling, skiing, cross-country, etc.). It’s the second category Rath is passionate about - the sports that students can join and thrive having never tried the sport prior to high school.
Sport for the sake of sport
As Argyle and the other schools on the North Shore navigate this potential change, they are getting excellent support from the school district and the Sea to Sky Zone (its sporting region), said Terry Mitruck, Sutherland Secondary’s gymnastics coach. “If we lose this sport, what other sports will be next on the chopping block?” he asked. Rath agrees. “Schools have different facilities, teacher knowledge and sponsor capacities,” he said. “Not all schools have mountains but we still have mountain bike and ski teams.”He says there is support from gymnastics clubs throughout the province, some have partnerships where student-athletes can join just for the school season. He thinks schools could get creative like the North Shore has by running joint practices and inviting students with lesser facilities (like Handsworth) to train with Argyle.This would still leave the fundamental communication error plaguing some other regions. “If schools don’t have a sponsor or coach, I think this could be resolved by identifying athletes within the school who compete in the community and learning early if they want to compete for their school.”If gymnastics loses its status as a high school sport, Rath is unsure what the future will hold.“We would have to find another solution to help this sport continue,” said Rath. “Perhaps it would be taken on by BC Gymnastics but we can’t guarantee an alternative. While gymnastics is an opportunity for all students to get involved, the majority are female . If it’s gone, it’s taking away a female sport.”For now, Argyle and other schools on the North Shore are waiting to see what unfolds at the BC High School Sport meeting this week. Those wishing to share their support can sign this petition. Current and past participants in high school gymnastics and their families can email letters of support to Terry Mitruk.Looking for more?
There's always something fun and exciting happening in Lynn Valley. Check out our Community Events Calendar or learn more about Local Activities, Mountain Biking or Hiking and Walking Trails.Looking for more?
Related News
Community Calendar
-
Oct 16:30 PM - 8:30 PMRoyal Canadian Legion Branch 114, 1630 Lynn Valley Rd, North Vancouver, BC V7J 2B4, Canada
-
Oct 3
Meat Draw and 50/50
6:30 PM - 8:30 PMRoyal Canadian Legion Branch 114, 1630 Lynn Valley Rd, North Vancouver, BC V7J 2B4, Canada -
Oct 4
North Shore Art Crawl
11:00 AM - 5:00 PM -
Oct 4
Meat Bingo
2:00 PM - 4:00 PMRoyal Canadian Legion Branch 114, 1630 Lynn Valley Rd, North Vancouver, BC V7J 2B4, Canada