Due to insurance rules, all athletes must have a paid Valley Royals Membership to participate with a Royals training group. To select a membership package and register online click https://valleyroyals.ca/membership/
For more information about Practice Groups, Online Registration & Membership Packages parents and athletes are welcome to contact Club Administrator, Christa McAuley, at [email protected]
FALL TRAINING SCHEDULES
JD (Junior Development) CROSS COUNTRY RUNNING GROUP (Ages 8 to 13)
JD Cross Country Running is offered 3 days per week for the Cross Country Season (September & October)
JD CROSS COUNTRY GROUP FALL TRAINING SCHEDULE
Tuesdays 3:30-4:30 PM in Clearbrook Park
Thursdays 3:30-4:30 PM in Clearbrook Park
Saturdays 9:15-10:15 AM in Clearbrook Park
NOTE: No Saturday practice on days of cross country races that the JD Group is competing at.
JD Cross Country Coaches
Coach Vanessa Pirani
Coach Zoe Unger
Coach Sam May
Note: In the Fall, there is sometimes enough room in Coach Scott’s Endurance Running group to include athletes entering Grade 7. If not turning 14 until the next calendar year, these athletes will compete as JDs in Cross Country races. Coach Scott’s group meets at the overlapping times with the JD group in the same location but there may be a few differences in their racing schedules so parents are advised to check with both Coach Vanessa and Coach Scott regarding JD Race Days.
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TRACK AND FIELD TRAINING
MIDDLE DISTANCE RUNNING GROUP
(Age 14 & Up: U16/Midget, U18/Youth, U20/Junior, Senior, Masters)
Senior Coach of Cross Country & Distance Running Group
Coach Scott Svelander
MIDDLE DISTANCE GROUP TRAINING SCHEDULE:
Always meet at Clearbrook, may run over to Rotary Stadium for some sessions. Starting August 27, 2022. Changes/Cancellations will be posted on Instagram
Tuesday 4:30-5:30pm
Thursday 4:30-5:30pm
Saturday 10:30-11:30am
Practice is rain or shine so dress appropriately. Bring bottle of water and hat, and wear layers. All athletes must be registered before participating.
Note: In the Fall there is sometimes enough room in Coach Scott’s Endurance Running group to include athletes entering Grade 7. If not turning 14 until the next calendar year, these athletes will compete as JDs in Cross Country races. Coach Scott’s group meets at the overlapping times with the JD group in the same location but there may be a few differences in their racing schedules so parents are advised to check with both Coach Vanessa and Coach Scott regarding JD Race Days.
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POWER & SPEED GROUP
(Age 14 & Up U16/Midget, U18/Youth, U20/Junior, Senior, Masters)
Power/Speed Program is for those athletes who wish to specialize in the sprints, hurdles, jumps or multi-events. Note: Pole vault has its own practice group and schedule. Vaulters are also integrated into the Power and Speed group to get strength and conditioning training.
Power & Speed Coach
Coach Trevor Wight
(See below for an update from Coach Trevor…)
POWER & SPEED TRAINING SCHEDULE
Starting date TBA.
Mondays 4PM-5PM
Wednesdays 4PM-5PM
Thursdays 4PM-5PM
All practices are at Yale Secondary.
Coach Trevor’s Note: Bring a water bottle and appropriate clothing for the weather. Depending on the workout and the events we are working on, practices may take longer than the intense hour-long format we have been using so far. This is partly to accommodate equipment set-up / take down, and to allow more rest between sets /reps of exercises. Typically, as we approach the competitive season, we focus on fewer runs but at a higher intensity with more rest in between (hence more time needed).
In the summer we switch to the mornings. The track is usually less busy and we avoid the late afternoon heat. July: Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays, 8:50am to approximately 10:15am.
Please make sure your club registration is up-to-date. You cannot train without having done so. Please contact Christa McAuley, our club’s administrator and you can sort that out with her. Her email address is [email protected]
Check emails from Coach Trevor regularly for changes/cancellations. These will also be posted on Instagram
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POLE VAULT GROUP
(Age 14 & Up: U16/Midget, U18/Youth, U20/Junior, Senior, Masters)

New to Pole Vault ? It is important to contact Club Administrator Christa McAuley at [email protected] before attending first practice.
Pole Vault Coach
Coach Gio Hernandez
Practice Times Vary: It is very important that Coach Gio has your email address, as practice changes or adjustments will be confirmed by email. Typical practice times are listed below but can change from week to week due to weather conditions.
Wednesdays 4:00 – 5:30 PM
Saturdays 12:30 – 2:00 PM
Meet at Rotary Stadium at the pole vault shed, beside the Legacy Building.
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THROWS GROUP
(Age 14 & Up: U16/Midget, U18/Youth, U20/Junior, Senior, Masters)
Throws Coach: Sean LaForest – a champion thrower for the Royals & UBC, Sean was trained by Valley Royals Coach Harold Willers for 8 years. He is an accomplished thrower, coach and was inducted into the Mission Sports Hall of Fame in 2017 for his Track & Field accomplishments in Hammer & Discus. He is Vice Principal of MEI Middle School where he serves as throws coach to the MEI Middle and Secondary School track & field teams.
Sundays afternoons (time TBA)
Mondays afternoons (time TBA)
Wednesdays afternoons (time TBA)
Practices will consist of conditioning & technical work at the Clearbrook Park Throws Cage, which is just north of the baseball diamonds in the main field. The Valley Royals Shed is located at the south end of track at Rotary Stadium.
Photos from the first Throws Practice of the Winter-Training Season, Oct 14th 2018, where Coach Harold announced his retirement and introduced Sean LaForest as Coach of the Valley Royals Throws Program. In addition to a great turnout of current athletes, former Royals athlete and four-time Canadian Hammer Champion–Wes Boudreau–came to the practice to congratulate Harold on over 30 years of coaching throws for the Valley Royals and to welcome Coach Sean.
For more about Coach Harold and Coach Sean check out this article: Report on Harold Willers retirement and Sean LaForest succession
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SUMMER JUNIOR DEVELOPMENT TRACK & FIELD TRAINING GROUP (Ages 8 to 13)
The Junior Development group encourages athletes to try all event areas (Racing, Jumps, Throws) in both practices and competitions.
Events Offered: Middle Distance, Sprints, Hurdles, Long Jump , Triple Jump, High Jump (bring a polar fleece blanket for Landing Pad), Pole Vault (age specific-bring a polar fleece blanket for Landing Pad) Shot Put, Discus, Hammer (age specific), Race Walk, and Cross Country.
Tuesdays TBD
Thursday TDB
Saturdays TDB
Bring bottle of water, hat, wear layers
The focus for the JD athletes at meets should be on enjoying the experience and learning how to do their best in a variety of events and challenging themselves to improve their own mark. For Track Meet Info & Meet Protocol see: https://valleyroyals.ca/meets/
JD Track & Field Coordinator:
Coach Scott Svelander
JD Coaches:
Coach Trevor Wight
Coach Sean LaForest
Coach Gio Hernandez
Coach Mayci Falk
Coach Parmvir Waring
Coach Halle May
Coach Vanessa Pirani Coach Harneet Uppal
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SUMMER TRACK RASCALS Track & Field Run/Jump/Throw Skills Development for Kids 6 – 8 years old
Questions? Want to REGISTER FOR TRACK RASCALS? Email the club administrator, Christa, at [email protected]
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4:30 to 5:30 PM
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WEDNESDAYS & FRIDAYS
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MAY 13, 18, 20, 25, and 27, 2022
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JUNE 1, 3, 8, 10, 15, 17, and 22, 2022
at Rotary Stadium (Meet at the covered picnic tables.)
A fun and developmentally-appropriate training group for boys and girls ages 6 to 8, the Track Rascals Program will provide 10 training sessions in May & June. The price is $125.00 which includes BC Athletics insurance, training sessions filled with track & field fun, and a Valley Royals T-Shirt.
Track Rascals Group is for children Ages 6 – 8 (as of December 31st this year) Space is limited so act fast if you are interested in joining. For insurance reasons, all participants must be pre-registered – Contact Christa at [email protected]
Running shoes are required. Dress in layers for the weather, and bring a water bottle.
TRACK RASCALS COACHES:
Coach Parmvir Waring
Coach Vanessa Pirani
Coach Halle May
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It’s what you do when the coach isn’t around that makes you a champion.