It was a win-win situation for Grade 11 student Ada Dillon as her school marks went up and her golf scores went down during the inaugural year for the Pursuit School of Sport in Lloydminster.
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“It’s been really good,” said Dillon, a member of Onion Lake Cree Nation. “I think this is the best school year I’ve ever had.
“It’s been difficult balancing my academics and my sports (over the years), but this school has really helped me with it.”
Under the auspices of the Lloydminster Public School Division, Pursuit was created as a specialized school that aligns with the unique circumstances in the lives of young elite athletes from a variety of sports.
One-on-one instruction from teachers, a like-minded student body and a flexible school/sports schedule are among the features that students appreciated the most about Pursuit’s first season of operation, they told the Meridian Source in year-end interviews.
Pursuit’s weekly schedule, which doesn’t include Friday classes, enables students to travel to their respective competitions without missing school time.
A flexible schedule on school days also permits students to arrive late, or leave early, depending on their sports practice times.
Level 6 gymnast Sarah Sambrook, a Grade 8 student at Pursuit, credits the school for helping her post 90-plus marks in the classroom.
“It’s been a lot better this year, because last year I had to go up to a lot of my (road) competitions on Wednesday, because of the weather,” said Sambrook, a member of Explosion Lloydminster gymnastics club. “But this year it’s been a lot more flexible, so I have time to catch up and (teachers) are able to help me one-on-one, if I miss something.
“It’s also helped because I didn’t finish gym until 8 o’clock at night, last year. So, I’d go to school all day and then finish (training), and I wouldn’t get home until 8:30. You don’t feel like (doing homework) and you’re behind. It was just really tough trying to get everything done.”
Sambrook still had busy days this school year, but her schedule allowed her to practise and study more effectively.
“This year, I train in the morning for three hours, from 7:45 to 10:45 a.m., and I get to school at 11ish. And then, I can go to school all day, instead of (trying to learn) at the end of the day when I’m exhausted. In the morning, I’m refreshed and ready to go.”
Sambrook scored well in the gym — winning a competition in Okotoks — and in the classroom. Going into her final exams, she didn’t have a mark below 90.
“I think that’s helped a lot (due to) the teachers I’ve had, because they’re a lot better with helping me understand,” she said. “It’s probably been my best year.
“For gymnastics, I just hope to move up levels and have a good season next year. My best event is probably floor. I usually get top three in that.”
Sambrook, who turned 14 on June 14, was the top finisher overall in her most recent meet, the Mountain Magic Invitational, at Okotoks.
Her classmates at Pursuit include other gymnasts amid a full field of competitive athletes, ranging from golfers to hockey players.
“It’s fun,” she said. “You do get to meet a lot of (high-achieving) people, and you get to see how they think of gymnastics. Because, normally, people say, ‘Wow, that’s so cool,’ but if you meet who’s like you, they can relate and everything.”
Elite athletes from Pursuit related to Explosion even more last week after visiting the gymnastics club for a school field trip.
Sambrook reported that more gymnasts from Explosion hope to join her at Pursuit next year.
Dillon, who aspires to eventually play college golf, plans to return to Lloyd’s sports specialty school in September for her Grade 12 year.
Training with the Lloyd Athletics golf program, she gained confidence and development in the sport, while making progress in Pursuit classrooms.
Perfecting her golf swing and working out with fellow Athletics golfers, Dillon moved one step closer to her collegiate dreams.
“It’s improved a lot,” she said. “My mental game and my physical game. Yeah, it improved so much.
“This winter, I went to Florida for MJT (Maple Leaf Junior Golf Tour) nationals, hosted by Kissimmee. It was a really fun experience. I loved it. It was a great first year for me, as a qualifier. I felt like I learned a lot when I went there. made a lot of friends from all around.”
The summer golf season is already underway for Dillon, who played in a MJT qualifier at Humboldt, Sask., just last weekend. She placed second in the U15-19 girls’ division, just two shots shy of the champion.
“It’s a busy month for me,” she said as Pursuit students prepared for diploma exams.
“I think the summer goal is to keep my mental game steady, so I can shoot lower and lower as I progress into more tournaments.”
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