Andrew McCredie Sports Editor andrew@nsnews.com FOUR years ago a group of West Vancouver residents formed a track and field club with a difference — and a goal. The West Vancouver Track and Field Club (Westvaz TFC) is unlike other amateur athletic organizations in the province in that its coaches are paid and it has an administrative office. far as its goal is concerned, club officials set out to have the most successful track and field club in the province after just five years of existence. One year is ieft in their first five-year plan and they’re pretty close to realizing thar goal. At the recent provincial champicnships, Westvan TEC placed second in the club compe- titon and chimed 46 medals in the Junior Development category — a sure harbinger of - things to come. In addition, 10 of the club’s 89 athletes. qualified for the 1998 BC Summer Games. * Other recent highlights for the club include seriding, members:to the Canadian Nationals atid the cross-country world championships in Morscco. ‘And last. month, seven athletes and two coaches competed at the 1998 World Youth Games in Sweden, bringing home gold, silver and bronze medals. : For club director Torsten Allander, these results are no surpirse. The West Vancouver businessman, whoifias been with the club since sa-driving force behind Westvan -become.a prototype for other , Aug. 14 for game! four. other semi-final fea- Friday, August 7, 1998 - Nortti Shore News - 31 north shore news @ SPORTS W. Van track and fleld club sets bar high WEST Vancouver Track and Field club members tert to right) Jenna Gatey, Anna- Marie Ailander, Rebecca Johnstone, Chelsea O'Brian and Julia Kaffka took part in the B.C. Junior Bevelopment Championships in Chilliwack in mid-July. The four- year-old club recentiy sent a continger:t to the 1998 World Yourn Games in Sweden. was fo Set up the club with professional man- agement,” said Allander, who also serves as the middle distance and cross” country coach. “We wanted to run it like 2 business, but you can’t do that without mor From previous experience — Allandcr’s, daughter Anna-Marie is a long sprint and dis- tance runner — he determined volunteer coaches were a detriment to a club. “If they're volunteers, they sometimes don’t show up for practices,” Allander said, adding that while volunteers are well- intentioned, the reality of developing world-class track and "field . athtletes requires a stronger comraittment. Indians can gain some com- “> fort in the face they split their four-game reguiar season series ‘with ‘the Shamrocks {both teams won two home games each). The Indians acquisition of veteran goaltender Dwight _. Maetche is also a source of os confidence for North Shore’s _. coaching staff. And with Jeff . Gombar and Chris Levis serv- ing “as backups, ' the - Indians have a good chance of holding the high-powered - Shamrock tures Maple Ridge'taking on Coquitlam. -The' Indians have. their work cut out for them as ’ Victoria, the reigning Mann offence in check. The mid-season trade that brought Doug Hill and Paul Jones into the Indians camp The province's two top-zated clubs — Abbotsford Valicy Royals and the Richmond Kajaks —— both operate with volunteer coaches. With all the part time coaches paid and a fully equipped otfice in Dundarave with a full- time administrator — Aliander figures the annual turnover is $60,000 to $70,000 — the financing is a major factor in the operation of the club. Allander said the next five-year plan will most likely include the hiring of a general manager. Members pay just $300 in annual fees, and the club receives no government funding. All operating costs are covered Gy member ducs coal and private sponsorship. A recent deal with corporate giant BIM Chemicals helped send the nine club members to the wi orlds in Sweden. Westvan TFC offers training and coaching for athtletes age 9 through Masters level. “The high school system we have is devel- oping on a broad level, and its a very intense period of two monehs,” Allander explsined. The club system, he added is designed to fill in the other 10 months. “And the university track and field system in Canada has just a very short indoor season, and all the athletes on varsity teams also belong to clubs. The club system is a must.” Despite all the great results Westvan TFC has posted since its inception in 1994, Allander said major challenges still remain. At the sop of |. the list is a decent piace to train. : The ciub currently uses the West Vancouver secondary school track, though one look at its - “wavy, chipped-up surface will tell you this isn’t the place to produce world-class athtletes. Likewise, the ciub has no storage space at the school, so high jumpers and pole vaulters must travel to Burnaby to find a place to practice. Another challenge Allander said the club has - is one shared by the whale Canadian track and: field community. “A comfortable size for a ‘club is 70 or 80 athletes, but some of the bigger clubs here have -* 250 athletes,” Allander said. “What happens - when we have one club where we have 18,000: students, which we have “She you putt the lid on athletics, which should happen.” : He added thax the North Shore should ° four or five track clubs, not just mo (Westvan . TFC and the Norw esters). The Westwan TFC can be reached’ at t 926 5400. : ALTERNATING NIGHTLY AT THE MALKIN BOWL IN STANLEY JULY {5- AUGUST 15 1998 TICKETS AVAILABLE AT MALKIN Wi TUGSIC BY HOUR HOES 1 G LYRICS BY. OSCAR, IATA If nn DANCES BY AGNES WE mi ANA DIRECT WER STUART » Cup champs, were the class of — will also benefit their playof’ _. the: regular season. 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