Introducing Vancouver Island's premier school for elite athletes.

At Speed Mechanics, we understand the challenges that busy student-athletes and parents are facing these days. Busy schedules, school courses and timetables transporting kids to numerous activities.

It’s no secret that the various needs of high-performance athletes are difficult to meet in the regular school environment.

That’s why we’re excited to announce the APEX Institute is now open for enrollment
for the September 2023 school year!

Providing this opportunity will be an ultimate game changer for student-athletes and their busy parents.

APEX provides education and training options that honour the unique demands of elite athletes who are aiming at taking their academic and athletic careers to the highest level. The acronym represents the four pillars of athlete education:

ATHLETICS

Receive credit for participating in sport at Victoria’s premier youth- development facility

Preparation

Intensive training and purposeful programming focus on athletic demands and individual needs

Education

An in-house teacher and classroom offer a dedicated place to work on core courses and elective classes

Experiential

On-site immersion to achieve a cohesive balance between academics and athletics

At APEX, student-athletes are offered the opportunity to TRAIN and LEARN under
one roof. In addition to our state-of-the-art training facility, students will have
unfettered access to classroom space, sports science testing, an IST (Integrated
Support Team), and much more!

Opportunities for the student athlete

Access to Victoria’s elite training facility
On-site teacher to facilitate student course load
Designated interactive classroom space
Sports-Science testing equipment
Access to an MPC, Dietitian, Physio, Chiro, AT, Kin, and Clinical Counsellor as part of the Speed Mechanics IST model

Central location
Expert-level coaching
Convenient scheduling model to promote an optimal school-sport-life balance
Access to sports-performance seminars (highlighting past & present
Olympians and professional athletes).

Students will have the option of enrolling in the morning or afternoon cohort, enabling them to attend their main school the other half of the day.

APEX INSTITUTE MISSION STATEMENT

“To support student achievement through the delivery of an innovative blended learning program emphasising youth-development through sport”

The APEX Institute at Speed Mechanics offers an unprecedented value for Vancouver Island’s student-athletes. No where else does an athlete have the opportunity to learn, train, and grow through sport-specific education.

WATCH THE LAUNCH NIGHT INFO SESSION FOR EVEN MORE INFO.

PHASE 1: April – June 2021 (Quarter 4)

Most schools are presently operating on a quarter system where students take 2 courses every 10 weeks. It’s likely that a return to regular school timetables in the fall will not be a reality. To assist with that, APEX is offering the opportunity for student athletes to do some, or all, of their schoolwork in our classroom by replacing 1 or 2 of their school courses with Navigate NIDES online courses. This way, they can learn academic and athletic skills in an environment that values excellence in both.

PHASE 2: September 2021

Our goal for this phase is to have enough student interest to allow for the services of a teacher who will be available at APEX Institute to assist students with their Navigate NIDES courses.

Why Navigate NIDES?

Navigate NIDES has excelled over the past years in providing students the freedom to fulfill high school graduation requirements at their own pace, time, and place. They offer:

• A full slate of Ministry of Education approved academic online courses required for graduation.

• The PACE Program (Performance Athlete Custom Education)

All Navigate courses are free, online, and Ministry of Education approved courses that can be started and completed at any time during the calendar year. These courses help student athletes develop time management, self discipline, and technical skills required for college and university.

PACE STUDENTS CAN:

Replace mandatory Career Life courses with highly engaging athlete-oriented courses (eg. PACE CLE ATHLETE replaces CLE.)
Design PACE Independent Study (IDS) courses to gain graduation credits for the work they are doing at APEX as well as with their teams and coaches.
Design a personalized recruiting web page to promote themselves to colleges and universities in PACE Digital Communications.

Why Speed Mechanics & the Apex Institute?

At Speed Mechanics, our emphasis is on education and building strong foundations while working at the right pace for each athlete’s ability. We believe that performing at your best is not simply showing up and going through the motions but also becoming a part of the process. Therefore, we promote a positive and engaging learning environment for athletes of all levels.

The staff at Speed Mechanics have performed and coached at professional and national levels. Their vast networks, higher education, and wealth of experience offer unparalleled value to all APEX athletes. As a result, our student-athletes gain the necessary speed, strength, and power required to compete at the highest levels without compromising long-term health or goals.

Tom G.

APEX TEACHER

TEACHING PHILOSOPHY

Simply put; to provide a safe engaging environment where students are challenged to express their best efforts. I have always strived to build a rapport with students in order to help them discover their best learning style and then utilize those strengths to help them empower their academic journey.

I have taught in Middle School, High School, Self-Directed Programs, International Student Programs, and most recently the “Zoom” reality of Hybrid Classrooms.

I have coupled my teaching career with individual and team sports coaching. In a 40 year career, I have coached high school rowing crews, volleyball and basketball teams, golf teams, and over the past 7 years baseball. I’ve always been able to utilize my Kinesiology – Physical Education background in order to relate curriculum to the needs of the students in my trust.

REGISTER NOW!

Register now for the upcoming Apex Institute 2022/2023 school year. A digital copy of the APEX Information Night (March 09th) is now available. The application process begins April 01st, 2022. Stay tuned!