'More than hockey': Doors open for Peel athletes to pursue careers in sport

The academy, founded by Mandurah local Jerome Buck, signed a memorandum of understanding with the ACPE in December last year, opening doors for BMR athletes to study a variety of courses at the college.

Those courses include fields such as sports science, health, physical education teaching, physiotherapy, sports law management and a range of others that would provide an inroad to a long-term career in the industry.

The partnership is a huge coup for the WA-based program.

"This is a significant step forward for us, because it allows us to offer our athletes so much more than just hockey," Buck said.

"Now young kids who sign up with BMR have a genuine chance at pursuing a career in sport.

"This is the sort of pathway we wanted to create when we first started the BMR Academy, so to be able to offer this now is fantastic for us."

The BMR Coaching Academy launched around 12 months ago, targeting young hockey players from regional and rural areas around the state that may not get the chances their metropolitan counterparts do.

It has since seen about 50 youngsters sign up to its ranks, with a large chunk of that contingent coming from the Peel region alongside participants from the likes of Esperance, Kalgoorlie, Geraldton and a range of other regions.

A tour to Sydney highlighted the academy's opening year, which Buck hopes will provide a launching platform for an even better 2020.

"The first year was a huge success for us in terms of getting the word out there and being able to achieve some really great things with our players," he said.

"We're hoping this year we can continue offering those experiences."

For more information on the BMR Coaching Academy email Jerome Buck at bmrcoachingacademy@gmail.com