Hockey is one of the fastest-paced games played, and it has become one of the fastest-growing club sports in Indiana.
Many schools across the state have assembled club teams, including Columbus, Brebeuf, and Westfield. Schools with sponsored club teams can access a much larger pool of players than a school without a club team, such as Greenwood.
Greenwood is fortunate to be located very close to Perry Park ice rink where many Indiana State High School Hockey Association games are already played. The ISHSHA has no affiliation with the IHSAA, the traditional sports organization Greenwood competes through.
“Until hockey becomes an IHSAA sport, it is unlikely we could start a team and compete. Until then, we will continue to send our hockey players to the local club, The Southside Stars,” Mr. Campbell athletic director said.
The sole GHS hockey player, junior Eli Augustine, competes for the South Side Stars, an all-star team for players who attend schools that do not sponsor a team.
“So many athletes at Greenwood are missing out on the sport because our school does not have a team. We have one player out of 1,200 kids, and with a similar amount of students, Columbus can have a whole team,” Augustine said.
Having a club would expose more athletes to a sport they could excel at and maybe even lead to a professional career.
“The odds of making the NFL and NBA are very low, but like baseball, there are a lot of opportunities for hockey to go pro in the minor leagues or get a full ride to college,” Augustine said.
Starting a club at GHS could be difficult compared to other programs. Perry Park is an expensive location to practice and play games. Gear and uniforms would have to be subsidized by the school and sponsors, and uniforms paid for by the athletes. The GHS track team follows a similar model making athletes pay for all of their gear, and it has the most members of any team at GHS. Basic hockey equipment is approximately $500 a person or significantly less second-hand.
Anyone interested in joining the South Side Stars can contact coach Adam Palmer at 317-507-5667 or www.southstarshockey.net for more information.
