Turmel (right) is seen speaking to the school committee about the hockey program on Tuesday night. (Photo by Greg Fitzpatrick)
SOUTHWICK – Joe Turmel, the Principal of Southwick Regional School, gave an update to the school committee on Tuesday about the boy’s ice hockey program.
This past May, the school committee unanimously approved both a varsity and junior varsity ice hockey team for the upcoming 2018-19 season.
At a school committee meeting on April 3 several people in support of the team going to varsity showed up to show their support. After several questions were asked by school committee members, along with answers from former Southwick Regional School Athletic Director Frank Montagna, the hockey supporters left the meeting with a good feeling and no indication that there would be any pushback from the committee.
Then, on April 6, it was revealed that the committee had voted no on having the hockey program go to the varsity level.
As a result, parents of Junior Varsity players, like Patrick Jubb and Steve Ensign, helped start an informal committee with other parents and supporters to try and come up with ideas on how they could gain more movement and get the school committee’s attention.
The parents created an online petition to gauge the community’s support of the hockey program’s desire to reach the Varsity level. The parents were able to get well over 500 signatures from the community.
In June of 2016, it was announced that a junior varsity hockey team would be added to their athletic program and for the past two seasons the program has competed against numerous teams throughout Western Massachusetts at the junior varsity level. For the 2017-18 season, the team finished 3-5-2 overall and consisted of 17 players. In their first year, the team only played in nine games, unable to win any games, and had just 13 players.
On Tuesday, Turmel reminded the school committee that once both levels were approved last spring, the anticipated number of players in the program was 28. Currently, there are 28 players ready to suit up for the Rams.
“We have a healthy number,” said Turmel. “The 28 (players) will allow us to have both a junior varsity and varsity level.”
The Southwick Regional School Principal also noted that the amount of interest from the younger students is there. Twenty of the players are from grades seven through nine, while only eight kids are from tenth grade to twelfth grade. There’s only one senior in the program.
School committee member Pam Petschke asked Turmel about the future of the program.
“In your estimation, is this a sustainable program?” said Petschke.
Turmel is confident about the future with the large numbers there is with the younger age group.
“Right now, it’s sustainable for the next five or six years,” said Turmel. “I feel much more comfortable with 20 of our kids being seventh, eighth, and ninth graders.”
Turmel then went over the upcoming expenses for both teams this season. Between practices and the eight homes games that are scheduled to be at Amelia Ice Arena in Westfield, it will cost around $15,000. Paying officials is expected to cost $1,200 for varsity games and $600 for junior varsity. The lack of games that the teams will have to travel far for also helps reduce expenses.
“The cost of transportation isn’t as much as we anticipated,” said Turmel.
The boy’s ice hockey program will play in the Wright Division, with the varsity team playing 18 league games.
The varsity team will start their season against Belchertown on December 8 at 6 p.m. Turmel said interested players can sign up to join the program on the Southwick Regional School website.
