Berks On Ice

So you want to play high school ice hockey? Been to a Reading Royals minor league hockey game and you've got the fever? Slapshots, icing, checking and pucks are your passion? Ice Hockey is a sport on the move and there are growing opportunities for kids to pick up a stick and hit the ice. High school and youth ice hockey have come a long way in the last eight years in Berks, although Wilson High School is currently the only school that recognizes hockey as a varsity sport. However, thanks to the Berks Scholastic Ice Hockey League, kids can now play with other students from their school and face off against competitive peer teams from around the county. The Berks Scholastic Ice Hockey League is made up of teams from Exeter, Governor Mifflin, Holy Name, Wilson, Conrad Weiser, Daniel Boone, and Schuylkill Valley/Hamburg. President of the BSIHL, Rob Hunt, says the motivation to start the league came back in 1999 when the only real option for youth hockey was a travel team or a group out of the Timberline Rink with limited levels of play and even more limited resources. "It was a father opening the doors on a Saturday," says Hunt of the state of youth hockey at that time. "The kids would go out there without getting any direction." Hunt grew up in a hockey family in Buffalo, New York. When his son began playing, he was motivated to help bring about a better program for kids in this area. What was lacking here was an organized program with certified teachers and coaches. There was a travel team, but most kids didn't think they were good enough to play on it. Hunt and his board help facilitate programs for schools and communities that want to start their own hockey team. "We instruct them on how to approach schools, rinks, the kind of equipment they need. We give them the direction needed to get started." "One of the biggest differences with travel hockey is that when you go to Allentown, Lancaster, or Philadelphia, the only people watching you are your parents. With Scholastic hockey, you're at the Skate Center and Body Zone, and classmates come out to the games," Hunt said. It's a great atmosphere. A little bit of training from USA Hockey, some structure, and kids who wanted to play has evolved into a league of 11 teams, 7 at the varsity level. Their championship game is played every March and they host an All-Star game, both of which are played at the Sovereign Center in Reading. With the introduction of the Reading Royals minor league team in 2001, hockey "arrived" in Berks County. Today, the Reading Junior Royals traveling teams have over 180 members, ages 5 to 19, including two girls' teams and a cross-ice kids program, where kids play from side to side of the rink instead of end to end. "The Royals have been a big help for hockey in Berks County", said Greg Kochenash, president of the Reading Junior Royals Executive Board. Sherry Riegel, president of Schuylkill Valley Ice Hockey, also thinks the sport is catching on. "Hockey is still growing in this area, and we are hoping it continues to do so. Everyone who plays hockey seems to get hooked on it. We promote the idea that anyone can play, whether they have experience or not." Local travel teams like the Junior Royals are for those students serious about the sport. It gives them the chance to play throughout the state and at country-wide tournaments against a variety of competitive players and quality-caliber teams. "I started playing in 7th grade and I just love playing here and with the Junior Royals. It's such a great experience," said freshman Somer Chipperfield of Schuylkill Valley. Each year, new club and community teams crop up and introduce more kids to the sport. "You've got kids from roller hockey and street hockey; they just have a love for the sport," says Mike Foster, director of coaching for Exeter Hockey. "Then you've got kids who've been playing organized hockey from the time they were seven or eight years old, and it's interesting to see how those two mesh." "This is my 2nd year and I love coming out and playing. We keep getting better and that feels rewarding," said Daniel Boone junior Tyler Blumenstock. Daniel Boone High School is just in their second year as a member of the BSIHL. Club and community teams don't often have the larger numbers of students with hockey backgrounds. Recruiting new players and bringing them up from an early age in the sport is key for future growth of ice hockey. Sometimes you have to get creative. "This year, because of low numbers in both clubs, we have combined our Schuylkill Valley team with Hamburg Ice Hockey to give the students a chance to play. Our philosophy is that all players play an equal amount of time. We are more interested in everyone feeling like an integral part of the team, rather than trying to develop only some of the players," said Riegel. Tyler Reddy, a senior at Holy Name, began playing hockey at the age of three, out at Timberline. He has played for various teams at various rinks because he simply loves hockey. "The game is awesome," stated Reddy. Tyler has played for the Holy Name team since his freshman year. He feels hockey is slowly gaining ground (and fans) in Berks. "When the kids from school came out for a game, they recognized how exciting it is." Reddy would like to see the sport gain recognition from the school and the press. "We practice, play games. We work just as hard as any other sport team out there." Kids are getting a shot at ice time and learning about the sport even if they're not at the highest competitive level. It's clearly a payoff for the student athletes. Wilson senior Julian Mattes did not start playing hockey at an early age. "I am proud to be on a team that accepts people on my level. I get to play with such great players and the league is fun to play in." "The mix of players at all levels is what's really invaluable for all involved," says Foster. "We realize that unless you have a situation where you have more kids than positions, you take everybody," said Foster. "The difference in talent at the beginning of the season is huge, but the story is the growth in some of these kids who have never played before. You have kids like that in every club." All of the coaches we spoke with were unanimous: their hope is that one day ice hockey would become a varsity sport at their school. "Yes, we are interested in having the program recognized as a varsity team sport with our focus being primarily on the recognition of our players. We would like to see them eligible for varsity letters and recognition in the school yearbook," said Tom Groscup, President of the Mifflin Hockey Club. Why isn't the sport recognized by most high schools? Some speculate it's the tremendous cost associated with ice time and equipment. Still others think that the longer season, over six months, is a drawback to having varsity letter recognition. "Travel hockey can be expensive," said Kochenash. "Between travel and scholastic, scholastic prices are a little bit less." The length of the season means a higher price tag. Many of the teams are currently running their program within PIAA rules - in anticipation that the sport will evolve into a varsity school sport some day. Alan Axford, coach of the young Daniel Boone hockey team hopes things will change in the future for the sport. "My greatest wish is that hockey will be a letter sport and receive some financial help," he said. "There was an opportunity in the Berks League and so we decided to start a hockey program at Exeter. We did it on our own with nothing from the school, except permission to get the logo," explains Foster. "Four years in, we're in the yearbook. It took three years before they announced any scores. What I am hoping for is, yes, maybe in the next five or six years we are in a position where the school comes to us and says 'Hey, we should absorb you as a legitimate activity for the kids at Exeter High School. We would like you to be part of the extracurricular activities at the school,'" said Foster. Ice hockey is an exciting game. It's fast-moving and action-packed. The growth of the sport here in Berks County in such a short time is proof that it is here to stay. With the strong foundation built by the coaches, players, and their families, high school ice hockey is destined to flourish in Berks County.