Girls High School Hockey Receives Funding

Girls high school hockey has never been taken seriously by many people. The girls on the teams don’t feel like there is any interest in their sport and don’t feel inspired to play.

 

Bartlett Senior Sarah Anderson said, “No one cares about girls hockey and no one ever comes to the games except some parents.

 

“As a girl hockey player it makes it harder for us to be taken seriously. I never really thought anyone would care.”

 

Over the past three years girls involved in high school hockey have had to worry about whether or not they would be funded the following season.

 

In 2013 girls hockey was terminated by Anchorage School District and had no money. Luckily, the Scotty Gomez Foundation funded the girls for a full three years.

 

The girls on the teams were thrilled, but nervous to see what would happen in the future.

 

This year was the final year of Gomez funding the sport, and many girls and parents were wondering what they would do next.

 

Dimond Junior Ellie Wells said, “It’s always hard to think about next year and the possibility of us not having a team. It makes some of our players not want to play, but we need as many players as we can get as it is.”

 

Girls hockey hasn’t ever really meant anything to many people, but Dick’s Sporting Goods made the girls feel like they actually mattered.

 

Dick’s took the initiative and granted the girls $200,000 so they would be able to continue play high school puck.

 

West senior, Merryn Daniels said, “I’m so glad we got funded even though I won’t be on the team next year. I have a sister that will continue to play on this team and I’m glad she’ll have a team to play on.”

 

This gives the girls two more seasons to play high school hockey. The company will be supporting girls hockey until 2018.

 

Besides the $200,000, Dick’s Sporting Goods donated gear to all six teams.

 

The two teams, Dimond-West and South-Bartlett, were led into a Ben Boeke locker room by one of the Dick’s spokesmen and got the surprise of a lifetime.The girls got 100 sticks, 100 helmets, goalie set ups and practice jerseys for all six teams.

 

West Junior Shelby Fossom said, “It was so cool that they set all of the teams up.”

 

After the surprise the spokesmen, talked about how they heard about the girl’s story and were inspired by it.

 

They talked about how no one should have to have their sport cut from the curriculum and that students should always have the opportunity to participate in a school sport.

 

Dimond Senior Aubrey Manculich said, “This is my senior year and I am really glad the girls will be able to continue playing after this year.

 

I finally feel like someone cares about the sport, usually it’s just the parents that show up, but maybe this year that will change.”

 

The girls felt inspired after their eventful night. Many began crying when they saw the new gear, most felt like someone finally cared about the sport besides themselves or their parents.