Girls Hockey Once Again Receiving the Short End of the Stick

There is a big issue going unnoticed at Scituate High School: Sadly, once again, girls sports are receiving the short end of the stick. Although not many students may know this, girl’s hockey is given difficult ice times and very little transportation–something they have to deal with every week. 

The team is provided with bus transportation to practices regularly, but they only had them on the week of tryouts. Some of it has to do with how difficult it is to get buses around their schedule, as they typically have late or extremely early ice times. While the team has had multiple practices scheduled in Bridgewater, they have been canceled due to weather conditions because the players must drive themselves. Senior Captain Caroline Stevenson says, “Because we have ended up getting the short end of the stick, we end up with practices that are later and farther away. It then comes more of an obstacle to drive in winter conditions. The team only gets one after school practice a week in Kingston at 3:30 PM, but because the rink is so small, only half the team can go.” 

These obstacles have a real effect on the team. Stevenson says the coach wants the girls to practice as a team so everyone is developing together. While the girls have been told the coach didn’t have as many connections is the reason for these odd practice times, it is the school’s responsibility to organize and pay for ice times. Junior Sarah Irish says, “The boys are getting every day after school at the same time, same ice, while we are getting some mornings, some late at night, some right after school, some days we don’t have it.” The girls wish there could be some sort of negotiation to even this out. Stevenson says, “I get that we are two separate programs, but we are under one school, and it is kind of disheartening to see one team get better treatment than the other.” 

The SHS hockey programs have been built up so different from each other. While the girls recognize they aren’t getting the same turn out as they want, they are still putting the same amount of effort in. According to Stevenson, “Every single girl has something to contribute, and it is not fair when we are putting in work, getting up at 3 AM for practice and getting home at 10 at night from other practices.” Going forward, both Irish and Stevenson hope the community, administration, and other teams take the program more seriously.