Help Support NHS Hockey

To the Editor:

The 2007-2008 Newtown High School Ice Hockey season is underway and it should prove to be one of the best yet.  Once again, the players will be working hard to qualify for the Southwest Conference (SWC) playoffs, as well as the CIAC State Tournament.  On the bench, the team will be under the direction of a new coaching staff. Head coach Paul Esposito and assistant coach Tom Gately will be looking for players to step into the skates vacated by the talented players of the class of ‘07.  This year’s team will feature competitive and spirited play from a broad cross-section of players representing all four classes at the school.  In this year, only the seventh as a team, the program continues to show grow and improvement.  Considering the success of the recent high school teams, coupled with the large number of young players participating in area youth hockey programs, ice hockey has become a permanent part of the school’s athletic program.

It is both exciting and rewarding to see the program grow and develop in the way it has.  However, the costs of maintaining an ice hockey program are considerable. Equipment, which needs to be replaced as players grow during their teen years, is quite expensive.  The cost of each hour of practice ice is currently over $400.  The school does not allow players to drive to practices at the Danbury Ice Arena and as a result, the cost of busing players to and from practices exceeds $6,000 for the season.  When supplies, referee expenses and incidentals are added in with the two major expenses of ice time and transportation, the end result is a fairly expensive program.  One of the goals of this organization was to make a player’s ability, and not cost, the determining factor in whether or not a student participates in this program.  While we have made progress on many levels, the one area where we are lacking is in sharing the cost of the program with the school district.  By the agreement with the Board of Education, which first allowed this program to go forward, by this point in time, the bulk of the cost should be borne by the school district.  In reality, while we do receive support from the high school in many areas, the financial support we receive from the school/board, while greatly appreciated, is minimal at best.

While the parents shoulder the bulk of the financial expenses, we could not run the program to the level we do without the continued and generous support of you, the residents of Newtown.  The players have just completed a major fund-raising campaign within the community and on behalf of the Friends of Newtown Hockey I thank all who supported the boys in this effort.  In past years, we have been graced with generous donations from both individuals and organizations that help to defray the cost of the program for each player and once again we are asking for your help.  Please make your contributions payable to The Friends of Newtown Hockey, and mail them to: The Friends of Newtown Hockey, c/o Scott Bell, 10 Buck Trail, Sandy Hook, CT  06482.

Bob Conlon

on behalf of  The Friends of Newtown Hockey

53 Taunton Hill Road, Newtown                         December 26, 2007