High school can be a difficult time for many people. The ability to manage social recreation, academics and other hobbies can be incredibly challenging. Many students search for support and some are able to find that on sports teams. The girls varsity hockey (GVH) team fosters community while simultaneously pushing players to be well-rounded individuals.

Senior and co-captain Julia Janowski has been playing hockey for 14 years. She joined the school’s team as a freshman and has developed close relationships with her teammates since.

“The culture and all the people I’ve met over the years are so amazing. My best friend that I’ve known for 14 years, we’ve been playing [hockey] together ever since we were four,” Janowski said. “Being in the locker room, you get super close to all your teammates. It’s really amazing.”

Janowski said that she was nervous upon initially joining, but her team’s support helped her feel at home in the community.

“I was very scared. My first day of tryouts, I was shaking,” Janowski said. “Then I got on the ice and the girls were amazing. If someone were to fall down, everyone would cheer and they’d get right back up. Everyone’s super nice.”

Senior and defender Diane Lee said that hockey provided her with community long before high school. Lee said she recalled a sense of community playing hockey all the way back to third grade, not long after she moved to the United States.

“I moved here from Korea in first grade. Up until I started playing hockey, I didn’t really have many friends. But after I started playing, I met Julia and I met so many people that I play hockey with now, and I’m still friends with them,” Lee said.

Friends and fun aren’t the only things students gain by playing hockey. Janowski said it has also boosted her academic performance as well.

“When I’m in season, that’s when I do the best in school because there’s no time to procrastinate. You gotta get your stuff done, or you simply won’t be able to go to practice,” Janowski said. “Our coach is a big stickler for grades. He’s going to be the first to tell you to get off the ice if he knows your grades are slipping. He cares about us personally, not just on the ice.”

The team’s head coach Nick Sama joined the school’s program in 2015. Over the years he has seen students come and go, develop and change.

“It’s really fun to see the kids grow from nervous, anxious freshmen to confident, strong seniors,” Sama said. “Being around a team when you get older and you can’t participate in sports anymore is really fun. It keeps me young.”

Sama said that hockey players are forced to develop quick instincts and constantly be prepared for unprecedented movements.

“I like the randomness and reaction, and the thinking aspect of hockey,” Sama said. “You can’t script a whole period, every shift, every play is different. You can set up some things and try and work on stuff, but it’s really about using your imagination and creativity on the ice.”

With 54 girls on the team, this year it’s the largest it has ever been in the girls varsity hockey program.

“We have a JV-A and a JV-B team this year,” Janowski said. “The JV-B team is mainly just girls that want to play, have never skated before and want to learn.”

In addition to learning how to play hockey, players learn to give back to the community by organizing events and raising money.

“We always do a Coaches vs. Cancer fundraiser game. We partner with the American Cancer Society,” Sama said. “It’s a good opportunity for these kids to give back to the community and recognize that there’s more to high school sports than just wins and losses. I’m certainly very proud of this feature and excited to carry on with it.”