The New Trier Hockey Club has seen incredible success over the years. From 1983 to 2013, the Green Varsity team has earned 11 Illinois State Championships. On top of that, they have been crowned National Champions back-to-back in 2010 and 2011.
Through all their success, the New Trier Hockey Club has also maintained their philosophy of providing “student-athletes with opportunities to participate at the highest level of high school hockey in an environment which promotes development of skills, teamwork, sportsmanship, and competitiveness, while recognizing a commitment to academic success.”
Despite the hockey club’s commitment to excellence on and off the ice, however, hockey has never been endorsed by New Trier’s athletic department.
Athletic director Randy Oberembt explained that a sport needs to meet certain criteria in order to be backed the athletic department.
“We have 35 sports, which all share common characteristics,” he said. “They must meet the standards for certification not only by New Trier, but also the IHSA.” The IHSA mission statement says it is responsible for governing “the equitable participation in interscholastic athletics and activities that enrich the educational experience.”
Sports such as baseball, basketball, and football are endorsed by the IHSA. Ice hockey, along with rugby and curling, at New Trier are not IHSA eligible.
There are a wide range of issues that separate the New Trier Hockey Club from IHSA standards. The one that has remained at the forefront for decades is length of season.
“In order for a sport to be accepted, it must adopt a traditional sports model,” Oberembt said. Ice hockey runs from fall all the way to April, which has been deemed as too long of a season by New Trier’s athletic department.
Other issues include budget, where New Trier would have to provide large sums of money to rent an ice hockey rink, manage the events, and hire coaches without the assistance of the IHSA.
Principal Tim Dohrer recalls that “in the past, we have had more formal relations with the New Trier Hockey Club. But in the mid 1990s, New Trier began to move away from that because it was promoting difficult relationships with community organizations.”
Relations with New Trier and the NT Hockey Club Board, which is comprised of New Trier hockey parents, have remained informal for about two decades.
Dohrer will be meeting with NT Hockey Club Board President David Brower by the end of this school year to discuss the possibility of a more formal relationship.
Board member Chip Kenyon has been very pleased with the success New Trier hockey has had, crediting Wilmette and Winnetka youth hockey as “outstanding feeder programs and the building blocks for the success at New Trier.”
An IHSA sponsor for ice hockey would have limitations that would restrict the team’s activity out of state and the number of games they play.
Senior Center Jesse Arnold said that he personally does not want to be endorsed by either the school or the IHSA at the moment However, he did say that he and the team would love to be recognized more by the school and the students.
“There would be more announcements about upcoming games and accomplishments, and of course, you get to represent the school,” he said.