Hinsdale South has a hockey team that many people don’t know about. The DuPage Stars is a hockey team composed of players from Hinsdale South, Downers Grove South, Downers Grove North, Lisle, and Westmont high schools. They currently have a record of 29-16 and are in the most competitive bracket for their league.
Hockey is a sport that is very time consuming and takes a lot of effort to be a part of.
“The main thing hockey affects is sleep. Our practices are two times a week from 9:40-10:40 so often you are going to sleep around midnight,” said senior Chase Flinker. “We also have games; depending on the week it is anywhere from 1-4 games a weekend.”
Athletes are tired and exhausted as hockey is a very physically demanding sport, and sleep is a high priority for players that they lack. Additionally, the season is long, lasting from August to February, with that same schedule every week.
Many of the players think that the school lacks posts, recognition, and even supporters at their game.
“The school hasn’t shown much appreciation for the hockey team. Most people probably don’t even know we have a hockey team but for 2 games we’ve had a decent crowd of students,” said junior, Evan Lopresti.“We hope to see students come more frequently and in bigger crowds because we have a lot of games left.”
With as much effort and time each player is putting into the team for their success rate, the school should acknowledge the team more frequently.
The fans that do go to hockey games build confidence and help the players perform better.
“I believe when we pack the barn (have a lot of people come and support us) we play better and it puts a spark in us to play harder. It’s not easy for us out on the ice but it makes it a lot better when you have fans to support you,” said junior Dominick Rallo.
The way that the players are always trying to boost their team and attempt to get more people to come, shows that it really does impact them. This isn’t just a feeling but even proven as sports psychologists have identified “crowds could improve athletic performance if the sport included strength, endurance, and teamwork. Most teams understand the impact fans have on performance” (Peterson).
The team also has to face the challenges of meeting new people from their rival schools and having to play with them. Playing with people you have never met before at your own school can be difficult, but meeting new people from four other schools can be a challenge.
“I do and don’t like that there are multiple schools connected to our hockey team. I like it because I get to make new friends with other kids that I wouldn’t have if it weren’t for the mixing of schools,” said Rallo.
Hinsdale South should show more recognition and supportiveness to their hockey team to benefit the team and to recognize the talent the team holds.
