by Cal Wilson ’14

For 13 years, the Arrows ice hockey team has played without the support or recognition of Sherwood, its only source of players since its formation. However, this season, they will step on the ice in  brand new jerseys with “Warriors” printed in blue across their chests for the first time.

The team will be starting their upcoming season as the Sherwood Ice Hockey Club, sponsored by Christine McKeldin, marking a victory in obtaining recognition from the school. The team has been fighting to earn this privilege for years.

“People would stop me in the hallway and ask me why I am wearing a red jacket for the hockey team and I had to take 20 minutes to explain to them we weren’t school recognized,” commented senior Dalton Thomas, an Arrow from freshman to junior year and finally a Warrior his senior year.

The team, however, is not school-sponsored and is not considered a school sport. This comes with some drawbacks, like how they cannot use the name “Sherwood” alongside the name “Warriors” or show up on the list of school sports.

“The Warriors’ [name] and using the blue means [it] all to the guys,” said Coach Chris Leonard. “These are kids that show up for the first time as freshmen and get handed a red, white and black jersey and are wondering what’s going on when the school’s colors are blue and white, so it’s really nice to be able to finally have the kids suit up in blue and white.” Leonard has been coaching the team for 15 years and is finally seeing the team become more a part of Sherwood.

Although players must meet the same standards as other Sherwood athletes, they are still viewed as a sports team equivalent to that of the Olney Boys and Girls Club. This decision stems from the liability and cost associated with sponsoring a hockey team, and also the fact that the athletic director of Montgomery County, William Beatty, has yet to make a unified decision on what a school can or cannot do with its hockey team.

The team is not pushing for a school sponsorship and is perfectly content with being a school club at the moment. “It’s been exciting because it’s been a long time coming,” said Leonard.