HHS sports combine with other schools

As the season begins for the girls hockey team, fans of both the Hopkins Royals and St. Louis Park Orioles will both be cheering.

The two schools combined to make one super team, or at least that was the idea. The hockey team has only been to one state tournament and last year they had a record of 1-7 in the lake conference.

The team had recent success during the 2013-2014 season, where the team went 21-3-1 overall.

However, girls hockey is not the only sport at HHS that is combined with another school. The adapted floor hockey, adapted soccer, adapted softball, and gymnastics are all combined with other schools.

“I don’t believe that combining teams make them better,” said Brenden Bosker, senior, a key player on all three adapted teams.

Another point to be made is how only some HHS sports teams are combined.

“I don’t think we should combine with another school,” said Rohee Konde, sophomore football player. “Our program would become too big. If we expanded it, the program would become uncontrollable.”

Konde believes the players on the team have the talent and the capability to do better

“Our players work hard and the 1-8 record doesn’t represent us,” Konde said. “The players we have in the Hopkins system are the players that I want on the team.”

Football is a well sized program, and it is generally the smaller programs that benefit from combining athletes from different schools.

“I wouldn’t mind if we combined with another school,” said Gareth Clark, sophomore swimmer. “There is something special about the team being just Hopkins, but if we combined with another program, maybe we could be more successful.”

One of the most successful fall teams at HHS this year has been the adapted soccer team. They are undefeated so far and are the number one seed in state this year.

“Our team has great communication and leadership,” Bosker said. “We have a very good chance to win state and keep the undefeated season alive.”

Schools that combine with HHS include, St Louis Park, Robbinsdale Armstrong, Mounds Westonka, and Benilde St. Margaret’s.

The adapted soccer team has only four players from Robbinsdale Armstrong.

“If you have skills and chemistry, it doesn’t matter which school you come from,” Bosker said.

Other players think differently about the topic.

“All in all, it would be pretty weird playing with kids you don’t go to school with,” Konde said. “I believe it would be difficult to get the same team chemistry and communication you have with players you don’t know very well.

Joey Hurth, sophomore, believes that winning is most important.

“I understand why people want to play with just Hopkins players,” Hurth said. “Having said that, if you think combining with another school will help you win, then do it. If you don’t play to win, you shouldn’t play at all.”

Another team ready to start up the season is the gymnastics team, who are combined with Benilde St. Margaret’s.

“I think it will be fun to get to know people and see what they can do,” said Kaija Pratt, sophomore, gymnast. “We have a lot of new girls and it will be exciting to see how we all perform, I think we will do great.”

Pratt also believes in combining teams.

“I think combining teams is a great idea, “Pratt said. “I know that Benilde doesn’t have a gymnastics team and if you’re interested in the sport than you should definitely have the chance to try it.”

It will be interesting to see how the season plays out for these teams.