Tam High School might have its first field hockey team. Athletic director Christina Amoroso, is organizing a team of girls who are interested in participating in the inaugural season starting next August.
“The athletic council needs to approve the team first because it’s a lot of money, but I think they will,” sophomore Annika Emblad, who plans to join, said. The district’s athletic council consists of representatives from Tam, Drake, and Redwood.
Redwood already has a field hockey team, inspiring both Tam and Drake to start one. Drake, like Tam, is awaiting approval for their team.
About 25 Tam girls are interested in joining, according to Amoroso, who held an informational meeting for the team on September 21. If the request is approved in time, the team will be official next fall.
“We knew that as soon as Redwood had their team that the interest would infiltrate into other schools and it definitely has,” Amoroso said. The more girls that show interest, the higher the chance the athletic council will approve the request, according to Amoroso. Tam is planning on only having a varsity team, like Redwood, for the first season.
The total cost of the equipment, coaches’ salaries, officials’ dues, league dues, and uniforms comes out to about $12,600, which is considered a lot in the public school system where that money could be used elsewhere, according to Amoroso.
“It seems only fair and right for the board to allow other schools besides Redwood to have [a team] especially considering the interest level,” Amoroso said.
“I think it’ll be really fun especially because it would be the first field hockey team at Tam and not much experience will be necessary,” Emblad said. A majority of the interested girls are underclassmen, and many of them attended a field hockey clinic at Redwood earlier this year. The athletic council is expected to give their final verdict in May.
“The whole thing is extremely time sensitive considering it’s a fall sport and they would start in August but… I think it’s do-able,” Amoroso said.