A new chapter for MVR girls hockey
The Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School girls hockey program, traditionally hampered by a shrinking pool of participants, has turned to an unconventional remedy: inviting middle school students to bolster the roster for the upcoming season.
Coach Jim Geary, who has guided the team for several years, explained that the waiver recently granted by the school committee will permit a select group of seventh‑ and eighth‑graders to compete alongside high school athletes, creating a blended lineup that can sustain the program’s competitiveness.
The team’s recent playoff exit, a 6‑0 loss to top‑seeded Westwood, highlighted the urgency of rebuilding, while similar participation declines are being felt across the state, prompting other communities to merge with neighboring schools or to field combined squads.
In neighboring towns, Falmouth has already opened its own waiver for eighth‑graders, and Barnstable has partnered with technical high schools to field joint teams, yet the Nantucket Whalers, after a two‑year hiatus, have re‑emerged and ruled out any collaborative effort with Martha’s Vineyard.
Community response and future outlook
The school committee voted unanimously in favor of the proposal, and members reminded the team that any future overnight trips involving seventh‑ and twelfth‑graders must be presented for approval, a condition that reflects the heightened oversight now attached to the program. Coach Geary remains hopeful that this infusion of younger talent will not only fill the current roster but also lay the groundwork for a self‑sustaining program that no longer requires waivers.