“3,2,1 Titans” is a cheer on ice after members of the Transcona Collegiate Institute hockey team learned this week the team will be disbanded for the season.
“I was pretty devastated,” grade 12 player Griffin Boomer said. “I have been upset pretty much all week.”
His teammate Matthew McCorrister added “It was very disheartening.”
Head coach Tom Boomer was also left distressed as he has seen the positive impact the program has on youth.
“There was a big outcry from the players, very upset. Some of them have missed tryouts that are coming for other teams. Everyone is scrambling to try and find something,” Tom said.
Many athletes only play for the Titans as the cost and timing of ice times was more feasible than playing for club hockey teams.
“It means a lot to me. It keeps everyone out of trouble. It keeps me busy,” grade 12 player Landon Bollenback said.
A statement sent on behalf of Sandra Herbst, superintendent and CEO of River East Transcona School Division says:
“Despite great effort on the part of the school and community members, the difficult decision was made by school leaders, in consultation with RETSD senior administration, to not run a boys’ hockey team this season. We are fully aware that this will be troubling for some in the community.”
League rules say teams must have at least 13 skaters, one goalie and a maximum of two grade nines. Tom says the roster he was going to submit had 14 players, two goalies and three grade nines.
“It’s a small school,” Tom said. “We don’t have many to draw from but we always seem to make it work.”
Boomer says the athletes were also willing to fundraise if financials were a concern.
Global News asked River East Transcona School Division if it would elaborate on its concerns about roster size and why the program was no longer financially feasible.
The division said its superintendent Sandra Herbst was unavailable to provide further information.
With a final roster not due until next week, members of the team say they will be pushing the school division to get the program back on the ice.
“It has given me drive to excel in the educational aspect of school and its improved my mental health,” grade 11 player Devlin Allard said.
Player parents signed a letter this week urging the school to reverse it’s decision.
A change.org petition has also been launched in hopes of reviving the program. That petition garnered more than 1,800 hundred signatures in the first 24 hours.