Most of his friends spend their summers at beaches, poolside and sleeping in, but Logan Gentile, right wing for the Icehounds and junior, does not. It’s midsummer at 6 a.m. Rubbing the sleep away from his eyes, Gentile finishes packing his suitcase. A beach getaway? No, he is preparing for an intensive, multi-day hockey camp in Buffalo, NY, 500 miles away. The “start” of his season is several months away, but Gentile has no off-season.
Gentile is among many high school athletes who sacrifice their breaks for a sport that their school doesn’t sanction. At the Selects Hockey camp he goes to almost every summer, he is joined by dozens of other hand-picked hockey players. To be able to participate in a camp, one must specifically be chosen during on-site recruiting. Along with intensive summer camps during the off-season, Gentile says he usually practices three times a week playing organized hockey and plays more recreational hockey on Sundays. The Icehounds’ began their season last Friday, Oct. 4 in their Firestorm Tournament where they advanced to the finals but lost to Music City 3-2. They play the South Stars tonight at home at 9:30 p.m. With so much time dedicated to hockey in the offseason and especially now during the season, his intensive schedule begs the question: Where does he get his motivation?
“I just want to be as good as I can and (I like to go to the camps) knowing you’re playing with other good players,” Gentile said. “(I) play with a chip on (my) shoulder and it’s good to compete with other high-level athletes.”
According to Athletics Director Bruce Wolf, school-sanctioned sports and non-school-sanctioned sports have more similarities than differences. “Non-sanctioned sports teams typically consist entirely of CHS students and compete against other schools—often these are many of the same opponents that sanctioned sports teams complete against,” Wolf said via email. “Additionally, they typically participate in some form of state tournament…However, sports sanctioned by CHS and the IHSAA, must follow IHSAA rules where non-sanctioned do not.”
He said that there really is no functional difference between non-school-sanctioned sports and club sports and that the two descriptive phases are often used interchangeably.
As to the recognition of these sports, he said, “I do feel like CHS has made a significant effort to appropriately recognize most all of the endeavors taken on by our students—both sponsored and non-sponsored.
Justin Glickman is in a similar situation as Gentile. Glickman, scrum-half on the rugby team and junior, plays a non-school-sanctioned sport. He has played rugby since seventh grade.
He mentioned that because rugby is not school-sanctioned, the team has to come up with its own funding. Additionally, he said the team has no lockers or practice field. Even so, he said he still loves playing.
“My favorite part about rugby is the team experience that you get from playing with your brothers,” Glickman said. “I want (rugby) to be school-sanctioned so more people know about it and so it’s a bigger deal.”
Gentile said the players and coaches understand hockey is under the radar. Even though hockey, among other non-school-sanctioned sports at CHS, does not have convocations to celebrate its achievements and can be largely unappreciated, Gentile said he plays for the love of the game.
He said he did not think hockey becoming school-sanctioned would have an effect as he said Indiana is a basketball and football state, but the “players and coaches are fine with how it is now,” Gentile said.
Jack Manard, head coach of Team Indiana Elite High School Hockey and former head coach and Director of Hockey for the Icehounds, said he wished high schools provided more recognition for hockey student-athletes.
“The (success of hockey) teams has received nice recognition in the hockey community; however, it would be very nice (if) our high schools would provide more,” Manard said via email. “We have some excellent athletes who deserve it.”
Manard said his players are motivated simply because they “play for the love of the game.” However, “a pat on the back from their high school and community is always a good thing,” Manard said.
Manard said Indiana is a non-traditional hockey market. Yet he said hockey’s popularity is growing.
“With the popularity of the sport growing, combined with the higher levels of hockey available,” Manard said, “I feel that hockey should be recognized (as a school-sanctioned sport).”
School-sanctioned or not, both Gentile and Glickman said they play their respective sports because they love the game.
“I play (hockey) because I have since I’ve been 6. I love it and I love the culture. (It’s like) you’re in your own world,” Gentile said.