MONROE - Bill Gross is used to hitting the road to support his daughter Molly's hockey-playing exploits with a Madison Capitols Tier 1 AAA girls team.
Just this winter, the Monroe resident said Molly's squad traveled to Detroit "three or four times" to compete in tournaments that draw teams from around the country.
But Gross said that while those are tremendous experiences for young hockey players, he's more excited about the newest opportunity for his daughter and other girls in the Monroe School District.
The Monroe School Board this week voted to become the fifth district to join the Rock County Fury, a WIAA girls varsity hockey co-op team.
The squad, which is organized through the Beloit Memorial High School athletic department and plays in the six-team Badger Conference, also includes players from Beloit Turner, Clinton and the Janesville high schools.
Monroe athletic director Dave Hirsbrunner said there will be no cost for the school district to be involved with the co-op, as parents of players must cover 100 percent of the participation costs.
Hirsbrunner said he anticipates two girls - Molly Gross and a second incoming freshman - from the Monroe district will play for the Fury next season.
"Anytime you have the opportunity to compete as a high school team, whether that's as a co-op or as one high school, that's a neat experience," Bill Gross said. "When you play at the AAA (club) level, you've got a whole mesh of kids from different areas and backgrounds. Playing for a WIAA team gives you a little more local flavor. I think it will be a good experience for the kids."
Hirsbrunner agrees.
"It's about providing kids more opportunities," he said. "A lot of these girls are still going to play hockey whether we have a co-op or not, and this allows them to be part of a WIAA function."
Hirsbrunner said joining the girls co-op program should have no impact on efforts to start a boys co-op team that would be run through Monroe's athletic department and begin play during the 2012-13 season. Prior to Monroe joining the girls co-op, any girls in the district who wished to play on the boys co-op team would have had that option, potentially bringing more numbers to the program and driving down the participation cost for players' parents.
But both Hirsbrunner and Gross said they believe most girls would seek a club option rather than choosing to play on the boys co-op squad.
"I don't know if we ever anticipated girls playing on the (boys) team. I don't think there are a lot of girls who would choose to do that," Hirsbrunner said. "It's kind of like wrestling. Girls can be on the wrestling team, but normally not many choose to."
Gross said he'd much rather see his daughter play on an all-girls WIAA squad.
"At the high school level, the physical aspect of the boys game kind of overwhelms the finesse of the girls game," Gross said. "I don't necessarily think it's a real good marriage at this time.
"I don't know if I want a 225-pound young man hitting my daughter and going 15 to 20 mph when he does. Are there girls who can handle that? Yeah. But given what we're learning about head injuries, it's not worth it to me to have my daughter compete with boys at that level."
The cost of playing for the Rock County Fury will depend on the team's roster size. The current projection is for a 20-player roster next season, which would make the cost $997 per player.
Just this winter, the Monroe resident said Molly's squad traveled to Detroit "three or four times" to compete in tournaments that draw teams from around the country.
But Gross said that while those are tremendous experiences for young hockey players, he's more excited about the newest opportunity for his daughter and other girls in the Monroe School District.
The Monroe School Board this week voted to become the fifth district to join the Rock County Fury, a WIAA girls varsity hockey co-op team.
The squad, which is organized through the Beloit Memorial High School athletic department and plays in the six-team Badger Conference, also includes players from Beloit Turner, Clinton and the Janesville high schools.
Monroe athletic director Dave Hirsbrunner said there will be no cost for the school district to be involved with the co-op, as parents of players must cover 100 percent of the participation costs.
Hirsbrunner said he anticipates two girls - Molly Gross and a second incoming freshman - from the Monroe district will play for the Fury next season.
"Anytime you have the opportunity to compete as a high school team, whether that's as a co-op or as one high school, that's a neat experience," Bill Gross said. "When you play at the AAA (club) level, you've got a whole mesh of kids from different areas and backgrounds. Playing for a WIAA team gives you a little more local flavor. I think it will be a good experience for the kids."
Hirsbrunner agrees.
"It's about providing kids more opportunities," he said. "A lot of these girls are still going to play hockey whether we have a co-op or not, and this allows them to be part of a WIAA function."
Hirsbrunner said joining the girls co-op program should have no impact on efforts to start a boys co-op team that would be run through Monroe's athletic department and begin play during the 2012-13 season. Prior to Monroe joining the girls co-op, any girls in the district who wished to play on the boys co-op team would have had that option, potentially bringing more numbers to the program and driving down the participation cost for players' parents.
But both Hirsbrunner and Gross said they believe most girls would seek a club option rather than choosing to play on the boys co-op squad.
"I don't know if we ever anticipated girls playing on the (boys) team. I don't think there are a lot of girls who would choose to do that," Hirsbrunner said. "It's kind of like wrestling. Girls can be on the wrestling team, but normally not many choose to."
Gross said he'd much rather see his daughter play on an all-girls WIAA squad.
"At the high school level, the physical aspect of the boys game kind of overwhelms the finesse of the girls game," Gross said. "I don't necessarily think it's a real good marriage at this time.
"I don't know if I want a 225-pound young man hitting my daughter and going 15 to 20 mph when he does. Are there girls who can handle that? Yeah. But given what we're learning about head injuries, it's not worth it to me to have my daughter compete with boys at that level."
The cost of playing for the Rock County Fury will depend on the team's roster size. The current projection is for a 20-player roster next season, which would make the cost $997 per player.
