Low participation ends Stearns, FA hockey teams Elimination of youth programs hurts schools

As anticipated, a lack of numbers resulting from the elimination of their youth programs has cost Stearns High School of Millinocket and Foxcroft Academy of Dover-Foxcroft their ice hockey programs.

Stearns began its hockey program in the 1984-85 season and Foxcroft started a year later.

Stearns High School athletic director Chris Preble and Foxcroft AD Tim Smith said they hated to lose their programs but there was nothing that could be done to save them.

“It was a total numbers game,” said Smith. “We were down to 11-12 players this year and things weren’t looking any better for the future.”

Preble said the Minutemen had only 10 players for their last two games and “that is the minimum you can have in order to play [according to the Maine Principals’ Association].”

Preble added that “six or seven” of those players were seniors.

“Since we don’t have a youth program any more, we don’t have any up-and-coming kids to fill those spots,” added Preble. “It’s just a reality of things going on. We’ve had declining enrollment and we lost our youth program a few years ago.”

Smith said Dover-Foxcroft used to have a “very big feeder system but, for whatever reason, a lot of kids ended up going to Bangor to play on more competitive teams. Then fewer and fewer kids did that and now we have very few kids in town who play hockey.”

Both programs were at distinct disadvantages because they didn’t have indoor ice in their communities.

Stearns would travel to Houlton’s Millar Arena for practices and games and Foxcroft Academy traveled to Bangor’s Sawyer Arena.

It is approximately 40 miles one way from Dover-Foxcroft to Bangor and 60 from Millinocket to Houlton.

It would cost Foxcroft Academy approximately $500 per trip and Stearns was charged around $300 per journey.

They would only be able to practice from once to three times a week until cold temperatures enabled them to use their outdoor facilities.

“We’d practice once or twice a week and the other teams would practice every single day. That would put us behind the eight-ball,” said Preble.

Smith pointed out that Foxcroft traveled “just as far for our home games as we did our road games. And what we made at the gate wouldn’t cover the cost of hosting a game because you had to pay people to take tickets, work the penalty boxes and the clock, and handle the PA [public address announcer].”

Preble noted that attendance would be limited due to the travel involved.

“You wouldn’t get [many] students to the games,” he said.

Brewer High School coach Bill Schwarz, who was Foxcroft Academy’s second coach and spent two years there, said “it’s too bad to lose any programs. But it’s tough up there.

“The youth programs have gone by the wayside and without a feeder system, your future is null and void,” said Schwarz, who guided Brewer to the state Class B title this past season.

Foxcroft Academy went 2-14-1 last season and Stearns was 2-14. Both had just one goalie.

If there is a positive, both schools will save a considerable amount of money.

Preble and Smith said the cost of running their hockey programs was in the $10,000-$20,000 range including transportation.