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Hockey becomes option at prep level
By BRANT JAMES, Times Staff Writer Few realize their proximity to living history when "Jimbo" Fisher's unassuming figure brushes past them in the hallways of Springstead High School. He looks like an everyday sophomore, acts like it, but he's really quite unique. Fisher is among the top dozen or so ice hockey players in school history. Easy. Easy because he's one of the first dozen or so. But no one realizes that either, unless they happen to ask where he got that cool red-and-black jersey. "That's pretty cool," Fisher said, smiling. Florida is a state brimming with young athletes, exceling at everything under the sun. Not an image congruent with hockey and frozen ponds or chilled municipal rinks. But as the state siphons more transplants from the Northeast and Midwest where hockey is entrenched, so the sport increases its profile here. Where floor and street hockey once were the only options for kids with a passion for something different or something familiar to their old home, ice hockey -- for those willing to dedicate extra time and effort -- slowly is becoming an option. A club team based at Springstead High, including two players from Central, made that commitment this year, and the results have been instantly rewarding. The Mustangs and coach Jim Fisher -- Jimbo's father -- are in first place in the three-year-old Tampa-area conference they joined this season. "Never in my wildest dreams did I think I would have the opportunity to coach the game I love," said Fisher, 47, who played hockey from age 6 in Hillside, Ill. "I thought once I left Chicago (in 1983), that was it," he said. "But first we had floor hockey, then roller hockey, now, finally, ice." Four Springstead students played as part of a Tampa Bay Tech team last year. But they're glad to have their own identity this season -- even if it's a low-profile one. "When we wear our jerseys to school, people don't believe we have a hockey team, just because this is Florida and hockey's not that established," said junior Michael Musumeci, who -- like many of his teammates -- is an uprooted Long Islander. "Last year, we'd say we played for Tampa Tech and they'd by like, "Who?' " The squad in the Lightning Conference -- Brandon, Bloomingdale (varsity and junior varsity), Armwood, Plant, Riverview, Durant, Wharton, George Jenkins and Plant City -- had the same reaction to their 11th member. "A lot of the teams down there had no idea what Springstead was," Fisher said. "They were like, "Springstead who? Where are you guys from?' " Ice hockey is not officially recognized as a varsity sport by the Florida High Schools Activities Association, but it's regulated by umbrella groups: Statewide Amateur Hockey of Florida, which is overseen by USA Hockey, and the Florida Scholastic Hockey League, which directs the four "conferences" comprised of 36 teams throughout the state. The Mustangs' Lightning Conference, which grew by three teams this year, has all its games and practices at Brandon Ice Forum. The conferences act as independent bodies, but plans are afoot to link scheduling next season and have the four champions contest a state title. Club status has major drawbacks. There is no carrot of recognition or a varsity letter and no official connection to the school. The Springstead team, therefore, is Springstead for identification purposes only. It uses the nickname Mustangs -- from a previous club program to which may of the players belonged -- and wears Calgary Flames uniforms. Central players were allowed to join the Mustangs because their school doesn't have a hockey team. Club teams must provide their own facilities, and Brandon -- more than an hour drive each way -- is the only option for a prep season. Most importantly, club teams must finance their own expenditures, and in hockey, that's a major issue. Ice-time at the Forum is $5 a minute, so the $300 fee each of the Springstead players must produce to support the squad pays for about an hour of practice. Two hours of driving for Friday games and Sunday practices often keep fan support to "four or five people," excluding parents, Fisher said. It's a price the 19 Mustangs -- and their parents -- seem willing to pay. Perhaps because of the fringe benefits, a sense of fraternity borne of being a member of a select group. "I like when we go to school and not too many kids know about it," said forward Ricky Nelson, a sophomore. One night a week, much of the team gathers at Fisher's home -- at the end of a cul-de-sac that forms a dream of a street hockey court -- for equal parts film study and pizza consumption. Jimbo Fisher gets to wash the dishes afterwards. "Because they're my friends," he said. Jim Fisher, who won a state title in West Proviso (Ill.) his senior year in high school, would love to see his son have a chance to do the same. Fisher realizes that if he does, it probably will be as a club team. But he's confident the squad will remain after the group with 13 underclassmen is gone. "I plan to keep it going," Fisher said. "As long as there are kids that want to play, I'll be here." Nick Correa could consider himself cheated if he chose. Directed toward the sport because he was a bit too physical for roller hockey, he's a senior with just one year to enjoy on his own school team. He choses not to see it that way. "I told Coach this is my favorite team I've ever been on," Correa said, the din of the most recent game emanating from the big screen TV in the Fisher living room. "It's my favorite because we win, and we have fun doing it." And for the time being, they're the greatest ever. SPRINGSTEAD MUSTANGSSCHEDULE: (All games at Brandon Ice Forum) Jan. 4, 10:30 p.m. -- Brandon. Jan. 11, 8 p.m. -- Plant City. Jan. 25, 8 p.m. -- Bloomingdale junior varsity. PREP HOCKEY FACTSThe National Federation of High Schools and its member organizations in 21 states sanction 1,317 schools (33,098 players) playing ice hockey as a full varsity sport. Florida is not among them. The NFHS sanctions 13,454 football-playing schools (1,012,420 players) in all 50 states and the District of Columbia as full varsity sports. Want more?For information, check out these Web sites: High school hockey around the nation. High school hockey in Florida.
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