There is no better story than the stories of our students! We recently caught up with junior Wheeling Park High School student Hailey and senior WPHS student Anna. These two have known each other for years due to a shared interest: they’re competitive hockey players.
Both Hailey and Anna have been playing hockey since age 3 or 4, and both are currently on the varsity hockey team at WPHS where Hailey serves as the goalie and Anna plays all over, but typically defense.
Hockey can often be viewed as a male dominated sport, and as the only two female students on the team, Hailey and Anna have been trailblazing for years to emphasize that hockey is truly for everyone. “I don’t see much of a difference on the ice. I’m in the net, and they count on me,” Hailey states.
Anna goes on to offer advice to any female student interested in pursuing a male dominated sport: “Hold your own. Be confident. First impressions matter, so don’t be afraid to prove people wrong. You deserve to be there.”
Both students participate in multiple sports, playing soccer and running track (all while maintaining honors classes and side hustles with Hailey working at Oglebay and Anna freelancing in editing). Anna is preparing to head to Post University where she will continue her hockey career and Hailey is enjoying her junior year, and anticipates that she will explore collegiate level hockey opportunities.
Wheeling Park Hockey is in its 30th season, and the team is phenomenal. Yesterday saw an 8-0 victory of Wheeling Central, and tomorrow marks their largest fundraiser, Night at the Races, taking place at River City at 6:00 P.M.
Wheeling Park Athletics
#OCSAthletics #Hockey #Athlete #StudentHighlight #StudentStory