Quincy and North Quincy hockey short on players; AD outlines co-op and eighth-grade waiver options

Quincy Public Schools’ athletic director Kevin Aloni briefed the Athletics and Wellness Subcommittee on March 12 about a deepening shortage of boys ice-hockey players at Quincy High and the district’s options to preserve interscholastic hockey for both schools.

Aloni said Quincy High had 19 players this season and will lose eight seniors, leaving an estimated 10 returning players. North Quincy had 29 rostered and will lose about 10 seniors, leaving roughly 19 returning players. Aloni told the panel the Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association (MIAA) and Patriot League align teams primarily by enrollment and that North Quincy had previously been granted appeals to play in a lower division; Quincy has been denied similar appeals and therefore competes at a higher division in some sports.

“We have 9 total from the district that would potentially come up and play,” Aloni said, referring to incoming middle-school players who might fill rosters. He later described that figure as not enough to sustain Quincy on its own: “Quincy’s obviously under 15. 10 kids is drastic…19, not great either.”

Options discussed

- Co-op application: Aloni explained the formal co-op process. A host school and a guest school must apply to the Patriot League, and the league forwards an approved request to the MIAA. He said the MIAA has a guideline threshold of 15 players for a boys hockey co-op but that the number is not a hard cut-off and the association evaluates each case.

- Eighth-grade waivers: The Patriot League can grant waivers to allow eighth graders to play at the high-school lowest level (for example, JV) to bolster rosters. Aloni said teams in the Patriot League commonly use the waiver to fill JV programs and that the district offers the waiver in girls hockey already.

- Short-term approach and parental outreach: Aloni and committee members recommended aggressive parent outreach and a survey of Quincy Youth Hockey to inventory the pool of potential players. Committee members urged a parent meeting before formal league action so families could ask questions and voice concerns.

Timeline and reversibility

Aloni said co-op approvals frequently cover two years; districts can ask for one- or two-year terms and can revisit alignment at the league level after the approved period. He described the co-op as a growth strategy: “The whole goal of the coop is to build the program…see where we're at in 2 years, and then continue the conversation.”

Concerns raised

Committee members and audience speakers focused on ice time at the public rink, skill development for depth players, and a fear that combining teams could leave middle- and lower-rotation players with limited development time. Several members also asked how the process would affect student-athlete eligibility, and Aloni said eighth-grade waivers are permitted and do not typically reduce the student’s high-school eligibility years.

Next steps

Aloni said the subcommittee would pursue outreach to Quincy Youth Hockey, run a parent survey and meeting, and — if the league and parents support it — place a vote before the Patriot League at the league ADs’ monthly meeting and then submit paperwork to the MIAA.

Why it matters: Without immediate action to increase rosters or approve a co-op, the schools risk losing their independent varsity programs. A co-op would preserve high-school hockey but raises trade-offs on playing time, travel and program administration.