By Allison Goldsmith
I&M Sports Editor
In its first season as an official Nantucket High School sports program, Whalers ice hockey will welcome a new head coach to the bench when they take the ice for the winter season.
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Jack Moran |
Nantucket State Trooper Jack Moran has been named the fourth head coach of the fourth-year team, replacing Kris Marsh, who coached the squad in its final season as a club program last winter.
All coaching positions are awarded on a one-year contract. Five applicants were in the running for the spot when it came up for review this fall.
Moran, who had applied for the position last season as well, officially accepted the job Tuesday afternoon.
“I think he is a natural leader. He is an authority figure, but he is an authority figure with very good people skills. He is someone I think the kids will respect and relate to. He is very good from a standpoint of dealing with parents and issues involving parents in this program,” athletic director Chris Maury said.
Moran played hockey at Haverhill High School and picked it up again more recently in the Rec Hockey League at Nantucket Ice. He has also served as an assistant coach with the PeeWee youth hockey team as well as serving as a referee for games at all levels from mites to the adult rec league.
“What I am trying to gain is the kids’ respect. I want the kids to respect us as coaches. I want them to understand we will be seeking to respect them in the way they play and the way they carry themselves. I want them understanding this is a team sport. One of the main focuses for the kids to get out of it is to understand what sportsmanship is,” Moran said.
And on the ice?
“Good heads-up hockey is what we are going to look to play,” Moran said.
The challenges and politics surrounding getting a new high school program off the ground were cited as main reasons for the change in coaching.
“I think Kris is a fine young man. He is a good coach, but I think Kris was trapped in some difficult situations. There are a lot of politics and a lot of issues surrounding the program,” Maury said. “I think Kris’s youth and Kris being relatively new to the community left him vulnerable to be steered somewhat by outside forces.”
As a new Nantucket High School sports program, the hockey team is only partially funded by the school. The school committee has allotted $15,000 to be designated for the program, while it is estimated that the program will cost closer to $40,000. The difference is to be raised through fundraising and parent support.
The hockey program will play a junior varsity schedule this season similar to the last three seasons as a club team. Moran is looking for a fresh start with new philosophies as the Whalers work towards becoming a varsity program in the future.
“We want to put out a good hockey team, but wins and losses right now aren’t the priority. It is basically getting these kids to enjoy what they are doing and learning how to become competitive sportsmen,” Moran said.
The ever-growing and popular Nantucket Youth Hockey program is essential to the success of Nantucket High School hockey as the feeder program for the island. The longer the program has been in existence, the more time the athletes have spent on the ice, training and playing competitively.
“That system is going to grow and their strengths are going to grow and everything is going to improve year to year. Right now it is baby steps and hopefully down the road the steps will be bigger and we can be a respectable hockey team when we step on the ice,” Moran said.
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