JCK - I am WELL AWARE that Janesville has enough girls number-wise to form several girls hockey teams. Perhaps I should have worded it, "At this point in time, neither Janesville or Beloit have enough high school-aged, HOCKEY PLAYING girls to form teams of their own." By my comment, I meant that there are not enough high school-aged girls who CURRENTLY ARE PLAYING hockey for Janesville or Beloit to form teams of their own that would be competitive (from a numbers standpoint). I was not referring to the total number of girls (probably around 1500 or so, just in Janesville, not to mention the girls in Beloit and Clinton) currently enrolled at the schools involved. I did not realize that I had to be that specific to get the point across.

csense, Janesville and Beloit certainly do have enough "high school aged girls" to form several hockey teams. What they don't have enough of is enough high school aged girls who are interested in playing hockey. That's the reason they're cooping not because there aren't enough girls in any of the individual schools.

The girls should have the same opportunity as the boys if there is interest in it. Who cares if they aren't going to become professional players not only is there not a professional womans hockey league in the United States the fact that student athletes in any sport are very unlikely to be able to make a living at it.

Pizzaman - I don't understand why you can't just have an intelligent "conversation" here. Why do you have to resort to sarcasm?(karate, boxing, bocce ball teams, etc). "Name calling" ("No common sense"). Irrelevant comparisons (Are they forming girls' hockey teams in Japan?"). Exagerated hypothesis ("How many of these girls are going to grow up to be multi-million dollar professional hockey players?)and the icing on the cake - your latest remarks saying that according to my logic, we could be fielding a "booger picking team." Be careful-your ignorance is showing.

Pizzaman - You are correct about both cities having hockey clubs. Janesville doesn't have to talk to Beloit for advice; Janesville has a very succesful hockey club. Both of these cities also have high schools that offer BOYS the opportunity to play on a high school hockey team so why wouldn't both of these cities offer the same opportunity to girls? At this point in time, neither Janesville or Beloit have enough high-school aged girls to form teams of their own and that is why the two cities, along with Clinton are forming a Co-Op team. So you see, Janesville and Beloit have been talking for some time now. As for your comment about the girls in Japan, do I think they are forming girls hockey teams? Perhaps not. However, I bet they have girls soccer teams and girls field hockey teams and girls softball teams. Japan's educational system is different than ours in the United States and it produces different, and sometimes better results, but I don't think that it follows that that is a result of fewer athletic offerings for girls. One thing doesn't have anything to do with the other. As for how many of the girls will go on to earn millions as professional hockey players, how many of the boys will? How many of the football players? Basketball? Who will be the next million dollar high jumper? Potential income is not the reason behind high school sports for anyone - boys or girls. Never say never though - look at Janesville's own Mistie Bass (sorry, I don't know her married name). However, the hockey team's captain may, as a result of leadership, negotiating, and temperment lessons learned on the ice, become our next great district attorney. The athlete who has learned how to balance homework, practice, games, and fun may be the next great mom juggling both a career and a family. We may not have any millionaires, but we might end up with several well-rounded, disciplined, physically fit young ladies ready to contribute to the next generation.

No more sports! Just go to school, join a gang, do drugs... oh and try not to get in trouble!!! Get real, it is a drop in the bucket of what is really spent! Girls should have the right to play the same sports as boys!

Pizzaman - I don't appreciate your "take" on my username. I am a "big fan" of common sense and it is absolutely tragic - the lack of it in the world today! I FULLY understand the purpose of the public school system. I also understand what a motivating factor athletics, music, art, and other extra-curricular activities can be. It is also a fact that participating in athletics has a positive impact on academic performance. It is also true that those students who are involved in athletics and keeping their grades up, are also less likely to be getting into trouble in school or out of it. Your theory might work if you were in favor of doing away with athletics altogether (thereby saving a considerable amount of $) and solely focusing on the 7:45-3:45 academic school day, but I don't think you are willing to do that. So, don't deny these girls a chance to do something they love. (Now would probably be a good time to tell you that I am not the parent of a girl who plays hockey). I wonder how you came to know that Janesville students are "blessed" with an outstanding school district as compared to its neighbors. I think you would find that several of those neighbors would object. For instance, why don't you just ask the hundreds of Janesville residents who chose to buy/build homes in the Milton school district. Ask them if their children are receiving inferior educations? For every one of those children that are now attending Milton schools, Janesville is losing $. Now ask yourself how many of those Milton families are going to "school choice" their kids to Janesville so they can participate in activities that Milton schools do not offer or do not offer at a level that Janesville can.

I'm all for it. There are some really good girls who can play hockey. With woman's hockey at the collegiate level the girls should have a chance in high school to showcase their skills.

Pizzaman - Do you think that the boys' hockey team should be disbanded and they should play club hockey? How about the basketball teams? Couldn't they just play at the Y or in a CYO league? Give the girls a chance. Maybe it won't work out but they deserve the chance. $40,000 is the high estimate for a start-up cost and Janesville is only going to pay a portion of that. It is a relatively small burden on the taxpayers. As for your other sarcastic comment, when karate, darts, bocce ball, etc. etc. are WIAA sanctioned sports, perhaps they will also be looked at.

arashkin - Thank you for publicly expressing your apology! I'm glad that you realized that it was warranted. I can understand you thinking that this issue comes at a bad time, but that doesn't warrant what you said about how you feel about the people who contacted you. Obviously you are in a very public position, and as such, you need to weigh your words a bit before you use them. I was at that meeting and you sat silently for almost all of it; certainly in all of that time, you had enough time to weigh your thougts and "edit" them before voicing them. Unfortunately more than one person voiced some concern about your comments and wondered if your husband felt similar to you and that that would weigh on their decision come April elections.

tjncj - I share your concerns about funding, which is part of why I did not vote for the hockey proposal at this juncture before seeing the full budget for next year. We made cuts last year based on last year's budget. It would certainly make sense to look at some of those items and reconsider them in total before adding new programs. My comments regarding the impressive way that the young hockey ladies handled themselves was in no way to compare negatively with students involved in other programs. Most of the students I have had contact with in my short tenure as a board member have been overwhelmingly positive and I am very proud of their achievements and accomplishments. They all deserve the best opportunities we can provide as a community. I typically do not blog, but I felt an apology in a public forum was appropriate given the inappropriateness of my remarks the other night. I would welcome a discussion at any time to go into further depth on these issues.

Ms. Rashkin - OK, I will give you "clumsily" on your comment no matter how disturbing it may have been. My question is how can we justify our portion of the $40,000 cost (is it 1/5th, half, prorated by players?) for 10 or 15 hockey players when those other items listed below have been dropped (All city sing, math competition) lately? Or aren't our math students as an "impressive group" as the lady hockey players? I am not discounting the hockey players I am just trying to figure how the priorities are set here?

I regret that in my frustration I spoke so clumsily at last Monday night's meeting, and I apologize for my comments regarding citizen complaints. I very much appreciate citizen input and I value the information I have received from parents and coaches regarding girl's hockey. However, when we are so close to budget review time, I think we should look at whatever discretionary funds we have at the end of the process (if any) and equitably consider all of the programs (whether athletic or not) that would positively impact students with those funds. That having been said, we as a Board voted to support the Janesville/Beloit/Clinton girl's hockey co-op. We met a very impressive group of young ladies on Monday night, and I wish them all of the best success as we all move forward.

So why now? Well first off, many of the Janesville girls have been playing together for six years, so Janesville girls hockey didn’t “just” happen. Additionally, they did approach the board several years ago about starting a High School girls team.

As for the growth of girls hockey, there is an article from the February 10th LaCrosse Tribune (Online) “Women hockey players travel variety of routes to college level”, in it they detail the growth of college girls hockey, and more specifically within the WIAA High school league, how they started with six teams in 2001 and now have 25, and expect to continue to grow.

Girls hockey in Wisconsin is growing, that is a fact.

Opportunity, that is what the High School girls get, “if” the co-op team is sanctioned by the WIAA. It does not guarantee any of them a scholarship, but provides the exposure, and opportunity to make it to the next level.

So where does the money from my own, or my parents', athletic fee go? I was certainly not opposed to the $50 fee that we started paying recently, after learning we were the only district in the state not paying for sports, which could be wrong, but $100 per sport? I love the sports I play, as well as the coaches, but to think that raising the fee so drastically will not cause an overall drop in participation is foolishness. I would most likely think twice before joining a sport again if the fee is much higher than $50. As for the girls hockey team, they aren't asking for the moon people.

justsome1: Let's not fight about it, and maybe we can even agree, but here is another example of JSD finding money for things it finds important. I am all for giving kids opportunities. That is what WE ALL pay taxes for. But it is also very frustrating that the JSD tells the teachers that there is not enough money for salaries and benefits and then the JSD magically finds money to again promote a new program. You hit the nail on the head: Cut, cut, cut, start new program. The huge question is why/how does a school district build a $30 Million savings account when times are supposedly so tough? That money came out of somebody's pocket.

I was at the meeting last night and Mrs. Rashkin's comment was a real "turn-off" regardless of how you felt about the topic being discussed! Her comment was closely followed by Mr. Cullen saying that he doesn't pay attention to the calls he gets. He votes how he feels. He says "it's in me." I thought we elected these individuals to REPRESENT us. How do they know how their constituents feel if they do not "hear" from us. In government, people are always saying, if you don't like it, or if you want to see a change, write your Congressman or your Senator. Well isn't it the same idea with a city council and a school board? They should be thankful that people care enough to contact them and be respectful of the people who elected them. If they are bothered by people expressing their opinions to them; if they are going to pay them no mind, then they are in the wrong "business."

Like the old saying......Because they can?

Recent gazette articles:
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A persistent plea for music in schools.
By FRANK SCHULTZ Saturday, Dec. 22, 2007
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Math competition dropped/staff cuts blamed.
By FRANK SCHULTZ Friday, Dec. 14, 2007
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School board silences All-City Sing.
By FRANK SCHULTZ Wednesday, Oct. 24, 2007
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School candidate forum focuses on budget cuts.
By FRANK SCHULTZ Thursday, March 13, 2008 EMAIL COMMENTS PRINT
.
How is it possible that the school board is even considering adding another athletic team when they have already cut funding for academic and arts programs this school year?

Does anyone know if the girls team will only be allowed 26 players by the WIAA rules on co-op teams?

“I’m really getting sick and tired of what seems like bowing to people who complain and talk,” Rashkin said.
Isn't that called "listening to the people you represent"? Wonder if her husband feels the same way while running for city council?

Stacy, you don't jack about me or my feelings about women participating in sports. I have two daughters who won a total of 12 letters between them during their high school careers and both played and lettered collegiately. I've coached girls in basketball, volleyball and softball. Neither of my daughters took sewing or home ec and both were called jocks. I don't have any problem with the growth of girl's sports including hockey. I just think it's absurd that you'd have to combine schools with enrollment over 5000 to get a single team. That's the point of my comment.
Next time trying comprehending what you read before you jump to conclusions as to it's meaning.

I don't see a problem charging more for hockey. You don't just "walk-on" the hockey team without having played for years before. Parents are used to paying high prices for ice time and equipment. So paying for it in high school would not be a big shock to their budget. I say, if a kid (boy or girl) wants to play, they can go ahead and have their parents continue to pay.

And StaceyU2, your daughter can play on the boys team if she wants to play in high school. When I was in High School there was a girl on the Bluebirds. It didn't stop her from getting a D1 scholarship by playing with the boys.

How many of the school board members have children that compete in two or three sports a year? If you start charging 5-6 hundred dollars for sports like hockey and football then before you know it, our public schools will be excluding kids from participating in these sports. We should be doing more to encourage our youth to get involved in extra curricular activities instead of constantly throwing up roadblocks that some, perhaps many, kids will never be able to get around.

staceyu2 i agree let them play what is the problem with it

To JCK-> What do you mean that this is getting out of hand,, they have the opportunity to play a sport they love and excel in.. With narrow minded people like you, you probably want them to take everything from HOME EC to SEWING class..and stay off the ICE..Because it is a "BOYS SPORT"
Face it... Girls hockey is growing,, And (maybe) in a couple of years , they can go out on their own to form a single School team .. The Co-Op agreement is for 2 yrs and gets reviewed then also...
I Have a daughter that plays hockey and after she reaches high school , she does not have anywhere to play (except for a co-op team) unless we want to pay a couple of Mortgage payments for her to play in Madison or Rockford..
Sure there are private schools out there but $10000.00 /semester for school is out of the questions also..

How many high school girls do you know that play hockey? Yes, it takes many schools.

It takes a combination of schools with probably 5000 students to form one team? If you put enough schools together you could probably form a rodeo team too.

I'm all for kids having opportunities but this co-op thing is getting out of hand if you need that many schools to form a single team.