MIDDLETOWN - His first hockey season at Middletown High School, Sonia Konapka’s son Connor was torn.

       Playing for the co-op program Middletown joined in 2013 would have meant suiting up under the leadership of his cousin, a senior captain – a tempting proposition for the freshman and experienced club team player, Sonia says.

       On the other hand, a crowded roster of Middletown, Wethersfield, Rocky Hill, and Plainville players might have significantly cut his ice time.

       â€�"He said ‘at some point I’ve got to do what’s right for me’,” Sonia recalls.

       With that in mind, Connor opted for another year playing Bantam club hockey .

       â€�"If they’re not going to play, they’re not going to develop,” says Rocky Hill High School (RHHS) Athletic Director Richard Seidman. â€�"In that situation, it’s better for them to play Bantam.”

       It was a decision Sonia said fast-tracked Connor’s development and left him feeling more ready than ever for a successful high school hockey career.

       But Middletown hockey families had a bit of a scare recently – with host town Wethersfield phasing out the co-op due to a projected participation windfall among homegrown players and CIAC rules capping roster sizes for co-op eligibility, the high school hockey futures of Middletown’s 9 players appeared less than certain.

       "He's been looking forward to this for so long,” she says. â€�"I just can’t picture him not playing.”

       Marco Caminito expressed similar sentiments regarding his son, Dante, a junior who, last year, tasted the success of the co-op’s Division II semifinals run. This coming season, per the phase out, will the co-op’s last.

       It’s one thing to miss out on the full high school sports experience. It’s another, to be robbed of its grand finale – the promise of a proper senior year sendoff – Caminito says.

       â€�"Being able to play on a high tier hockey team with school support is a great educational and bonding experience,” Caminito says.

       Luckily for them, administrators and athletic directors in Rocky Hill, Middletown, and Plainville seem to agree. In Rocky Hill – the likely host town, since it will contribute the most players in the absence of Wethersfield – Superintendent Mark Zito has been meeting with local parents to pave a way forward for all of the co-op’s remaining municipalities.

       Leading the charge in Rocky Hill are Michele and Brian Swanson, parents of junior forward Noah Swanson. They’ve already pitched the Board of Ed. on keeping the Middletown arm of their co-op intact, and turned out to the November BOE meeting with a full, multi-town contingent of high school and youth players sporting hockey jerseys to make their case.

       "We want them to see we're not just talking about the kids playing now, but that there's a whole line of kids coming up,” Michele said over the phone.

       The co-op currently boasts 29 players, with 35 projected for next year. Per CIAC rules, towns have to have 15 players or less to be eligible to form a co-op, and the total roster size can’t exceed double that threshold if they want to enlist additional teams.

       The CIAC affords co-op programs a two year phase out – an extended avenue Wethersfield opted not to take, according to Rocky Hill and Middletown parents.

       â€�"Twenty plus years ago a group of Rocky Hill parents got together, relentlessly persevered, and established hockey at RHHS,” Michele and Brian wrote in a letter sent to the BOE in October. â€�"The group of Rocky Hill parents in 1995 advocated not only for their kids, but all future kids coming through our schools who love this game. We, the 2019 parents, are here to ensure the hockey program the previous generation brought to life continues.”

       That year, the founding families went before the BOE to advocate for funding. By 1996, the Board had agreed to chip in part of the cost for launching a club team – namely the $10,000 for ice time. The program turned varsity the following season.

       â€�"It’s a lot more than that now,” says former RHHS Coach Brian Clemens. â€�"It was a lot more when I coached.”

       Clemens coached for 7 years, starting in 2003. By then, Rocky Hill already had its first Division II semifinals appearance in hand.

       "The first group of kids were playing their entire lives. It was a talented group of kids,” Clemens says. â€�"The sport is expensive, so over time the numbers start going down."

       So in 2004, Rocky Hill formed its first co-op with RHAM. In 2010 – his last season behind the bench – they added Middletown.

       The co-op would dissolve in 2013, with Rocky Hill and Middletown leaving to join Wethersfield, which was having its own challenges with participation shortfalls. Plainville was added to the mix in 2016.

       Rocky Hill parents have already said they’ll chip in – the school districts typically cover the cost of transportation, ice time, and uniforms, while families provide sticks, skates, and padding.

       But still, compared to the cost of joining one of only a few full-season midget – i.e. high school level travel teams – programs in the state, the price tag doesn’t look that bad, Caminito says.

       He estimates that once tournament expenses – hotels, fuel, and food – are factored in, a given family pays around $8,000 per year for their player to participate in one of those programs, versus around $2500 annually with their high school.

       The Rocky Hill BOE’s Finance Committee met Monday night at RHHS to crunch some of the numbers – provided by the Swansons in their meetings with Dr. Zito.

       So far, forging ahead with Rocky Hill as the host district seems feasible – albeit with a bit of work from all parties involved. Zito figures the most significant expense will be ice time – pushing the overall costs to around $54,000.

       But Middletown parents already offering to chip in $1,000 per player and Plainville willing to pay a flat $10,000 for the season, that puts a nice dent in the final figure, Zito says.

       â€�"We’re looking, roughly, at between $30,000 and $40,000 to run the program,” he said.

       By his preliminary estimates, Rocky Hill families would contribute between $500 and $600 per player.

       The item appears headed for the approaching school budget cycle, with the Swansons and their fellow hockey parents turning to their booster clubs to see how they could defray the costs further.

       By all indications, the families are ready to roll up their sleeves. Because for those like Connor and Sonia, there’s something about the high school team camaraderie that transcends dollars.

       â€�"You go to school and you have someone to share that experience with,” Sonia says.