For the first time in nearly 50 years, Huntington High School might field a girls’ gymnastics team. Plans are still in their infancy, but officials are moving to determine if there is enough interest to offer the program. If there is, the Blue Devils would combine with Harborfields on a joint team.
Harborfields has sponsored a girls’ gymnastics team for many years. The Tornadoes’ squad has historically practiced in the south gym at Harborfields High School, however with some COVID-19 related shuffling of programs, the team was relocated to Oldfields Middle School. Officials in that district are anticipating its return to the Harborfields south gym.
Should Huntington and Harborfields move forward with plans to combine in the sport, Huntington girls enrolled in grades 9-12 in 2022/23 will be permitted to join the team along with J. Taylor Finley Middle School seventh and eighth graders (current sixth and seventh graders) who qualify for high school participation through the Athletic Placement Process.
Should plans for a joint team come to fruition, the team’s head coach would be from Harborfields with an assistant coach provided by Huntington. Practices and meets would be at Harborfields. Girls’ gymnastics is a fall sport in Section XI and New York State.
To express interest in participating on a Harborfields/Huntington varsity girls’ gymnastics team send a message to athletic director Jim Hoops at jhoops@hufsd.edu. If interest warrants it, the Blue Devils will compete in the sport for the first time since the 1970s.
There are currently 21 girls’ gymnastics teams spread across three leagues in Section XI. Nearby high schools with teams include Harborfields, Walt Whitman, Commack, Kings Park and Half Hollow Hills.
The plan to provide Huntington UFSD girls’ with this opportunity is being spearheaded by Superintendent James W. Polansky, who is also behind recent actions by the district to expand opportunities in numerous other sports.
Huntington UFSD created a second middle school boys’ soccer team, reintroduced middle school boys’ and girls’ tennis, boys’ volleyball, varsity bowling and a brand new Unified varsity bowling team for the first time ever.
The Blue Devils’ Unified varsity bowling team is one of just four in all of Suffolk, although the sport is poised for explosive growth in the near future as many other districts intend to add teams.
Mr. Polansky is also supporting the creation of second teams at Finley in boys’ and girls’ basketball, girls’ soccer and girls’ volleyball and creation of Huntington’s first ever varsity girls’ golf team. The district is also planning to offer varsity girls’ flag football if Section XI adopts it as a sponsored sport.