It’s settled. When the varsity ice hockey season begins in the Pikes Peak region this winter, Air Academy will not have a team. 

Academy District 20 has moved forward with its decision to pause Air Academy’s varsity ice hockey program, a hiatus that could last until the 2028-2029 school year.

Mark Belcher, the chief communication officer for District 20, detailed the process behind the decision that was rooted in safety concerns.

Belcher said district athletic director Ron Alexander and Air Academy athletic director Kali Maxwell noticed declining participation numbers for the program in 2024. This year, they paid attention to the numbers, and two weeks prior to the registration deadline, only nine players had signed up for varsity hockey. Per Belcher, this led to a series of phone calls to each individual family informing them of the district’s intent to pause the program. 

Belcher said some parents who wished to see the program continue encouraged students to sign up, bringing the number to 15, which was cited by a parent in a story in The Gazette last week. However, Belcher contends that the new signees were lacking in experience.    

“When you’re looking at the decision being rooted in a safety concern, you’re looking at, do we have enough players at a varsity level to have good rotations for that sport?” he said. “The sport needs well over 20 kiddos participating to be able to relieve those players so that they can safely skate and not get injured. And even if we left it open for two more weeks, we didn’t see a good path forward for getting enough kids with the right experience to fill out a varsity program at a 4A level.”

Last week, school and district officials held a meeting with parents regarding the pause at Air Academy. Belcher said there was a small opportunity for the program to resume this year if the community could show that it had enough experienced players to safely field a varsity program, but that wasn’t the case.

Part of the reason for moving forward with the decision to pause the program just over week prior to the Wednesday deadline was to give the players on Air Academy’s roster the option to find another district program at Pine Creek, Rampart or Liberty that suits their level of experience.   

“Making the decision with time left in the tryout and sign-up cycle ensures enough time for athletes to find the right fit for them,” Belcher said in a statement. “We are committed to walking families through eligibility requirements and supporting a smooth transition for all.”

As for Air Academy hockey this season, Belcher and district officials hope to see the program field a junior varsity team if enough participants remain after those who wish to play varsity hockey elsewhere are allowed to pursue that avenue. 

Belcher is looking three yeas down the road for a potential return for Kadet varsity hockey, but he left the door open for an earlier return if the school can increase its number of experienced players.

“We have flexibility on when we could restart a varsity program, and our intent is to rebuild interest and participation to be able to relaunch a safe and successful varsity team at Air Academy,” he said in a statement.  “We are looking toward the next CHSAA (Colorado High School Activities Association) cycle, beginning in 2028-2029, but could potentially relaunch earlier if we have strength in participation and a viable path forward to ensure a safe and sustainable program.”