While Grosse Pointe South is known for having a large selection of sports teams, there are also many South athletes who play their sport outside of the confines of school. One sport with varying levels of play is hockey. For girls and boys, levels of play range from house, tier two (AA) and tier three (AAA). Each level offers different experiences with travel, college exposure, ice time and team bonding. It is critical to find the appropriate fit for each individual athlete.
Natalie Clexton, a Wayne State University student and South alumni, has played hockey at all levels. She began playing house hockey at age ten then swiftly advanced to AA, AAA, and ultimately decided to bring her skills to her high school team: South. Although she has a vast range of experience, her favorite levels were house and high school.
“House was a stepping stone, it was more of just learning and enjoying the sport rather than being super competitive,” Clexton said. “The slow pace of high school hockey made it easier to enjoy myself. I knew I wasn’t going to play college hockey, so I just wanted to enjoy it while I could, unlike the competitive atmosphere of travel hockey.”
Travel hockey requires a significant time commitment; through her experience, Clexton highlights that coordinating a schedule with travel sports is a major responsibility.
“My AAA years were the busiest of my life since I spent every day traveling and playing hockey,” Clexton said. “Balancing it with your homework, school, and social life is a big struggle.”
Ruby Lenhard ’26 plays both travel hockey and hockey for South. Regardless of the team, Lenhard loves the team camaraderie that comes with the sport, but shares that playing for South is extra special.
“I believe that high school teams are more fun while club teams are a lot more strict,” Lenhard said. “Playing with people you see every day at school makes the experience a lot more enjoyable while on external teams, you only see your teammates at practice and games.”
Drake Gram ’26 began playing hockey at age five. As his abilities grew, Gram joined Little Caesars’ AAA team. He agrees that the team bonding experience looks different between the different levels of play.
“It’s difficult because you don’t see [your team] every day other than practices and games, whereas in high school, you see them every day,” Gram said. “Bonding is obviously more difficult, but we try to bond during tournaments and bus rides.”
However, there is an incentive to play at the highest level: the dream of continuing the sport in the future. Gram says that the AAA experience provides more exposure than high school teams.
“You get more exposure, especially if you want to play juniors or college because everyone has the same goal to succeed in the sport,” Gram said. “We all want scholarships.”
Kylie White ’28 has been playing hockey for ten years. Currently, White plays for Saint Clair Shores AA and plans to try out for South’s team this year.
“I enjoy the travel aspect of AA,” White said. “But I like the idea of playing for your school because the team revolves around school. If you miss school for a travel hockey tournament, it is challenging to make up the work.”
While it is a luxury to have so many options for playing the sport, it is important for each player to evaluate what they want from the experience and find the best fit.
