While many of her fellow St. Cloud High School athletes are working out in the hot, humid Florida summer sun or in sweltering gyms, weight rooms or wrestling rooms, Grace Comiskey prefers to keep things cool.
It’s not because she lacks dedication or is taking it easy. It’s just that her primary sport takes place on a sheet of ice.
Comiskey, a rising junior who is also a softball standout for the Lady Bulldogs, is a member of the Florida Alliance Hockey Club— where she is a defenseman for the 19U team.
Hockey is not an FHSAA recognized sport and opportunities to play are rather limited, but Comiskey says she fell in love with the sport as a youngster tagging along when her parents took her brother Kyle to the Ice Factory in Kissimmee, where he played club hockey.
“I was just sort of mesmerized by the sport at a young age,” she says. “Next thing I know I was putting on the gear and learning the game.”
Over the last five years, she has advanced through the Florida Alliance system—jumping this season from the 15U team to the 19U team—considered the top girls’ club team in Florida.
Her schedule can be grueling. Florida Alliance holds most practices on Friday-Sunday in Tampa. In addition, the club plays approximately 10 tournaments a year from August to April. Although some are in Florida, many are out-of-state, including the first tournament of the year in Boston this month.
“The schedule can be crazy but playing hockey has created an incredible opportunity to see different parts of the country,” Comiskey says. “But it’s also a costly sport and I definitely feel blessed to have the support of my family to allow to pursue this passion.”
Comiskey’s performance on the ice has already started to catch the eye of college recruiters, as she has already been contacted by several schools. “That is the dream,” Comiskey says. “I want to play at the next level.”
As a sophomore, Comiskey had a big year on the softball diamond. A starting outfielder, she hit .383 on the season with 20 stolen bases and 12 extra base hits—helping the Lady Bulldogs to a 21-6 record, conference and district championships, a regional bid and a personal spot on the Osceola News Gazette’s All-County team.
Although Comiskey said she loves softball, the hockey calendar occasionally gets in the way and forces some choices to be made.
“It doesn’t happen often, but sometimes we have a conflict. Coach (St. Cloud softball coach Ray Whobrey) is incredibly understanding and we find a way to work around any conflicts.”
“Just a sophomore, Grace was a big surprise for us this year,” Whobrey says. “She’s exceptionally athletic and played a big part in our success in softball. On top of everything she is a terrific person and teammate. I know her passion and number one sport is hockey but we are so glad she is playing softball too.”
