Highlands, St. Joe's agree to co-op tennis, baseball and softball; now 7 combined teams

Highlands Athletic Director Katie Jo Stobert said an expanded sports co-op with St. Joseph High School is a no-brainer.

The schools, both in Harrison, already field combined teams in cross country, swimming, bowling and track.

This coming year, students will get even more athletic opportunities in tennis, baseball and softball.

“When St. Joe’s opened its club bowling team to Highlands students this past school year, it was a phenomenal experience for our kids,” Stobert said.

St. Joseph President Jennifer MacNeil said she attended the WPIBL playoffs for girls and boys bowling in the fall and was impressed with the level of support students from both schools showed each other.

“These student athletes were focused on the sport they love and a shared high school experience,” MacNeil said. “I am fairly certain that no fans, unless told, would have guessed there were two distinct high schools represented under one shared jersey.”

Co-ops were incorporated in 1982 by the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association, the state’s governing body for school sports.

There are at least 50 co-op teams in the WPIAL, which covers the 10-county area around Pittsburgh.

Highlands school board voted unanimously in favor to co-op the three new sports. It is pending approval by the PIAA.

MacNeil said she expects that to be done in time for the new school year.

The expansion will open opportunities for St. Joe’s, which struggled to put together a deep roster in baseball and softball. The school had teams in both sports but didn’t have a lengthy bench to support injuries, MacNeil said.

“They also didn’t have flexibility with students participating in multiple activities such as science research competitions or the spring musical, to name a few,” she said.

Several students have expressed interest in tennis, MacNeil said, but fielding a full team with a supporting bench has also been challenging.

“We believe that these cooperation programs in sports enable both schools to adjust to changing student interests while maximizing resources,” she said.

Stobert said the initial offerings have run seamlessly.

“The friendships, bonds and overall experience all the students are getting is what it is all about,” she said. “Giving students every opportunity we possibly can during their high school experience is what makes this job so special. There is no better feeling then seeing kids work hard at something they love outside the walls of their high school.”