Hockey girls draw attention of TV producers

Hingham's Harborwomen, who became Division 2 champs in March, have been eyed for a reality show. (BARRY CHIN/GLOBE STAFF/2008)

The Hingham High School girls' hockey team won kudos from its hometown audience in March after defeating Milton Academy in the state Division 2 championship. And if two reality TV producers get their way, Hingham's Harborwomen could be poised to extend their fan base across the nation.

Producers Sharon Liese and Jon Kroll, who collaborated on the reality serial "High School Confidential," which ran on the WE network in March and April, have reached out to the team in recent weeks. The two are seeking permission to create a series that would focus on the Harborwomen, according to parents and school officials.

Hingham High School principal Paula Girouard McCann's office confirmed that the administration had been contacted about a potential show. Tom Findley, the girls' hockey coach, responding to an e-mail query, said no decision would be made about team participation in a reality TV series until school officials, players, and parents have had the chance to vote on whether to participate.

It is unclear how the approval process would proceed for such a series, and the producers were reluctant to release any details without the permission of the school. Both Liese and Kroll responded to e-mails saying that they are not ready to discuss the content of the program or how they became interested in the Harborwomen, but that they hope to release more information in coming months.

Liese, of Kansas, created the so-called docu-drama "High School Confidential" when her own daughter was starting high school. The eight-episode program follows 12 girls through their four years of high school as they confront dilemmas about coping with peer pressure and the demands of growing up. Kroll, who co-produced the series, is an Emmy Award-winning producer based in Los Angeles whose credits include "The Amazing Race" and "Big Brother."

Without knowing the details, one television specialist surmised that a reality series about Hingham's hockey team could zero in on the girls' lives as teenagers. Viewers could end up watching how the girls handle working hard at a sport while juggling the responsibilities of school and college preparation.

"These shows are usually about the people and how they're interacting," said Marc Berman, a TV programming analyst with MediaWeek, a magazine focusing on the media industry and published by The Nielsen Co., which is widely known for its TV viewership ratings. "It sounds like it might be appropriate for a younger skewing network like MTV or VH1."

In 2006, the Lifetime network aired one season of a reality series called "Cheerleader Nation." The show followed the ups and downs of Dunbar High School's cheerleading squad through the year. The season began with tryouts in the squad's home gym in Lexington, Ky., and culminated with a national championship. The series is available from iTunes, and the show's Myspace page boasts nearly 50,000 friends.

As for the Hingham Harborwomen, time will tell whether their story becomes the stuff of reality TV. For now, the team has forged a proud legacy in its mere four years of existence. Although the last of its founding members are set to graduate in June, a number of players who were instrumental in this year's championship game will be returning to defend their title next season, and hometown fans will be watching.

Sara Mason Ader can be reached at smasonader@yahoo.com.

Correction: Because of a reporting error, a story in Globe South on a possible reality show about the Hingham High girls' hockey team misstated how the team won the Division 2 championship. The squad defeated the Milton High School girls' team.