Photo courtesy of Colton McKee

By Scott Roblin

Hat High Hawks

Medicine Hat High goes with ‘Hawks’ for new team name

Apr 6, 2021 | 5:41 PM

MEDICINE HAT, AB – It’s a new era for Medicine Hat High School, choosing a familiar name for their student-athletes moving forward.

Following months of debate and speculation, the school has selected ‘Hawks’ as their new team name after a bracket-style voting process.

The finals featured the ‘Hawks’ and the ‘Huskies’ going head to head, but ultimately it was the more familiar moniker that won out.

“Our Grade 9 football team has been called the Hawks, our wrestling program has been called the Hawks,” said Medicine Hat High School athletic director Chad Watson. “So, Hawks is very familiar for us. Switching to that name I think is one of the best ways to link the alumni with the current school and move forward in that direction.”

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The Hawks name replaces the ‘Mohawks’ and ‘Kwahommies’ for Hat High, names the school retired last fall due to the racial background associated following conversations with indigenous groups. It was a big step for the school, who had been debating a name change for years prior.

Watson said it was a needed conversation around race and indigenous culture in sports and is excited to turn the page with the new name.

“I’m really happy with how it all came together, we’re super pumped” said Watson. “We’re moving forward, we’re not looking back, we want to make sure that the Hawks is going to be our name. To have something to cheer for in the community that’s really important not only for our staff and coaches, but for our kids.”

Roughly 2,400 votes were cast in the bracket tournament with 27 percent coming from school alumni, 16 percent from community members, and 11 percent from Hat High teachers and coaches.

The largest turnout overwhelmingly came from the Hat High students themselves, with around 45 percent of all votes coming from the student base.

“I’m really happy with how it all came together, we’re super pumped” said Watson. “We’re moving forward, we’re not looking back, we want to make sure that the Hawks is going to be our name. To have something to cheer for in the community that’s really important not only for our staff and coaches, but for our kids.”

That’s something Watson said shows how invested in the Hawks name the students are.

“I think everybody that has gone through high school has had a name to cheer for or to show pride for,” said Watson. “These kids were kind of in between where they didn’t have a name. So, for them to actually get involved and vote was really awesome to see.”

Logo submissions are being accepted by Medicine Hat High staff over the coming months before the field is whittled down to four.

It’s expected that a new Hawks logo will be selected by late summer or early fall.