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[hockeygod]

Dangerous on-ice shots crackdown intensifies in city minor hockey

BILL KAUFMANN, Calgary Sun February 18, 2011

Condemning dangerous, cheap on-ice hits will soon be the first star of the city’s minor hockey sportsmanship focus, says the movement’s vice-president.

News of the long-planned phase of the Minor Hockey Association of Calgary’s Respect In Sport program comes after a 10-year-old city-area Atom 1 player told of taking a serious head shot in a recent game and claimed kids are emulating their often violent NHL heroes.

The latest phase in sportsmanship awareness will highlight the dangers of hits-from-behind, blindsidings and head shots by way of literature and arena banners, said Hockey Calgary’s Perry Cavanagh.

It’ll be the next step of a two-year-old program that will either be unveiled in March or for the next hockey season, he said.

“It might have to wait until next year — we’re pretty tied up organizing the coming playoffs right now,” said Cavanagh.

He said the organization has waited until 2011 to roll out the phase because it wants to keep the message fresh and not “gather dust on the shelf.” The Atom 1 player named Matthew said he missed a day of school this week after taking a blinside hit to his head that resulted in the offender being tossed from the game.

Matthew said numerous such incidents in his league result from young players emulating NHL action.

Cavanagh said he doesn’t doubt that, adding it’s a concern for his association.

“Kids see that and they think that’s hockey — kids need to know that’s not part of minor hockey,” he said.

Hockey Calgary, he said, has always taken such conduct seriously and has cracked down, dishing out indefinite suspensions and life-time bans for some offenders, though they’ve been considerably older than Matthew.

Cavanagh said there’s no place for such play in the younger leagues, though the danger it poses is less there.

“The speed and mass — there’s normally not a lot of energy being generated,” he said.

Matthew’s father who’s part of a league committee told the Sun there’s a culture of tolerance, even admiration for cheap hits among adults involved in Calgary minor hockey.

Cavanagh said he disagrees, that the movement has long had a philosophy of taking a hard line on hazardous, dirty play.

“Nobody wants to see headshots in a game — concussion awareness is a major issue,” he said.

“We’re onside with this kid (Matthew).”
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I have seen and heard the stuff of which Matthew's dad speaks… the culture of acceptance within the minor hockey ranks. And not just accepted, but taught and promoted!!! Brutal.

I know Perry Cavanagh – he is an intelligent man – but he is either "wishful thinking" or denying it publicly to do damage control. I also know for a fact some of the people I have heard it from are … teachers. It shocked the Hell out of me.

A few days after I heard and saw the first two instances of this (by teachers, who are also parents – in charge of kids), I read a great quote: "Silence on the presence of wrongdoing is complicity." This provides me with a great line that sadly, I have now had to use since.

(The first two times it happened, I was so shocked I didn't say anything… I didn't know what to say! I was literally stunned. I am sure my body language spoke volumes to the kids and adults involved. The third time I was present when it happened, I spoke out against it and this quote came in handy.)

Can you imagine anyone, let alone teachers, teaching and condoning violence against other kids? BRUTAL. What the Hell is the world coming to? I almost want to home-school my kids now…

Dean
M.Ed (Coaching)
Ch.P.C. (Chartered Professional Coach)
Game Intelligence Training
"Great education depends on great teaching."