Jackman-Atkinson: Cooling it on the ice
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- Published on Thursday, April 3, 2014
By: Kate Jackman-Atkinson
myWestman.ca
Last weekend, there was another violent incident at a minor hockey game. This time, an official was on the receiving end of the violence. It has been less than two months since another case of on-ice violence made headlines in Manitoba.
Last weekend’s incident took place at a bantam hockey game in Stonewall between the Stonewall Blues and Lake Manitoba First Nation. It was the third game in a best of three series for the league championship. The Blues were leading 5-to-1 with 11 minutes to go in the third period when the violence started.
The Winnipeg Free Press reports that players were involved in a skirmish in front of the Stonewall net and a linesman tried to break it up. The linesman fell to the ground and Lake Manitoba players began kicking him.
As the two referees escorted the players involved off the ice, a Lake Manitoba First Nation player aimed a slap shot at the refs, narrowly missing one.
Bantam hockey is played by 13 to 14-year-old boys and girls.
Going back to Feb. 16, a scuffle between players of two hockey teams in a tournament in Winnipeg received widespread media attention. During a fight, a 12-year-old player was grabbed from behind by a referee and the two fell to the ice together.
The boy broke his arm.
Police were called to investigate and it was unclear if the referee’s actions were deliberate or the result of losing balance. In the end, parents in the stands and coaches on the ice got involved, hurling insults. The tournament wasn’t regulated or sanctioned by either Hockey Manitoba or Hockey Winnipeg, which makes enforcement harder.
Whether playing for recreation or competition, sports have a lot to offer people of all ages. But events such as these override those positive benefits. While sports in general teach discipline, teamwork and working towards a goal, fighting when you are losing and resorting to mob mentality doesn’t help build a future of leaders. Even learning to lose is a valuable life skill that can be taught through sport.
I don’t know if the incidents I have read about this season are reflective of an increasing trend. I don’t know if it’s just a case of them getting more exposure due to the prevalence of smart phones in everyone’s pockets. But there is clearly a problem that needs to be addressed.
There is no redeeming aspect to this type of behavior and all those involved should face strong discipline. Everyone wants to win and support for teams should be encouraged, but there is a line that shouldn’t be crossed. There needs to be a clear message that this type of behavior is wrong and isn’t condoned at any level. Whether it’s the players, the coaches, the parents or the officials in the wrong, the response should be strong.
All athletes should want strong enforcement. Unsportsman-like conduct takes resources away from the legitimate success of other teams playing in the tournament, league and even the sport. We didn’t hear about Stonewall’s success winning the league, we heard about the violence in the last game.
Events such as these discourage people from participating in sports, whether they are athletes, parents, coaches or officials. For officials, the $25 to $35 per game they get paid doesn’t compensate for the prospect of having a puck aimed at your head.
The answer isn’t to water down the game or to make everyone sing kumbaya before hitting the ice. The answer isn’t to send everyone to sensitivity training. The answer is strong repercussions for crossing the line. If a player is old enough to play a game, they should be old enough to keep their anger and hostility under control. This goes for parents too.
When situations like this go unpunished, everyone involved in sport suffers. They find it harder to find players, volunteers or officials. Instead of spending their time honing their skills and learning to play the game better, those wanting to be involved in sports will spend it signing more paperwork, paying more fees and completing more courses about fair play and respect.
