STATEOF THE UNION A MESSAGE TO PARENTS AND COACHES
T
his message is not meant to offend the vast majority of people in minor hockey. In my opinion, 98 percent of the parents and coaches in minor hockey today are pretty decent people. However, in that “no two people are exactly alike” vein, there is that two percent that appear to be unhappy and critical of most things in life, including hockey. Criticism of referees is a popular sport for these people. Remember that referees, like parents, players and coaches are not perfect and occasionally are prone to the odd mistake. NHL referees who make up to $200,000 a season make errors as well. So let’s be reasonable in your judgement of minor hockey officials before you sound off with a lot of negative rhetoric. It helps when you keep reminding players of this fact. Also, unfortunately there are a few coaching staff members who forget that players are human beings and not commodities. If any coach refuses to discuss a problem being encountered by a player or parent, the matter should be brought to the attention of the club General Manager or President, hopefully for a satisfactory resolution. At the same time, coaches should remember that in situations when they are confronted by an unreasonable parent or player issue, they too should refer the matter to the club G.M. or President immediately. Sometimes delays in dealing with this line of communication leads to more frustration and the problem will only deteriorate further. Any party that is unreasonable in endeavouring to find a mutual resolution to a problem risks taking the fun out of the game for any player. Both parents and coaches must remember that in order for players to have fun and be able to gain the advantages and challenges the game of hockey offers, they should always put their son’s or daughter’s participation in a positive light. Now let’s briefly deal with the issue of player releases. Only in cases where a player is subjected to verbal abuse or serious demeaning issues should there be a necessity of requesting a release. The GTHL is the only hockey league in Canada that provides players of all ages with free agency at the conclusion of each hockey season. 6
Once a player and parent commits to signing with a team, they are making a commitment to stay with that organization for the entire season. Requesting a release for what might be considered frivolous reasons is not recommended. Parents must realize that commitments are not made to be broken and trying to break that commitment is not teaching their hockey son or daughter about similar challenges as they get older. Remember as well that when a player signs a player’s registration form, he is signing with the club, not the coach. So if a coach has to leave a team because his job takes him out of the local area, this is not a justifiable reason to ask for a release. Of importance are the benefits that come from playing hockey. In addition to the game on the ice, there are the benefits of physical fitness, good health and comradeship, just to mention a few. Enough said! Any players who are experiencing difficulties should feel free to contact the GTHL. After all, this game is theirs and they should be our No. 1 priority. My next editorial in Breakout will deal with the confusing world of scouts and agents. Until then, enjoy the game to its fullest.
John Gardner President president@gthlcanada.com