[Coach]

Ok, I will preface this by saying I have not thoroughly read the study that most people are discussing in here and my thoughts are purely based off of the observations I have made throughout the last few years of coaching.

The Ditch: My argument is not that they can't learn at that age, it's that you are now having them learn at an age when the size difference between players can be quite significant. And its not that they automatically become goons, its that they actually won't know what is legal and whats not. And it scares me a lot more with the varied size (4'10, 100 lbs - 6'2, 220 lbs) than the collisons that happen between PeeWee kids who will mostly be under about 5'6 and be in mostly the same weight class. As said above, the idea that some kids might be going from PeeWee Div 1 and 2 to Bantam AA/AAA without experience giving or receiving body checks. Just from seeing first hand the speed and the drive the kids have to be physcially involved in the game (especially considering its been delayed another two years), some of these kids could be in pretty tough.

cam: There was rumblings of this happening, but the first I learned of them legislating this was when I saw this thread. As I said above my main concern is the size differnece in Bantam vs PeeWee and the speed at which collisions happen. Maybe when that is adjusted to the brain development stage for PeeWee kids the data says it affects them more, but I'm not a doctor and statistics can have pretty large gaps that do not necessarily fit into real-life practice. But I also think it is unfair to the kids who want that as part of their game and to see it taken out because some kids/parents don't want it in. There are non-contact options for all levels so why do we need this change? If the argument that the quality of competition in non-contact is lower, well of course it is. Thats because the kids with talent and drive to play at a high level WANT to be involved in the contact. I know this because I'm around them all the time.

And to that point, my last argument is why do we need a pillow on everything? Kids will do things much more high impact and detrimental to their brain function in the school yard than they will encounter playing PeeWee hockey. They will jump off roofs, trampolines, jump staircases on skateboards, or play games that revolve purely around trying to hit other kids. Its just the nature of kids (boys in particular). Why not give them a physical outlet where they have a full suit of armour on?

EDIT: Again, purely based on my own observations and the fact that I am relatively young (23) and not far removed from the attitude of these kids.