Quote:
Originally Posted by Buff
I quit playing hockey at the age of 10. We moved from Calgary to Lethbridge and for some bass ackward reason I didn't want to play because I didn't know anybody. A couple years later I thought about playing again, but I had heard stories about my older neighbor's about hazing. Very gross. Very humiliating. I stayed away from playing the sport I love. His stories are so disturbing that they still bother me over 30 years later.
Now I have 3 kids, and they all play hockey. Except, due to those stories I wouldn't put my kids in minor hockey. Instead, I found a rec league where they play on the same day, time and arena every weekend. One ice time per week. Half of the ice time is developing skills, the other half is having fun in a scrimmage. They get uniforms so there is two teams and once per month they turn on the scoreboard and have a fun game for the full hour. Each week a different kid from each team gets to play goal. It is very controlled, and very non-competitive, so my kids are safe and they get to play hockey. Now, kids will be kids and sometimes stuff will be said on the ice where the coaches don't always get to hear things, no different than the school yard, but usually kids will bring it up and it is dealt with.
My oldest keeps asking to play minor hockey instead, but I just can't let him due to hazing. Now with all this coming out about how some coaches mistreat players I feel very validated in my choice to protect my kids by keeping them out of minor hockey.
Hockey is supposed to be for everybody, but until there are better protocols methods for eliminating abuse by coaches or players, it really isn't for everybody.
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I’d let your kid play Calgary minor hockey. Hazing is really only a thing in upper ages, and then only in elite leagues. Any normal team in CMHA is coached by people like you and me, parents who contribute their time. Parents are in the room at almost all times, helping out. There’s really no “alone time” for players when hazing would occur.