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Originally Posted by powderjunkie
Umm, no? He didn't say anything remotely close to that...
But youth hockey culture in Canada can be incredibly toxic and gross. Which isn't to say other sports (and other countries) don't have problems, too, but it's irrelevant.
I think it mostly comes from toxic parents and coaches, but I wonder how much of it has to do with the actual need to use locker-rooms so much more compared to most other youth sports.
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This is 100% true. So much garbage is passed off, subsequently enabling it.
This book, “The Sports Parents Playbook” actually addresses many of the problems head on.
https://www.lulu.com/shop/adam-naylo...-1v9m4vkz.html
Here’s a great excerpt:
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Abusive coaching can become confused for tough coaching and then it is accepted with a nod and a shrug. Perhaps some of the solution to this challenge lies in parents substituting the word "teacher" for "coach" when reflecting upon what they see at practice and games. Teachers of children, young to old, all share the same goals of athletic coaches prepare individuals to strive and thrive in a chaotic and competitive world. It seems reasonable that coaches should be held to the same standards of behavior that public and private school teachers are expected to fulfill.
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Each child is also different and growing in all ways with punctuated leaps. It’s pretty elemental in childhood psychology that any non-nurturing action can be defined as trauma to a child. Non-nurturing actions in parenting, teaching, & coaching are also unavoidable. Yelling shouldn’t be a default, but if a child is in danger then it’s required.
Additionally, we all make mistakes. The antidote to trauma is repair. Acknowledge your mistake and apologize. Then everyone learns, grows, gets better, and moves on.
Or as the cliche goes… “When one teaches two learn.”
I have yet to see even an inkling of prioritizing this mindset in hockey. I know people who still use skating as a punishment for 8 year old kids in practice. This is literally the dumbest thing a person can do for kids.
One, it re-enforces improper technique for poor skaters.
Two, hockey is skating and so making skating punitive & painful is a great way to make kids hate the sport.