I can't remember when we started when I was playing.
I think peewee was when hitting started for division 1-3, and then I started hitting in bantam, because I was in a lower division.
In the lower division (5 or 6? I can't remember) hitting wasn't really used as a tool to play the game, but was instead used as an excuse for the bigger guys to just take runs at everyone.
I don't feel like they did a very good job teaching the responsible use of body contact.
Hockey wasn't as much fun in bantam, because it was less hockey, and more dodging 6'2" 13 year olds who've just discovered the damage their new body can do to smaller guys.
If anything, they should be introducing body contact earlier, but slowly. One year, introduce pinning along the boards and rubbing guys out, next year teach checking along the boards etc etc...
I don't know about this. On one hand, I got 2 concussions in my Peewee year from headshots, so I can definitely see the safety benefits of non contact in peewee. I was the last year though that they had the age groups differently in hockey now (Peewee was 12 and 13 year olds, now it's 11 and 12 year olds).
What concerns me is that highly skilled players will not be prepared for Bantam. To go from community hockey in Peewee to potentially Bantam AAA the next season is a bigger step in competition than any other year. They will have to probably change club bantam hockey in the city to only second year Bantams if they want the kids to stay safe.
The other option I could think of is in Calgary to have a Peewee I and Peewee II age group. Hockey Calgary has more registered hockey players than anywhere else in the country basically, they easily could split up the leagues to an 11 year old league with no hitting, and a 12 year old league with hitting.
The Following User Says Thank You to J epworth For This Useful Post:
I am surprised that there is not more interest in this topic on here......always, my son is a goalie and he is second yr atom so I have yet to witness the carnage of a pee-wee hockey game in person.
Part of me thinks that perhaps I am being sadistic for wanting there to be hitting in hockey (what do i care, i am not on the ice) but obviously they have data to say that hitting can be
dangerous.
Obviously the big issue will be what happens to teams that travel outside of Calgary.
I also heard something about this not applying to elite level teams, I wonder what that really means. What about the kids that are the late bloomers (obviously only a handful of kids).
The biggest issue with introducing hitting is finding the right age where the size difference between the kids is at a minimum. I think the size difference in Bantam (13-14) might even be greater compared to Peewee (11-12).
Also, the longer the kids get used to playing with their heads down and not getting hit, the more difficult it is to adjust when the hitting begins. I think it should stay where it is right now with 11 and 12 year olds.
Don't like it at all. Kids are smaller in pee-wee, and they can learn the basics of hitting, including how to TAKE a hit without a bigger possibility of getting hurt.
Kids get hurt when you have morons going for the head, or if the kid getting hit has his head down. As much as I hate head shots, you can't simply stop them from happening by banning body checking at certain levels.
Don't like it at all. Kids are smaller in pee-wee, and they can learn the basics of hitting, including how to TAKE a hit without a bigger possibility of getting hurt.
Kids get hurt when you have morons going for the head, or if the kid getting hit has his head down. As much as I hate head shots, you can't simply stop them from happening by banning body checking at certain levels.
Yup I agree, 11-12 year old are still small kids, it's a good age to learn the basics of hitting.
It was absolutely terrible when it used to be 12-13 year olds. Kids hit 13 and suddenly just shoot up 40 pounds. I wonder what the differences in concussions are from when they had hitting start at 12-13 to when they changed it to 11-12. Moving it up to Bantam will essentially revert back to the same problem of kids who have hit puberty already that haven't learn the basics of hitting that they had before they moved the age groups.
Don't like it at all. Kids are smaller in pee-wee, and they can learn the basics of hitting, including how to TAKE a hit without a bigger possibility of getting hurt.
Kids get hurt when you have morons going for the head, or if the kid getting hit has his head down. As much as I hate head shots, you can't simply stop them from happening by banning body checking at certain levels.
there was a fairly big study fairly recently suggesting that we should be delaying the introduction of hitting into hockey and that learning to "take a hit" is a complete myth that does not have any significance on future outcomes such as injuries/concussions. the younger players start contact hockey, the greater the amount of injuries, even when the same groups meet up in later years.
there was a fairly big study fairly recently suggesting that we should be delaying the introduction of hitting into hockey and that learning to "take a hit" is a complete myth that does not have any significance on future outcomes such as injuries/concussions. the younger players start contact hockey, the greater the amount of injuries, even when the same groups meet up in later years.
Do you have a link to this study? I did a quick google search and found a couple articles from a year ago about a study. The article said lowering the hitting age to 9 in 1998 increased the rate of concussions in all age groups from 6-17. This doess't make sense to me.
I think hitting should be introduced earlier and a better job done teaching the kids to skate with their heads up and be aware of the other players on the ice.
I dont know about this, I dont understand the complexities of the hockey heirarchy, but I know that when I was coaching U12 soccer one of my standard drill each practice was teaching tackling.
You have to teach kids how to hit other kids and how to be hit, otherwise they just make it up as they go and disaster ensues.
__________________ The Beatings Shall Continue Until Morale Improves!
This Post Has Been Distilled for the Eradication of Seemingly Incurable Sadness.
The World Ends when you're dead. Until then, you've got more punishment in store. - Flames Fans
If you thought this season would have a happy ending, you haven't been paying attention.
I think hitting should be introduced earlier and a better job done teaching the kids to skate with their heads up and be aware of the other players on the ice.
Agree. Hitting/ body contact should be introduced earlier and graduated.
__________________ "You can put it in the loss column". Save the Corral!!
Take it right out of the game. Leave it in for triple A and higher. Most kids will play hockey for the fun of it and most men's leagues don't have contact, so we're talking a 7 year period where the injuries aren't worth the risk.
Now I have a son that's a Midget level goalie and I have coached in most of his years. That's my two cents.
I played when hitting was introduced in either Atom or Pee Wee, I cant remember.
As long as its taught properly how to hit and how to receive a hit, there shouldnt be a problem, I would even support it being taught earlier. You are always gonna have the kids that go out there just to light up another player. I also believe that in order to learn how to play the game better, you need to have received a big, open ice hit. I'll never forget the first time I got tuned with my head down, coming across the middle. I was a much better player after that because there was no way i was allowing that to happen again.
I remember a professor at U of C was involved in extensive research in the field of contact in minor league hockey.
She presented numerous epidemiological studies that showed an increase in injuries in the first few years that the kids were hitting, but it was more than made up for with a very large decrease in injuries a few years later. This was compared to kids who weren't exposed to contact until a few years later (ie in Bantam rather than Peewee).
An environment in which a person encounters only beliefs or opinions that coincide with their own, so that their existing views are reinforced and alternative ideas are not considered.
I am personally not a big fan of them banning teh hitting in PeeWee. Although i agree with some of the statements that the bigger kids at 11-12 that feel just because they are bigger they need to go around and hit everything that moves and try to hurt the other player. That is strictly the COACH that lets his players get away with it.
I was an assistant coach this past season for my son in his 2nd year Atom. he was the smnallest kid on the ice and he got absolutely pounded by some teams for bodychecking when its illegal to hit.......again the coaches promoting it.
My son is actually looking forward to hitting next year even though he is the size of an 8 year old and actually almost 11. There has to be something done with not only the coaching staff but the referee's. Having kids ref that are in teh same division or just above just doesn't cut it. Too many kids will get hurt if a stricter call is not made when a kid who is big for his age goes out and tries to put the big hits on the smaller kids just cause he can.
As a coach, i taught opur kids that it is not ok to hit, if they hot someone deliberatly, they sat for a shift. I know it s not a big thing but to a kid to NOT go on the ice, they learn pretty quick.
Take it right out of the game. Leave it in for triple A and higher. Most kids will play hockey for the fun of it and most men's leagues don't have contact, so we're talking a 7 year period where the injuries aren't worth the risk.
Now I have a son that's a Midget level goalie and I have coached in most of his years. That's my two cents.
So what happens when you have a late bloomer who's been playing division 2, then ends up being skilled enough to play AAA the next season, but hasn't learned how to hit or how to take a hit, and is playing against people who have been hitting? Taking hitting out of every division except the top division would just make it impossible for any kid to move up as they age.
Hockey Calgary looks to ban body checking
Save the Corral!!
