RANT: Calgary Minor Hockey

[flambers]

Originally Posted by troutman

The videos encourage good parents to confront the problem parents. Is this the best idea?

Yes, Soccer for example appoints a team Marshall. Its their job to deal with Problem parents from their own team.

Its allot easier then have an official / Police escort them out of the premise.

[DementedReality]

Originally Posted by pope04

You realize that there are ESL/literacy issues? They had to target this course to the lowest common denominator.

look, i dont need HC to tell me kids want to please their parents.

anyhow, the video was the icing on the cake.

as for the 24 hour rule, ya i get it ... take some time to cool off, makes sense. however the approach of this coach wasnt "if you have an issue, take 24 hours to think it over and if you still feel strongly, please come and talk to me" ... it was "i dont talk to parents 24 hours before or after a game".

an "us" vs "them" mentality instead of a "hey we are all hear for the same thing, you are a volunteer for uniforms, another is a volunteer for this or that, and i am a volunteer on the ice teaching the kids". somehow the parents are not as equal as the coaches.

this particular coach wouldnt even come to the parent socials, he didnt want to mingle with "parents".

i guess when you add that, to this new video, to the rich mom's (whose husbands were association insiders) who would turn their back on my wife in the stands, just gives me a terrible feeling about the culture of Calgary Minor Hockey.

[habernac]

My father was the good hockey parent. He volunteered, coached, etc. The kids loved him. We all had a great time. But he eventually quit due to problem parents and issues with the minor hockey association. They didn't like people who spoke their minds.

He dealt with bullies (players and parents) and all sorts of things that I hope I never have to see if (when) my kids decide to play sports. I am hoping that I can handle all of it half as well as my Dad did.

As someone else has mentioned, they have to target these courses to the lowest common denominator. The morons. Don't take the course personally.

[valo403]

Originally Posted by DementedReality

of course, thats why he is in hockey ... he loves it and makes great friends.

i can do without the elitism, clearly!

Yet you hope he quits because you have to watch a video that you feel speaks down to you. Maybe you should watch it twice.

[DementedReality]

Originally Posted by valo403

Yet you hope he quits because you have to watch a video that you feel speaks down to you. Maybe you should watch it twice.

u dont think he makes great friends in soccer and baseball or cubs?

read the thread twice, its not about the video. beaides i didnt say i was pulling him out, just that i wont be disapointed when he no longer wants to do it.

[Sample00]

Originally Posted by fotze

Sample, I thought you had some issues with a coach a while back?

yup, I did too, Fotz. Didnt appreciate the way he treated my son. I still stand by that. Its a long story...and here's the link.

http://forum.calgarypuck.com/showthr...light=Sample00

[Northendzone]

my son has started his second year of novice - i am also starting my second year of being an assistant coach on the team he plays on. to me the video was common sense - although it did make me think about how i approach hockey with him. i thought the video was mostly intended to make you think a bit about your behavior - you'd be surprised at what some parents say at a novice 6 game at 10 am on a sunday morning - i sometimes wonder if they even realise they are saying it......

the 24hr rule is more just common sense - immediately after a game, everyone's emotions can be running - why try and have a rationale discussion before there has been a chance for sober reflection.

my only word to sports paretns would be - if you don't like what is going on with the team, then come out of the stands and get involved - coaches and other folks are volunteers and doing thier best - sometimes things work out, sometimes they don't. and from the stands the games looks easy, but if you are playing, or on the bench everything is a little faster......but if you want to stay on the sidelines, then come and support your kids and cheer - but you don't need to be hanging off the glass yelling at the ref because he "missed" and easy offside call - maybe your kid misses a wide open net and what is the difference?

if this course gets folks thinking, then change will start to happen. i think that the OP needed the course more than he thought he did....

[Jason14h]

Anyone complaining about the videos needs to volunteer and coach for a season. As already said in this thread, there are 18 parents who all want the best for their child (Naturally) while the coach's job is to look out for the best interests of the team. There is a reason there is a shortage of coaches at the higher levels of hockey!

[DementedReality]

Originally Posted by fotze

Parent socials? WDF? There isn't parent socials is there? Thats just great.

yup!

ok ... so this is how it broke down"

Registration: $800
Volunteer Deposit: $200 (refunded if 10 hours of volunteer work performed)
Jersey DEposit: $75 - refunded end of year
New Jersey Fee: $25 - not refunded

then when season started:

1st Cash Call (to pay for extra ice, kids party, tournements) $300.00

Then someone had to volunteer to be the Social Director, organize off ice social time for kids and parents to get to know each other.

My kids have done soccer, baseball, karate and hockey and nothing measures up to the "immersion" that is hockey. its non stop until April.

[SeeBass]

Originally Posted by DementedReality

sounds like a cliche ... i have been involved in hockey for 5 years and not once seen an incident in the stands nor even any banter amongst parents about anything negative about a ref, coach or other player.

Perhaps this is a case of,

If you dont know who the fool in the room is...

[DementedReality]

Originally Posted by Northendzone

i think that the OP needed the course more than he thought he did....

i dont need HC to give me parenting skills or insight into child development.

HC thinks far too much of itself and its importance in my childs world.

[DementedReality]

Originally Posted by SeeBass

Perhaps this is a case of,

If you dont know who the fool in the room is...

funny ... well played ... but no, not an issue. my problem has nothing to do with on ice results or how a coach handles the kids.

its all about how HC has built a culture that Parents are the problem!

[valo403]

Originally Posted by DementedReality

u dont think he makes great friends in soccer and baseball or cubs?

read the thread twice, its not about the video. beaides i didnt say i was pulling him out, just that i wont be disapointed when he no longer wants to do it.

The fact that your reaction is so over the top honestly makes me think that you should watch the video twice. Seriously, chill out. It's not that big of a deal. I just got ack from a training seminar that was condescending and ridiculous, but it gave me a good laugh for a couple hours. The video isn't insinuating that you don't know how to parent anymore than watching a video on playing the guitar (or whatever) insinuates that you don't know how to ply the guitar. If the lessons or advice are stupid and obvious to you that's great, laugh at them. If they aren't utilize the advice. This video wasn't prepared specifically for you, it was prepared for a general population that includes some people who really cant grasp these concepts or answer those questions.

There are without a doubt problem parents in hockey, and although this might not be the best way to approach it at least the issue is being addressed. My parents were always great to me, never felt an ounce of pressure, even when I got to the level where playing professionally (football) wasn't completely out of the question. However, I played with guys who got it pretty bad from their parents if they had a bad game. This video probably would have been wasted on my parents, and most parents, but the fact that it might help out a few seems to make it worth 45 minutes.

[Locke]

Originally Posted by fotze

Sorry Locko, its not your team, its their team. - Sincerely, Corky Thatcher's dad

Haha, nonsense, its MY team, and I run it to their benefit as I see fit. I'm a benevolent dictator. Well...sometimes benevolent....

[CaptainCrunch]

Originally Posted by SeeBass

Perhaps this is a case of,

If you dont know who the fool in the room is...

[Sample00]

Originally Posted by fotze

Well maybe your son will quit (losing great friends in the process) because YOU didn't like the way he treated your son.

*Poking at Valo, not you by the way.

actually, my son just started his first year of Bantam Hockey and he is playing on the B team. Loves it! He's the top dog! No pressure, great group of kids to play with and pretty decent parents from what I can tell.

Ahh what a difference a few years make. One of the things that I noted from my experience from way back when, is that, I was one of those parents that thought he might have a chance. It didnt help that in Novice my son was asked to tryout for 3 AAA teams at the time.
Having said that, I probably felt that maybe he did have a shot. Well as it turns out he doesn't. And if its one thing that Atom A coach taught me, it was that play A or Tier 1 Hockey isnt all that. Some kids are geared for it, some aren't. My son is one of those that isnt.

My goal with my son's minor hockey career is that I hope he continues to play at the level that he likes, can be successful at and that it provides him a challenge. I hope that he takes his pads and when he goes to University and I know he will , that he can go make some friends during the beer league times and just have some fun, like I did when I played. I want it to be his "social" outlet. And hopefully he will continue to enjoy it as much as I do now.

[flambers]

Originally Posted by DementedReality

yup!

ok ... so this is how it broke down"

Registration: $800
Volunteer Deposit: $200 (refunded if 10 hours of volunteer work performed)
Jersey DEposit: $75 - refunded end of year
New Jersey Fee: $25 - not refunded

then when season started:

1st Cash Call (to pay for extra ice, kids party, tournements) $300.00

My kids have done soccer, baseball, karate and hockey and nothing measures up to the "immersion" that is hockey. its non stop until April.

My kid is enrolled with Indoor Soccer (Calgary team) this year's fee's ~ $850 (includes Academy).

Team still expects a "Cash Call"....usually its $100 most teams will fundraise.

If a team is successful they will refund you the dollars back (same thing with Hockey, have received a my "Cash Call" back last couple of years with Hockey).

Not to mention Soccer has two season per year Outdoor Fee is a little less probably ~ $700 range.

Not to mention every sport has a Jersey Fee

[CaptainCrunch]

Hockey a nasty sport featuring broken bones and concussions, and thats just in the stands.

Hi You might recognize me as Troy McClure, You might have seen me in such educational videos as "Drink your milk Brittle puss" and "2 + 2 = delicious"

Today we're going to talk about the greatest evil threatening children today, Parents who are also hockey fans . . .

[MJM]

Originally Posted by DementedReality

of course, thats why he is in hockey ... he loves it and makes great friends.

i can do without the elitism, clearly!

Did your kid get cut from a team or something?

How many friggen times can you start cutting into people about being into "elitism" when all they are trying to do is educate some partners across the ENTIRE organization on things that do occur frequently?

Seems like a vent for yourself about Hockey Calgary, rather than the video itself.

[DementedReality]

Originally Posted by MJM

Did your kid get cut from a team or something?

How many friggen times can you start cutting into people about being into "elitism" when all they are trying to do is educate some partners across the ENTIRE organization on things that do occur frequently?

Seems like a vent for yourself about Hockey Calgary, rather than the video itself.

yes, its a vent about Calgary Minor Hockey as per the thread title.

the video is simply an illustration of one of my primary issue, the condecsending attittude towards the parents.

and no, my son didnt get cut, he is first year Atom and is placed exactly where he should be, maybe even too high (Atom 7).

and the elitism comment is directed at the Association Insiders who think they are some hotshots because they know everyone at the rink.