Anthony Marchie, Michael D. Cusimano
From the Canadian Medical
Association Journal - Journal
de l'Association médicale canadienne • 22 July 2003 • 22 JUILL. 2003
Ice hockey, considered Canada’s national sport, has more
than 500,000 registered players, many of whom aspire to play
in the National Hockey League (NHL). With the drive to win at any
cost permeating the game, it is not surprising that aggression
is a commonly used tactic and has helped to turn hockey into a
collision sport. Nor is it surprising that youth often idolize
and emulate the professional enforcers who protect their team’s
leading scorers.
“Violence,
Not Part of Youth Hockey” (PDF)
A Pilot Project
of the Nanaimo Minor Hockey Association, Nanaimo, British Columbia
The Nanaimo Minor Hockey Association announced
today that it is introducing a Pilot Project designed to make youth
hockey in Nanaimo
safer and more fun. The project, entitled "The No Tolerance
for Violence Code" is the first attempt by a Youth Hockey
organization to specifically target activities of a violent and
disrespectful nature on and off the ice. The Pilot Project is sponsored
by the Great Canadian Casino and the City of Nanaimo.
"The Code is
designed to educate children in youth hockey that violence is not
an acceptable part of the game and to draw a distinct line
between acceptable and unacceptable conduct. Nanaimo players should
enjoy the highest level of safety without compromising the pursuit
of competitive play," says Chuck Blanaru, President of Nanaimo
Minor Hockey.
The Code applies to players, coaches and parents
(spectators). The Player's Code mandates: playing by the
rules; not acting in a disrespectful way towards the referee; being
mindful of an
opponent's safety; and controlling their actions on the ice.
The Coach's Code is a variant of the Pl ayer's Code
and also adds that the Coach will not tolerate violence on the
part of his or her players and that the Coach will not antagonize
others within the arena. The Parents (Spectator's) Code,
similar to the Coach's Code, obligates a parent to leave
the arena if they can't control themselves and the parent
must also not antagonize others.
The Code will be prominently displayed
in the spectator area of each Nanaimo arena and within the player
dressing rooms. Players
will not receive their team jerseys until they agree to adhere
to the Code.
"All players, coaches or parents acting in a violent
or disrespectful way will receive a letter and will be asked to
provide a written
response. Interviews may also be required. All acts of a violent
or disrespectful nature will result in a reprimand or suspension,"
adds Blanaru.
For more information, contact:
Nanaimo Minor Hockey Association
Chuck Blanaru, President
(w) 250-753-2202
(h) 250-751-0774
Letter from Chuck Blanaru to the
Minister Responsible for Sport in the Province of British Columbia
Statement from Emile-J. Therien, President, Canada Safety Council
An emotional debate is raging about Canada's national sport.
Should body checking be allowed in minor league hockey?
Hockey Canada recommends that body checking begin at age 11.
In 2003, four of that Association's 13 branches decided to allow
checking for boys as young as nine years old. Hockey Canada set
a condition that the branches must participate in a pilot study
on the impact of body checking.
According to the Canadian Institute for Health Information,
8,000 people were treated for hockey related injuries in Ontario
hospital emergency rooms in the 2002-2003 season. Based on this
rate, more than 25,000 people were injured across the country.
In 93 cases of the 8,000, the casualty was admitted to hospital,
15 directly to critical care units.
Among young hockey players (18 and under) 62 per cent of injuries
were a result of checking. Injuries caused by body checks are
most common in the 14 to 16 group, after players have been exposed
to checking for several years. Seven per cent of the injured
were girls and women, yet female hockey is exclusively non-contact.
The decision to allow body checking in minor hockey could jeopardize
our national sport by turning it into our most dangerous game.
Allowing atom players to check will drive young boys away from
the game. The main reason kids play any sport is for fun. Hitting
and the risk of serious injuries remove the motivation.
Any branch that permits body checking for young children must
consider its exposure to legal liability. Checking is inherently
dangerous with potentially catastrophic results. Claims for spinal
cord injuries and concussions from checking send insurance rates
skyrocketing.
Minor hockey is a better game to watch and play without body
checking. When players concentrate on skating, shooting, passing
and teamwork the quality of the game improves. If players skate
well, the other skills become academic.
Safety Canada January 2004
By DAVID NAYLOR
From The Globe and Mail
Thursday, Dec. 4, 2003
OTTAWA — Emile Therien has spent a lot of time around hockey rinks,
first as a competitive player growing up in Aylmer, Que., and later when
his son Chris, now a defenceman with the Philadelphia Flyers, climbed the
sport's ladder to the very top.
On this night, he's back watching minor hockey in Ottawa's east
end to discuss bodychecking, an issue about which he has become
very passionate as the president of the Canada
Safety Council.
February 25, 2003 (Nanaimo, B.C.)
Hockey Triple Play: Group of
Three Oppose Bodychecking Below Age 13
In a written submission to the
BC Amateur Hockey Association, a group including Dr. David Brooks,
a Sports Medicine Physician of Summerland, B.C.; Paul Weed, a
Master Course Conductor with the Canadian Hockey Association’s
National Coaching Certification Program and the BC Amateur Hockey
Association Coach Coordinator for the District of Vancouver Island
based in Comox, B.C.; and Chuck Blanaru, lawyer and President
of the Nanaimo Minor Hockey Association, call on the BC Amateur
Hockey Association to revoke its decision to permit bodychecking
at ages below the Bantam division, age 13.
“All the scientific literature is consistent, bodychecking
below age 13 is to be discouraged as it is causally linked to
a higher incidence of injury,” said, Dr. David Brooks.
The submission to BC Amateur cites
a number of authoritative studies including position statements
by the American Academy of Pediatrics and The Canadian Academy
of Sport Medicine which both recommend against bodychecking at
the current Peewee age of 11 and 12.
Paul Weed said: “Bodychecking should start in Bantam (ages
13 and 14) only if the player has already received proper instruction
and progressive training in body contact in the Atom (ages 9
and 10) and Peewee (ages 11 and 12) divisions.”
“Many Minor Hockey Boards forget that one of their primary concerns should
be the safety of the children playing in their Association. If the Hockey Board
turns a blind eye to a child being exposed to an unreasonable risk of harm, then
the Board members could be personally liable if the child is catastrophically
injured,” adds Chuck Blanaru, a Nanaimo lawyer.
The groups also wants the BC Amateur Hockey Association to encourage
all associations in British Columbia to restrict bodychecking
to Bantam and Midget Competitive (Rep) teams and prohibit bodychecking
in all recreational divisions.
For more information, contact:
Chuck Blanaru,
(w) 250-753-2202
(h) 250-751-0774
cblanaru@nanaimolaw.com
Paul Weed has also written a Discussion
Paper on Body Checking in Minor Hockey. He encourages
feedback on his paper. If you have comments—pro or
con—please let him know at seeweed@telus.net.
More on body checking at a young age:
From CBC's 
"Recently, a 20-year-old ban on full body contact in kid’s
hockey was lifted. Now nine-year-olds on ice rinks across Canada
can slam each other just like their NHL heroes. The lifting of
the ban came after a university study concluded body checking
at a young age wouldn’t cause more injuries than hockey
without body checking.
"That didn’t seem quite right to us, and when Mark
Kelley investigated, he found some surprising results."
"We seem to have unleashed something last week with our
story on hitting in kids' hockey. Mark Kelley revealed that the
study justifying the practice of kids smashing each other was
flawed and that more kids were getting hurt.
"Now, the Canadian Hockey Association says they've got
proof the flaws weren't significant.Well, sorry guys, we don't
think so."
And more on body checking at a young age:
Subject: Re: bodychecking for young players
Can you tell me where I can register a complaint against bodychecking
for nine-year olds in the minor hockey league of the CHA? How
does one complain about the CHA's decision to disregard the
results of the studies of the injuries sustained by young kids
as shown in the CBC's Disclosure program? How do I complain
directly to either president Bob Nicholson, not his sidekick
Johnny Misley? I would like to complain directly also to the
infamous John Gardner, the head of the Greater Toronto Hockey
League.
Look forward to hearing from you.
Hi Marilyn,
I share your concern about body checking. My eldest son has just turned nine
himself and he's a very skilful player. The problem is, he's one of
the smallest players in his league. To start body checking at his age group
is ridiculous and should be halted. The Canadian Hockey association thinks
it's doing well with these new implementations but I believe it's only going
to hurt our game, not to mention our kids. They are thinking ahead too far
down the road and are closing their eyes to the fact that many young hockey
players will suffer for this in the near future and will eventually quit
a game that most of them love very much. The ones that stay in the game might
get seriously hurt. The game can teach a child so many things about
friendship, comradery, a sense of belonging, etc.... All of this can be lost.
I regret saying so but I do not have much advice to give to you at the
moment. It seems to me that you're making all the right moves as it is and
that you're attempting to reach the right people. You should keep pushing.
Good luck in your quest.
Marco Thorne
CEO of API HOCKEY
Innovation at it's best!
http://www.apihockey.com
phone: 902-854-3319
fax: 902-854-3399
Go here for more commentary
by Marco Thorne
The acceptance of body contact and borderline violence seems to
be based on the idea that sports is an area of life in which it
is permissible to suspend usual moral standards. Studies show that
athletes commonly distinguish between game morality and the morality
of everyday life....
We know from research in psychology that young children tend to model their behaviour
and attitudes on those of adults, particularly adults they admire. Athletes (and
fathers watching/ playing sports) are role models. Even Presidents admire them.
Children watch ice hockey on television. We all know the stale joke "I went to
a fight and a hockey game broke out". But how many children, or adults, are aware
that a majority of hockey players want to abolish this violence? At annual meetings
of the National Hockey Players Association violence has been a major issue, with
players asking owners to impose much stiffer penalties (including expulsion).
