The debate over deliberate head shots in minor hockey reaches a new level with this letter appearing in the Ottawa Citizen which compares adults allowing head shots in the game with child abuse.
The writer makes a valid point.
There's also a case to be made that some coaches engage in verbal child abuse. Are profanity-laced, screaming critiques in front of peers and other adults really part of the teenage teaching experience? What would the reaction of parents be if the same behaviour came from an adult in another setting such as the classroom or a summer camp or on the street?
Even major junior coaches, who handle the elite teenage hockey players in Canada, are not held to a reasonable standard. I just finished reading longtime Ottawa 67's coach Brian Kilrea's book about his life in hockey and perspective on coaching teenagers. Kilrea's one of the most revered coaches in Canadian junior hockey, but his self-confessed methods of coaching teenagers from showering with them to lacing his playing instructions with f-bombs would be a field day for litigation-minded parents.
Coaches have an obligation to keep the sport safe. Coaches have an obligation to treat their young players with the same level of respect that a classroom teacher would show. Aren't these reasonable standards for minor hockey programs that are supposed to be created for kids?
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