Entry FeedSon One is in a hockey tournament this weekend. It is a "Select" tournament, so fairly competitive. I was checking out the results on line last night, and felt sick. I couldn't sleep I was so upset. These are a bunch of seven-year-olds, and I really want to know what these coaches are teaching these kids about a love of the game.
Let me explain.
In our division in the tournament, there was an error with a team. They are supposed to be select teams born in 2002, however, a team got put in out division which was born in 2003-2004. Anyone involved in hockey in south western Ontario knows that titles of ages are confusing. We call our kids minor Novice, but in this tournament they are Tykes. Some areas have Mites and Tykes, some have Tykes then Minor Novice. You can see how the mix-up could have occurred.
Yesterday morning we woke at the crack of dawn to drive almost an hour for a game. When we got there, we learned that our opponents were five and six year-olds (we have about four kids on our team who have already turned eight). The coaches were in a quandary as to what to do. Tell our kids to go easy, and we risk not being able to ramp up for the next game. Move them around? Technically, we needed the win to continue in the tournament. However, as our coach so eloquently stated, "we don't need to win a tournament at the expense of some kids starting to hate hockey."
Instead, our coaches instructed the kids that they had to pass at least five times before they were allowed to shoot. I am sure that he also told most of our forwards that they were not allowed to shoot at all.
As parents, we sat in the stands, cheering every save by the opposition goalie, and staring at our hands in our laps sheepishly when our kids scored. After the first three goals, we prayed that they wouldn't score anymore.
After the game, I was impressed by our kids in the change room. They were talking about how fast some of the younger kids were, "I could barely catch number 4 on his breakaway!" How great the goalie was, "did you see him save, shot? He went like this!" (some sort of half dressed demonstration of goalie positioning) and even felt sorry for number 9, who had a ricochet off of his skate score in his own net. Number 9 was a five year old kid, probably less than 40 pounds, but he stood his ground against our kids and had an amazing poke check. Number 2 - a big strong defense - what a shot!
I was so impressed by our opposition. They stayed in the game right until the last buzzer, playing their hardest. I've seen eight-year-olds come to the bench in tears because they were scored on. These kids showed heart, grit and determination, and grace in defeat.
Later, I learned that their coach had asked our coach before the game to ask us, the parents, to tone down our celebrations. Apparently, the team that they had played the day before had horns and cheered and shouted for everyone one of the 16 goals they scored. Our coach said, "I don't need to do that." Thanks coach, for thinking so much of us parents that you knew we would put the kids first, hockey second.
When looking at the scores from other games, I was disgusted by other teams. These kids went out after us and were beat 22-1. 22 Goals!!! There was also another team in the tournament who lost 16-1, 13-0, 13-0. 42 goals against!
Who are these coaches who are teaching the kids to keep scoring when they are already killing their opposition? Not enough to beat them, you need to humiliate them too? These are seven-year-olds! It reminded my of the Junior Team Canada 16-0 nothing Boxing Day game this yea (which we stopped watching after the first period). Really, with role models like these...
I am so glad that our coach decided that the lesson yesterday wasn't about seeing how many points we could possibly rack up, but instead a deep respect and appreciate for your opponents, and a love of the game. Sport should be about building character, but now I see why it gets such a bad rep.