Parents divided on banning bodychecking for peewees
Hockey Calgary officials heard from parents and coaches on all sides of the bodychecking debate Monday night ahead of a leaguewide vote on the divisive issue.
While some parents expressed concerns that bodychecking prevents children from playing at their best, others fear eliminating checking for players under age 13 will be detrimental to their development.
It’s a division Hockey Calgary anticipated since announcing last month it will ask its member associations to support a ban on bodychecks for all peewee players.
“I am not surprised,” Todd Millar, president of Hockey Calgary, said following the meeting at the University of Calgary.
“But at the end of the day, if you can save kids playing peewee and community hockey by making some changes to the bodychecking rules, I think the answer is pretty clear.”
The board’s decision to ban bodychecking until the bantam level is the result of a five-year study of more than a thousand Calgary minor hockey players.
The study cites mounting evidence that bodychecking among younger players could increase the risk of injury and concussion.
Roughly 50 people attended Monday’s information session; the first of others to follow, said Millar.
Barbara Kimmet supports the ban because bodychecking affected her son’s play this past season, she said.
“He was more worried about hitting and being hit than he was about playing the game,” said Kimmet, whose son is 11 years old and just finished his first season of peewee.
“He plays better when he plays street or lake or driveway hockey because there is no checking. The hitting has really taken the fun out of the game.”
Parent Don Henderson, who is also a linesman with the National Hockey League, disagrees with an outright ban at the peewee level.
“From a development standpoint, they deserve the opportunity to learn and excel,” he said, adding players without checking experience might be overlooked at the higher levels of hockey.
Such a move would put players at a competitive disadvantage, he said.
“They deserve the opportunity to grow and flourish in the game.”
The city’s 24 hockey associations will vote on the motion at the annual general meeting June 23.
Quebec does not allow bodychecking at the peewee level, Ontario has taken body checking out of all levels for its house league programs, and USA Hockey has made a national decision to ban bodychecking during games at the peewee level.