Parents of minor hockey players in Calgary must take part in a mandatory, hour-long presentation before their children can hit the ice this season.
The presentation is part of the Respect In Sports (RIS) initiative, which provides parents and guardians with information about how to interact with referees, other parents and parents who abuse other children—or their own. Hockey Calgary chose to adopt the measure because of the increasing prevalence of parental behaviour issues.
Some hope that the program will create a sense of unity among non-aggressive parents so that they can act as a positive influence on those who cause problems. Parents were given more than a year’s notice that they would be required to complete the presentation. The response was almost entirely positive, with only a handful of families failing to take part.
It’s important to note that this isn’t a quick fix. Online training measures are notoriously easy to ignore, or breeze through with a few quick clicks. But while this presentation won’t do away with the problem of “hockey parents,” Hockey Calgary’s decision is commendable.
It’s unsettling that parents who enrol their children in an extra-curricular sport might be driven to abusive behaviour. Making this measure mandatory for the parents or guardians of a player is a proactive attempt to combat a problem before it develops.
Hopefully, even the minor time commitment made to the RIS program will encourage parents to be more careful about their own behaviour, and more considerate of the feelings of others. Providing a clear standard of behaviour makes individuals accountable, especially if it’s directly endorsed by the hockey league.
Parents who refuse to partake in the program are being short-sighted. By doing so, they deny their children a chance to take part in a rewarding team activity, and waste money previously spent on equipment.
The RIS program won’t eliminate problem parents in organized sport, but it’s certainly a step in the right direction.
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