Hockey P.E.I. threatened U11 hockey team with suspension for forfeiting game
CHARLOTTETOWN, P.E.I. — Dad and mom and volunteers are pissed off with Hockey P.E.I. over what they name a heavy-handed response after their U11 rec minor hockey crew tried to forfeit a sport.
A public submit on Fb by Michele Stevenson, the dad or mum of a Charlottetown Abbies U11 rec participant, mentioned the choice to forfeit an upcoming sport by the crew’s dad or mum group was met by threats to droop the crew for the remainder of the season, in addition to to droop the crew’s coach for a 12 months, from Hockey P.E.I.
Within the submit, Stevenson mentioned points arose at an April 3 sport between the Abbies and a Georgetown crew. On the sport, the opposing dad and mom and coach have been verbally aggressive in direction of officers and gamers all through the sport.
Stevenson’s submit mentioned at one level, siblings of gamers on the opposite crew started harassing her son, who was the Abbies’ goalie.
“I’ve by no means had or have seen one other dad or mum must go defend their little one that’s on the ice. My little one got here off the ice shook and in tears,” the submit mentioned.
Based on the submit, the crew was set to play Georgetown at their house rink on April 7. Nonetheless, dad and mom and the teaching employees determined it will be finest to forfeit the sport.
“This under no circumstances affected standings for provincials. We weren’t going to win even when we performed,” mentioned the submit. “We determined we didn’t wish to expose our children to these adults of their house rink.”
The submit mentioned the crew despatched off an electronic mail to Hockey P.E.I. on April 4 outlining a few of the points from the sport, asking the affiliation to present the win and the factors to the Georgetown crew within the upcoming sport, which was not performed.
Hockey P.E.I.’s response, when it arrived on April 9, was lower than sympathetic, mentioned the submit.
“If the crew is just not ready to play Georgetown in a make-up sport, the crew can be suspended from additional play for the rest of the season,” mentioned Barry Thompson, minor council chair with Hockey P.E.I., in an April 9 electronic mail equipped to SaltWire Community.
Within the electronic mail, which was despatched to the director and president of the Charlottetown Minor Hockey Affiliation and later forwarded to the crew, Thompson described the April 3 sport as “going completely sideways, to say the least” and talked about gamers have been injured throughout the sport.
In the identical electronic mail, Thompson later mentioned he instructed the crew’s coach the sport needed to be performed. He additionally mentioned, “Had I recognized earlier within the week I’d have nonetheless insisted Charlottetown play in Georgetown Thursday (April 7).”
A volunteer and dad or mum who works carefully with the Abbies and Hockey P.E.I., who spoke with SaltWire Community beneath the situation of anonymity attributable to worry of additional reprisals from Hockey P.E.I., mentioned the affiliation ought to have labored with dad and mom and the coaches to get the sport performed as an alternative of threatening to droop the crew.
“I assumed they have been going to step in and apologize it occurred, shouldn’t have occurred. What can we do to get you guys to play? As a substitute, they got here in robust,” the volunteer mentioned.
The volunteer mentioned as quickly as Thompson heard the small print of what came about throughout the sport in an April 9 cellphone name with the Abbies’ head coach, Thompson mentioned the crew can be suspended in the event that they didn’t play.
The volunteer mentioned additionally they heard Thompson instructed the coach their software would seemingly not be accepted subsequent 12 months if the crew forfeited the sport.
SaltWire Community contacted Hockey P.E.I. a number of occasions by cellphone and electronic mail since April 11 to confirm the claims made in regards to the name between Thompson and the crew’s coach. Nonetheless, no remark was acquired by finish of day April 19.
The volunteer mentioned the dad and mom and training employees didn’t suppose forfeiting the sport can be such an enormous concern and would solely enhance the gamers’ curiosity in staying in hockey.
“The objective of us not enjoying that sport was it was not going to assist their growth and hold them in hockey,” they mentioned.
“If we go there and get blasted once more and there is a matter with dad and mom and such, it drives them out of the sport. In any case the opposite video games, the children have been smiling within the dressing room, they have been keen to return play once more. After (the April 3) sport, they mentioned, ‘I don’t wish to play hockey anymore, I am executed’.”
The volunteer mentioned they know of a minimum of seven children who aren’t curious about returning to the game subsequent season for the reason that sport.
The problems on the sport itself aren’t remarkable in hockey and have all however blown over for each groups, mentioned the volunteer. The way it was dealt with by Hockey P.E.I. is the actual concern, they mentioned.
Hockey P.E.I.’s heavy-handed response to this concern and others up to now is just not new and sometimes prohibits others from talking out, the volunteer mentioned.
“That’s what they do to you, they threaten you,” they mentioned. “What do you do? Do you struggle again? They use the children as leverage, so who’s going to say they’ll follow their weapons after which inform their 10-year-old their hockey season is over. Nobody goes to do this, they usually most likely know that.”
The make-up sport was scheduled for April 19, however no additional particulars have been accessible by press time.
Cody McEachern is a reporter with the SaltWire Community in Prince Edward Island.
