Hockey is an intense game.
Bodies are colliding, shots fly off sticks, and tempers can easily flare. The problem is when that exists off the ice.
How many times can you recount going to a child or high-schooler’s game and seeing the tempers spill over to the stands? If you’ve been to a handful of games, the answer is likely at least once. Hockey parents are known for their fierce demeanor and willingness to take all of the attention away from the athletes playing the game.
This isn’t a secret in the game. It is even having a direct impact on the sport. Massachusetts Hockey President Bob Joyce sent out a statement in October, explaining that the state is currently dealing with a severe referee shortage. The organization has lost 900 referees since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Besides referees receiving abuse, parents bicker with one another, making you wonder if some adults are about to drop the gloves in the stands. Kids going through handshake lines become enamored with the back and forth between grown adults over a child’s game.
At the beginning of the 2021 winter season, I witnessed grown adults booing a high-school girl off the ice at the end of a game. What has this world come to? Have we collectively as a society lost our minds? Possibly.
It can be hard to see your child take a big hit, but how hard is it to remember that these are kids? They are likely playing the sport for the last time and are just trying to have fun. A lot of players are not skating around like Matt Cooke trying to inflict dangerous harm on players.
If this keeps up, one has to question the longevity of the sport. Of course, there will always be players who will want to compete in the NHL from the U.S. and abroad, but the high-school game could be doomed. Fewer athletes could turn to a sport that already has such a high barrier to entry due to the cost.
Players don’t want to constantly be overshadowed by parents reliving their glory years or making the game about themselves. They just want to enjoy the precious time that they have left on the ice.
It shouldn’t be that hard for parents to watch their kids play and simply cheer them on. That is what the game is all about in high school — having fun.
This might be a case of painting these parents with a broad brush. Not all hockey parents are booing children off the ice, but your stereotypical hockey parent is making a lot more noise than the ones who are just happy to see their child play the sport they love.
So, may I recommend taking a deep breath, and maybe even counting internally to 10. Please do anything before trying to start a physical altercation between other parents, or booing a child off the ice at a youth-hockey game. The instant gratification you might receive is not worth ruining the sport for a child who is just trying to enjoy the precious time they have left as an athlete.
