Sports

When young children sign up to play sports it is supposed to be for a fun experience. Sports are an opportunity for kids to meet other children and take part in an after school activity. There are many benefits that are derived from playing youth ice hockey. Boys and girls learn good sportsmanship and self-discipline. They learn to work together, sacrifice for the good of the team, enjoy winning, and how to handle defeat. In the process, they also learn important lessons about physical fitness and personal health. As children get older they can tryout to be on teams that travel to different cities, towns, and states. This level is more competitive because the teams compete to be the best in the league. To be part of a travel sports team the child and the parents have to be committed and dedicated to the sport. In travel hockey there are usually two practices a week and two games each weekend. At the games the parents sit in the stands and cheer on their child's team. With every goal scored the parents and players celebrate with cheers while the other team skates to the bench in disappointment.

"Parents can take the fun out of hockey by continually yelling or screaming from the stands. Parents should enjoy the game and applaud good plays. The stands are not a place from which parents should try to personally coach their kids. Kids often mirror the actions of their parents; if they see mom or dad losing their cool in the stands, they'll probably do the same on the ice." (USA HOCKEY par. 3) The influence of parents in the stands is placing a negative impact on children's mentality.

Chris loves watching his son, Brandon, play hockey - but he thinks the referee makes too many bad calls. When one of Brandon's goals is disallowed, Chris can't hold back his anger: he stands up and starts screaming at the ref from the stands.

A referee is a person who has authority to make decisions about play. They usually wear a black hockey helmet, black pants, a black-and-white striped shirt, standard hockey skates, and they carry a finger whistle, which they use to stop play. They communicate with players, coaches, and spectators both verbally and by using hand signals. When Chris stands up and screams at the referee he is setting a bad example for his son and for the other children on the team. A referee's main job is to keep the game fair and safe by making calls depending on the game. Coaches and parents have no right to question the referee at any point of the game.

"On July 11, 2000 Mr. Costin was beaten and killed after a hockey game where he had been on the ice monitoring play. Mr. Junta, watching from the stands, shouted at him, demanding that he stop some body checking and fighting that involved the two men's ten year old sons." (Butterfield par. 5) Mr. Junta took Mr. Costin's life over something as simple as a child's hockey game. Arguing with a referee about a call made is unacceptable behavior from anyone, but especially unacceptable from a parent. A parent's role at their child's game is to enjoy the game and support the team. Children look to up to their parents and tend to follow their footsteps. When Mr. Junta killed Mr. Costin, the referee, it in turn showed his children that violence is the best way to solve a problem. When people dedicate and volunteer their time to referee a game it is disrespectful to argue with their decisions. "Youth sports couldn't exist without its referees and coaches, yet for years the culture surrounding the games has, if anything, driven them away." (Deacon par. 17) Coaches give up personal time to teach and guide children to learn the game and parents should not interfere with their instructions.

John, a twelve-year old boy, loves to play hockey and is clearly the best on the team. John's father, Greg, always watches every game and makes sure that John is given enough ice time. One day, John missed a practice and was benched for the first period of the game that weekend. After the game Greg went into the locker room and starting screaming at the coach for not playing his son.

It is a coach's job to make sure every player is given the same amount of time on the ice and the parents should respect their judgment and obey their rules. When Greg entered the locker room and yelled at the coach in front of all the kids he created a hostile environment. Coaches are expected to follow the same rules for every player and an exception should not be made for anyone. Parents need to step back and let coaches do their jobs. "A recent survey indicated 72% of children would rather play for a losing team than ride the bench for a winner." (USA HOCKEY par. 8) Children play sports for fun, not just to win. As long as the whole team has equal opportunities on the ice and everyone has fun, children are happy so why can't parents be satisfied also? When parents put stress on the children and coaches the game is not the same. Parents should learn to set examples and think before they act. It is easy to become frustrated when children are involved but nothing is worth fighting about. Children have something that adults no longer have; innocence. When parents lash out in anger it captures the innocence from children and gives them a new perspective