CALGARY- A course aimed at teaching parents to be more respectful at their children’s hockey games appears to be paying off.
Three years ago, Hockey Calgary launched the mandatory ‘Respect in Sport’ course, which was aimed at encouraging positive behaviour from everyone involved in the game, as well as providing a safe environment.
So far, it seems to be working.
“I think the environment improved a whole lot,” says parent Donna Reid. “You still get the odd parent who gets a little crazy and gets a little bit excited about their kids, but the parents aren’t scared anymore to step up and call them out on it. They do it in a fun, joking manner, and it kind of sets the tone for the bench and everybody calms down again.”
Former Calgary Flames player Sheldon Kennedy, whose organization founded the program, says it’s about setting a standard.
“We needed to create an accountability and some standards among hockey parents within our rinks,” Kennedy explains, adding the program has since spread from Alberta to other provinces.
“In most cases, I know in coaching, everybody has the exact same training on what our expectations are around respect.”
Over 14-thousand parents have taken part in the program in Calgary, and as a result disciplinary hearings have decreased by up to 15 per cent.
-With files from Grant Pollock
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