A new study by the University of Manitoba’s Faculty of Kinesiology and Recreation Management is underway, looking into hockey parents and their behaviour at minor league games.
The goal of the survey is to ask hockey parents about their connection to the game, asking questions such as: Does it satisfy needs in their own lives when kids are playing. How might they they behave toward referees?
Julie Brodeur, masters’ student and principal investigator in the study, told 680 CJOB the project was inspired, in part, by her own experience.
“I was a hockey parent. My kids no longer play, but I remember observing behaviours of parents in the stands, and just being really curious. What’s going on behind why some parents do certain behaviours and others don’t?
“We’re looking at these behaviours through needs and also through passions,” Brodeur said.
“What we’re trying to find out is if certain parents are tending to show a more obsessive-type passion for being a hockey parent. Are they more apt to be yelling at referees?”
Brodeur said the study will poll between 440-450 hockey parents online. It’s intended less as an overall glimpse into hockey culture, and more specifically focused in on parents’ behaviour at the rink, and how that potentially affects others, such as on-ice officials — who are often volunteers.
“One of the big drivers for why we started looking into this is because, in 2019, Sport Manitoba started a campaign called No Ref, No Game, that stemmed out of their conference with officials about sports having trouble attracting and retaining officials.
“I was a hockey parent, and that was sort of my comfort zone.”
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