Dust off those skates and hockey sticks Drumheller, it’s time to get ready for hockey season.
However, before the season starts, parents have a little homework to do so their kids can play Canada’s national pastime.
A new requirement this year from Hockey Alberta for minor hockey parents is to complete the online Respect in Sport course.
“The big new thing is the Respect in Sport online course. At least one parent in each family has to do the Respect in Sport course or their kids can’t play hockey after December 1. It’s a really good course for parents to learn how to behave. Sometimes they don’t really see what they’re acting like and are in their own little bubble,” said Drumheller Minor Hockey Association president Jason Ewing.
The program, which can be found at, www.hockeyalberta.ca, was made a requirement in response to parents verbally, and in some extreme cases even physically abusing volunteer officials.
“The number one reason cited for coaches, managers and officials of all ages leaving a sport is unacceptable parent behaviour,” claims the Hockey Alberta website.
“It’s something to help the parents realize it’s fun for the kids and there are volunteers everywhere on the ice. They need to respect that, because it’s for the kids. Hopefully the course helps everyone realize the importance of sportsmanship, which is the main goal of minor sports,” said Ewing.
However, Ewing commented on the high caliber of parents in Drumheller, but notes there are some horror stories within the league.
“In Drumheller we don’t have too many issues with our fans, but it is out there. There are some interesting stories out there about abuse of officials,” said Ewing.
Last year, Hockey Alberta focused on head shots. Tougher penalties have resulted in fewer instances of deliberate head shots. Referees will still be vigilant in spotting blows to the head.
“The referees were really focused on watching for that and the penalties were quite severe,” said Ewing. “I would say the numbers are down, especially the intentional ones. I believe it really opened people’s eyes to intentional contacts for sure.”
On August 30, the Drumheller Minor Hockey Association will be taking registrations for the upcoming season. Registrations will be taking place in the Drumheller Memorial Arena lounge from 5 to 8 p.m.
Minor hockey organizers are hoping to see another strong turnout this year.
“The numbers were good, especially in our younger age groups, which is great. We’re expecting the number of younger players to be high again,” said Ewing. “We’re hoping we won’t get in a situation where we don’t have enough players for two teams, but too many for one team. The big thing is to get as many returnees as possible and a lot of new, younger kids.”
Normally registration only occurs at the Fall Sports, Recreation, and Arts Expo. This year, in addition to the Expo, we wanted to try something different.
“We want to get a better head count on numbers so we can be a little more organized for our evaluations and get a little more ice time for our kids before the league starts,” said Ewing.
One of the goals this year will be to get players as much ice time as possible.
A lot of towns have two ice surfaces, which makes a difference. You see some teams get a lot better over the season and it comes down to having more practice,” said Ewing.
To learn more about Drumheller Minor Hockey, visit www.drumhellerminorhockey.com. The Respect in Sport course can be found at www.hockeyalbert.ca.
“I feel hockey is important in giving kids some structure and guidance,” said Ewing. “They also get to spend a lot of weekends with friends.”
