Sundre minor hockey kicks off its 2012/13 season tonight with a new direction that is focused on cleaning up the game from abuse on and off the ice.
It will do so with a new five-member Disciplinary Committee that will have the power to add punitive measures to players, coaches and parents on top of what the league hands out.
Insisting that the development of young hockey players is paramount, Dallas Rosevear, the new president of the Sundre Minor Hockey Association (SMHA), said the priority must be to create an atmosphere of fun for its 110 kids from the ages of five to 18.
“It's (hockey) not the calibre of where we were 15 years ago,” said Rosevear, a 35-year-old local businessman and Sundre native who played the game with the local association as a youth. “This is about getting back to the roots of hockey, and getting rid of the swearing and cussing. I want to bring back the respect and dignity of the game.”
This season the SMHA, which is part of Hockey Alberta's Zone 6, starts with five new faces on its 13-member board, including Rosevear, vice-president Chad Comfort and Ian Barnett, the league director.
Rosevear sent out a letter to parents and players and told them he was excited about steering the SMHA into the future, which could include a new hockey facility and bringing in outside help for player and league development. He said he attended numerous hockey association meetings over the past summer and noted a recurring issue being discussed was the lack of respect for officials.
As a result, Rosevear said the SMHA decided to create the Disciplinary Committee that will look at all major penalties, suspensions and game misconducts. This was a function the league solely handled in the past. Now a player, coach or parent could be subject to additional disciplinary action by the local association.
“Some people may not like this new direction but when a player is not focused on the actual game but rather is focused on getting the ref's attention in order to make a remark, it not only affects that player's development but affects the remainder of the team as well,” said Rosevear in his letter. “The same can be said for coaches and parents alike and thus the reason the SMHA disciplinary committee will deal with not only players but coaches and parents as well.”
He emphasized that Sundre minor hockey is not infested with discipline problems but added the new direction's priority will be to develop young hockey players to their “maximum potential.”
“There are a few other leagues in Alberta that have done this,” said Rosevear, adding the association has not yet created a “concise” set of guidelines for the types of disciplinary measures and options it will use for unruly parents and coaches. “I've been consulting other leagues and we will see if they (guidelines) fit.
“It's more of a preventative measure. We are not saying there is a problem,” he said, adding the new committee's role will be to steer coaches and unruly parents away from behaviour that is detrimental to hockey and the association. “That is an image we don't need to see. The coach is supposed to be a leader.”
He said the association would also continue to support kids who want to try out at AA and AAA levels of hockey outside Sundre.
“We want to provide an environment for the best development,” he said. “So when they go to these AA tryouts they will have a chance.”
