ztyouthicehockey.org
One of the hardest challenges is figuring out what we can most quickly address with the hope change can be made by next year. The goal of the change is of course to reduce the risk of injuries.
USA Hockey has that power to institute stronger penalties. If you are concerned, contact USA Hockey.
I wanted to go over the complexity of the checking issue. The battle we can not fall into is should checking be allowed or not allowed. Checking is the issue and it is not the issue. I can't stop checking from happening at this point as easily as I and other parents can find a common ground to inhibit bad checks and hits. This is our problem, what to tackle, in the way of risk reduction, that can be changed quickly. There is no way we can stop checking leagues, build non-checking leagues, or build hybrid leagues by next season. It would be a Sisyphean task. We can not get lost in debate when we can organize for action. Penalty change is action.
What we can do is push for a penalty that impacts the players and coaches ASAP and sits burned in their brains. We need to get rid of discretionary penalties when it comes to hitting a youth player in the neck, head, or back. We need to penalize excessive force checks. This is by no means complicated or difficult. It will not inhibit a player's development nor will it take away from the game. It will save harm to our children and it will reduce the risks associated with the physical play of youth ice hockey. We must get our voice heard.
I am 100% sure based on my 20 years experience as a mental health professional and clinical therapist that this penalty will reduce the number of concussions and injuries to our youth players by reducing the reckless hits and checks. Will it stop concussions? NO, but that isn't the goal. The goal is to GREATLY reduce them. Failure to institute this stronger penalty is unacceptable and will lead to our children getting hurt. This change is simple and it is a no-brainer. Better protect our children, institute this penalty. This penalty lets a youth player know that if they don't check the right way, they won't play anymore. Simple and clear. Let me repeat simple and clear. A real penalty that extinguishes unwanted behavior.
Here is the penalty to Reduce Risk of Harm:
Check the Wrong Way and You Don't Play
A player will be immediately suspended from game play for any contact to a player's neck or head. A player will be suspended immediately from game play for forcefully hitting a player in the back. A player will be immediately suspended from game play for using excessive force beyond what is needed to check a player.
The bench of the suspended player will be give a 5 minute penalty to be served.
The immediate game suspension will be extended to 2/3 of the next game if the player gets a suspension in the third period. If a player is suspended in the last 5 minutes of the third period, they will be suspended the entire next game.
A team getting 3 players suspended in one game will forfeit the game.
This penalty will not harm the players or teams that follow the rules. Isn't that what a penalty is meant to do? Reward you for following the rules not marginally or insignificantly penalize you for breaking the rules. It will not protect the players that don't follow rules. It will impact the coaches and how they teach. It will protect our children. Penalties for youth players must be severe when it comes to behavior that injures other youth players, our children.
This is a penalty that USA Hockey can adopt and it is an additional penalty a League can adopt.
Speak up and out. Protect your child.
Here is a point to ponder....
Is it better to have strict penalties and deal with the occasional player that is erroneously suspended or a game lost due to the new penalty
or
Is it better to have children get more concussions and miss weeks of game play because the current penalties are currently too relaxed?
We can add this type of penalty today if we wanted!
No comments:
Post a Comment