Come next hockey season, coaches, managers and even parents are heading back to school.
Hockey Alberta announced last week that come next season it would be fully implementing the Respect in Sport Program. This means all parents, referees and team officials will have to take the short online course. For parents of hockey players this means a family member will have to complete the Respect in Sport program by December 2012 for their child to be eligible to participate on a sanctioned hockey team. This excludes junior and senior divisions.
“The implementation of this platform for the 2012/13 season will serve as an effective risk management measure as well as be a strong contributor to the overall safety and enjoyment of the game by all participants,” said Hockey Alberta’s general manager, Rob Litwinski in a release.
The City of Calgary had already made the program mandatory and the Drumheller Minor Hockey Association began requiring that coaches take the course a couple years back. President of Drumheller Minor Hockey Jason Ewing said the overall experience on their part has been constructive.
“We have been implementing it for the coaches over the last couple years and I think it is great thing for the parents,” said Ewing. “A lot of our parents have been taking this because we have been expecting it. It opens people’s eyes to their actions and the way people behave.”
According to Hockey Alberta, the Respect in Sport Program is an online crash course that has become Canada’s leading online bullying, abuse, harassment, and negligence prevention program for parents, coaches, and community leaders.
There is a stream for parents highlighting a parents’ natural influence on their children, the role they play in their child’s enjoyment of sports and protecting children when they are outside their immediate control. It also provides tools for parents to evaluate their worn behavior in the stands and on the drive home.
The Activity Leader program for team officials explore bullying, abuse, harassment and neglect and provides tools for dealing with situations, enhanced through scenarios.
The program is $12 per family for the parent program and $30 for the team official program. Each association will be responsible for making sure participants and team officials complete the certification.
Ewing said the program helps examine some of the behavior at the arena, although they do not have too many instances of trouble.
“I think it is a very good thing,” said Ewing. “I think it is an eye-opener for some parents… they may not realize how they do behave sometimes, I think it’s helpful.”
More information on the program can be found at www.hockeyalberta.ca/respectinsport.