Dear Editor
I have a friend who has been suspended from coaching minor hockey in the Battlefords. He was suspended by the Battlefords Minor Hockey Association board in regards to an incident that happened during last year's hockey season during a minor hockey game involving the officials. BMHA has told him he is unable to coach minor hockey until he successfully completes an anger management program.
I agree with this reprimand as being a fair consequence of my friend's actions. As an official myself, a parent and having been a coach involved in minor hockey, I know what it is like from all three sides of the spectrum when it comes down to heated moments in hockey. Every year, the Saskatchewan Hockey Association loses young officials because of these situations. Many of the young officials are intimidated and fear coaches and parents who yell at them, causing them to quit officiating. We need to work together as a team in order to keep minor hockey going. After all, if we have no officials, we don't have games.
Recently, there was a similar situation to my friend's incident involving another coach from the Battlefords. He is not only a parent/coach involved in BMHA, he is also a member of the organization's executive. The incident occurred in Turtleford when two Battleford teams were playing each other. The incident has led this coach to being banned from the Turtleford arena. This is not the first time I have seen this behaviour from this coach, both on and off the ice. I definitely see a pattern going on here. It needs to stop. There's no need for this type of behaviour.
Unfortunately, these types of incidents make our minor hockey program look bad, thus making it harder for our teams to be invited to or enter into tournaments. Letters from Turtleford community members regarding this incident have been forwarded to BMHA.
I would hope that the BMHA board looks at this in the same fashion that they did with my friend and come up with similar consequences and not let this incident get swept under the rug because he serves on the executive of the BMHA. We don't need this type of leadership or coaching involved in our hockey system, as it just makes our program look bad.
Cam Foulds
North Battleford
