No body checks in hockey ???

[BOSSMANPC]

Good article in the News today. USA hockey wants to eliminate body checks for the youth leagues. Apparently they have similar rules in Canada but the age group is different. I think it sucks!

Local players, coaches and parents are bracing for a jarring change regarding the development of 11- to 12-year-old hockey players in the United States.

USA Hockey will vote on a proposal banning bodychecking at the house and travel levels of Pee Wee hockey, effective for the 2011-12 season, during the organization's annual meetings this week in Colorado Springs. The governing body for youth hockey in the United States will hold an hour of open discussion among coaches and other non-voting members of USA Hockey on Thursday morning, with the USA Hockey Board of Directors set to vote on the proposed legislation Saturday. A simple majority is all that is needed to implement the change.

Talk of USA Hockey's plan has led to spirited reactions -- with most coaches and players from this area, and others from outside of Western New York (likely from hockey hotbed states like Michigan and Minnesota) registering their displeasure to the media or on USA Hockey's Facebook page.

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The Ontario Hockey Federation passed a rule similar to USA Hockey's proposal last month, except Ontario decided to ban bodychecking only in house leagues for those ages 6-21. This was done to keep youths in the game for as long as possible -- something USA Hockey is also trying to accomplish with its proposal. However, Ontario will still allow its travel teams 9 years old and up to play full-contact hockey. This would give their players a three-year head start on U.S. players if the ban is enacted. Bodychecking isn't allowed at the Squirt level in the United States.

"I don't think there are [too many area] coaches that are in agreement with the proposal," Niagara Junior Purple Eagles Pee Wee Major coach Dan Dolan said. "Most people I've talked to believe hitting is a key part of the game and believe it's best taught earlier than later."

The complete story......

Proposed bodycheck ban stirs debate in youth hockey - Sports - The Buffalo News

 

[Winged_Wheel88]

And what about biting?

 

[BOSSMANPC]

And what about biting?

From what I see that's still OK, as is hitting someone in the nuts. :smile:

 

[pixburgher66]

What is this, Russia?!

 

[pixburgher66]

That said, for 11 year olds it may be a good idea. Heck, kids are playing football FAR too young too. Injuries that they obtain can be much more detrimental than to boys post-puberty. Just gotta be careful to monitor it. The biggest issue is size differential. Kids those ages vary greatly.

EDIT: Also, they don't know how to control their bodies/how to hit, making it more dangerous.

 

[Winged_Wheel88]

From what I see that's still OK, as is hitting someone in the nuts. :smile:

GIFSoup

 

[BOSSMANPC]

That said, for 11 year olds it may be a good idea. Heck, kids are playing football FAR too young too. Injuries that they obtain can be much more detrimental than to boys post-puberty. Just gotta be careful to monitor it. The biggest issue is size differential. Kids those ages vary greatly.

EDIT: Also, they don't know how to control their bodies/how to hit, making it more dangerous.

Good point pix. It's not the good body checks it's how they are thrown that counts. If you head hunt or lead with the elbow someone might get hurt. Same in football, some of these dim wit coaches have these kids leading with their heads when making a tackle.

 

[pixburgher66]

Good point pix. It's not the good body checks it's how they are thrown that counts. If you head hunt or lead with the elbow someone might get hurt. Same in football, some of these dim wit coaches have these kids leading with their heads when making a tackle.

The biggest issue is who's coaching. 75% of the time it's a father who thinks he knows more than he really does, teaches hitting incorrectly, and gets their players hurt.

 

[elocomotive]

Well it's about time. Hopefully in the future people can just skate around and take turns taking shots.

 

[Winged_Wheel88]

Well it's about time. Hopefully in the future people can just skate around and take turns taking shots.

 

[BOSSMANPC]

Well it's about time. Hopefully in the future people can just skate around and take turns taking shots.

That's assuming they don't take slap shots out of the game or wrist shot's over 40 mph. Someone could get hurt that puck is pretty hard eloco.

Oh wait, They could use a foam puck !! Problem solved.

 

[Winged_Wheel88]

That's assuming they don't take slap shots out of the game or wrist shot's over 40 mph. Someone could get hurt that puck is pretty hard eloco.

Oh wait, They could use a foam puck !! Problem solved.

Two words:

Wiffle puck.

 

[Tacoma_canuck]

The biggest issue is who's coaching. 75% of the time it's a father who thinks he knows more than he really does, teaches hitting incorrectly, and gets their players hurt.

I completely agree with that. Teaching is the most important thing. Just banning something does nothing for the kids who are good enough to go on to high level junior or the NHL. It only puts them behind the other guys. I do agree that the younger age groups shouldn't have hitting to protect the kids but only because they haven't got the other parts of the game down yet like good skate balance and handling the puck without looking down. Once these kids get into the 11-12 range and higher (providing they've been playing awhile), they can be evaluated and separated into groups with players on the same level of skill as them (whenever possible, at least). Then teach them the proper technique for hitting and receiving a hit. I played minor hockey as a kid from when I was 7 until 16 and the only time I got knocked out was when I lost an edge and fell into the boards. Never from a hit and I was skinny and not very good and the equipment sucked.

 

[elocomotive]

That's assuming they don't take slap shots out of the game or wrist shot's over 40 mph. Someone could get hurt that puck is pretty hard eloco.

Oh wait, They could use a foam puck !! Problem solved.

Excellent points. Also, the boards are dangerous. They should get rid of them. Nobody should be hitting the puck hard enough that it leaves the ice sheet anyway.

 

[BOSSMANPC]

Two words:

Wiffle puck.

That would also reduce the number of composite sticks blowing up by at least 50 %.

 

[elocomotive]

Drinking team with a hockey problem?

 

[pixburgher66]

The ice is too hard too...why don't they just play soccer?

 

[Winged_Wheel88]

The ice is too hard too...why don't they just play soccer?

 

[elocomotive]

The ice is too hard too...why don't they just play soccer?

How about just a shallow few inches of water? That would solve the puck problem too, b/c they'd need something light that floats on the water surface. And a heavy stick wouldn't be helpful either. They could just use a beachball and large foam spoons to move it along.

 

[BOSSMANPC]

I completely agree with that. Teaching is the most important thing. Just banning something does nothing for the kids who are good enough to go on to high level junior or the NHL. It only puts them behind the other guys. I do agree that the younger age groups shouldn't have hitting to protect the kids but only because they haven't got the other parts of the game down yet like good skate balance and handling the puck without looking down. Once these kids get into the 11-12 range and higher (providing they've been playing awhile), they can be evaluated and separated into groups with players on the same level of skill as them (whenever possible, at least). Then teach them the proper technique for hitting and receiving a hit. I played minor hockey as a kid from when I was 7 until 16 and the only time I got knocked out was when I lost an edge and fell into the boards. Never from a hit and I was skinny and not very good and the equipment sucked.

Teaching is very important at a young age. Like pix and I said a lot of these "coaches" are not qualified and these bad habit's follow the player as they get older.

My football reference was made thinking of Mark Bonniconti {SP?} Nicks son that is paralyzed from the next down because he made a tackle leading with his head.

Kid's see college and pro players do it so they do it. That's why I am all for them cracking down on players that come flying in leaving their feet with their elbow aimed at another players head. A two game suspension is not enough.

Send a message that this is wrong and lets get back to having a good physical game with solid body checks and bring back the lost art of the hip check. You don't see them very often anymore.

The most important thing these players must learn is RESPECT, When players didn't wear helmets you didn't see too many head shots or sticks around the head. Your opponent is the team you want to defeat but they are also people out there doing their job making a living. Some players seem to forget that.