The game isn’t going to suffer if the kids can focus on skills like skating, stick handling, passing, and shooting. I have seen some of these teams play; they need to work on these fundamentals. Right now it is the smaller more skilled player who is targeted for intimidation by the other team’s usually bigger and less talented player. At the younger ages the disparity is significant. It is not uncommon for there to be 50 lbs. difference in weight. When you consider that could represent nearly 58 -56% of a 85 to 89 pound kid’s weight (ave. weight for 11 and 12 year old boy), it is huge. The equivalent of a 175 pound man being hit a 273 pound man. Even in youth football they don’t let kids over a certain weight run the ball or play defense. I.E. be in a position were they apply a running hit. Remember in hockey the kids are moving much faster that any kid can run, and they are being hit into a solid object. Besides, if the kid plays outside a powerhouse hockey state, MN, MA, MI, WI, the chance of them making even a junior team is so slim, what is the need for checking at the house level? Even if a kid is good enough to advance to the upper levels he is going to need to leave the state for that chance. At that point they can be taught the proper checking techniques by a higher level coach. My guess is at this point his body should be at point were it can withstand the impact of giving and receiving checks. All it takes is for the insurance companies to raise the price of coverage for checking leagues, or to offer preferential rates for those who don’t. Most of them are strapped for cash and any incentive one way of the other would have significant sway with them. Money is a sure fire way to change behavior, and make all our arguments purely moot.
Youth Hockey Runs Into Concerns over Checking
The game isn’t going to suffer if the kids can focus on skills like skating, stick handling, passing, and shooting. I have seen some of these teams play; they need to work on these fundamentals. Right now it is the smaller more skilled player who is targeted for intimidation by the other team’s usually bigger and less talented player. At the younger ages the disparity is significant. It is not uncommon for there to be 50 lbs. difference in weight. When you consider that could represent nearly 58 -56% of a 85 to 89 pound kid’s weight (ave. weight for 11 and 12 year old boy), it is huge. The equivalent of a 175 pound man being hit a 273 pound man. Even in youth football they don’t let kids over a certain weight run the ball or play defense. I.E. be in a position were they apply a running hit. Remember in hockey the kids are moving much faster that any kid can run, and they are being hit into a solid object. Besides, if the kid plays outside a powerhouse hockey state, MN, MA, MI, WI, the chance of them making even a junior team is so slim, what is the need for checking at the house level? Even if a kid is good enough to advance to the upper levels he is going to need to leave the state for that chance. At that point they can be taught the proper checking techniques by a higher level coach. My guess is at this point his body should be at point were it can withstand the impact of giving and receiving checks. All it takes is for the insurance companies to raise the price of coverage for checking leagues, or to offer preferential rates for those who don’t. Most of them are strapped for cash and any incentive one way of the other would have significant sway with them. Money is a sure fire way to change behavior, and make all our arguments purely moot.