Is It Time To Change Back?

There are many reasons whey kid’s drop out of sport, but Jack Lee believes it’s time to change the age limit for players back to 2001 age limit’s.

It might just be a short time that not only Hockey Canada might agree with him, but put forward a resolution to the membership.

The Hockey Newfoundland and Labrador President is confident he can get the governing body for amateur hockey in the country to go along with his idea of changing the minor hockey age brackets to where they were before 2001.

It wasn’t all that long ago when the ages were Atom 10-11; Peewee 12-13; Bantam 14-15 and Midget hockey with the ages of 16-17.

There is no current mention of the Juvenile hockey age, which was 18-19.

“We don’t need three years of midget, and we don’t need eight-year-olds trying out for all-star teams,” said Lee.

Lee added “We’re losing too many kids” and also pointed out the drop out rate for 15-year-olds in this (his) Province last year, was 24%, compared to 17% in the rest of the country.

Both rates are pretty high and “lets face it some players are turned off by contact, and also if you are a 15-year-old kid and you have ambitions to go to another level but you don’t make major midget, you’re done.”

Lee also said there’s no reason for contact in non-competitive hockey.

“And that’s coming,” he promised.

The provincial hockey boss said right now the chances of getting the age groups changed by Hockey Canada at the Victoria Day long weekend meeting are really good.

He said he had a couple of conversations with former Hockey Canada president and CEO Bob Nicholson before he stepped down and became vice-chairman of the Oilers Entertainment Group.

“He was thinking the same way and he said I should put this to the floor at a Hockey Canada’s meeting because it might have some legs.

“If Ontario jumps on board, you’re laughing,” said Lee.

Lee believes changing age groups and eliminating body checking at some stages and divisions will greatly benefit the growth and development of the game, namely attracting new Canadians to hockey.

Lee also said it is Hockey Canada’s, Hockey NL’s and everyone’s fault, “because we’re not teaching the kids how to check.

He said there’s a new program that was released during the summer which will be available this winter to teach kids in atom that will prepare them for the higher age groups regarding how to check and take a check.

He said hockey needs to be about fun and developing the young players, certainly if you want to keep the kids involved as they go up through the ranks.

The other area some forget about is that players in the Midget age level want to focus on the schooling and time permitting, sports takes away from the academics for them.

Either way the sport is losing players and it’s not just the age that keeps players away – it’s the cost for the Families.

We see no tax break by any Government and if it’s about keeping Canada’s future healthy, this might just keep the medical cost down as well.

Here’s hoping?