A Conversation with Hockey Nova Scotia

When Sport Nova Scotia’s Amy Walsh sat down with some provincial sport organizations in October 2016, she heard loud and clear that early sport specialization is a troubling trend.  As Director of Sport Development, she had already seen reams of data on this subject, but hearing about its direct impact on Sport Nova Scotia’s members – and ultimately families – was inciting. Something had to be done. Here is an excerpt from that first conversation with Hockey Nova Scotia’s Executive Director, Darren Cossar.

 

AMY WALSH: What would you say is one of the biggest issues in your sport right now?

 

DARREN COSSAR: Within our sport, over the years we keep seeing these situations where kids who are playing other sports have a hard time adding hockey, as well as kids who play hockey finding it difficult to play other sports. Do I miss my try-outs or my provincial championship in soccer? Which one do I choose? Will I be penalized by one if I choose the other?

 

AMY WALSH: And you’re saying that’s not good.

 

DARREN COSSAR: It’s a big problem. Those are choices a young kid shouldn’t have to make! If we truly want what’s best for these kids in life, we (adults) have a responsibility to have a system where kids can play and enjoy every sport they like and are never forced to choose.

 

AMY WALSH: Most parents just want what’s best for their kids. So what advice would you give them?

 

DARREN COSSAR: I would tell them to get the facts. The parent peer pressure can be very powerful, this idea that they have to sign their kids up for all the extras and play all year round. That feeling that ‘if others are doing it, I guess I should be too.’ And it not only comes from other parents, it also comes from coaches. We need to do a better job of educating on the facts and the evidence so parents can be confident making educated decisions and they’re not caught up in all that pressure.

 

AMY WALSH: What does Hockey Nova Scotia do now to help promote multi-sport play?

 

DARREN COSSAR: Hockey Nova Scotia runs very limited skills development programming between April and September.  And there are no games between April and September, outside of a couple of weekends for provincial teams.  We do that on purpose because we believe kids need to have a break from the sport to go off and do other things.

 

AMY WALSH: That begs the question. If a child leaves the sport for months at a time, many would worry that their child will then fall behind.

 

DARREN COSSAR: Actually what we’re seeing is the opposite. In hockey we have more and more teams and coaches and scouts recruiting athletes vs. hockey players. The kids who have played other sports and experienced different things when they’re younger are almost always the smarter players on the team, and they are able to handle adversity better. Scott Bonner said it best: “We’re in an era in which hockey players are becoming one-dimensional at a young age and that’s dangerous.”

 

AMY WALSH: So that fits well with what you said earlier about hockey having such limited programming and no games between April and September. Yes it seems like a lot of parents are signing up their kids for spring and even summer hockey now.

 

DARREN COSSAR: The competition-based programs parents see are offered by private entrepreneurs who are there to make a profit. We’re often reassessing: Does our season start too early and end too late? Could we change it to accommodate other sports? The reality is, no matter what we do, the entrepreneurs will supplement. So, again, it all comes down to educating.

 

AMY WALSH: Some parents would argue their kids want to play 365 days a year.

 

DARREN COSSAR: I’m sure kids want to eat cotton candy every day too, but as parents we’re supposed to know better. I’m not here to give parenting advice but I do know the evidence. The reality is we are trying to groom little kids to be the next NHLer when in fact we should be helping them grow a love of the game so they’ll stay active and enjoy it until they’re grandparents themselves. We need a bigger lense.

 

AMY WALSH: I know you have a lot more changes coming, like policy reviews, coach education and multi-sport camps. What do you hope comes out of this work?

 

DARREN COSSAR: This is an important priority for us. Because in a perfect world, kids will play hockey along with other sports for their whole lives, and just enjoy the game – whatever level that means… just to be there and have those opportunities for what THEY want to get out of it.

  • "Sports used to be about children competing against other children. Now, all too often it is about adults competing against other adults through their children. The 'Get More From Sport' campaign is spot on, and it is critical that this message reach every family of every aspiring young athlete. We are proud to partner with them to help spread this message: stop the early sport specialization!"

    - John O'SullivanFounder, Changing the Game Project

  • "The rush for early specialization and later generalization flies in the face of the established expert opinion and evidence and, of course, goes completely against what parents understand and demand for their children’s academic education - namely the study of many subjects, especially the foundation subjects, during the first 10 years or so of school and then gradual later specialization. Strange then that parents (and some coaches) want to break all the rules in some misguided rush towards excellence, which, of course, simply becomes a rush to mediocrity and disappointment … and worse, the disillusionment and eventual dropout of their kids!”

    - Dr. Stephen NorrisHockey Canada, Performance & Development Consultant

  • "The number one reason kids play sport is to have fun. Unfortunately when kids are pushed to specialize too early in just one sport, the fun goes away. All parents should know that a multisport experience early in life promotes children to be physically active for life and possibly thrive in one chosen sport later in life."

    - Richard MonetteLead of the Active for Life initiative

  • "I owe much of my success as a hockey player to being a multi-sport athlete when I was younger. It wasn’t until I was 17 years old that hockey became my sole focus athletically. By playing soccer, softball, track & field, etc. I was able to become a well rounded athlete and develop important functional movements as well as special skills that not only allow me to be the best hockey player I can be, but the best athlete as well."

    - Blayre TurnbullStellarton, NS. Team Canada National Women’s Team Player

  • "It’s really important for kids to play as many sports as they can as a youth. I truly believe that most of my skill and attributes I carry now originally developed from being involved in other sports as a kid. Every chance I get I tell parents 'please don’t take your kids out of anything too young!!!!' They will burn out big time."

    - Jillian SaulnierHalifax, Nova Scotia. Team Canada National Women’s Team Player

  • "I believe that all too often, parents of High Performance athletes believe that the proven negatives (physical & psychological) of early sport specialization don’t apply to them. In reality coaches at the High Performance level prefer the athleticism that comes with being a multi-sport athlete. I strongly believe that parents should educate themselves and do what is best for their child instead of succumb to the misconception that the road to success is to live and breathe one sport.”

    - Troy RyanHalifax, Nova Scotia. Head Coach National U-18 Team Atlantic Regional Scout

  • “It is so important to me to have my time away from hockey. Obviously, hockey is my passion; I love it. But definitely for me, time away from the rink and time when my mind isn’t thinking about hockey is important. "

    - Sidney CrosbyPittsburgh Penguins

  • “Hockey was a wintertime thing in Norway. As soon as the weather got warm, we would forget about it completely. Our days were filled with games of soccer, floorball and handball. I think those other sports helped me become the athlete I am today. The kick-pass is an underrated skill; a lot of battles along the boards are won with crafty feet — don’t forget that.”

    - Mats Zuccarello New York Rangers

  • "My advice to any coach or parent of an athlete is to keep them active in as many sports as possible for as long as possible. I’ve seen it time and time again; this is what creates the best athletes - and the best people."

    - Jeremy SteinbachStrength & Conditioning Coach, Hockey Canada and Canadian Sport Centre Atlantic

  • "It's well known through research that there are a number of concerns when it comes to early specialization in a specific sport... If you play only one particular sport, there's a less developed overall base in the body which can lead to physical breakdowns as the athlete gets older. Mental burnout is also a big problem.”

    - Paul CarsonVP, Hockey Development, Hockey Canada