Page C10 — Terrace Standard, Wednesday, April 8, 1992

OMMENT

New to these pages, Comment will give readers a chance to
ait their views on what’s happening in the sports world.
Below, a Prince George mother offers Terrace hockey parents |

‘food for thought. Z a

Adult errs, but kid pays price

A few weeks ago, I watched
the last half of a TSN show on
minor hockey across this land
and the recurring thought in my
mind was “How can adults
keep messing up the lives of
these young people.”

I did not know our family
was about to suffer the same in-
sensitivity of a few adults.

Our 16-year-old son Cal has
many things going for him:
honour roll student, provincial
junior golf champion at
14,..but he lives to play hockey!

He returned home at sernester
break after playing Junior A
hockey for. the Surrey eagles
since September. He was signed
on a Junior B card with Ab-
botsford, a gentleman’s agree-
ment between the Surrey and
Abbotsford coaches, until the
Abbotsford coach changed his
mind and pulled Cal’s card just
prior to final carding.

Because Surrey no longer had
any cards left, Cal had nowhere
to play. ;

He was then asked to play for
a local midget rep team, boys he

had played with for the past two
years, The coaching staff asked
the minor hockey president to
have the registrar bring down a
midget card — there were three
left — so Cal could be registered
before the Feb, 10 deadline.
On Feb. 6 the president pro-
duced a card and told the
coaches that: although it was a
juvenile card, it would be okay
so long as the midgets team was
listed in the team slot. He also
said he would send a note with
the card.

forfeited and the playoffs
awarded to the opposing team.
A call to the BCAHA in Vic-
toria got the explanation Cal
had been registered as a juvenile
because the card. was - the
juvenile’s co/our.
Sorry, neither my son or |
realized there were different col-

ours. But, -reading- the team-

name would have shown it-said
midget, not juvenile and the
card should have been question-
ed before being registered.

The team lodged an appeal on

During the provincial playoffs the opposition lodg-
ed a protest over the card and our son was ruled in-

eligible,

This card was presented to
our son who read ‘midgets’ and,
believing it to be a midget card,
signed it.

However, during the provin-
cial playoffs the opposition
fodged a protest over the card
and, as a result, our son was rul-
ed ineligible. All games played
with him on the roster were also

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fer the following: *
— relate well with and

WITH TAMMY?

~ sociable. Tammy can be
strongwilled and manipulative
when confronted with difficult
situations. She is currently
‘taking. courses through the
home study program.

We would like to consider applicants who can of-

— be a strong, positive, role model

.

U SHARE
HOME

Sixteen year old Tammy
looks forward to living with
a family that can accept
her for who she Is. She
enjoys working with
younger children, likes the
outdoors and is outgoing &

understand teenagers

— teach lifeskills to help her become more in-
dependent (re: encourage her with her homework,
assign household chores)
— non-judgemental

Single females would be very suitable applicants.

Pre-placement visits will be arranged ‘to in-
troduce caregiver and teen (this will heip to deter-
mine if the match is suitable.)

If you think you can help Tammy or would like to
know more about her please call Doug or Natalie at
632-6134 or 638-3527.

V Foster Care
You can make
a difference.

MINISTRY OF SOCIAL SERVICES -

béhalf of our son and itself.
BCAHA — who are wholly
responsible for for registering
player cards — passed the buck
to the Cariboo Hockey League.

That body determined it’s too
bad if the adults screw
everything up, the player will
pay the price and remain ineligi-
ble to play midget hockey!

Allan Matthews, the. president
of BCAHA, also took the posi-
tion thal it was toa bad but said
he had to follow procedure.

talways thought we adults
volunteered primarily to help
young people and that the rules
were set out to make the things
run more smoothly,

For all you parents who have
election of officers coming up,

‘don’t sit at home and hope so-

meone else will run your
children’s activity. Get out there
and make sure they are there for
the good of the children, not
their own prestige or ego.”

I hope all the minor hockey
officials involved in our son’s
case are Sleeping well tonight. [
know our.son hasn’t since the
whole thing began.

He wonders if he did wrong:
surprising how a 16-year-old is

prepared to accept responsibili-

ty when all he did was trust

adults yet none of the adults are

prepared to admit or correct
their errors.

Yours

Gloria Benazic,

Prince George.

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