Girls hockey league tells coaches they cannot touch players on the bench - not even on the helmet

National Post ^ | February 3, 2015 | Natalie Alcoba

[cripplecreek]

Slapping butts is obvious but the rest is just stupid.

[Tenacious 1]

I hope nobody is expected to adminster first aid in the event of an injury.

[jsanders2001]

Why not just get a lesbian coach since they’re so worried about men?.../s

[jsanders2001]

I’ve never known a male coach to slap a female on the butt. You would think that’s a given...

[Alberta's Child]

Just one more reason why parents shouldn’t be involved in youth sports. Let the kids go out and play on their own. We did it for years when we were kids.

[GladesGuru]

It is beyond stupid, it is a deliberate attempt to discourage the traditional mentoring methods developed over long periods of time.

Once the old social mechanisms are destroyed, the wonderful New Order can be substituted, and a poor substitute it is.

[buckalfa]

"Slapping butts is obvious but the rest is just stupid."

I tend would agree with you, but in today's litigious and guilty until proven innocent society, it makes sense. Even a false accusation can ruin your reputation and finances.

[Scrambler Bob]

Well then, no men as coaches.

But ... now who will you get? Touching, social media, will be OK then?

[easternsky]

What about the female wrestlers on the high school teams, they are rolled on, layed on, and touched all over,thinking coaches get in on some of this.

[Truth29]

In this environment, who would want to coach at all? Everyone is just one real or perceived slight from a career and reputation ending charge.

[Dr. Sivana]

Don’t they play Ringette anymore?

[Alex Murphy]

“On bench behaviour – under no circumstances should there be contact with the players, in any way,” reads the email from John Reynolds, who runs the house league. “Putting hands on shoulders, slapping butts, tapping them on the helmet, NOTHING, this can make some of the girls uncomfortable and you won’t know which ones, so no contact, period.”

Getting hit in the face with a stick or puck doesn't make them uncomfortable, but touching them on the helmet does?

[MeganC]

That’s my thought. I simply would not be a coach.

[bgill]

Eliminate eye contact as that could lead to lustful glances. Have the coaches text the plays.

[Blood of Tyrants]

Tell them you are a transsexual and you can do anything you like.

[lavaroise]

zero tolerance policy is totally liberal. Coach cannot but any fan or pimp buying the team and fixing games could, coach be damned if he says something.

Also zero tolerance policy does not teach about good from bad manners...

[cripplecreek]

I don’t know how old these girls are but little girls tend to be huggy with familiar adults. When they start getting older a smart adult will discourage it if the girl doesn’t start drawing away as the teen years approach.

[Mopp4]

So no “high-fives” either ?

[garyb]

God forbid if a male coach (or, well any male, I suppose) were to have to do chest compression on an unconscious female athlete following a heart attack.