Opinions on adults heckling and taunting opposing goalies?

Broke Goalie Dad · Post by **Broke Goalie Dad** » Sat Feb 16, 2008 5:00 pm

Hello,

since I respect most everyone's opinion on this forum, I just wanted to know what everyone thinks of adults heckling and taunting youth goalies.

On one hand, it's hockey, and I think goalies need to get used to it; but on the other hand a kid is a kid, and adults need to act like adults.

I can understand how kids like to stand behind goalies and yell stuff, all goalies have had to put up with this.

The incidents that sparked my curiosity happened at a series of PeeWee games. (District tournament). The taunts weren't just "Sieve!" or "You S*ck!!", it was worse.

Just curious - Thanks!

pucks are funny · Post by **pucks are funny** » Sat Feb 16, 2008 5:08 pm

Burnsville only played one goalie in the district 6 trny correct?
I saw the over time game and didn't see anything like that. If it was one guy / gal I would think he/she would be tossed out...by the dad.
If it was a group of people, I would assume it was jr high kids, and if a parents that new them heard it would settle them down.

If it was parents doing it, well see tossed out...by dad.

I dont' think any heckling a peewee goalie is proper.
I do think high school kids can keep it civil and have fun w/ the opponent but that is limited to the kids enrolled in school and not the adults.

Broke Goalie Dad · Post by **Broke Goalie Dad** » Sat Feb 16, 2008 5:38 pm

pucks are funny -

wrong game.

I'd prefer not to get into who or what association, since this group of 3-4 adults obviously doesn't represent the other parents.

Thanks for your opinion.

DMom · Post by **DMom** » Sat Feb 16, 2008 5:48 pm

well, as gets demonstrated here quite often, hockey parents can get a little over involved.

I don't agree, I don't think it is the "Dads" job to get rid of the hecklers. Than it will escalate, and your kid has more problems than he did before. Normally, though, I think there aren't a lot of options, as most of the people in attendance are for one side or the other. Not a lot of unbiased people hanging around youth hockey. But a District game should be watched by a lot of people. Frankly, perfect strangers should have the integrity to tell people to get off a kid's back.

Although, I have sat through many a hockey game feeling really sorry for a kid on the other team, but mainly because of his own parent(s).

greybeard58 · Post by **greybeard58** » Sat Feb 16, 2008 9:20 pm

This is youth hockey and the heckling or distracting of any player especially any goalie is uncalled for and the adult or spectator should be removed immediately.

AimHigh · Post by **AimHigh** » Sat Feb 16, 2008 9:58 pm

greybeard58 wrote:This is youth hockey and the heckling or distracting of any player especially any goalie is uncalled for and the adult or spectator should be removed immediately.

Absolutely agree with you, Greybeard.

Lily Braden · Post by **Lily Braden** » Sat Feb 16, 2008 11:09 pm

Here's my taunting story.

One year, our team faced a triple AAA team in a summer tourney. We were a AAA team also, but more in spirit than reality. Anyway, my son was goalie and I believe his head just reached the crossbar. The other team came out and their goalie (and I swear this is true) was able to lean back against the net, with his elbow resting on the top of the net.

To the shock of no one, we were shelled. I do not believe the score reached into the triple digits, but it felt like it. When there was a ten goal differential, fans from the other side started to scream SIEVE, SIEVE! at our goalie (the child I gave birth to). Most of the people screaming were kids, but there were a few adults in there, too. I wanted to vomit.

The parents met the kids outside the lockerroom after the game. It was pretty quiet. Then my son looked up and said "Well, that sucked, but we're all wondering if we can still go to Space Aliens?"

So my point is, some parents can be big idiots. And we're lucky we have kids around to keep things in perspective.

Duluth 4 · Post by **Duluth 4** » Sat Feb 16, 2008 11:22 pm

well as a player id like to say if someone is yelling at me or my team i seem to enjoy it.. i'm not a goalie.. but it just gives me that little extra edge to achieve. and i feel a little need to get chippy. my kind of hockey. :] nothing dirty just the little extra hack or the extra bump. its hockey, get over it. just my opinion.

Can't Never Tried · Post by **Can't Never Tried** » Sun Feb 17, 2008 12:13 am

I think if the coach knew about it...it would be great if after the game when the player was back in street clothes, for the coach, Player, along with the players parent(s) approach those that were doing it in the lobby in front of all the other parents or spectators and have the coach kindly say to them.
"Excuse me, but this is the young man that you had such little respect for as he was playing, is there anything else you would like to say before he leaves?"

I'm sure that the humiliation, and embarrassment bestowed upon them would require no further action.

Just a thought

slasher · Post by **slasher** » Sun Feb 17, 2008 7:30 am

There's no room in youth hockey for such behavior. We all know that if any adult confronts the matter. There will be words.
The best thing to do is contact the association and let them know that some parents in general were being verbally abusive towards your players. Let them know its a bad reflection on the entire association. Believe me they'll take care of it. This will be done in a general manner. No finger pointing at any individual(s). The people that did the heckling will know who they are.
If they continue I'm sure they'll get more complaints.

Now players that act cocky on the ice? Fair game......

Broke Goalie Dad · Post by **Broke Goalie Dad** » Sun Feb 17, 2008 9:35 am

Thanks to everyone for their honest opinions.

slasher - great idea, I'll do just that!

WayOutWest · Post by **WayOutWest** » Sun Feb 17, 2008 8:29 pm

slasher wrote:The best thing to do is contact the association and let them know that some parents in general were being verbally abusive towards your players. Let them know its a bad reflection on the entire association. Believe me they'll take care of it.

LOL.

I'm sorry, but the vast majority of parents that heckle opposing youth players are FAR too immature to be affected by a warning that the "general" behavior of the fan base is "a bad reflection on the entire association." Unless you are making it very clear that there will be direct consequences for identified offenders, or their child, they will continue to be childish, themselves.

I don't know what it is, but there seems to be a direct relationship between the age level of the game being played, and the maturity of the parental fan base. The good news is, as the kids mature, so too seem the parents to. Who is teaching who, here?

slasher · Post by **slasher** » Mon Feb 18, 2008 6:37 am

Wayoutwest- With Respect. What do you suggest the parents do? How do you get the parents to stop heckling?
If the president of the association sent out an email to all the parents on my team. I would take notice. All the parents know who the email is directed to anyways. I don't see why this wouldn't help the situation?

rockcrusher · Post by **rockcrusher** » Mon Feb 18, 2008 2:04 pm

Doesn't every rink have the ZERO TOLERANCE poster somewhere in it. Throw their a$$e$ out of the rink. If your rink manager doesn't have the guts to do it, find another, anyone can drive a Zamboni......

WayOutWest · Post by **WayOutWest** » Tue Feb 19, 2008 6:48 pm

slasher wrote:Wayoutwest- With Respect. What do you suggest the parents do? How do you get the parents to stop heckling?
If the president of the association sent out an email to all the parents on my team. I would take notice. All the parents know who the email is directed to anyways. I don't see why this wouldn't help the situation?

The letter is a good idea. It might stop a small percentage of the offenders. (good enough start) But the majority of these yahoo's don't give a #$&@ what the association desires in their conduct.
The mere statement that you would take notice of such a request tells me that you are a respectful, courteous person to begin with. "Joe Yahoo", who finds it perfectly acceptable to berate an opposing team youth will almost invariably find such requests ludicrous and an imposition on his "rights."
Instruct the refs to stop the game until the adult leaves the arena. The letter that goes out from the association should merely detail that particular consequence.

Doglover · Post by **Doglover** » Fri Feb 22, 2008 5:32 pm

I think Way Out West got it right. It's usually the parents at the younger levels that are over the top. Slasher - you probably are a Mite Parent (Choice?) - adults rude enough to heckle kids aren't going to pay any notice to a letter from the association. Hopefully they will reign in their behavior as the players get older - You don't see many parents screaming at other kids at HS games, or even yelling for their own kids to "move their feet".

tomASS · Post by **tomASS** » Fri Feb 22, 2008 5:39 pm

its ok to yell Sieve! Sieve! Sieve ! at your own goalie son isn't ??

Lily Braden · Post by **Lily Braden** » Fri Feb 22, 2008 7:52 pm

tomASS wrote:its ok to yell Sieve! Sieve! Sieve ! at your own goalie son isn't ??

Ya, but some of the other parents told me it was in bad taste

(also not OK...for little sister to walk up to goalie brother and say in front of the team "Wow, you were really a sieve tonight"...then walk off. Not cool at all.)