What intrigues people about hockey violence?
Literature Review
Hockey violence is a very serious matter. This paper is writing to make
hockey players, parents, coaches, and spectators realize the affects
hockey violence can have on an individual. The paper will discuss what
and how a player is intrigued to participate in violence. By making the
public aware of hockey violence hockey players, parents, coaches, and
spectators can encourage hockey to become a safer sport. This topic is
important because serious injuries to a player can sometimes be
preventable.
Violence
Violence takes place in hockey in many different ways. There are
violence players, parents, coaches, and spectators who start or
participate in violence.
Aggression was defined as ‘verbal or physical actions grounded in an
intent to dominate, control or do harm to another person,’ while
violence is understood by them to refer to ‘the use of excessive
physical force, while causes or has the potential to cause harm or
destruction’ (Young, 2012, p.2). Players have accepted hockey violence
as “part of the game” (Smith, 1979a). Hockey is encourage and promoting
youth to participate and start violence.
Causes of hockey players
participating in violence
Hockey players look up to their role models. A players role model could
be professional players, parents, or coaches. These people need to
consider their audience before they act out. The NHL sets the tone for
hockey, and that tone has an effect on all the [hockey] ranks (Proteau,
2011, p. 184). Parents may directly or indirectly encourage a player to
hit or fight another player (Dietz, 1978; Gelles, 1974; 170-172). If a
player always sees or hears their parents booing at the referees or the
opposing players then the player will classify the actions a normal
behavior. Coaches are also a very strong role model for players.
Coaches, according to players, are somewhat more encouraging of fighting
than fathers (Smith, 1979a, p. 116).
Like all public performers, hockey players put their audience into
consideration when deciding to act out in violence. Peers and spectators
have another big effect on how a player will act. A player’s thoughts
and attitude toward hockey violence could be one thing, but it could
change in the presence of peers. Players fear losing respect from their
peers and coaches if they choose to show compassion and not participate
in violence. Players do not speak up about hockey violence because they
do not want to be known as a “wimp” (Proteau, 2011, p.183). Many players
agree that “It does not matter if you lose a fight, there is respect in
losing but there is no respect in doing nothing (Faulkner, 1974, p.299).
Players are not only influence by professional players, parents,
coaches, peers, and spectators but also by themselves. Players are also
naturally competitive. If
they see someone as a threat to get their place on a team they will try
their hardest to uphold their position.
The effect violence has on a
hockey player
Hockey players put into consideration the audience of the game. Players know that the audience wants to see action. When players hear “Get em”, “Kill em”, and “Give’em hell” they normally never think of what effect they could have on the opponent nor do the people yelling it. Players may cause the opponent to suffer a broken bone, concussion or even death. If a youth player is exposed to a head injury it is not fully recognized until the brain completes it maturation.
checking is the most common cause of trauma in hockey; it accounts for
86% of all injuries among players 9-15 years old (Brust, Leonard,
Pheley, Roberts, 1992, par. 5). Some players with injuries have to
sometimes live with it and adapt to their injuries for the rest for
their lives. Players who accidently kill or seriously injure another
player have to live with it for the rest of their lives. Is body
checking worth the affect it could have on someone?
How media portrays violence
Images and articles in a newspaper, and radios announcers talking about
the game are just a few of the ways violence is viewed. Lead-ins to a
game such as “Tonight the top guns go head-to-head” set the tone for the
game. During the game talk show host may elaborate on what a good hit a
player had. Instant replays tell us not only what one might expect in
televised sports coverage of hockey, but also indicates how announcers
may select and focus on game features that are assumed to carry high
audience appeal (Young, 2012, p.143). With players hearing what
announcers want to see they try to get their name out there as one of
the “top guns”.
Why hockey players want to be the
tough guy
Hockey players want to gain
respect from coaches, peers, and spectators. Masculine behavior is most
evident in sports where strength, power, dominance and violence are
defining characteristics (Hargreaves, 1986; Theberge, 1989). Players
want to be viewed as a man and not a “wimp”. In some cases players will
hide that they are seriously hurt because they do know want to be known
as a cry baby.
How violence is viewed in hockey
Violence in a sport has been rarely viewed as “real” violence (Smith,
1983). In some cases players are rewarded for physical aggression. At
the beginning of the paper aggression was defined as ‘verbal or physical
actions grounded in a intent to dominate, control, or do harm to another
person,’ while violence has been referred to as ‘the use of excessive
physical force, while causes or has the potential to cause harm or
destruction’ (Young,2012, p.2). Players learn that being in the penalty
box means you broke the rules. Some view this as being a tough guy and
breaking the rules. Commissioner, Gary Bettman said, “Fighting is a part
of our game and it always has been”. But it is a small part of the game
that receives a disproportionality large part of attention, particularly
in the media (Proteau, 2011 p. 32).
Conclusion
Hockey violence may never go away. However it is important to have
people be aware of the risk of hockey violence. There are ways to
prevent injuries or deaths such as strengthening neck muscles. People
need to consider their audience when they act out. Parent, coaches,
peers, and spectators may yell out “Kill em’” but it will not affect
them until a player dies that are close to. Hockey violence is viewed a
part of the game. Hockey players are intrigued to hockey violence by
role models, media, and the audience. Hockey violence has become an
issue because the fans have turned the purpose of hockey into a violence
sport. Not all hockey teams, players, parents, coaches, and peers
participate in hockey violence but hockey violence will always be in the
sport of hockey.
References
·
Kevin Young. (2012).
Sport, violence, and society. P. 2-143.
·
Smith, M.
(1979a)Towards an explanation for hockey violence; A reference other
approach. Canadian Journal of Sociology, 4, 105-124.
·
Adam Proteau. (2011).
Fighting the good fight: Why on-ice violence is killing hockey. Of the
hockey news. P. 1-184.
·
Dietz, M.L. (1978).
“The violence subculture: the genesis of violence.” In Violence in
Canada, edited by M.A. Beyer Gammon, pp. 13-39. Toronto: Methuen.
·
Faulkner,R. (1974).
Making violence by doing work, selves, situation and the world of
professional hockey. Sociology of work and Occupations, 1, 288-312.
·
Janny Dwyer Brust,
MPH; Barbara J. Leonard, PhD; Alfred Pheley, PhD; William O. Roberts,
MD. (1992). Children’s hockey injuries. Am J Dis Child. 146(6):741-747.
·
Hargreaves, J.
(1986). Where’s the virtue? Where’s the grace? A discussion of the
social production of gender relations in the through sport. Theory,
Culture and Society, 3,109-121.
·
Smith,M. (1983).
Violence and sport. Toronto: Butterworths.