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Reclaiming the rights of youth: A preliminary analysis of the lived experiences of Canadian Hockey League (CHL) Players

Vicky GrygarBrock University M.A. CandidateSupervisor: Dr. Cathy van Ingen

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BackgroundReclaiming the Rights of Youth

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Composition of the CHL

CHL Promo Video

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Work Experience

London Knights Hockey Club (OHL) Marketing Intern, April — August, 2011

“Think of the player like a can of coke. Now try to market that can of coke with the objective of making as much money as possible.”

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Demographics of CHL Players 16-20 years of age

UN categorization of a child: anyone under the age of 18 years

Exceptional player status grants players as young as 15 years old eligibility to play in the CHL.

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This is Milan…

“I hate the business part of it. They don’t treat you as a person. It’s just not right.”- Former OHL Player

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Advocacy Work

Cribb, R. (2012, November 12). Former OHLer Milan Doczy denied educational scholarship funding. The Toronto Star. Cribb, R. (2012, November 16). OHL relents, will provide scholarship funding to former player Milan Doczy. The Toronto Star.

Sager, N. (2012, November 16). Brock Badgers’ Milan Doczy wins long fight for OHL education package, offers lesson about looking after European players. Yahoo Sports.

Rivet, C. (2012, November 25). Ex-CHL players gets his due, playing university hockey. The Record.

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What are the Issues?

Former OHLer Milan Doczy denied educational scholarship funding

'CHLPA' FILES LEGAL ACTION AGAINST QMJHL'S MOOSEHEADS

WHL suspends Portland Winterhawks coach/GM Mike Johnston, fines team

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Purpose

To conduct a Foucauldian discourse analysis into the experiences of CHL players.

Examination of power relations within the Canadian junior hockey system

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MethodologyReclaiming the rights of youth

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Data Collection

Semi-structured interviews 11 participants across all three CHL

sister leagues

Document analysis Investigative work, player contracts, CHL

policy reports, scouting reports

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Related LiteratureReclaiming the Rights of Youth

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Child Sport Injustices

United Nations (UN) Convention on the Rights of the Child

Article 1 For the purpose of the present Convention, a child

means every human being below the age of eighteen years unless under the law applicable to the child, majority is obtained earlier.

Article 32 1. States Parties recognize the right of the child to be

protected from economic exploitation 2. (b) Provide for appropriate regulation of the hours

and conditions of employment;

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Child Sport Labour

“The fact that the livelihoods of many adults depend on the child also indicate that elite sport performed by children may be assimilated to child labour. However, other than in other occupations such as film and advertising, the financial gain of adults from children competing in elite sports is not regulated” (Weber, 2009, p. 64).

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Preliminary ResultsReclaiming the Rights of Youth

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Contract

“Explain the process of signing your CHL contract.”

P: We just signed it right there. I didn’t read it, didn’t know anything about it, I just knew that as soon as I signed it I would be playing in the OHL. I didn’t care what it said really.

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P: That’s all it really is…they say “sign here” and then they just don’t care. As soon as you sign you can play and that’s all we [players] really care about because you’re 16 years old. The thought of being an OHL hockey player is a lot more than what are you going to do after this…

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NHL Dream

“What was your goal while you were playing in the CHL?”

P: Going to the NHL, just like every friggin player that’s playing. Fucking going to play in the NHL and make millions. I just realized year after year that the pipe dream was just getting smaller and smaller.

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P: I think after being drafted and you start to play…the next big thing…especially if you’re a 16 year old playing is when you’re 18 you can be drafted to the NHL. That’s your next goal.

I: So were you thinking about that a lot?

P: That was…that’s…I think that’s sort of all you’re thinking about, and I mean you want your team to do well but you’re…I mean you’re trying to get drafted to the NHL, so that was sort of the next big step, was to do that.

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Emotions

P: You know it starts getting to you.

I: Mentally too?

P: Mentally, ya for sure. I remember I was 16, I wasn’t sure if I was with the big boys or the junior club, and then fucking I was 16 and I started playing with the junior guys, I wasn’t sure if I was welcome with the older guys, then I felt all alone, it was fucked.

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P: It’s purely business. I’m just a kid at that point, I’m about to play a game and they’re like okay you’re released. So fucking…I say bye to all the boys on the bus, just like that, because I’m never going to see them again. They all go on the bus, I’m fucking outside calling my Mom crying like a fucking baby again. Like…they’re still fucking kids, you’re still a kid and they push these kids to grow up way too fast, they treat it like a business and this is their whole life.

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I mean going home every night, I wasn’t happy. I wanted to be happy, because I wanted to play, you know? And I just couldn’t. I just wasn’t happy. And people wonder why players just hang up the skates, well there you go, you know?

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If you had a son…

P1: If he was…*sighs* I honestly…*sighs* to be honest…if he was a really good hockey player and a good student, I think I would send him to the NCAA.

P2: I wouldn’t let them go play CHL if it was up to me.

P3: If he was offered a contract the way I was, I would say no. [to the CHL]

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P: Well if I would of done it all over again, I would of done the school route. I’d make sure my kid is on top of all his school, and I’d probably push him the school route. Unless he’s going to get the biggest package you can get from the O, but most of the time you’re going to get more from a D1 school.

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References

Cribb, R. (2012, November 12). Former OHLer Milan Doczy denied educational scholarship funding. The Toronto Star. Retrieved from www.thestar.com/ sports/hockey/juniorhockey/article/ 1285816--former-ohler-milan-doczy-denied-educational-scholarship-funding

Cribb, R. (2012, November 16). OHL relents, will provide scholarship funding to former player Milan Doczy. The Toronto Star. Retrieved from www.thestar.com/sports/hockeyjuniorhockey/ article/1289043--ohl-relents-will-provide-scholarship-funding-to-former-player-milan- doczy

Rivet, C. (2012, November 25). Ex CHL player gets his due, playing university hockey. The Record. Retrieved from www.guelphmercury.com/ sports/article/842832--ex-chl-player-gets-his- due-playing-university-hockey

Sager, N. (2012, November 16). Brock Badgers’ Milan Doczy wins long fight for education package, offers lesson about looking after European players. Yahoo Sports. Retrieved from www.ca.sports.yahoo.com/blogs/jrhockey-buzzing-the-net/brock-badgers-milan-doczy-

wins-long-fight-ohl-050803640.html

Weber, R. (2009). Protection of children in competitive sport. International Review for the Sociology of Sport, 44, 55-69.

 

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QuestionsReclaiming the Rights of Youth