A Kamloops minor hockey parent is speaking out against the prevalence of racism in the sport after a Salmon Arm player allegedly called her son the B次元官网网址淣-wordB次元官网网址� during a game played last weekend in Sicamous.
Complaints regarding the alleged use of the racial slur have since reached the Okanagan Mainline Amateur Hockey Association (OMAHA) and the Salmon Arm Minor Hockey Association (SAMHA), and representatives of both organizations say the matter is now under investigation.
Sandy Horner was at the Sicamous arena Friday, Feb. 23, cheering on her 14-year-old son, a player with a Kamloops Bantam Tier 3 team competing against other Interior teams in three days of round-robin playoffs. That afternoon, as the ice was being cleaned during a contest between Kamloops and Salmon Arm, HornerB次元官网网址檚 son called her over to talk.
B次元官网网址淗e was visibly upset, and he told me what had occurred on the ice,B次元官网网址� said Horner, noting her sonB次元官网网址檚 coaches were with him when it was explained a Salmon Arm player was overheard calling her son a racial slur.
While upsetting to hear, Horner said it wasnB次元官网网址檛 a unique occurrence.
B次元官网网址淪adly, my son is used to this happening and, as a rule, he does not report it anymore because nothing is ever done about it,B次元官网网址� Horner explained.
What was different this time around was that the racial slur was heard by a Kamloops teammate, who reported it to the teamB次元官网网址檚 coaches.
B次元官网网址淚n the past, even when we have said something, weB次元官网网址檝e always been told thereB次元官网网址檚 nothing that can be done about it because only your son heard it or the refs didnB次元官网网址檛 hear itB次元官网网址� WhatB次元官网网址檚 great is that he has great teammates and he has great coaches.B次元官网网址�
Horner said the incident was first reported to a ref, who asked her son to identify the Salmon Arm player.
B次元官网网址淚 watched the ref talk to my son and then the ref immediately skated over to the bench and spoke to the Salmon Arm coach and my understanding was the ref let the coach know which player it was,B次元官网网址� said Horner, adding the Salmon Arm player continued to play that weekend, despite what happened.
B次元官网网址淚n fact, we played them in the finals Sunday afternoonB次元官网网址� my son was out there on the ice with him during that Sunday game, which we won 5-0,B次元官网网址� said Horner.
Minor hockey officials say any allegation of this type would be subject to an investigation and possible disciplinary action.
B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 being investigated, and of course BC Hockey and OMAHA, as part of BC Hockey, take anything like that very seriouslyB次元官网网址� We are looking into it and trying to get to the bottom of it,B次元官网网址� said OMAHA vice-president Terry Rolston. B次元官网网址淭hereB次元官网网址檚 no place in the game, any game, for this type of behaviour.
Ralston said the use of racial slurs have resulted in suspensions of more than 30 days and, in some cases, suspensions have been indefinite.
SAMHA president Tim Giandomenico is on the same page as Ralston regarding the use of racial slurs in minor hockey.
B次元官网网址淲e take it very seriously, at the organization, this is one of the most, if not the most serious of offences there can be B次元官网网址� not just minor hockey, but in any association,B次元官网网址� Giandomenico said in a Tuesday morning interview with the Observer. B次元官网网址淪o yeah, weB次元官网网址檙e taking it very serious and weB次元官网网址檙e doing a thorough investigation right now, and that includes interviewing all parties involved.B次元官网网址�
Horner, however, isnB次元官网网址檛 so much interested in creating repercussions for the Salmon Arm player as she is in shining a spotlight on racism in sport.
B次元官网网址淪tuff happens in hockey, stuff happens in sports B次元官网网址� do I really think boys in Grade 8 and 9 are out there and itB次元官网网址檚 all how-do-you-do and thereB次元官网网址檚 no F-bombs being thrown around, or whatever? No,B次元官网网址� said Horner. B次元官网网址淚t crosses the line when itB次元官网网址檚 a racial slur.B次元官网网址�
Horner describes her son as a passionate hockey fan, who has been on skates since he was a toddler and has played hockey since the age of three.
B次元官网网址淗e has a passion for the game,B次元官网网址� said Horner. B次元官网网址淗e gets told that heB次元官网网址檚 good at hockey because heB次元官网网址檚 black. He spends a lot of time dedicated to hockey. He works hard at it, he spends a lot of time at home, making shots and playing street hockey.
B次元官网网址淢y son was born in Chicago so he is a Chicago Blackhawks fan, and probably heB次元官网网址檇 say (BlackhawkB次元官网网址檚 captain) Jonathan Toews is his favourite player.B次元官网网址�
Horner said after FridayB次元官网网址檚 game, she called up a friend, a Junior B player who has been a mentor to her son. She said he was livid, but explained the same thing happened to him the night prior.
B次元官网网址淢y whole point is this happens repeatedly. Specifically IB次元官网网址檒l speak to black playersB次元官网网址�,B次元官网网址� said Horner. B次元官网网址淚t happens at all levels. And it just needs to come out in the open, there needs to be dialogue and conversation about it.
B次元官网网址淐oaches need training, officials need training. Every year I go to my sonB次元官网网址檚 coach and say, B次元官网网址業 donB次元官网网址檛 know if youB次元官网网址檝e ever coached a black player before, but this will happen. ItB次元官网网址檚 happened every year to my son.B次元官网网址� And they just kind of look at me wide-eyedB次元官网网址� and say, B次元官网网址榳ell, what do you do?B次元官网网址� And IB次元官网网址檒l say this is what you do. And theyB次元官网网址檝e had conversations with the players on my sonB次元官网网址檚 team as well, which is why his teammate reported it. But conversations need to happen.B次元官网网址�
Neither OMAHA nor SAMHA have zero-tolerance policies with regard to racism or sexism. Instead, such incidents are addressed under processes for dealing with abuse or harassment, which include prescribed disciplinary actions. For SAMHA, these include verbal and written apologies, suspension and expulsion from membership.
In addition, Rolston says Hockey CanadaB次元官网网址檚 Respect in Sport program is mandatory for all coaches and officials and, in some cases, parents.
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