Abstract
The evolution of youth sport programs, including hockey, has resulted in the creation of adult-controlled organizations (Fiore, 2003), whereby children and their parents are the product of an entire social system of youth hockey, one that is largely created, organized, and run by adults (Robinson, 1998). The purpose of this paper is to discuss the involvement of parents in creating and sustaining the youth hockey culture and questions at which point, if ever, does competitive youth hockey become too much? The paper presents findings from an in-depth case study of one "Peewee AA" boys' hockey team. Qualitative data were gathered through participant-observation, direct observation, and interviews throughout a full season timeline. Findings showed that youth hockey becomes a "lifestyle", whereby the demands were remarkably comparable to that of a professional endeavour, allotting minimal time for "kids to be kids". Goffman (1961) used the concept of 'total institution' to refer to an isolated, enclosed social system, in which individuals spend their time and have limited physical and social contact with the outside world. The competitive youth hockey environment, commonly dictated by hegemony and hierarchy, implicitly maintained a hold on families. Although parents were cognizant of the consequences such a hectic schedule incurs, including early specialization, sibling sacrifices, physical and emotional fatigue, as well as time away from the family household, they rationalized the abundance of 'hockey time' as "it is what it is". But is this truly in the best interest of young hockey players?Acknowledgments: Dr. Janice Ahola-Sidaway, Thesis Supervisor