"24 Hour Rule" Policy (St. Marys Minor Hockey)

Print"24 Hour Rule" Policy
St.Marys Minor Hockey has implemented a policy for the 2016-2017 season that may impact all members and families, and as such, individuals are asked to make themselves familiar with the policy.

Over the past few years, SMMHA has encouraged parents, players, and others connected with Minor Hockey to abide by the "24 Hour rule", meaning that people had been asked to wait for 24 hours before addressing coaches, managers, other team staff, or SMMHA representatives regarding a hockey-related concern.  Of course, in situations where player safety or other more urgent types of concerns exist, people were asked to use their own best judgment.

Mobile technologies have changed people's ability to communicate, and many coaches have embraced email and text messages as a way to communicate with players, parents and other community members.  An unfortunate side-effect of these quick and easy connections, is that sometimes, people have access to these same people at a time when the best course of action may be to take a step back, review and assess a situation, and then come back to it 24 hours or so later, when there has been sufficient time to de-escalate a situation, or for the situation to resolve itself. 

SMMHA coaches and team staff have, over the several years, received messages at times when others may still have been angry or upset.  As a result of this, some disharmony was created, which had the potential to impact the hockey experience for all involved.  Given the increasing nature of these incidents, and the potential they have to cause unrest, SMMHA has determined that there be an official policy in place to address these concerns.

Please refer to the policy document, which outlines the expectations, as well as the consequences for not following the policy, should this occur. It is our hope that this policy does not have to be enforced with any members of our organization this year, or any time in the future.

Everyone involved in sport does so for the love of the game, and while we know that sports can bring out the best in people, it can sometimes bring out the worst.  Please show respect yourself, and those around you, and consider the 24 hour policy in the event of an unfavourable situation this season.