Study Shows Hockey Violence is a Loser
by Dr. John Walker, Texas Youth Commission
Ice Hockey teams that play with more violence are less likely to win,
according to a landmark study on professional sports violence conducted by
the Texas Youth Commissions Dr. John Walker, M.D., and Illinois State
University Health, Physical Education and Recreation Professor Steven T.
McCaw, Ph.D.
Dr. Walker, prevention specialist for Texas juvenile corrections agency,
presented research to an international audience of leaders in professional
sports at the invitation of the 1998 Ice Hockey World Championship Symposium
on Medicine and Science in Ice Hockey.
The violence prevention research provided new evidence of both statistical
and practical significance. At the highest level of competition, teams
playing with more violence are not more likely to win; in fact, the opposite
is true. In a study of 1,462 recorded penalties from all the 18 Stanley Cup
Championship Final Series from 1980 to 1997, teams playing with less violence
were more likely to win and averaged more than seven more shots on goal per
game than teams that played with more violence. Over the course of a
seven-game series, this would provide an additional 53 more shots on goal
more than a whole extra games worth of shots on goal - to teams playing with
less violence.
The researchers also found that losing teams demonstrated more violent player
behavior early in the game, suggesting that violence was not due to the
frustration of losing, but rather due to an intentional strategy possibly
based on the mistaken belief that violent behavior contributes to winning.
Ice Hockey has become the fastest growing sport in many parts of the world.
Although European ice hockey has evolved into a highly refined game, based on
skill and finesse, the North American version of the sport is still based
heavily on violence. Catastrophic and disabling injuries are being reported
with increasing frequency. These injuries are in many cases caused by violent
player behavior which, the researchers pointed out, may be supported by
coaches who cling to the belief that such behavior contributes to winning.
In a recent issue of Sky Magazine dedicated to The Magnitude of Sport,
Pulitzer Prize winning author Jonathan Yardley wrote, There is much less
learned about a culture from those persons whom it places upon pedestals,
whom it admires and emulates, whom it calls heroes.
Professional athletes are powerful role models for American youth. Many
authorities have looked to sport programs as a way of reducing juvenile
delinquency. Youth sports are deeply rooted in our social and cultural
heritage. A recent study estimated that almost half of the 34 million
American adolescents participated in non-school sports. In terms of
attendance at sports events, corporate sponsorship of athletics, licensed
sports product sales, and media coverage on television and radio, the
magnitude of sport in our society has never been so dominant and pervasive-
and its impact is growing.
One of the most disturbing trends in American sports is the increasing
frequency and severity of violence. Many authorities in the field of violence
prevention believe that the increasing acceptance of violence in sports
creates a cultural climate that spills over and translates into greater
violence in society.
Dr. Walker said, Old myths die hard. North American teams that play with
more violence continue to lose in international competition against European
teams that play with more finesse.
Dr. Walker said, There is a temptation experienced by all players and
coaches when in a game situation to rely on the crutch of cheating (both
violent and non-violent) to make up for inadequate preparation and practice.
And while the players and coaches who develop a habit of leaning on this
crutch may have temporary short-term success from time to time, in the long
run, there is no short-cut to success.
The reliance on the crutch of cheating only serves to weaken a team
because the hard work of preparation and practice which
is the only true foundation for success in the long-run is never done, Dr.
Walker said.
Coaches at the highest level of competition may wish to adjust their team
policies and recruiting practices in order top benefit from the plausible
strategic advantage of reducing violent player behavior, Dr. Walker said.
Link to : Dr. John Walker and the Texas Youth Commission
tyc.state.tx.us/prevention/hockey.html
Questions for Dr. Walker:
E-mail : John.Walker@tyc.state.tx.us
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