FOREWORD

by JIM PEPLINSKI

What is virtuous about hockey today? What is virtuous about any sport? Why bother playing at all?

When I was a kid 40 years ago, minor and profes­sional sports were more similar than they are today. I believe minor sport today too often imi­tates the pros, with a misguided view that such imitation is good. Instead, “real” minor sports should continue to focus on teaching our children respect, ethics, honor, teamwork, playing within the rules, the value of relationships, and learning how to win and lose. Professional sport doesn’t teach values, it reveals them.

• Real sport is five kids piling into a car, driving to practice, talking about the day, and looking forward to sweating.
• Real sport is a bunch of kids playing road hockey or pick up baseball, and missing dinner because they got so engaged in the game.
• Real sport doesn’t require 13-year-olds to wear ties at games, be at the rink 90 minutes before a game, miss school for practices, sit around on expensive ice, straining to hear a coach talking about something, or sitting in the stands counting face offs.
• Real sport is please and thank you.
• Real sport is when your son or daughter loves the sport so much that they will do the dishes and cut the lawn so you get some time to yourself before driving them to their activity.
• Real sport is fast, hard practices with game-like drills that leave you spent after 45 minutes.
• Real sport is hockey, but also swimming, wrestling, badminton, tennis, golf, and soc­cer – sports that you can play for decades.
• Real sport keeps kids playing, and whether they ever reach a podium or win a Stanley Cup, keeping individuals participating longer is part of the biggest victory – the victory of making a positive difference in someone’s life and our community. This is what is virtuous about sport.

There are a number of elements in Moron: The Behind the Scenes Story of Minor Hockey that I believe are debatable, including the title. What are not debatable, in my view, are the author’s good intentions, accurate observations, and calls to action. Millar has put his integrity and considera­ble experience into these pages, and it shows. Moron will challenge you to look at the reality of the behaviors and the environment of minor hockey in Canada, and decide if you want to make a difference in the game.

We won’t all be lucky enough to play in the NHL or the Olympics, but we can make a very positive difference by ensuring that the real lessons of sport are cemented in our behaviour. When we learn these lessons, we will also perform better in busi­ness, and better in life.

Jim Peplinski is a former professional National Hockey League player and captain of the Calgary Flames. He played for the Canadian National Team in the 1988 Winter Olympics, and after ten years in professional hockey, he promised himself that he would retire from hockey if his team won the Stanley Cup. The Flames won in 1989, and Peplinski followed through on his promise. He has since gone on to have many successes in the business sector, including his role as Vice President of Business Development with the only team he competed for, the Calgary Flames.