The division of children for children as early as 10 years has caused strong criticism in Vaasa.
In the autumn, the Vaasa Sport’s Joiner Society introduced a model where the team, previously practiced together, will be divided into two groups, for example, on the basis of skill level.
The most ice time gets the race group. The challenger group has less ice time and the season fee is lower.
However, if a child wants to strive for a racing group, he or she will receive one additional week by paying the same seasonal fee as a racing group – but the weekly ice time, despite the same payment, is half an hour shorter.
– It is true, and something that must be intervened in the future, says the club’s executive director Jukka Leino.
News about the letter made parents react
A week ago, the Vaasa Sport Junior Society approached parents by letter.
Jukka Leino, the club’s executive director, asked parents to give team coaches a peace of mind because he was concerned about the coaches’ coping.
Yle reported the letter on Monday. After that, nearly 20 parents approached the YLE and told a detailed basis what the club’s activities were wrong.
Parents perform anonymously in this story because they fear their children will be missed.
The identity of the interviewees is known to YLE.
Too real too early
According to the parents, group division is only one of many things that caused the nonsense.
Vaasa’s Junior Sport’s coming years aim, among other things, to get SM-level racing teams.
To achieve the SM level, the club has changed its activities this fall. For example, the U12-U14 age classes are practicing in racing and challengers at different times.
In other clubs, the level division will only begin later: in Lahti, Junior Pelicans in Lahti are divided in the U13 age group, but the whole age group is practicing together. Similarly, in the Turku Palloseura juniors, the team is only shared in the U13 phase.
In Vaasa, Juniors’ parents say the club does not take into account the social side of the hobby and the impact on friendships: the hobby is too real too early.
Even 10-11 year olds are divided into grains and akans, even though experts say that this age cannot yet say who can become “something”.
senior
Many parents believe that hobbies should not bring top players to the club, but to offer good moments in sports and teach the child to work in a group.
Leino defends a large number of those who have stopped the change. According to him, the previous system did not produce.
– At least as important as guys are also a sense of competence. Children remain the best in hobby when they experience a sense of competence.
No racing hockey is yet to start as young. At least I would not have brought my child if I had known that this would work like this.
senior
In the new breakdown, players are evaluated by scoring, for example, by attitude and gaming skills.
Especially for the so-called border players who balance between racing or challengers, scoring is crucial.
Now small, newly developing children are analyzed like adult players. Many items to be criticized are not even hockey skills.
senior
Parents feel that they dare not make criticism. According to one parent, the questioner is labeled as a difficult type.
According to Jukka Leino, feedback may be given. Parental mouths have not been blocked, but “everything is time and place.”
For example, team divisions are not something that should be constantly asked.
– If the coach works inappropriately, it must be addressed immediately.
Some parents are afraid that the criticism they give will be averaged by their own child.
Many parents have said that they dare not say anything negative because “otherwise it is like your son.” That is, even though the desires and levels are sufficient, they are still aside.
senior
Leino, Executive Director, is scandalously.
– I do not understand how an adult can think that people who work for a children’s sports club would think about children. It’s a damn mischievous idea.
“It’s the cost of this work”
Many parents’ criticism is directed at the club’s leader Jukka Leino.
Leino says he realizes that he may share opinions as a person.
– It is, in a way, the price of this work. If you want to do the job well, you have to be ready to make decisions that not everyone likes.
Leino is asking for time for a reform that has only been in use for a month.
– Of course you have to be able to evaluate your own doing. But only after this has been done for a few years, one can look at how this has really worked.
