SASKATCHEWAN JUNIOR "A" HOCKEY AND WITHDRAWAL RATES FROM HIGH SCHOOL by MICHAEL THOMAS McDOWELL B.P.E. University of British Columbia, 1968 A THESIS SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF MASTER OF PHYSICAL EDUCATION in the School of Physical Education and Recreation We accept this thesis as conforming to the required standard 'THE UNIVERSITY OF^BRITISH COLUMBIA April, 1969 In presenting this thesis in partial fulfilment of the requirements for an advanced degree at the University of British Columbia, I agree that the Library shall make it freely available for reference and Study. I further agree that permission for extensive copying of this thesis for scholarly purposes may be granted by the Head of my Department or by his representatives. It is understood that copying or publication of this thes.is for financial gain shall not be allowed without my written permission. Department of Physical Education and Recreation The University of British Columbia Vancouver 8, Canada Date April, 1969 ABSTRACT The thesis studied the withdrawal rates from high school of Junior "A" hockey players as compared to the general population in the Province of Saskatchewan. As a post hoc consideration, two additional aspects were examined: a) The effect the new N.H.L.-C.A.H.A. Agreement has had on the withdrawal rates of the Junior "A" student hockey players. b) The graduating age of Junior "A" hockey players. The selected sample size numbered 273 Junior "A" hockey players. These players were selected from the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League registry for the six years of 1959-61 and 1962-66. An additional 57 names were selected from the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League registry from the 1967-68 season, in order to study the effect of the new N.H.L.- C.A.H.A. Agreement signed in May, 1967. All players selected were between the ages of sixteen and nineteen years. The names of these Junior "A" hockey players, the 273 of the selected sample and the 57 from the 1967-68 registry, 330 in total, were researched in the Provincial Department of Education files in Regina, Saskatchewan. The high school standing of each player was recorded. The high school standing of those players from whom the Department had no record - 138 players - was researched by writing directly to the high schools in the cities where the players had competed. Once the school records of every player had been researched, the players were divided into four age groups of sixteen, seventeen, eighteen and nineteen year olds. A test of significance for proportions was applied to determine if a difference existed between the withdrawal proportions of the selected sample and of the general popu• lation for each age group. Graphs were prepared to illustrate the three compara• tive aspects of the study: 1) the withdrawal rates of the selected sample and of the general population for the four age groups; 2) the withdrawal rates of the selected sample and of the players selected from the 1967-68 registry; and 3) the average age at graduation for the selected sample and for the general population. Within the limitations of the study, the following conclusions appear warranted: 1. There were statistically significant differences in the withdrawal proportions between the hockey playing student samples and the general population for three of the four age classifications in the direction of the hockey playing group. a) The sixteen and seventeen year old samples had a significantly higher school withdrawal propor• tion than that of the general population at the .05 and .01 levels of confidence respectively; but these differences could be subject to question due to the limited sample size. b) The eighteen year old sample had a significantly higher school withdrawal proportion than that of the general population at the .01 level of confidence. c) The nineteen year old sample withdrawal propor• tion was not significantly different from that of the general population. 2. The hockey playing student appears to be retarded in his normal progress through the educational system to the extent that his graduating age was on the average, approxi• mately 1.67 years older than the normal graduating age of the general population. 3. There appears to be no decrease in the withdrawal rates of student hockey players as a result of the new N.H.L.- C.A.H.A. Agreement of May, 1967. ACKNOWLEDGEMENT The author wishes to thank the Saskatchewan Deputy Minister of Education, Mr. L.H. Bergstrom, The Superindent of High School Records and Examinations, Mr. L. Ogden and their staff, as well as the many High School Principals in the Province of Saskatchewan who responded to the completion forms. Gratitude is also due to Mr. Gordon Juckes, Executive Director of the C.A.H.A. for his assistance in obtaining the required names of Junior "A" Hockey Players. The author also wishes to acknowledge the thesis committee members, Dr. Donald Sampson, Dr. Ronald Marteniuk, Mr. Jack Pomfret and a special thanks to the exact and dilligent assistance of my hardworking chairman, Mr. Andrew Bakogeorge. Finally on this list but first in my gratitude, I would like to acknowledge my wife, Gerry, for editing the entire text of the thesis and for her unswerving faith in the author. TABLE OF CONTENTS CHAPTER PAGE I STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM . ... ... 1 Introduction ........ 1 The Problem 3 Null Hypothesis ..... .. 3 Assumptions ......... 3 Definitions ...... 4 References . ....... .. .. 6 II REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE .............. 7 Literature Pertaining to High School With• drawal Rates in Saskatchewan .......... 7 Literature Pertaining to Hockey and Education ... .. ......... 8 Discussion, Interviews and Correspondence . 13 References 20 III METHODS AND PROCEDURE 22 Subjects . 22 Researching The Educational Records of the Hockey Players ...... 23 Statistical Procedure . 24 References . 26 IV RESULTS AND DISCUSSION ................ 27 References •. ....... ....... 44 V SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS . ....... ... 45 Summary ........ .. .. ....... .. 45 CHAPTER PAGE Conclusions . .. .. -. ... .. 46 Recommendations . 48 BIBLIOGRAPHY • • 49 APPENDICES 51 A. STATISTICAL TREATMENT 51 References . ... • . .... 52 B. ACCOMPANYING LETTERS AND COMPLETION FORM .................. 53 C. RAW DATA 56 I Registration forms recorded by year and arranged alphabetically ..... 57 II Completion forms recorded alpha- 32 betically by school . ... ... D. CORRESPONDENCE 117 LIST OF TABLES TABLE PAGE I The Withdrawal Rates from Formal School of Males in the General Population for Both Saskatchewan and Canada . ... .... 8 II Descriptive Statistics of the Selected Sample 1959-61 & 1962-66 Registry ......... 27 III Descriptive Statistics of Student Hockey Players 1967-68 Registry 29 IV Comparison of Selected Sample and Population Withdrawal Proportions for the Four Age Classifications . ... .... .... - . 35 LIST OF FIGURES FIGURE PAGE 1. Graphic Comparison of the Withdrawal Percen• tages for the Four Age Classifications, Between the Selected Sample and the Student Hockey Players following the N.H.L.-C.A.H.A. Agreement . .. .. 32 2. Graphic Comparison of the Withdrawal Percen• tages for the Four Age Classifications, Between the Selected Sample and the General Population ...... 39 3. A Symbolic Graphic Comparison of the Graduating Average Age of the Selected Sample and the General Male Population in Saskatchewan . -. 41 CHAPTER I STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM Introduction. It has long been evident that the National Hockey League (N.H.L.) dictates the conditions of the game of ice hockey in Canada. This business organiza• tion, whose main purpose is to earn a profit, controls all aspects of hockey both professional and amateur. The N.H.L. sets the general rules of the game and determines such considerations as player recruitment, placement and salary. In addition, the N.H.L. designates the location of the various professional franchises. An important aspect of N.H.L. involvement and control, in the author's opinion, is in the area of player recruit• ment. This thesis, therefore, shall address itself to the control exercised indirectly, by the N.H.L., over the lives of young hockey players, particularly with regard to how that control is related to the high school education of young hockey players. The recruitment of players can occur anywhere from the age of eleven to twenty-one, with the most common age range being from seventeen to nineteen. This period is also of particular importance to the educator for it is during this age range that the greatest incidence of high school withdrawal occurs. After studying The Report on Amateur Hockey in Canada (1) and The Alberta Department of Youth Hockey Study (2) it 2 became glaringly evident that both these important documents lacked scientifically researched facts. This statement is not intended to be a criticism of these reports. The lack of facts was probably more as a result of the nature, scope and financial limitations of the investigating committees, than it was the result of their inability to collect and document data. Consequently, however, both studies are riddled with suspect but not fact. This lack of factual information is revealed in the Report on Amateur Hockey in Canada (1:27) which states that For years, concern has been expressed in many quarters that playing hockey in highly intensified C.A.H.A. and Branch junior competitions adversely affects young players' progress in school. The Committee observed that such criticism was subjective and empirical; nowhere could we find overall factual evidence to support this conclusion. Similarly, in the Alberta study, (2:13) the Committee is suspicious about the disruptive influence of the . luring of grade 10, 11 or 12 boys away from home and school to another locality, province or school system well after the opening of the Fall term, only to have him make a second and sometimes a third move in November and December. The Alberta report also quotes a School Superintendent (2:35) who expresses his dissatisfaction with the system by saying: Personally, and I believe I speak for my staff, I do not think that in most cases boys can play professional hockey (Canadian Major Junior League Hockey) and at the same time be success• ful students.