The Early Specialization in Hockey of Professional NHL Players from Winnipeg By Brent Poplawski A Thesis submitted to the Faculty of Graduate Studies of The University of Manitoba in partial fulfillment of the requirements of the degree of MASTER OF ARTS Faculty of Kinesiology and Recreation Management University of Manitoba Winnipeg Copyright © 2017 Brent Poplawski ii Abstract Early career sport specialization has become increasingly popular among today’s youth athletes. Despite its increasingly prominence, this athletic trend has not been historicized in the Canadian context. The goal of this thesis is to determine when and why youth athletes began to pursue a certain sport, forgoing other athletic opportunities, as a means to achieve elite-level success. It focuses specifically on hockey players from Winnipeg, Manitoba, who played in the National Hockey League. This qualitative research study uses semi-structured interviews and secondary material to explore the socio-historical factors that resulted in young male hockey players in Winnipeg being encouraged to exclusively participate in hockey year-round. This study historicizes the shift in youth sport in the post-Second World War period in Canada to better understand the reasons for early sport specialization and the forces that shape contemporary youth sport. iii Acknowledgements This thesis would not have been completed without the tremendous assistance I received from several individuals. I wish to take this opportunity to offer a sincere thank you to the following people. To my thesis advisor, Dr. Russell Field. I cannot thank you enough for everything that you provided me with throughout this entire process. Without your constant support, feedback, patience, and guidance, this thesis would not exist and I never would have completed a Master’s degree. To my thesis committee members, Dr. Bruce Kidd, Dr. LeAnne Petherick, and Dr. Leisha Strachan. Thank you all for your providing advice and recommendations concerning my research. I appreciated each of your contributions and your courtesy over the years. I was very fortunate to have a thesis committee consist of a group of four individuals who possess not only a wealth of knowledge, but personal qualities that made this process feasible. To my study participants, I truly appreciated the time each of you took to participate in this study. Not only would this thesis not have been completed without your participation, but your personal stories help illustrate a research topic that I am very passionate about. Finally, to my parents. Thank you for your words of encouragement and support. You have both provided me with invaluable assistance during my many years as a university student that I am forever grateful for. iv Table of Contents Abstract……………………………………………………………………………………………ii Acknowledgments………………………………………………………………………………..iii Chapter 1: Introduction…………………………………………………………………………....1 Objectives…………………………………………………………………………………4 Rationale…………………………………………………………………………………..6 Contribution…………………………………………………………………………….....7 Chapter 2: Review of Literature...………………………………………………………………...9 History of Youth Sport in Canada....……………………………………...........................9 Hockey…………………………………………………………………………………...13 In Canada………………………………………………………………………...13 Canadian Sport Policy……………………………………………………………19 Gender and Hockey in Canada…………………………………………………..28 Expert Performance in Sport…………………………………………………………......32 Long-Term Athlete Development Model………………………………………..32 Deliberate Practice/Deliberate Play ………………...................………………...34 Development Model of Sport Participation……………………………………...37 Birthplace Effect…………………………………………………………………38 Hockey Canada’s Long-term Player Development……………………………...39 Early Sport Specialization……………………………………………………….41 Summary/Research Gap…………………………………………………………………46 Chapter 3: Methods and Methodology……………………………………………………..........50 v Methodology……………………………………………………………………………..50 Methods…………………………………………………………………………………..52 Data Collection…………………………………………………………………..52 Participant Details………………………………………………………………..54 Participant Recruitment………………………………………………………….56 Data Analysis…………………………………………………………………….58 Reflexivity………………………………………………………………………..61 Limitations and Delimitations……………………………………………………………63 Chapter Layout…………………………………………………………………………...66 Chapter 4: Hockey Development………………………………………………….......................68 Local Landscape of Youth Specialization……………………………………………….68 Periodization of Athletic Participation…………………………………………………...71 1940s-1960s: An Era of Play…………………………………………………….71 1960s-1980s: The Beginning of “Training” …………………………………….75 1970s-1990s: The Final Years of “Athletes” ……………………………………79 1990s-current: The Onset of Specialization……………………………………...85 Contemporary Hockey Landscape……………………………………………………….91 Complexities of Hockey Specialization………………………………………….93 Negative Consequences of Hockey Specialization………………………………99 Chapter 5: Factors Influencing Early Hockey Specialization…………………………………..104 Individual Influences...………………………………………………………………....104 Hockey Personnel………………………………………………………………105 Parents…………………………………………………………………………..110 vi Identity Categories……………………………………………………….......................118 The Business of Professional Sport…………………………………………………….130 Media……………………………………………...............................................130 The Changing Economics of Hockey…………………………………………..135 Chapter 6: Conclusions and Implications for Future Research…….…………………………..146 Conclusions……………………………………………………………………………..146 Recommendations………………………………………………………………………154 Future Research………………………………………………………………………...157 References………………………………………………………………………………………162 Appendices………………………………………………………………………………...........174 Appendix A……………………………………………………………………………..174 Appendix B……………………………………………………………………………..175 Appendix C……………………………………………………………………………..176 Appendix D……………………………………………………………………………..177 Appendix E……………………………………………………………………………..179 1 Chapter 1: Introduction In late July, 2015, Winnipeg minor hockey league standout Riley Stotts received a unique scholarship to participate with the EC Red Bull Salzburg under-16 team for the 2015-2016 season. Stotts, the 10th overall selection in the 2015 Western Hockey League (WHL) draft was originally planning to play with the Winnipeg Wild AAA hockey team for the upcoming season. However, as many hockey enthusiasts would agree, the opportunity to regularly practice and train in a brand-new 133,000 square foot Red Bull hockey and soccer academy in Salzburg, while travelling across Europe and North America to compete against other teams, could not be denied. At the time, former NHLer and head of international recruiting for the Red Bull Hockey Academy, Brian Savage, said he would also be sending his son Ryan, a fellow WHL draft pick, along with Riley to Salzburg. Savage suggested the offer on the table for these young players was too tempting to pass by claiming “these kids are going to be seeing the world on Red Bull’s dime…they get a chance to go to all these places and mature…become men” (cited in Billeck, 2015, p. C8). Len Stotts, Riley’s father, agreed with Savage in that the opportunity in Europe was far too great for his son to decline. Mr. Stotts said “there’s an experience over there in Europe. He is going to compete against kids that, hopefully, he will see in a few years time in the world junior championship” (cited in Ibid, p. C8). As Manitoba had six first-round WHL draft picks in 2015, it appears Len would be accurate with crediting Winnipeg’s minor hockey system for turning his son into a top WHL draft pick. Len acknowledged that his son will be fulfilling his destiny of playing in the WHL after his year in Europe by claiming his son has “always been a WHL guy, ever since he was about nine” (cited in Ibid, p. C8). 2 Being a former competitive hockey player with experience and knowledge of the Winnipeg minor and Canadian junior hockey systems, I commend Riley on receiving this scholarship and appreciate the effort and time he must have put into the game to be given this opportunity. He and his parents should be extremely proud of his accomplishments to date and I wish him nothing but the best in the future. Furthermore, I respect and understand the aspect of goal setting and having the desire to play in the top level of competition available. However, as a graduate student with knowledge in the field of athlete development, I cannot help but feel uncomfortable when I see a parent describing his son as being a “WHL guy” by the fourth grade. Perhaps my discomfort is unwarranted. After all, it is extremely common for a young boy to dream of one day being a professional athlete. However, I do believe there is an issue with determining your junior hockey career path before you have graduated from elementary school. Much can happen to a young boy before the onset of his junior hockey career, and perhaps it is best to be more open to other potential opportunities as opposed to being so focused so early on a single direction. This is not to say I know the best method for youth athlete development, far from it. However, there are numerous potential risks associated with the growing trend of early sport specialization among youth athletes across Canada. It is well publicized that the trend of youth sport specialization has increased over recent decades. In Canada, the game of hockey has become so popular that from a very early age, young players are essentially playing the sport year-round (Hagen, 2015). However, little consideration has been given to the potential