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Former NHL player Patrick O'Sullivan details abuse as child

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http://www.theplayerstribune.com/patrick-osullivan-nhl-abuse/

I felt like this article is important because it not only does it happen in youth hockey but also in other youth sports as well (obviously this sort of thing isn't just limited to sports).

In recent threads about HS kids dying in football games, GAFers had pointed out that parents treat these sort of things like a religion and this article sort of gives an insight on that.

I'd copy and paste the relevant parts here but im on mobile and I feel the article deserves a full read.

I've seen these sorts of things happen to kids while reffing youth hockey games, hearing parents heckle opposing 12 year olds and at one point I even overheard a parent say 'if he knows what's good for him he won't ride home with us tonight' after a game. Lucky for me my parents weren't like this when I grew up playing hockey but others aren't so lucky. I wish kids could grow up playing a sport and learn to love it rather than feel like its an obligation.
 

Yaboosh

Super Sleuth
I wonder what his father thinks reading this article.

"I beat him, but he turned out alright."


Blaming this sort of thing on sports is a little disingenuous. This man would probably have been abusive no matter what.

The thing you blame on sports is the other kind of abuse he talks about in the article. The parents forcing long hard practices on their preteen children while yelling horrible things at them.
 

War Peaceman

You're a big guy.
I wonder what his father thinks reading this article.

"I beat him, but he turned out alright."


Blaming this sort of thing on sports is a little disingenuous. This man would probably have been abusive no matter what.

The thing you blame on sports is the other kind of abuse he talks about in the article. The parents forcing long hard practices on their preteen children while yelling horrible things at them.

Yeah there's a lot to criticise sports for, but this is a disgusting act of abuse committed on a child.

Must have been so difficult to reveal this publicly. Lots of respect for that.
 
Considering how almost cult-like hockey mentality is when somebody is young and living in Canada (And I am indeed a hockey fan) is quite disgusting.

Especially when you have these helicopter parents trying to get the next Patty Kane or Drew Doughty in their kids and it's obvious that the kids don't want to. I have that happening with one of my relatives.
 

Sanjuro

Member
Absolutely phenomenal article. Read it yesterday afternoon. Was thinking about making a thread as well, but wasn't sure the interest was there.
 

Futureman

Member
[GAFers had pointed out that parents treat these sort of things like a religion and this article sort of gives an insight on that.

I went to a Catholic grade school and the moment I started hating organized sports is basketball team in like 6th grade when the parents in the crowd during the games were acting like fanatics. Literally yelling at the top of their lungs about missed calls or bad plays. This isn't he Super Bowl, it's for fun. Sit down.
 

Nyoro SF

Member
As an ice hockey player as a kid I was fortunate to have great parents to support me... but I definitely met loads of parents that were so fanatical about their kids, it was just insane. It truly was like a cult, a religion to them, to have their kid be called the best at any cost.

And it definitely did big mental damage to these kids and their behavior

Our sports culture, even with its minority of insane parents, is so fucked up at this level
 
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