It is a hard yes - hockey is broken. This has a lot more to do with the structure than the people. Most people in hockey have good intentions but it is the structure of the game that does not foster an optimal environment. As a result, destructive behaviours and practices are normalized and repeated at all levels. Can it be fixed? It is less about ‘fixing it’ per-say but rather about getting better. But in order to improve something there needs to be clear measures of what to improve upon. We don’t pretend to have all the answers but our opinions on measures that should be prioritized, tracked, and regularly shared by governing bodies include: Retention Rates - the number of kids coming back year over year Net Promoter Score - comes from the business world and is about how satisfied a client (athlete) is with their service, product or experience Abuse Claims - clearly there is a need to decrease all forms of abuse Does this mean we shouldn’t care about Gold Medals? No - those are great and in fact, improving the structure and experience for players will lead to better development and even higher probabilities of Gold Medals. The concern is not that Hockey Canada prides itself on winning Gold Medals, but that it does not seem to pride itself enough about increasing retention rates, creating positive experiences, and ensuring a safe sporting environment. We don’t know everything going on with every league and behind all the closed doors, but from our perspective we stand by this proclamation that Hockey Is Broken. The question to ask is what are we going to do about it? The answer is better leadership at all levels is needed to fix this structure. The bottom-up approach calls on coaches and organizations to go Beyond the X’s and O’s, do things differently, and raise their standards for the betterment of the athletes. There are coaches and organizations stepping up and we are hopeful that this number continues to grow. However, at what point will we see a top-down approach where Hockey Canada, provincial governing bodies, and the leagues make some bold and necessary decisions to change the structure, challenge normalized practices, and enforce a higher-standard for the game of hockey. Reach out, comment or share your opinions as we continue to go Beyond the X’s and O’s.