N.S. hockey parents required to take respect course

Hockey Nova Scotia says parents and volunteers in the minor hockey system will have to take an online course about respect if they don't want their children pulled off the ice.

Darren Cossar, the executive director of Hockey Nova Scotia, said the group requires coaches and volunteers to take a three-hour online course at a cost of $30.

At least one parent of every child between the ages of four and eight must take a $12 version of the course by December or face tough consequences.

"Any player that their parent is not taking the course would not be eligible to participate in Hockey Nova Scotia programs until they have taken the course," Cossar told CBC News on Wednesday.

Hockey Nova Scotia has set a deadline of Dec. 1 for coaches, volunteers and parents to take the online course, developed by a Calgary-based company called Respect Group Inc.

Cossar said the course is about calming parents down so the children can have fun on the ice.

"Over the last number of years we have seen a number of parents and their actions have been inappropriate," he said.

"A parent opened the gate to the arena and was yelling at the referee and we had to have that individual removed from the arena."

Tina Jewers, whose son plays hockey, said she's concerned about the additional cost as well as the deadline to take the course.

"If I don't have the chance to take it right now, this month or next month or whatever, why should my child suffer for that?" she said.

"He shouldn't be hauled out of hockey at all. I don't agree with that."

Hockey Nova Scotia said it plans to issue three reminders before the Dec. 1 deadline.