photo: © International Ice Hockey Federation
The new The IIHF Coaching Education will better equip coaches to deal with abuse and harassment.
In recent years, the IIHF has invested in several educational programs as part of IIHF Integrity and its four Pillars: Anti-Doping, Competition Manipulation, Ethics, and Abuse and Harassment. While everyone involved in the sport – from players to team staff, entourage, officials, stakeholders, parents and fans – stands to benefit from these programs, the unique role of coaches puts them in a crucial position in need of special attention.
“Their work with players and inside ice hockey directly involves each of the Integrity Pillars,” said Frauke Kubischta, IIHF Consulant, CEO of Sport Consulting Services and former manager of the Finnish U18 women’s national team. “Coaches have responsibilities and duties which are directly informed and guided by the Integrity Pillars. They are further responsible to not only know and act according to the rules and regulations but also to guide the players they work with.”
While programs for other pillars are certainly relevant to coaches, a new online educational course focused on abuse and harassment is being designed specifically for ice hockey coaches, with Kubischta playing a leading role in its design.
“Education on abuse and harassment is unfortunately needed because we’ve all heard the reports in the media of inappropriate behaviour and misconduct by ice hockey coaches around the world,” Kubischta explained.
“Adapting the IIHF Coaching Education curriculum to include education on IIHF Integrity Pillars is a representation of the changing landscape in international hockey and our society,” said Raeto Raffainer, Chairperson of the IIHF Coaching Comittee. “The addition of this education to the curriculum ensures coaches have the tools they need to uphold respect and safety among players and staff and to reassure a positive future for our sport.”
The IIHF Coaching Education on Abuse and Harassment consists of seven modules covering themes from recognizing abuse and harassment, creating positive and effective ice hockey environments, to understanding power relationships and discrimination in ice hockey, recognizing signs and symptoms of abuse and harassment, as well as how to intervene in situations and prevent situations where abuse and harassment could happen.
The IIHF Coaching Education on Abuse and Harassment informs coaches on what abuse and harassment are, their varied forms, and how a coach or any person can intervene and report cases of suspected abuse or harassment.
“Abuse and harassment have many faces,” said Kubischta. “It can be physical or psychological, emotional and violent behaviour and can include neglect, discrimination, sexism, racism, gender-based harassment, hazing and bullying.”
The course setup leads coaches first through information, tasks, videos, animations and a quiz on the different forms of abuse and harassment, then Module 2 provides coaches with information and tools to create positive and effective environments which allow all players to thrive. Positive, safe and effective environments provide everyone with the opportunity to be the best they can be, free from maltreatment. Such environments discourage inappropriate behaviour, abuse or harassment.
The online course is scheduled to be made available worldwide at IIHF.com this spring. While the program is designed for ice hockey coaches and will become mandatory for coaches at all IIHF World Championships in the 2024/25 season, Kubitscha emphasized that it can be completed by anyone interested in doing so.
The IIHF is further providing a guidebook and materials to the Integrity Officers of their Member National Associations to integrate education on abuse and harassment into their coaching education programs and to initiate live face-to-face workshops with coaches on this topic.
In recent years, the IIHF has invested in several educational programs as part of IIHF Integrity and its four Pillars: Anti-Doping, Competition Manipulation, Ethics, and Abuse and Harassment. While everyone involved in the sport – from players to team staff, entourage, officials, stakeholders, parents and fans – stands to benefit from these programs, the unique role of coaches puts them in a crucial position in need of special attention.
“Their work with players and inside ice hockey directly involves each of the Integrity Pillars,” said Frauke Kubischta, IIHF Consulant, CEO of Sport Consulting Services and former manager of the Finnish U18 women’s national team. “Coaches have responsibilities and duties which are directly informed and guided by the Integrity Pillars. They are further responsible to not only know and act according to the rules and regulations but also to guide the players they work with.”
While programs for other pillars are certainly relevant to coaches, a new online educational course focused on abuse and harassment is being designed specifically for ice hockey coaches, with Kubischta playing a leading role in its design.
“Education on abuse and harassment is unfortunately needed because we’ve all heard the reports in the media of inappropriate behaviour and misconduct by ice hockey coaches around the world,” Kubischta explained.
“Adapting the IIHF Coaching Education curriculum to include education on IIHF Integrity Pillars is a representation of the changing landscape in international hockey and our society,” said Raeto Raffainer, Chairperson of the IIHF Coaching Comittee. “The addition of this education to the curriculum ensures coaches have the tools they need to uphold respect and safety among players and staff and to reassure a positive future for our sport.”
The IIHF Coaching Education on Abuse and Harassment consists of seven modules covering themes from recognizing abuse and harassment, creating positive and effective ice hockey environments, to understanding power relationships and discrimination in ice hockey, recognizing signs and symptoms of abuse and harassment, as well as how to intervene in situations and prevent situations where abuse and harassment could happen.
The IIHF Coaching Education on Abuse and Harassment informs coaches on what abuse and harassment are, their varied forms, and how a coach or any person can intervene and report cases of suspected abuse or harassment.
“Abuse and harassment have many faces,” said Kubischta. “It can be physical or psychological, emotional and violent behaviour and can include neglect, discrimination, sexism, racism, gender-based harassment, hazing and bullying.”
The course setup leads coaches first through information, tasks, videos, animations and a quiz on the different forms of abuse and harassment, then Module 2 provides coaches with information and tools to create positive and effective environments which allow all players to thrive. Positive, safe and effective environments provide everyone with the opportunity to be the best they can be, free from maltreatment. Such environments discourage inappropriate behaviour, abuse or harassment.
The online course is scheduled to be made available worldwide at IIHF.com this spring. While the program is designed for ice hockey coaches and will become mandatory for coaches at all IIHF World Championships in the 2024/25 season, Kubitscha emphasized that it can be completed by anyone interested in doing so.
The IIHF is further providing a guidebook and materials to the Integrity Officers of their Member National Associations to integrate education on abuse and harassment into their coaching education programs and to initiate live face-to-face workshops with coaches on this topic.