Ontario minor hockey probes hazing allegations

It never ceases to amaze me when a group of adults, the Parry Sound Minor Hockey executive members, seemingly interested in the welfare of young athletes, apparently refused to comment on serious allegations like hazing and underage drinking involving their athletes.

What is the first thing anybody thinks when they read an article that states "...executive members held an emergency meeting...but would not comment?" I know what I think: they have some really nasty stuff that they don't want the world to know about and not one member of that executive wants to stand in front of the story. And, yes, this one has all of the makings of a juicy, national-level story.

Here's a thought; if you were really serious about doing the right thing, for the young athletes, your association, the sport of hockey and your community, how about coming out of your emergency meeting and saying something along these lines?

"We are aware of the very serious allegations made against some members of our association. Rest assured, we have strict policies against that kind of behaviour and are taking the allegations very seriously. Our aim is to provide a safe and secure environment for all of our athletes and will act firmly to deal with any activity that is contrary to that end. Immediately upon hearing the story, we launched our own investigation to uncover the facts and look forward to sharing the results of that work as soon as possible."

Now, would that have been so hard?