Hockey in Canada The Nations Passion Essay Example

Hockey in Canada: The Nations Passion Essay In 1994, the Canadian Federal Government compromised and voted to make hockey Canada’s national winter sport, and lacrosse Canada’s national summer sport. Which sport should be named Canada’s true national sport? In 1994, the Canadian Federal Government compromised and voted to make hockey Canada’s national winter sport, and lacrosse Canada’s national summer sport. Which sport should be named Canada’s true national sport? It is important to know which sport should be named Canada’s true national sport because of its relevance in focusing to improve Canada’s athletic skills. By knowing the sport, it will help determine the sport Canada should emphasis upon to be more successful. It is believed that hockey should be named Canada’s national sport due to the appreciation that Canadians have toward their winter climate and well-known winter sports. Also, hockey has maintained its status as the most popular sport in Canada, while encouraging many women to participate. These reasons are believed to be the major factors that contribute to why hockey should be titled Canada’s true national sport. The history of modern hockey goes as far back as the early 1800’s. Many regions have claimed to be the birthplace of hockey, but the best-supported cases are in Windsor, Nova Scotia, and Kingston, Ontario, which hold by far the earliest written accounts of a game that has ever been played. Many assumptions were then made that hockey first originated within these three cities. We will write a custom essay sample on Hockey in Canada: The Nations Passion specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Hockey in Canada: The Nations Passion specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Hockey in Canada: The Nations Passion specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer When you think of Canada, what is the first thing that comes into your mind? For many individuals it is hockey. A country’s climate has big influences on the type of athletic activities that can occur. In Canada, the climate revolves around cold and bitter weather, which can last up to half a year. Fortunately one of the many advantages is the ability to pursue many of Canada’s winter sports such as skiing, snowboarding, bobsledding, figure skating, and most importantly hockey. As a result, it is not a surprise to Canadians when managing to score highly in many of the winter Olympics; in fact many Canadians often take this for granted. As seen on February 28, 2010, at the Vancouver winter Olympics, Sydney Crosby stated on CTV â€Å"I just shot it, I didn’t really see it to be honest. † This of course, was after the terrific win team Canada pulled against the United States. The victory of this hockey game once again, caused Canadians to realize the beauty of how successful its winter sports became. The landscape and weather conditions also contribute to the significance of hockey in the nation. Although it is estimated that there are approximately 2500 indoor and outdoor hockey rinks in Canada, many Canadians still build their own backyard ice rink on behalf of the passion for this sport. Adam shepherd grew up playing hockey, and now with his own family in Whitby, Ontario, he wanted to share his experience with his children. Adam states, â€Å"I get real enjoyment watching my kids out here having fun. He also advised to build a rink during specific months, â€Å"The best time is around January and February, and that’s when the weather is coldest. † Luckily Canada’s climate allows the building of an outdoor skating rink to be successful. Trevor, Adam’s 9 year old son stated that he loves to be outside playing hockey with his family, and that the cold never bothers him. Hockey plays an important role in people’s lives whether winning a gold med al, being able to build hockey rinks, or spending quality time with family. Hockey has become more than just a sport in Canada; over a period of time, it has become a huge part of Canadian Culture. In the eighth game of the 1972 summit series, Canadians practically came to a standstill as everyone wanted to see the outcome of the final game between Soviet Union and Canada. As a result, Canada pulled another big victory, and after this day hockey became an even more popular sport. Canadian â€Å"Hockey Night† as seen on CBC sports airs every Saturday night. Since 1998, more than four million Canadians tune in to watch this show. The number of sales for televisions has increased by the value of seven billion dollars since the year 2000, due to the influence of this show’s popularity to improve the development of technology. This is one of the positive impacts toward Canada’s economy, which has caused many technological companies to rise. Also, hockey night is a great way for families to bond while supporting Canadian radios such as CBC whom broadcasts details about regular hockey games. Another aspect is the number of viewers that watch Canada’s hockey games, for example the number of viewers who watched the U. S vs. Canada hockey game at the 2010 Vancouver Olympics. As said before, the love and support for this sport is undeniable which influences its fame. Family and friends that have gathered together to watch this special game caused a hit of 27. 6 million views; one of Canada’s most viewed hockey games in all time. Generally, these reasons verify the admiration Canadians have toward hockey.? When looking back in Canadian history, women were not known for independence as men were considered â€Å"persons† while women were not. This did not come to an end until 1929, when Emily Murphy took action and brought the persons case to court. Although some action had been taken, it did not prevent women’s stereotype during the 1950’s. At that time, it was necessary for women to have feminine qualities, which included the disability to play â€Å"masculine sports. † Hockey was one of the most influential sports that encouraged many individuals to take a step toward women’s rights. Canada’s national women’s hockey team has been on the world stage, winning nine world titles, three Olympic gold medals and twelve 3 nations/4nations cups. Its successful journey has caused its reputation to rise internationally with their only losses being against United States and Sweden. Cassie Campbell, a professional hockey player on Canada’s women’s hockey team says â€Å"In 1998 we went to the first ever Olympic for women’s hockey, and as a Canadian hockey player and Canadian hockey team we were by far the favourite’s going in, and we lost. We brought home a silver medal and felt like we let down our entire country; we were embarrassed and extremely disappointed. I remember I ran into a great Canadian speed skater Susan Auch, when she congratulated me on the silver medal. While seeing the disappointment in my eyes, Susan said something to me that I’ll never forget â€Å"do you know how many people in this world don’t get a chance to be Olympic athletes, and how many Olympic athletes don’t get a chance to be medalists? † I realized what we had accomplished was the first ever silver medal in women’s hockey, which was the big reason to why we won gold in Salt Lake City in 2002. † This inspiring speech given by Cassie motivated women all over Canada to never give up on their dreams, even if it meant challenging women’s stereotype. Although it did take time, hockey is the only sport in Canada that truly represents a successful women’s sport team. Long story short, hockey is indispensable to Canada and its people. Women are better – respected because of the success of its hockey team, while technological industries broadcasting about this sport are emerging. Families bond whether by playing hockey outside their own backyard rink or by watching hockey night together. It is evident that hockey has an essential role in Canadians lives and should be titled Canada’s true national sport because of the reasons stated in this piece. Remember, hockey has been more than just a sport in Canada; it has been its nations passion and desire. â€Å" I love hockey, and I don’t love it for any other reason than when I get out there and play, I enjoy it. † Bredan Fehr. Bibliography Canadian Olympic Committee, Canadian Olympic Team Records Best-Ever Winter Games. Accessed January 6, 2012. http://www. olympic. ca/en/news/canadian- olympic-team-records-best-ever-winter-games/. Cassie Campbell speaker Canadian Womens Hockey Cassie Campbell speaking. Posted November 27, 2008. Web, http://www. youtube. com/watch? v=As5JPkk-6ls CBC Program Guide, Hockey Night In Canada. Accessed January 6, 2012. http://www. cbc. ca/programguide/program/hockey_night_in_canada_hd. Fehr , Brendan. Brainy Quote. Accessed January 5, 2012. www. brainyquote. com/quotes/keywords/hockey. html. History By The Minute, Women and Sport: Footprints Study Guide. Accessed January 6, 2012. http://www. histori. ca/minutes/lp. do? id=12958. Ind ustry Canada, Canadian Industry Statistics (CIS). Last modified September 13, 2011. Accessed January 6, 2012. http://www. ic. gc. ca/cis-sic/cis-sic. nsf/IDE/cis-s ic44311rdpe. html. Laflamme, Danny. National Teams Of Ice Hockey. Accessed January 7, 2012. http://www. nationalteamsoficehockey. com/uploads/Canada_Women_All_ Time_Results. pdf. Mckinley, Michael. Hockey A Peoples History. Toronto, Ontario: McClelland Stewart Ltd. , 2006. Newman, Garfield, Bob Aitken, Diane Eaton, Dick Holland, John Montgomery, and Sonia Riddoch. Canada A Nation Unfolding. Toronto,Ontario: Patty Pappas, 2000. â€Å"2010 Olympics Womens Hockey Gold Game Canada v USA. Uploaded March 11, 2010. 1 min. 30 secs. Web, http://www. youtube. com/watch? v=YJG-rMq_AXM Pelletier, Joe. A september to remember. Accessed January 5, 2012. http://www. 1972summitseries. com/game8recap. html. Seidman, Robert. TV By The Numbers, USA vs Canada Gold Medal Hockey = Most- Watched Game in 30 Years With 27. 6 million Viewers. Accessed January 6, 2012. http://tvbythenumbers. zap2it. com/ Shepherd, Adam. Our Backyard Rink Story on the Weather Network. Posted Feb 12, 2009. Web, http://www. youtube. com/watch? v=1BcWFRC6xTg. Summit Series Canada Vs. USSR Game 8. Posted Oct 16, 2007. Web, http://www. youtube. com/watch? v=rptwqd5ccYkfeature=player_embedded. The Weather Network. Last modified January 6,2012. Accessed January 6, 2012. www. theweathernetwork. com. Toul, Alex. Hockey Community. Accessed January 5, 2012. http://www. hockey- community. com/rinks. Wharnsby, Tim. Hockey Canada Network, Team Canada caps golden games ith a thrilling overtime win over the united states. † Last modified March 1, 2010. Accessed January 5, 2012. http://www. hockeycanada. ca/index. php/ci_id/71616/la_id/1. htm. Appendix Canada outlasts U. S. for hockey gold Sidney Crosby gets OT winner in 3-2 Olympic final in Vancouver Last Updated: Monday, March 1, 2010 | 12:56 AM ET Comments1910Recommend876 By Tim Wharnsby in Vancouver, CBC Sports Canadian players pose for the team picture after the 3-2 overtime victory in the gold medal game against the United States. Ryan Remiorz/Canadian Press) VANCOUVER – Canadian men’s hockey has a golden Olympic shimmer once again. The Canadian national team hung on for a stressful 3-2 victory in overtime to give the country a second Olympic gold medal to celebrate in eight years. Sidney Crosby provided the heroics Sunday, seven minutes and 40 seconds into the extra period. He capped off a give -and-go with Jarome Iginla for the winner. It’s something that maybe comes only once in a lifetime, said Jonathan Toews, who scored the first goal. We were saying after the third period that somebody would come through for us and it was no coincidence that he did it. He’s a tremendous leader and has accomplished so much in his young career. This time around, it obviously wasn’t as easy as when Mario Lemieux, Joe Sakic and Co. stormed to a 5-2 victory in Salt Lake City. But winning at home at Canada Hockey Place was more satisfying and ignited one heck of a party nationwide. The hockey win also gave Canada an Olympic-record 14 gold medals by a country in a single Winter Games. The Canadians held a one-goal advantage entering the final 20 minutes. To protect the lead, they sat back and played a 1-2-2 trap that the Americans simply couldn’t penetrate until the final seconds. U. S. forward Patrick Kane fired a shot at the net that hit teammate Jamie Langenbrunner’s skate and went on the Canadian goal. Zach Parise was Johnny-on-the-spot to knock in the rebound with 24. 4 seconds left in regulation time. Crosby had a breakaway with slightly more than three minutes left, but the puck was bouncing on him and he couldn’t get a shot off on U. S. goalie Ryan Miller.

buy custom Residential Schools and their Impacts on Aboriginal Health essay

buy custom Residential Schools and their Impacts on Aboriginal Health essay Introduction The Residential School System developed as a result of the missionary experience that the first countries had with various religious groups. The government developed administration system for the institutions as early as 1874 which were based mainly on assimilation ideologies. Following the establishment of the institutions, children were removed from their native homes at the formative stages of development. Those who were enrolled in these schools were exposed to health challenges of varied nature. They range from the psychological, emotional, physical and mental. This paper seeks to explore the impact that the residential schools had on the Aboriginal health and how the challenges could be possibly addressed. The Psychological Health of the Aboriginal Population The Residential School System had severe impacts on the psychological health of the Aboriginal populations. With the establishment of the schools, children were removed from their families at younger ages, some as young as five or six years old and enrolled in these institutions. Wilson, Rosenberg Abonyi (2009); Kendrick (2008) cited that psychological development of a child in the formative stage of development is very important for the holistic development of a child in his later life. The psychological health of the children was thus endangered. The children were exposed to new environments altogether, with emotional cut-off from the family attachment. This greatly affects the normal emotional development of children. Most of the Aboriginal children who were enrolled in the residential schools experienced emotional torture. They cried most of the time with no one to offer any psychosocial support to them (Kendrick, 2008). Therefore, the enrollment of the children in the residential schools at the formative stages can be best described as an equivalent to their exposure to emotional abuse (Wilson et al., 2009). The emotional and psychological difficulties that the students experienced in the residential schools were further complicated by the requirements and restrictions that were put on them. For example, the students enrolled into this system were not allowed to speak their original languages. Austin Boyd (2010) cited that this caused trauma and grief resulting from cumulative emotional and psychological wounding that the students had to go through across their lifespan development. Removal of children as young as five years from rural households and their exposure to regulated environment where they were not permitted to speak their Aboriginal languages was an abuse enough to the psychological well-being of the children. Austin Boyd (2010) cited that lack of emotional expression often leads to other cognitive disorders that one may develop later in life. In Canada, the children who broke the rules in the residential schools were severely punished irrespective of their age. This is tantamount to child abuse. Studies have shown that physical abuse of children at the formative stages of development has lifetime effect on their emotional, psychological and even physical health (Wilson et al., 2009). A good number of children were emotionally and spiritually destroyed as a result of the harsh disciplines and living conditions which they were exposed to. The psychological trauma that the Aboriginal population experienced in the residential schools has been spread from one generation to another. The Physical Health of the Aborginal Population The residential schools in Canada were greatly under-funded by the federal government. Austin Boyd (2010) cited that the students were living in deplorable conditions. With the overcrowding in the institutions, communicable diseases broke out and spread from one person to another. Besides, there was poor sanitation in the institutions with the students sometimes taking days without bathing because of lack of water and other sanitary facilities. Outbreak of culinary diseases such cholera, diarrhea and typhoid were not only common but widespread in the institutions. The institutions lacked adequate trained medical and healthcare staff and facilities to attend to the health issues of the students. As a result so many children and adults died under poor residential school system in Canada (Wilson et al., 2009). The students in the residential school system developed physical health complications significantly due to lack of facilities. The beddings were rarely washed and because of the large numbers of the Aboriginal students, accommodation facilities were sometimes not adequate to cater for all the students (Waldram, Herring Young, 2006). As a result, sometimes students spent the night without beddings to cover themselves. This exposed them to diseases such as pneumonia and other respiratory-related complications (Kendrick, 2008). Studies that have been conducted on the impact of the residential school on the health of the Aboriginal populations reveal that housing units contributed significantly to poor health conditions of the beneficiaries. For example, in March 2003, the studies revealed a total of 15,840 housing units needed repair while another 4937 needed total replacement (Austin Boyd, 2010). Despite these conditions of housing units, they still accommodated Aboriginal populations. Under such conditions, the health implications of the housing and the accommodation facilities for the residents are very severe. The Aboriginal populations were also exposed to poor diet. Most of the meals that were served lacked nutritional value in some cases and were unbalanced in many other cases. This did not only affect the nutritional needs of the body but also contributed to development of some health complications such as kwashiorkor and other development related issues. Singer (1996) observed in a study that a residential school system limits the ability of the Aboriginal students to participate in physical sports freely. Lack of physical exercise contributes to development of long term health complications especially in late adulthood because of poor borne development (Waldram et al., 2006). The mixing of students from different social backgrounds, family set-ups sometimes lead to development of certain behavioral problems. For example, behavioral problems like drug abuse, alcoholism and sexual abuse developed in some of the residential facilities (Wilson et al., 2009). These exposed the Aboriginal population in the residential schools to further health risks. The impact of drug abuse on the mental and the physical health of an individual is very severe. Unfortunately once these behaviors developed, they were not addressed effectively. Sexually transmitted diseases that spread as a result of irresponsible behavior greatly affected the health of the victims. Dealing with the Health Challenges Residential School System Residential school system was generally a coercive initiative imposed on the Aboriginal population. In order to address these challenges, the first initiative will be to review the residential school policies so that it is not made compulsory for a child to be enrolled in the residential school system (Singer, 1996). The policies should focus on defining the minimum age at which a child can be enrolled in a residential school system. For example, young children below 12 years should not be enrolled into residential school. This will enhance normal emotional and psychological development in the formative stages of life. Besides, this initiative will eliminate the emotional torture caused by exposure of a young child to a new environment away from the family members with whom a child has an emotional attachment. All the residential school facilities should operate on condition that they have adequate medical facilities and health professionals. This will ensure that the healthcare needs of the students enrolled in these facilities are addressed as a matter of urgency. For example, the residential school policy should put as a requirement that each facility has a nurse and a qualified doctor in the night and the day shift depending on the number of students enrolled in the facility (Warry, 2007). Besides, the residential schools should have health facilities such as dispensary within their proximity to attend to the health needs of the residents (Kendrick, 2008). Professional such psychiatrists, counselors, and social workers should be deployed in the residential school facilities to attend to the emotional needs of the children. The residential institutions should also have facilities that can adequately support the health needs of the residents. For example, the accommodation facilities should be adequate enough to accommodate the residents effectively. This will eliminate healthcare problems associated with overcrowding and lack of other accommodation facilities. Sanitation and hygiene standards should be kept high in the residential schools. The residential schools should only operate on the condition that there is a high standard of hygiene and sanitation. This should include even the maintenance of high standards of hygiene in the preparation of the meals. Constant evaluation of the performance of the institutions in terms of sanitation and dietary provision to the residents should also be considered. The use of severe punishment in the residential schools should be abolished at all costs. The discipline for errant residents students should be moderate and involve much use of positive and negative reinforcement techniques. The discrimination and stereotyping in the residential schools should also be ended (Warry, 2007). This will help to reduce the health risks that are associated with severe physical torture and punishments. Psychosocial support programs for students in the residential facilities should be considered to ensure that their spiritual, social and emotional challenges are competently and effectively addressed. Conclusion Residential school system has had severe implications on the Aboriginal health. The Aboriginals suffered lasting psychological, physical and mental health problems caused by the deplorable conditions under which the schools operated. There is a need to review the policies governing the operations of the residential schools to ensure that their operations do not affect the health of the Aboriginals negatively. Whereas the benefits of the residential schools could be outlined, the immediate and the long term health implications of the schools on children and Aboriginal population at large should not be ignored. Buy custom Residential Schools and their Impacts on Aboriginal Health essay