Not surprisingly, Jacques Rogge’s comments about women’s hockey needing to become more competitive, have drawn a quick and defensive response from many involved with the game, in Canada and elsewhere. I think his comments were both reasonable and accurate. The International Olympic Committee president, as detailed in a Globe and Mail story,on Friday February 26, stated: “We cannot continue without improvement. There is a discrepancy there, everyone agrees with that. This is maybe the investment period in women’s ice hockey. I would personally give them more time too grow- but there must be a period of improvement. Rogge warned, according to the Globe story, “..the sport either picks up or it will be kicked out- just as softball has been from the Summer Games.” Rogge wants to see “ the lesser teams, including the two that battled for the bronze medal, improve considerably if the game……intends to stay within the Olympic Rings.”
For some reason, when this subject is brought up for discussion, many people get defensive in thinking that it is a criticism of women in general, or of those playing the game at a high level in North America. This defensiveness is sheer lunacy. The Canadian and American women’s programs are great, as are the athletes participating and playing for their respective countries. They deserve all the credit in the world for their efforts and accomplishments. That however, doesn’t change the fact that most of the games that are not Canada versus the United States, are terrible as entertainment products, and as Olympic caliber sports, broadcast around the world, they are an embarrassment. It’s not as though there are only one or two bad games. That can happen in any sport, at any event. The truth is, that most hockey fans would not go out of their way to watch these games, because the quality of the countries playing, resembles house league level hockey in North America, not world class entertainment and athleticism. It looks bad on the I.O.C., that the level of hockey being showcased is, quite often, so awful, when it does not involve both Canada and the Unites States. I don’t know of anyone who would bother watching the non - North American women’s hockey, and Rogge should be concerned, because that is likely the feeling for most hockey fans, or those not directly involved in women’s hockey.
If other countries don’t have the resources to make the improvements necessary, that is most unfortunate. Unless women’s hockey officials from Canada and the United States, are invited to run the programs in other countries, it’s hard to imagine that any drastic improvements will occur anytime soon. Some officials, participants, and fans of women’s hockey, need to understand that a criticism of the product outside of North America, is not a comment on women in general, or on the athletes representing Canada or the United States.This is not a criticism of them personally or professionally. Other sports ( men’s basketball and hockey) were also given time to improve, and in those sports, progress was made. Hopefully,for those who play the game and work at developing it, the sport can foster the changes necessary, to dramatically improve the quality of women’s hockey, outside of its two best representatives.