Winning the Stanley Cup Final Series is related to
incurring fewer penalties for violent behavior
This is a summary
of research by Steven T. McCaw, Ph.D, and John D. Walker, M.D. that was
published in the April 1999 issue of Texas Medicine, Volume 95,
Number 4, Pages 66-69.
Ice hockey teams that
play with more violence are less likely to win, according to a scientific
study on professional sports violence conducted by the Texas Youth Commission's
John D. Walker, M.D., and Illinois State University Health, Physical Education
& Recreation Professor Steven T. McCaw, Ph.D.
Dr. Walker, prevention
specialist for Texas' juvenile corrections agency, presented the research
to an international audience of leaders in professional sports at the
invitation of the 1998 Ice Hockey World Championship International Symposium
on Medicine and Science in Ice Hockey, in Zurich, Switzerland.
The violence prevention
research provides new evidence of both statistical and practical significance.
At the highest level of competition, teams playing with more violence
are not more likely to win; in fact, the opposite is true. In a
study of 1,462 recorded penalties from all 18 Stanley Cup Championship
Final Series from 1980 to 1997, teams playing with less violence were
more likely to win and averaged more than seven more shots on goal per
game than teams that played with more violence. Over the course of a seven-game
series, this would provide an additional 53 more shots on goal – more
than a whole extra game's worth of shots on goal - to teams playing with
less violence.
The researchers also
found that losing teams demonstrated more violent player behavior early
in the game, suggesting that violence was not due to the frustration of
losing, but rather due to an intentional strategy possibly based on the
mistaken belief that violent behavior contributes to winning.
Ice hockey has become
the fastest growing sport in many parts of the world. Although European
ice hockey has evolved into a highly refined game, based on skill and
finesse, the North American version of the sport is still based heavily
on violence. Catastrophic and disabling injuries are being reported with
increasing frequency. These injuries are in many cases caused by violent
player behavior which, the researchers pointed out, may be supported by
coaches who cling to the belief that such behavior contributes to winning.
In a recent issue
of Sky Magazine dedicated to "The Magnitude of Sport", Pulitzer
Prize-winning author Jonathan Yardley wrote "There is much to be learned
about a culture from those persons whom it places upon pedestals, whom
it admires and emulates, whom it calls heroes."
Professional athletes
are powerful role models for American youth. Many authorities have looked
to sport programs as a way of reducing juvenile delinquency. Youth sports
are deeply rooted in our social and cultural heritage. A recent study
estimated that almost half of 34 million American adolescents participated
in non-school sports. In terms of attendance at sports events, corporate
sponsorship of athletics, licensed sports product sales, and media coverage
on television and radio, the magnitude of sport in our society has never
been so dominant and pervasive - and its impact is growing.
One of the most disturbing
trends in American sports is the increasing frequency and severity of
violence. Many authorities in the field of violence prevention believe
that the increasing acceptance of violence in sports creates a cultural
climate that "spills over" and translates into greater violence in society.
Dr. Walker said, "Old
myths die hard. North American teams that play with more violence continue
to lose in international competition against European teams that play
with more finesse."
He said, "There is
a temptation experienced by all players and coaches when in a game situation
to rely on the "crutch" of cheating (both violent and nonviolent) to make
up for inadequate preparation and practice. And while the players and
coaches who develop a habit of leaning on this "crutch" may have temporary
short-term success from time to time, in the long-run, there is no short-cut
to success."
"The reliance on the
"crutch" of cheating only serves to weaken a team because the hard work
of preparation and practice – which is the only true foundation for success
in the long-run – is never done," Dr. Walker said.
"Coaches at the highest
level of competition may wish to adjust their team policies and recruiting
practices in order to benefit from the plausible strategic advantage of
reducing violent player behavior," Dr. Walker said.
This summary is provided by the Texas Youth Commission. For more information about programs and research relating to children, youth, and family issues, contact us by e-mail at prevention@tyc.state.tx.us or by telephone at (512) 424-6336.
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Prevention Summary
Texas Youth Commission