I found the link to this article over on the
illegal curve I believe this goes back to the argument that hockey is a niche sport and doesn’t always translate to all cultures, demographics as well as parts of the USA and or Canada. If you’re an immigrant from China, South Asia, Middle East or the Caribbean, hockey is not a native sport to those countries nor are there many hockey arenas. If you’re from one of these parts of the world, your probably going to be a soccer player.
When Bas Balkissoon moved to Scarborough 34 years ago, hockey was the sport of choice for the mostly white community. But since then, the MPP for Scarborough-Rouge River has watched the community's taste in sports change as new immigrants from China, South Asia and the Caribbean settled there.
"Most of them are from non-hockey-playing countries, where cricket, soccer and badminton are the kind of sports they're familiar with," said Balkissoon, who emigrated from Trinidad in 1970.
"I doubt you could do anything to make hockey a mainstream sport in the community in this area."
The cost of hockey is prohibitive, he said, noting that most immigrants can't afford to pay $1,000 every winter to put a child in a hockey program. In contrast, a summer of soccer costs as little as $100.
Hockey fanatics like Egypt native Nour Abdelwahed, 15, say lowering the cost of equipment would be the best way to lure apprehensive youngsters. The Grade 10 student at David and Mary Thomson Collegiate Institute can skate but only plays street hockey because ice hockey gear is beyond his parents' budget. He thinks more accessible and reasonably priced equipment would allow local leagues to thrive.
"It's not just too high for new immigrants, it's everybody," he said.
[The Star]
We live in a different era today.
ReplyDeleteImmigrants, like the rest of us, can read their local newspaper back home on the internet.
They can follow their favorite teams back home on the dish and even watch the local news back home in their native language.
Just like the rest of society, we're going to see less assimilation from immigrants than in the past.
Hockey is going to be more of a niche sport in the future. Soccer, MMA, X-games are going to continue to show gains, while mainstream sports will show declines.