Although I wasn’t born in Canada, I grew up there. Every school day my classmates and I sang “O Canada” with a great deal of pride. At the Olympic women’s hockey gold medal ceremony Canada’s female heroines and the Canadian spectators sang the national anthem proudly and loudly. I understood the pride and joy of the moment. The team of fantastic female hockey players had sent waves of both emotions across Canada, from British Columbia to Prince Edward Island.
My emotions turned upside down when I learned this morning that the gold medalists returned to the ice about 30 minutes after the ceremony for a beer, champagne, and cigar party. Their behavior saddened and disappointed me. I would have felt the same way if male hockey players had behaved like that. Thousands of Canadian youngsters love hockey, and they had found in the Canadian women’s hockey team heroes to emulate. On a personal note, my Canadian brother’s 13-year-old granddaughter plays on a hockey team. I regret that her role models projected a poor image.
Some may call me a prude, but I think how champion athletes behave influences the behavior of their young, impressionable fans. Jesus warned us not to influence the children to do wrong (Matthew 18:6).
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