CALGARY -- Careful almost to the point of paranoia.
That's the leery picture painted by a head coach with Girls Hockey Calgary, as he describes his relationship with the teenage squad under his tutelage.
From adult chaperones on the bench to moms standing guard in the dressing room, Coach Dave says it's a culture of cautious relationships and delicate coaching techniques.
"I never even have a one-on-one with a player, without another adult present," said Coach Dave, who asked that his real name not be used, for fear of repercussions from the league.
"Usually, if I have to talk directly to one player, I'll do it through e-mail. And then I'll send a copy to the parents as well, so there's complete transparency."
Such is the walking-on-eggshell reality, when you're a grown man coaching a group of teenage girls.
Coach Dave, who deals with players in their mid-teens, says it's all about knowing one wrong move or thoughtless action could be misconstrued as inappropriate.
He says careful conduct with his players, including having another adult on hand at all times, is as essential as effective training drills and on-ice tactics.
"It's just something I always do and I can't say if it's something I invented, or whether other coaches do it too," he said.
"We're all pretty careful, and I know the requirements -- we have to go through a training program just to get certified."
Still, Coach Dave said the fear of being accused is such that the league struggles to find coaches, because many qualified men would rather not deal with the potential headache.
"Girls hockey tries to do their best, but guys don't step up to coach because of all the flak," he said.
"That's why I'd be careful about crucifying this guy before the facts are known -- of course, if he did it, then shame on him."
The "guy" in question is Michael Shawn Bourgeois, 35, a recently hired Calgary hockey coach charged with sexual assault, after alleged sexual contact with a 15-year-old female player over three days last month.
Police won't describe what they call the "relationship" between coach and player, but Bourgeois is also charged with inciting sexual contact and invitation to sexual touching with a child under 16.
Coach Dave, who doesn't know the accused, says Girls Hockey Calgary does an excellent job of teaching coaches what is appropriate, while requiring "bench moms" to deal with injuries and supervise in the dressing room.
"They outline all these things -- I'm actually not sure what more Girls Hockey Calgary can do," he said.
One thing that isn't required is a mandatory criminal background check on every coach, though a memo was apparently sent out two weeks ago by Girls Hockey Calgary, saying those who haven't been checked soon will be.
Whether the memo is a reaction to the sexual abuse case wasn't clear, though the timing would suggest it.
Hockey Calgary president Perry Cavanagh says criminal checks aren't required, because they aren't foolproof, and a potential pervert with no prior police record can slip through.
"That always presents a challenge if there's pre-existing history it puts you in a position of not knowing anything," said Cavanagh.
That's something Sheldon Kennedy agrees with: In leagues where criminal checks are the rule, he says there's often complacency.
"They have a false sense of security, and Graham James would have walked right through it," said Kennedy.
Kennedy is hockey's most outspoken advocate against sexual abuse, after suffering hundreds of assaults by coach Graham James as a junior hockey player.
Kennedy, a former NHL star, was instrumental in developing the Respect in Sport program, now employed by all Hockey Calgary leagues, including Girls Hockey Calgary. It's meant to teach adults about appropriate behaviour, and how to spot the creeps and perverts in their midst.
Kennedy says no player will ever be 100% safe from an adult predator, but awareness that people such as Graham James exist has led to vast improvements in player safety. "I don't believe we'll ever stop it from happening completely, but we can stop it from happening repeatedly over a long period of time," said Kennedy.
"It's about being able to recognize the issue and the problem -- when we strengthen ourselves through eduction, we're going to weed out those bad apples."
MICHAEL.PLATT@SUNMEDIA.CA
