Players help program

Press Release

BOUCHERVILLE, Wednesday, March 4, 2009 – The Commissioner of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League, Gilles Courteau, today announced the launch of a pilot project to study the possibility of creating a players help program.

"I am very pleased to announce this new initiative which will be overseen by Natacha Llorens, a renowned expert in the field of social intervention and prevention, whose reputation in the sports industry will certainly play a large role in offering the best possible support to our young athletes," commented the Commissioner. "I am convinced that this project will eventually be recognized and congratulated as were our educational, anti-doping and antidiscrimination programs."

In our society, we often talk about raising awareness or punishing unacceptable behaviour instead of supporting or rehabbing the individuals who are going through difficult situations. They generally don’t talk about their problems for fear of being judged or simply because they don’t have the necessary resources available to help them. Therefore, the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League is looking at taking action by studying the possibility of creating a program dedicated to helping players and the people who they work with. This program would ensure immediate and confidential support.

"The idea of launching this project was discussed thoroughly over the course of the summer and talks continued and intensified during the season. At this stage, the pilot project’s goal is to analyze the current landscape and try to pinpoint the issues that the players face. By collecting this information, we will be in a better position to intervene if the need should arise," added Mr. Courteau.

The program’s objectives are:

• Educate and raise awareness among our athletes regarding the consequences of their actions in order to help them make the best and most informed decisions.

• Educate support staff on the issues that players face.

• Offer sound choices and the necessary resources to help athletes in their development.

• Promote and encourage initiatives founded on the true values of sports.

Various options are being studied to reach these objectives, including the creation of training programs dedicated to educating support staff, the creation of a free and confidential help-line along with an e-mail address for players and staff to reach the coordinator of the program as well as different scenarios to involve the media to promote it.

"The care and well-being of our players is and has always been our #1 priority. The Quebec Major Junior Hockey League and its member clubs are once again at the forefront, developing new initiatives to offer the best support systems to our players," concluded the Commissioner.

(Nathan also is a writer for Maineiacs Post to Post and the Maine Hockey Journal. He can be reached at fourniern@students.nescom.edu)