In the case of professionals, similar treatment of players would be out of the question, writes Jussi Paasi.
Jussi Paasi
It’s not real. Not again, I guess.
That’s what I thought when a few days ago I received information about the most recent cases of trampling on the basic rights of children and young people.
Once again, the transition from one club to another in the middle of the season had become a hilarious drama.
Urheilu raised the problem already in February of last year. According to the expert, the ice hockey association’s competition rules are against the law when it comes to club transfers.
One could imagine that some kind of solutions to the grievances would have been found. But no. The problem has gotten even worse. According to Urheilu, disputes in club transfers have increased.
It seems counterintuitive that a lawyer’s help might be needed when a child or young person changes teams.
I realized the extent of the problem when last year I received a huge number of contacts from the teams of the Urheiluhullut program from parents of children playing hockey all over Finland.
Transferring to another club during the season has been made extremely difficult, in some cases even impossible, no matter what the reason.
The parents told, among other things, of cases where the reason for changing clubs was a bad atmosphere, inappropriate behavior or bullying. Nevertheless, the transfer was not necessarily successful.
The most blatant and latest example reached my ears last week. In the capital region, a junior hockey club refuses to let eight boys transfer to another team. Not even with money.
Six players are now represented by a lawyer. That is, a lawyer looking after the hobbies of middle school-age boys. Sad.
Whatever the reason for changing clubs, one thing should be clear at all times: the best interests of children and young people should be thought of first and foremost.
How to secure the best possible, high-quality and safe environment for children and young people to practice in? It should always be the most important guideline for hobby activities.
It is incomprehensible that some clubs act against the best interests of children and try desperately to hold on to players even though they want to move on.
In another junnu team in the SME region, several children were recently allowed to change teams, albeit for a fee. In these cases, the parents of the players paid the old club a few months’ fees and got the children “released”.
Children have become pawns. The “property” of the clubs.
Did you forget the Bosman decision?
Let’s compare the situation of children and young people playing hockey with professional athletes.
In the case of professionals, similar treatment of players would be out of the question. The Bosman decision made in 1995 takes care of that, according to which a player without a contract is free to move from one club to another. Without compensation of any kind.
I repeat: a player without a contract is free to move.
But when it comes to a child or young person without a contract, free transfer is no longer possible! How can there still be such a huge loophole in junior sports?
In this sense, children and young people should be much freer than adults. It is about the construction of their unique life, in which hobbies play a significant role.
Why have children been made pawns of clubs? By what right? Whose interest is being considered in making club transfers difficult or preventing them? At least not children’s.
It is our duty as adults to correct the intolerable situation as soon as possible and allow children and young people to move freely from one club to another. The model can be taken directly from the professional level.
If someone in the Ice Hockey Association or in some club fighting against transfers sees free transfer as a threat, you should look in the mirror. When the club’s activities are of sufficient quality, it is guaranteed to attract children and young people.
And as I understand it, the parents of the children, who pay for the hobby, have the right to choose the service provider wherever they want.
In addition to ice hockey, I also recommend representatives of other sports to take a closer look at the club transfer rules for juniors and, if necessary, update them to comply with children’s basic rights.