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% a PORT PERRY STAR -- Tuesday, December 1, 1987 -- § 9 Viewpoint by John B. McClelland THE CALENDAR EFFECT For all you parents of hockey playing kids who har- bour a secret dream of some day seeing Johnny star in the uniform of the Oilers, the Leafs or the Canadiens, best check out the little guy's birthdate. ~The "Calendar Effect" may prove to be a roadblock in little Johnny's long and arduous journey from the backyard rink to centre ice at Maple Leaf Gardens. And just what is the Calendar Effect? Well, a couple of profs at the University of Alberta have studied the birthdates of NHL players and they have found that 235 were born in the first half of the year, while 162 were born in the second half of the year. In other words, according to the research, a boy born in the first six months of the year is only half again as likely to make it to the NHL as a boy born in the final six months of the year. Preposterous, you say? How on earth can the time of year a child is born have any effect on whether he makes it to the NHL some 19 or 20 years later. Well, the University of Alberta professors have come up with some answers to that question, and they say it actually begins when a boy is about nine years old, the age when most minor hockey jurisdictions begin "; stream players into elite competition or recreational play. A nine year old born in February, for example, is and even intellectual development than one born in November of the same year. Thus, when minor hockey organizations begin to stream their players into elite and recreational divi- sions, the early born nine year old hgs several advan- tages over this counterpart born later that year. What's more, the researchers have found, is that once a boy is streamed at a very early age, he tends to remain in that same stream throughout his minor hockey days. So, the players on the elite teams get more games, more practise time, better qualified coaching, higher levels of competition than those in the recreational or house leagues. The researchers even go so far to suggest that the disadvantage for the late born players could begin as early as six when they first take to the ice for instruc- tion. At age six, the late born players may feel they can't compete with players several months "older" than themselves, and at that tender age, they may fall into a mold of considering themselves just average. This calendar effect shows up significantly only in hockey, not other team sports like basketball, football or baseball. The researchers suggest that the hockey method of grouping youngsters according to the year they were born is at fault, and also the early streaming of hockey players into elite and recreational levels. Alberta professor Chris Janssen. The first is fairness and the other is whether potential hockey talent is be- ing overlooked at a later age when kids are streamed at such an early age. In short, he is suggesting that if a nine year old does not "make it" with an elite team, the kid may resign himself to the fact that he never will. Early success at a tender age as a hockey player has almost become a prerequisite for a hockey career. The research has found that the early streaming of hockey players and the age-grouping factor are similar to the methods used in international sports such as gym- nastics, swimming and figure skating, but not in other North American team sports like baseball and football. Amateur hockey organizations in this country are aware of this "calendar effect" and there has been some talk of adding a weight limit to the grouping formula. The Alberta researchers would like to see group- ing by ability, not just age, but also a rotation of the bir- thday cut-off date from year to year. Most minor hockey systems have a major and minor grouping for their elite players. For example, the Pee Wee age (12 and 13) the 12 year olds play on the minor team, the 13 year olds play on the major team. That may help. But it still doesn't get around the problem the researchers see for the young players (six to nine). A seven year old whose birthday is in January is likely to be bigger, stronger and more emotionally secure than - a boy born the same year in December. The breakdown by date of birth of Canadian-born NHL players is most interesting. 39 were born in January, 24 in December; 40 were born in Feb., 22 in November: 37 were born in March, 29 in October; 37 born in April, 26 in September; 41 born in May, 29 in considerably further along in his physical, emotional There are two basic issues here, says University of (Turn to page 6) Yesterday's Memories 70 YEARS AGO Uy Thursday, November 29, 1917 Here are just a few examples of what your Christmas gifts may have cost you 70 years ago: men's shirts $1.00 to $1.50; Ladies fine kid gloves - $1.00 to $2.25; or how about a 1917 Ford Runabout for $475. Even with these prices would you give up what you have now to go back and live 70 years ago. 45 YEARS AGO Thursday, December 3, 1942 Corporal Mabel Buttle received promotion to the rank of Sergeant on Monday, November 23rd, 1942 at St. Anne de Bellevue. Sergeant Buttle is the daughter of Mrs. M. Stones. Christmas trees and decorations will be permitted within the home during the period of December 24, 1942 to January 1, 1943. This is due to a change in clause 2(¢) which the Power Controller has approved. 35 YEARS AGO Thursday, December 4, 1952 Reg. Moorhead was re-elected president of the Canadian Legion Branch 419, for his third consecutive year. Vice-President is John Christie and Secretary-treasurer will be Frank Godley. Only 43 percent of the 1.735 eligible voters turned out to elect Ivan Cochrane as Deputy-Reeve for Cartwright. Councillors for the com- ing year are to be Bruce Ashton, Allan Suggitt and Howard Forder. 30 YEARS AGO Thursday, December 5, 1957 Nearly 100 people took advantage of the generous offer of Howard Motors arranged in taking two buses to see the General Motors motorama of 1958 in Oshawa. Mr. Roy H. Cornish was honoured at the Public School Auditorium on November 27th on the occasion of 25 years of service to the school. He first came to Port Perry in September 1931 and became principal a year later. | 20 YEARS AGO Thursday, November 30, 1967 Judy Cochrane, now a student of York University, was chosen Valedictorian at the Comnriencement exercises of Cartwright High School on Saturday, November 26, 1967. Miss Margaret Vernon, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Claire Ver- non, Prospect, recently graduated from Shaw Business College and was chosen to give the Valedictorian Address. Two Port Perry boys, Scott Nelson, son of Mr. and Mrs. CG. Nelson and Teddy Willis, son of Mr. and Mrs. Bruce Willis, Oshawa Times Carriers, travelled by bus from Oshawa to Toronto Airport on Satur- day where they were taken on a Vanguard flight over Toronto and Hamilton. The boys qualified for this trip by selling 4 new subscrip- tions to the Oshawa Times. 10 YEARS AGO Wednesday, November 30, 1977 The first snowstorm of the season struck Scugog Township over (Turn to page 6) Letters * There WAS a war in Korea Editor's Note: The following letter has been sent to Prime Minister Brian Mulroney and MP Flora McDonald, whose Cabinet duties in- clude the CBC. The writer of the let- ter, Paul Saulnier, has asked that this letter be published in the Port Perry Star. - On November 11, 1987, I watched the news on CTV, CBC and CHCH (Hamilton). Both CTV and CHCH mentioned World Wars I and II, and Korea. CHCH also showed slides of Korea in view of Remembrance Day. However, CBC failed to men- tion Korea inits coverage. I was in- formed by CBC that its research department does not consider Korea to be a war, but only a **police ac- tion," or "peace keeping movement.' To this I must reply: tell the 27,000 who served in Korea that it was not a war; tell the PPCLI, the R22R and the'RCR that it was not a war; tell the three Artillery Regiments and the Tank Service Corps that it was not a war, but mostly tell the mourners of the 516 Canadians who lost their lives that Korea was not a war. Drinking and driving To The Editor: I see a general decline in stan- dards and deteriorating quality of education of many young people, because many parents no longer help in their educational process. Parents cannot wash their hands of responsibility for their children's education. Parents should perform a positive function -- in their children's education or by neglect set examples they may eventually come to regret. Parents should realize schools are only one element in the education of children. Infants are taught -- whether knowingly or not -- by their parents from birth. Babies pick up their parent's attitudes. Children observe from their parents, at- titudes about music, the use or abuse of drugs -- alcohol and respect or the absence of respect for authority among other things. Solicitor General Joan Smith has vowed to get tough with impaired drivers -- words are not enought. The penalty for impaired and drunk driving is too light at present. Let's see the legislation to back that up. Only then will the message of SADD and PRIDE have clout. Police reports show that drivers charged with drug-alcohol-related pifences are repeat offenders. Those charged a second or third time are probably people who drive while im- paired every day. A person has to drive impaired an awful lot before they are caught three times, the way I see it. While persons with an alcohol and/or drug problems may clearly need to receive substance abuse in- terventioin, treatment should in no way serve as a substitute for punish- ment of a criminal offence. Studies show that when treatment has been substituted for other (Turn to page 6) When have we ever lost 516 lives in a "'police action?" In the three years of the Korean War there was no peace to be kept; we had a full scale war. Imjim, Seoul, Hill 355, Hill Betty and Death Valley, just to mention a few of the places in this war, and we were there. Mr. Prime Minister, in your letter to Canadian Legions, you mention "Korean conflicts." When are you going to understand that it was the Korean War. I was there and so were 27,000 others. Our leader, one of Canada's best, Rocky as we called him, pass- ed away last July. Were you there to bid him farewell? I am willing and it is my aim to make everyone understand that Korea was a war. It is my hope that when November 11, 1988 rolls around, that you and your caucus, along with the CBC will mention Korea as a war and remember it with the honour it deserves. Korea, 1950-53. We were there and those of us who returned still have the scars of war in our minds and on our bodies. We will never forget. Paul Saulnier, Port Perry, Ontario. Public Information Officer, Korea Veterans Association, (Ontario Region) ter to the editor. Letters to the Editor ... our policy It has always been the policy of this newpspaper to encourage our readers to make use of the letters to the editor column. Our readers have a right to freely express their opinions and view- points on just about any subject, and we feel that a lively letters col- umn helps make a better community newspaper. We insist, however, that a letter writer sign his or her name. On rare occasions, we will agree to with-hold publication of a letter writer's name, if we feel there are very good reasons to do so. Under no circumstances will this paper print an anonymous let- While we enjoy receiving letters from our readers, we must con- tinue to insist on knowing the identity of the writer. g } 2 4 EEE TI TI ns