Keep Your Cool: Hockey PEI video sends message to fans

Anyone who has been to a hockey game or other sporting event has probably seen it at one time or another: someone loses their cool and yells or worse at the ref, coach, player or fan.

It's not a new problem, says Hockey PEI executive director Rob Newson. And he wants people to be passionate about their teams and sport, but with the bulk of P.E.I.'s minor hockey championships underway this weekend he also wants to remind people it's a game about fun and participation.

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That's why Hockey PEI has released a new video called Keep Your Cool.

'It is a game'

"Sport brings out sometimes the very best in people and unfortunately sometimes can bring out the worst in a lot of us," he said on CBC's Mainstreet P.E.I.

Sport brings out sometimes the very best in people and unfortunately sometimes can bring out the worst in a lot of us.- Rob Newson

"We thought it was time to better promote the game to just kind of remind people, it is a game and the game is primarily for the kids."

The video features players, parents, coaches and referees talking about the good parts of playing the memories, the friends, even swimming in the hotel pool

But it also talks about the bad like when people "lose their cool."

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'People realize after the fact, that's not me'

"It's unfortunate," Newson said. "It's not something that's part of the game and I think for the most part most people realize after the fact, that's not me, that's not who I really am and maybe I stepped over the boundary and I shouldn't have."

The video has been well received by the public, especially on social media, Newson said.

"People are passionate. And as our promo video directs home, we want people to be passionate, we want you to be engaged, we want you to really love the game, but just keep your cool and keep focused about what it's about."

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