Cougar Cup Fair Play

What is A Fair Play Tournament Simply put. A Play Fair policy encourages and fosters safety and respect for our players and participants, and ensures the rights, responsibilities and the privileges of all persons involved in our association and tournament. Fair Play does not change any rules of the game. Nor is the misconception that Fair Play will detract from competitiveness and winning a reality. In fact, the exact opposite has been found time and again to be true. Fair Play contributes to winning, as it encourages every player on every team to be as competitive as possible, but to play within the rules. One of the driving forces behind our tournament for many years, Bob Merrick, articulates this better than most in, "Show Us What You Are Made Of By Keeping It Clean".

"Show Us What You Are Made Of By Keeping It Clean"
While it is "the fun" that draws us to hockey, it is the character built and revealed that makes it worth all of the time and money we invest in it. Approached the right way, hockey can be an excellent tool for reinforcing the values and attitudes we, as parents, try to instill in our children at home. It can also be an excellent way to prepare our teenagers for adulthood and entrance into the workforce. Take for example:

When players....	They demonstrate....
are willing to pass the puck and set up their teammates for goals take few penalties listen to their coaches and referees do pre-game stretches and are ready for the game on time call when they are going to be away never give up in a game.	the ability to be a team player and to value supporting roles self-control and respect for rules respect for those placed in positions of authority and a willingness to take commands self-discipline and an ability to self-start. responsibility and consideration for others self-confidence and a good work ethic
Players who are committed to playing "clean hockey" and as a team, are never short of good character references for job applications. Not only do they have coaches who have seen their attitudes and actions both in the dressing room and on the bench, they also have all of the parents who have viewed their conduct on the ice, game after game, and in emotional charged situations that are common in hockey. The question asked by prospective employers of a character reference are often designed to see if the applicant has the kind of character qualities referred to above. At the Cougar Cup, we like to offer some tangible rewards to players who demonstrate a commitment to playing clean hockey and showing good sportsmanship. Hence, we have created the Most Sportsmanlike Team Award - the winners of which are chosen, in large part, by the on-ice officials and as well the Penalty-Free Sweepstakes.