Sue and Scott Hopkinson
Woodruff, Wis.
We stayed at Best Western Hotel, River Falls, Wis., on Dec. 5. Our room was next to Sartell (Minn.) Youth Hockey Team. We were delighted to see the boys participating in a sport representing Sartell.
Sadly, our encouragement ends. We were appalled by the lack of adult leadership. We don’t understand why children were left unsupervised taking over the hotel, running amok through the hallways, knocking on doors, holding elevators, setting off car alarms, yelling, playing hockey in the hallways, rude and obnoxious to anyone asking them to settle down. This behavior continued from mid-afternoon into the middle of the night. As guests in the hotel, we could not walk down the hall without being threatened to be hit by a hockey stick or ball. We could not get any rest. Other guests in the hotel, including highly decorated soldiers and a couple with a newborn baby, were subjected to this disrespectful, obstreperous conduct. There was absolutely NO adult supervision!
The hotel staff was defenseless. Security cameras captured the incivility. The hotel management did its best adding additional staff to walk the hallways, talk to parents, talk to the coaches and talk to the children. Hotel staff began filming using their cell phones because they wanted to prove how disrespectful the children were talking back to them and behaving. Nothing worked. Why? Because the coaches and adult supervision did not want to be bothered while they were in the hotel lounge.
The general manager at the Best Western Hotel said the hotel hosts youth hockey teams during the months of December and January, and this was the worst out-of-control weekend they’ve ever encountered. He said he was going to have to review the rules again with the Sartell hockey teams to curtail this conduct.
Playing a sport is supposed to teach our youth respect, to gain social skills, take responsibility and have pride. The Sartell Youth Hockey Team, coaches and parents displayed none of these qualities. They should be embarrassed for representing their town and sport so poorly.
How disappointing.