A young autistic man who played on standard ice hockey teams for ten years was forced to leave his recreational league because of the discriminatory attitude of his coaches, his family denounces.
“He has the right to play hockey […] For him, during these little 60 minutes [de jeu]“He wasn’t autistic, he was normal,” says Paride Casale, the young man’s father.
Dante Casale, 18, is a passionate ice hockey player. He has been playing in various teams under the guidance of different coaches since he was eight years old.
In January, he played his last game with the Monteuil Laval Association's Midget B team after being indirectly defeated by his coaches.
Like his entire family, Dante believes he was the victim of “unfair” treatment because he has autism spectrum disorder.
“He doesn't have the best shot, but damn, he can at least shoot on goal,” shouts his brother Noah Casale, who played in the same team before his departure in solidarity.
Dwarf B
Smiling and willing, Dante respects the rules but sometimes has difficulty understanding them. This has never been a problem in the past, his family assures us.
At the start of the season, he joined a junior team that includes players aged 18 to 21. For his safety, the league offered to demote him to the Midget B team, which brings together young people between the ages of 15 and 17, which included his brother Noah.
This is where the tensions began. However, this was the level at which he was already playing last year when Mr Casale was coach.
Dante Casale with his mother Sylvie Millette, his father Paride Casale and his brother Noah Casale. Photo Dominique Scali
His two new coaches and some parents were against welcoming a player with limitations from the start.
“Their idea was already thought out,” says Sylvie Millette, Dante’s mother.
“Really bad”
“I told them: 'You'll live with it,'” says Claudio Quaglieri, president of the Monteuil Laval Association. But this decision quickly triggered a wave of criticism.
“It was endless emails. We were called all sorts of names. It was really bad,” concludes Mr. Quaglieri.
Compromises were found: Dante would no longer take part in tournaments or training. In addition, he was only sent to the ice for a few seconds per period during regular games.
Because Dante needed help tying his skates, his father or one of his brothers helped him in the locker room, which Hockey Laval said would have embarrassed the other players.
But according to Noah, it would be an excuse from the adults to better exclude his brother. “I asked her [à mes coéquipiers] and everyone said, 'You hardly notice when your father is here.'”
Intimidation?
The tension rose again during a game in which Dante spent the entire time on the bench. Shocked by this decision, Mr Casale asked one of the trainers where he worked, which was interpreted as intimidation.
“That was never my intention,” apologizes Mr. Casale. “My goal was to understand how someone like him was raised [pouvait agir comme ça].”
Both coaches therefore resigned shortly before Christmas. At such a late stage in the season it was no longer possible to find other certified trainers to replace him, explains Mr Quaglieri.
Dante's parents decided to remove him from the team so as not to punish the other players who had nothing to do with it and had welcomed the young man.
“The coaches and the federation did not “suppress” Dante,” Martine Deschamps, general director of Hockey Laval, said via email. They would rather have expressed concern for his safety, she adds.
The growth of customized leagues doesn’t solve everything
The proliferation of conformist sports leagues should not be used as an excuse to exclude young people who are different in the name of the “madness” of victory, speakers remind.
“I want it to go back to the way it was before [dans l’équipe de l’an dernier]», admits Dante Casale.
For several weeks, he has been part of a hockey league aimed at young people with autism, an option that is becoming increasingly popular across Quebec.
“It is run by extraordinary people,” emphasizes his father Paride Casale.
But for Dante, customized hockey doesn't make him feel like he's playing real games or feel “normal” every now and then like standard teams did.
Not an isolated case
His case is not an isolated one, although there are no statistics on the subject, notes Lili Plourde, general director of the Quebec Autism Federation.
“It’s not the first time I’ve heard of a young person losing their place in an unsuitable team due to a change in people or leadership,” she says.
Lili Plourde, director general of the Quebec Autism Federation. Courtesy (Jade FE / Quebec Autism Federation
“Many young people feel completely at home in core teams, but are often victims of intimidation from others and also from coaches,” adds Ms Plourde.
However, Hockey Quebec's code of ethics requires the coach to “ensure that everyone is treated equally” regardless of their “age”, “athletic potential” or “handicap”.
It's not always easy for volunteer coaches without training to integrate players with disabilities, admits Jocelyn Thibault, general director of Hockey Quebec.
Two visions
But very often two visions collide: those that want to include all young people so that they can develop, and those that want to win at all costs.
“Often people see it as more of a competition than a recreational sport,” notes Mr. Thibault.
This is also the explanation of Noah Casale, Dante's brother. “What the coaches wanted was to win.”
“The parents are crazy!” exclaims Sylvie Millette, Dante's mother, who is surprised that adults have more difficulty accepting a young person who is different from children.
“I just want these coaches to no longer be able to train and for the sports associations to assume their responsibility,” concludes Paride Casale. The Monteuil Laval federation also indicates that it does not want to use the services of the same coaches next year.
But for Hockey Laval, “this case has no connection with disability discrimination,” emphasizes general director Martine Deschamps.
The Casale family is considering contacting the Commission for Human and Youth Rights.
Does your child have special needs and you believe their rights are not being respected?
Write to me