Under the ice - the abyss

Why became possible the death of a young hockey player in Podolsk

Hockey player Ilya Solnyshkin, 14 years old, died in the locker room of the Sports school of Podolsky “Vityaz” after training, not as a result of an injury received on the ice, but due to a skirmish with teammates. In any case, he lost consciousness, according to the information that leaked from eyewitnesses, after the power disassembly. So it was or not, the investigation is being understood. Hockey authorities also conduct their investigation, which temporarily removed hockey players born in 2003 from the work of the coaches.

If the investigation tries to get to the bottom of the deep reasons for what happened, then you will have to look into the abyss. I'm not sure that this is necessary for both investigative bodies and sports officials. But, one way or another, to pay attention to what has long been going on in children's hockey (and wider - in all Russian children's sports), it was necessary, without waiting for another and, in fact, the most terrible tragedy .

The path to a large sport itself is cruel and very far from the beautiful -sided slogans. We don’t need to look for a gospel here, there is no place for the “botanists” here. But when ordinary sports problems and personal dramas associated with them are aggravated by the realities of current life, the risk intensifies repeatedly. Especially in hockey - one of the most traumatic team sports, and not only because of its game characteristics. The popularity of hockey has a flip side that is very expensive in every sense.

The incident in Podolsk is not called a typical phenomenon - this happened for the first time at all. And at the same time, it is easiest to determine the death of a teenager as an accidental combination of circumstances. A fairly experienced specialist Vyacheslav Kurochkin, who worked in several famous hockey schools, is the second death of the ward-a year ago in Moscow, after an absurd puck in the back of his head, they did not manage to save an 8-year-old boy. The coach was not found guilty, and in the current situation the main events occurred in his absence. Whether Kurochkin should control the wards until he exit the sports complex and what the degree of his guilt in what happened is not to judge this.

Anyway, the matter, by and large, is not in Kurochkin. And not even in Podolsk, although this city, due to the specifics of sports and near-sports development, is honored by the cult of power, and its pride, the Vityaz hockey club, not so long ago personally personified the fist’s cult, for which he was almost expelled from the continental hockey league. The image has changed over time, now it is another, completely playing team, but no one has canceled inertia.

Ilya Solnyshkin was accepted to the Vityaz school last summer-before that he comprehended the basics of hockey in St. Petersburg. According to one version, the “stranger” team was essentially imposed, but the level of preparation did not allow the main composition. Perhaps the old -timers were not very satisfied with the recruit, but the conflict was not clearly manifested for the time being.

Which served as a specific cause of a fatal skirmish is exactly unclear. Perhaps the reason was, from the point of view of disinterested persons, in general, a trifle-a teenager put on a training sweater that did not correspond to his position ... But for those who were brewing in the youth hockey with his competition, open conflict is not news. True, the consequences were incomparable with the misconduct, if it was at all.

Behind the beautiful facade about the noble sports mission are very simple and understandable things to advanced adults: big sport is glory and money, or rather money and glory. Hockey in the presentation of many is the redest path to both. Some parents immediately see the future NHL stars in their children and are ready for everything so that the child receives conditions and preparation corresponding to their aspirations. The worst of all, poor parents, whose children do not show obvious talent - their chances to break through close to zero.

The coach with a beggarly salary, in turn, is ready for any forgery, so that his team is noticed, and among the pupils was the son of the Malomal oligarch. Fights are familiar, otherwise not to live. Training, and not patient and gradual training, is a necessary thing, otherwise it is not to give a result on which the advancement of the specialist and the same money depends.

According to the tasks, aggression is primarily encouraged, and the general social background only adds uncontrolled malice.

From a young age, our hockey players are ready to wet peers anywhere. That children are also participating in the showdown directly.

Probably, not all of the above directly refers to the Podolsk hockey school "Vityaz". And, of course, not everyone lives according to wolf laws, not all parents lose their heads and not all coaches are imprisoned for success at all costs. But the fact that smart, honest and talented children's specialists are increasingly difficult for their principles every year, I can testify. If we still succeed in hockey, this is only because traditions are still remembered, and talents, it happens, break through contrary to everything.

But some just do not live. Not in sports - in life. As Ilya Solnyshkin did not live.

Two days after his death, Podolsk rejoiced at the first in many years to exit the Vityaz in the playoffs of the Gagarin Cup. We drove.