The Waterloo Warriors youth hockey team won a national championship this past season and then they fired their coaching staff, according to KWWL. Brian Cook was the head coach, he has now spoken out about what he feels was an unfair action taken by the Waterloo Youth Hockey Association board. Cook says he met with the board after the season to review his contract but they told him to resign or he would be terminated. Cook says the board’s reasoning for firing him was because he was absent at some practices and he failed to report a Safesport violation. Safesport violations encompass bullying, hazing, and sexual, emotional, and physical abuse. Cook says he would delegate one practice a week to an assistant to provide them experience for future head coaching roles. Typically head coaches will still attend practice in those cases, however, Cook did not. Cook says they were told about the Safesport violation by a board member and therefore did not think it was necessary to tell the board. It is unclear which category of Safesport violations this was in regards to. A petition on change.org demanding the reinstatement of Cook has received 345 signatures.
