Why I Didn't Say Anything: The Sheldon Kennedy Story.

Dave Jenkinson is a professor in the Faculty of Education at the University of Manitoba and the author of the “Portraits” section of Emergency Librarian.

While right-winger Sheldon Kennedy played on the gold medal–winning squad at the 1988 World Junior Hockey Championships and on the Swift Current Broncos 1989 Memorial Cup–winning team, plus some eight years in the National Hockey League with three different teams, Why I Didn’t Say Anything is not the typical hockey biography. Despite the book’s hockey action cover art, Kennedy does not relate the expected tale of How-I-made-it-to-the-NHL or provide descriptions of key goals or games, all accompanied by action photos. Instead, Kennedy, who was sexually molested some 300 times over a five-year period by his junior coach, Graham James, explains what caused him to wait almost a decade before coming forward to bring his abuser to justice. Through seven untitled chapters structured chronologically, this as-told-to biography employs very straightforward prose in describing how this perfect storm of abuse came about, and, in doing so, it exposes how the potential for sexual abuse can exist in any area of athletic or artistic endeavor where a single individual holds the power to significantly impact a youngster’s opportunities for future advancement.

In retrospect, Kennedy sees the many elements which contributed to his being victimized. Among them, his poor relationship with his father, coupled with his parents’ divorce, left him vulnerable to the attentions of an apparently caring father figure. The culture of hockey, in which adults bearing titles like scout, coach, or general manager can, in fact, determine a player’s future, was a major factor, as was the willingness of many to ignore the obvious as long as the team was winning. While playing junior hockey, Kennedy, experiencing shame, guilt, and self-loathing over being abused, sought refuge in new abuses, alcohol and drugs, abuses which increased throughout his NHL career and continued even after Graham’s conviction, an event which many, including Kennedy himself, erroneously thought would bring closure and a “happy-ever-after” ending.

In addition to being a cautionary tale about sexual abuse, Why I Didn’t Say Anything also reveals that those who have been abused or who have become substance abusers should be considered as “recovering” rather than “recovered.” Highly recommended.