Played house league (Kiwanis) from the age of 4 to 18. Contact started in Peewee and finished in Midget. There were non-contact leagues that were available for the kids that didn't want to play contact. It's never a bad thing to teach kids when they're young how to properly give and take a hit. It also (in my opinion) really helps their on ice awareness and just gives them better hockey smarts.