Hockey A New Appreciation

Although I am Canadain and grew up watching Hockey Night in Canada with my Dad on Saturday nights, I was still left with a limited appreciation for what the sport was about.

This year I took up a new hobbie, for the thrill of doing something different, and the great exersise it provided I joined the local ladies hockey team.

I am a skater, though I grew up on figure skates, not hockey skates.
I played indoor hockey in school and could manage a stick and puck okay, so how hard would it be I thought.

Well there is alot more to hockey, then I had realized. I needed full gear to play so my girlfriend and I went shopping. So I though a few bucks for a helmet, some skates and knee pads. Big woop.

Well, lets see. I needed a cup for my crotch, a garder belt, (never owned one before hockey), knee pads, elbow pads, neck guard, shoulder pads, pants that include tailbone pad, kidney guards, chest gear, socks to hold the knee pads, three fingered gloves, helmet with face shield, a jersey, skates, tape, water bottle and a hockey stick. After about an hour, I was completely dressed, sweat pouring off me and thirty pounds heavier.

So off to the game, now I truly understand the need for dressing rooms. As with all your padding you must play in your underwear as not to die from heat exhaustion.
Another realization, hockey skates require a certain amount of skill
to wear, keep you knees bent, and what ever you do don't try to stand up completely straight, as you fall flat on your ass. Thank God for the tailbone protection.

Now skating in thirty pounds of gear is one tough job, but try holding a stick with gloves that are two inches thick with only three fingers. Ya, now you see the difficulty here.

Why do players tape the top of their sticks with big knobs....because when you drop your stick you can not pick it up with those big stupid gloves. So I taped the end of my stick the size of New Mexico ! No problem now, can even play hockey with it upside down.

Why do players spray water from their water bottle all over their face, instead of drinking like normal people. First it's a great way to cool down, cause your so damn hot, even in your underwear. Second the face shield on those helmets have no watering hole...so spray and hope to god you have good aim, or you'll get deyhdrated and die.

Hip checking, the term used for something really heavy because of too much padding whom can't see well, on slippery blades going way to fast and can't stop. This is the best way to stop by running into another well padded individual.

As for the game itself, well the skill in hockey is skating in all that gear. The stick is truly only there to help with balance, and used as a cane when you leave because you can barely walk, as your calves are way too sore.
The puck is just there to make it more difficult, as you can't skate when it's under foot.

All in All, I am truly enjoying the sport. And would like to say it is the most difficult of all sports played. As I'd like to see a soccor player run in thirty extra pounds of padding and two inched of foam added to his soccor cleats with only three toes, and a giant cage wrapped around his head. Now that would be amazing!