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YOUTH HOCKEY: GETTING SLAP HAPPY ON ICE
What is it? Ice hockey is a fast-paced, competitive sport involving two teams fielding up to six players--two defensemen, three forwards, and one goalie--on the ice at a time. Using long curved sticks, the well-padded players try to seize or maintain control of a hard rubber disc, or puck, and hit it into the opposing team's goal cage, which is guarded by a goalie. According to USA Hockey Inc., the national governing body for the sport, participation in ice hockey children and adolescents under age 19 has increased almost sixfold over the past 25 years. About 260,000 youngsters under age 19 play hockey under the auspices of USA Hockey. Ice hockey has enormous appeal for children and adolescents. For one thing, the equipment used by youth leagues is virtually identical to that worn by the pros. Ice hockey enables children to skate fast but challenges them to stay in control. The sport also provides a constructive means of channeling their energy. Children learn about teamwork and get many opportunities to succeed; since only a handful of players are on the ice at any given time, each skater must play a very active and important role. Ice hockey offers many health benefits, as well. Drills, scrimmages, and games provide aerobic training. Playing ice hockey also tones every major muscle group. Kids who are serious about hockey and show a genuine talent may be eligible for sports scholarships to college. As a recreational sport, ice hockey is something children can carry into their adult lives. Common injuries Ice hockey players travel at high rates of speed on a slippery surface that is ringed by unyielding boards. They use sticks made mostly of wood and shoot pucks composed of vulcanized rubber. To make matters worse, some kids play hockey as a collision sport. It is no wonder that the greatest concern about hockey is its risk for injury. Most ice-hockey injuries are minor: contusions and lacerations are typical. But fractures and other more serious injuries can and do occur. According to a recent report from the National Center for Catastrophic Sport Injury Research, ice hockey and gymnastics were associated with the highest injury rates among winter sports at the high school and college levels during a 16-year study period lasting from 1982 to 1998. During the study period, 12 high school ice hockey players sustained catastrophic injuries, two of which were fatal. "A high percentage of the ice-hockey injuries involve a player being hit by an opposing player, usually from behind, and striking the skate rink boards with the top of his or her head," the report states. According to the Allina Foundation, a healthcare organization that funds the Center for Violence Prevention and Control in Minnesota, Canadian researchers have documented an "alarming increase" in cervical spine (neck) injuries caused by ice hockey. They found an average of fewer than 1 injury per year from 1966 to 1979 but 13 injuries per year from 1982 to 1986, with 64 percent of all injuries occurring in male players ages 11 and 20. Injuries often stem from the legal or illegal use of body checking, in which a player bumps or slams into an opponent with either his hip or shoulder to block the opponent's progress or to throw him off-balance. Body checking is allowed only against an opponent who is controlling the puck or against the last player to control it. Serious commitment required Learning to play hockey safely and proficiently requires a serious commitment on the part of a child and his or her parents. Chris Barcless, a former professional player who oversees a variety of youth hockey programs in New Jersey, says it takes about 1 1/2 years on average for most children to complete an initiation program that consists of weekly skating and hockey lessons. Expensive Parents must make a financial commitment, as well. League fees generally range from $250 to more than $2,000, depending on whether your child's team plays in-house or travels to other venues. It costs another $300 to outfit your child for hockey, but it is easy to spend far more than that. A pair of high-quality hockey skates can cost $150 to $250 or more, for example, and you'll probably need to buy several pairs as your child's feet grow. You needn't buy the most expensive equipment available. You can also save money by purchasing used equipment through hockey swaps, used sporting goods retailers, and word-of-mouth. If you choose the secondhand route, make sure everything is in good condition before buying. Any able-bodied child, adolescent, or teen who expresses interest can participate in ice hockey. Some hockey programs accept children as young as 4 or 5. Predominately a male sport, more and more girls are getting involved. According to USA Hockey, the number of female hockey players in the United States rose by 50 percent between 1988 and 1993. Barcless notes that girls' hockey is continuing to grow "enormously" in both the United States and Canada. Youngsters most likely to excel at hockey are relatively athletic, agile, coordinated, and have a good sense of balance. If, however, your child is lacking in any of these areas, playing hockey may lead to improvements. Playing hockey can also instill a sense of confidence, pride, and accomplishment. Most public skating rinks offer youth hockey programs, including lessons, drills, organized team play, and tournaments. Many high schools, particularly those in northern states where ice hockey is very popular, have hockey teams. According to the 1997 High School Athletics Participation Survey conducted by the National Federation of State High School Associations, 1,037 schools sponsor boys' ice hockey programs, and 144 schools sponsor ice hockey programs for girls. The first mission for any new ice hockey player is to learn and follow the myriad official rules of the game. Many, if not most, rules are designed to keep the game as safe and enjoyable as possible. There are also rules aimed at young players only, such as shortened periods of play. Two optional rules are designed to reduce the injury rate among young hockey players:
According to the U.S. Olympic Committee, ice hockey players need the following equipment:
assist: pass or passes that immediately precede a successful scoring attempt attacking zone: area between the opposing team's blue line and their goal backhand shot: shot or pass made with the stick from the left side by a right-handed player or from the right side by a left-handed player blind pass: transferring the puck to a teammate without looking blue lines: two blue, foot-wide lines that run parallel across the ice, each 60 feet from the goal boards: a 3 1/2- to 4-foot-high wall of wood and shatterproof glass around the rink's perimeter to prevent the puck and players from accidentally leaving the rink and injuring spectators carom: when the puck rebounds off the boards or any other object center ice: the area, or "neutral zone," between the two blue lines center line: a red, foot-wide line across the ice midway between the two goals checking: a defensive or guarding tactic in which the players move their body or hockey stick against an opponent in order to gain control of the puck clearing the puck: when a player gets the puck out of how own defensive zone dead puck: a puck that flies out of the rink or is caught in a player's hand defensemen: two players who help the goalie guard against attack; usually stationed in or near their defensive zone, defensemen sometimes they lead an attack deking: a fake-out motion made by the puck-carrier's shoulder, stick, or head to lead an opponent to think he is about to pass or skate in one direction when he is planning to move in another direction drop pass: leaving the puck behind for a teammate to pick up face-off: when the referee drops the puck between two opposing players in order to initiate play at the beginning of each period or to resume play after it has stopped for another reason forwards: three players--the center and the right and left wings--who comprise the team's attacking line goalkeeper: the heavily padded player who tries to prevent opponents from scoring by stopping the puck any way he can; also known as goalie or goaltender interference: a penalty called when a player tries to hinder the motion of another player who is not in possession of the puck open ice: a region of ice that is free of opponents periods: three playing intervals separated by two rest intervals; depending on the players' ages, periods may be 10, 12, or 15 minutes long; professional periods are 20 minutes long rebound: occurs when the puck bounces off the goalie's body or equipment red line: the line that bisects the length of the ice save: when the goalie blocks or stops a shot slap shot: shot in which a player raises his stick in a backswing, then swings the stick down toward the puck while leaning into the stick to put all his power behind the shotSources USA Hockey Inc. Chris Barcless, Hockey Director, Ice Land Skating Center, Hamilton, NJ; interview March 8, 2000 American Academy of Pediatrics National Center for Catastrophic Sport Injury Research Allina Foundation Center for Violence Prevention and Control, School of Public Health, University of Minnesota First Base Sports United States Olympic Committee Youth Hockey Network Hockey camps Interested in other sports and games for kids? Check out these articles in the Kid Fit Center: Bicycling Soccer Martial Arts Basketball Roller Blade Healthy Snacks Ways to increase your family' s physical activity Dodgeball
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