Hockey north of the US Canadian border seems to carry more sway than any political, national or international moment. Hockey is far more than a sport to most Canadians, it's a catalyst for memories of our youth. Whether it's playing hockey on a frozen pond after the snow has been shoveled to the edges, or playing on the street in between cars and until the street lights come on. Hockey brings back crystal clear memories for most Canadians. Used to be mostly boys, but times have changed, and with the rise of women's hockey, many grown women for this and future generations will be sharing those same memories. And, that's why hockey means so much more than just a sport to most of us. It's a nostalgic reminder of a less troubled past, and a reminder of a happy youth.
Not Just A Sedimental Journey
Hockey is great sport first of all, for a variety of reasons. It's truly exciting to watch. Because of the ice surface it's played on, very few sports can match the speed at which the players move about the field of play. It moves as a game, really moves! Both the players and the puck. The tide can turn quickly in a hockey game, and you really can't let down your guard down for a moment. There can be long periods of no scoring, with lots of back and forth action. But then, in a heart beat the other team scores, and maybe a second or third goal shortly after, and fortunes have been reversed. I can think of no other sport that causes such heart-stopping, breath-holding, sheer intensity as when another team is pressing for a goal during a power play or man advantage after pulling their goalie. Usually it resembles some kind of train wreck in front of the goalie, with shot after shot, as the goalie goes down and up time and time again. Defensemen sliding desperately, risking injury to stop the puck, in the hopes, that the final seconds will elapse and the hockey game will be theirs.
The Great Ones and The Great One
Those nostalgic memories of hockey are not just of our own epic battles played between the street curbs and mounds of recently shoveled snow. There were of course the hockey legends themselves battling against one another. Hockey night in Canada is truly as much a national treasure, as any to this nation. During our formative years watching the great hockey teams and their rivalries were both a patriotic right and a duty. And then reliving those times in our own backyard rinks and streets, as we assumed the persona's of our favorite teams and players, to crush the opposing neighborhood kids with spectacular hockey moves, only to be followed only be even more spectacular goals. Truly times to be remembered, and cherished.
It's Not Just Our Game
The game is shared now. With other players, and other nations. Everyone plays, and their current and future generations are building their own great hockey memories. Andthat's OK. I just wonder, if those memories will rule their hearts and nations one day as they do ours.
By: Chris Campbell
For more on hockey visit http://www.hockeyplayonline.com or read other hockey articles at http://foolishmumbles.com/category/hockey/
Showing posts with label hockey. Show all posts
Showing posts with label hockey. Show all posts
Saturday, December 20, 2008
The 4 Fundamentals of Top Ice Hockey Skating
In ice hockey, skating can make or break you. Here are the 4 fundamentals to becoming a top performing ice hockey skater, plus 4 extra techniques to push you right over the edge!
1. A solid, well-balanced stance is basic to any degree of speed you want to attain. If you will work on your starts, stops, and turns as described, you will be well on your way to good balance.
2. In striding, you have better balance if you skate with your feet about shoulder width apart. If your feet are too close together, you are more easily knocked off-balance in the heavy going of a game.
3. The faster you skate, the more you should bend forward from the waist. The comparison here is to the body-lean of a sprinter doing the 100-yard dash and the striding form of a two-miler. During the course of a hockey game, you will be both a sprinter and a strider as the play dictates. But when you really want to dig fast, with or without the puck, you should lean well into it.
4. For straight-ahead speed, your power comes from the thrust you get when the knee of the digging foot straightens. To get maximum thrust, the knee of the leg coming forward should be well bent. Be sure you carry this knee forward ahead of the foot. Then when you place your foot on the ice, you get full muscle power when the knee straightens.
Top athletes, especially outstanding track stars, recognize the importance of leg power and do something about it. They use a principle of training known as over-load. And you can use your own form of it, too. Here are some methods of over- loading:
1. Drive yourself all out as long as you are on the ice during scrimmage. Do not just coast around the rink on skates; they will do most of the work for you if you let them.
2. Skate in short, hard bursts, gradually building up the number of lengths of ice you can do successively.
3. Get a buddy to let you push him up and down the ice. You are over-loading by the amount he weighs.
4. In testing yourself at top speed, keep up a continual refrain in your mind: "I can go faster yet!" Be sure to warm up well before any all-out test.
If you study these 4 fundamentals and over-load with the 4 techniques above, you will improve your skating skills dramatically. And that in turn will improve your overall ice hockey performance.
FREE ice hockey training can be found at Sir Jon Weaver's information web site. Discover the secrets to performing at the top of your game, with a focus on beginners. It's FREE! Click here: www.HockeyForBeginners.com
By: Jon Weaver
1. A solid, well-balanced stance is basic to any degree of speed you want to attain. If you will work on your starts, stops, and turns as described, you will be well on your way to good balance.
2. In striding, you have better balance if you skate with your feet about shoulder width apart. If your feet are too close together, you are more easily knocked off-balance in the heavy going of a game.
3. The faster you skate, the more you should bend forward from the waist. The comparison here is to the body-lean of a sprinter doing the 100-yard dash and the striding form of a two-miler. During the course of a hockey game, you will be both a sprinter and a strider as the play dictates. But when you really want to dig fast, with or without the puck, you should lean well into it.
4. For straight-ahead speed, your power comes from the thrust you get when the knee of the digging foot straightens. To get maximum thrust, the knee of the leg coming forward should be well bent. Be sure you carry this knee forward ahead of the foot. Then when you place your foot on the ice, you get full muscle power when the knee straightens.
Top athletes, especially outstanding track stars, recognize the importance of leg power and do something about it. They use a principle of training known as over-load. And you can use your own form of it, too. Here are some methods of over- loading:
1. Drive yourself all out as long as you are on the ice during scrimmage. Do not just coast around the rink on skates; they will do most of the work for you if you let them.
2. Skate in short, hard bursts, gradually building up the number of lengths of ice you can do successively.
3. Get a buddy to let you push him up and down the ice. You are over-loading by the amount he weighs.
4. In testing yourself at top speed, keep up a continual refrain in your mind: "I can go faster yet!" Be sure to warm up well before any all-out test.
If you study these 4 fundamentals and over-load with the 4 techniques above, you will improve your skating skills dramatically. And that in turn will improve your overall ice hockey performance.
FREE ice hockey training can be found at Sir Jon Weaver's information web site. Discover the secrets to performing at the top of your game, with a focus on beginners. It's FREE! Click here: www.HockeyForBeginners.com
By: Jon Weaver
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