Hockey Equipment and Clothes
As promised, this week I have chosen to talk about the equipment used in the game of field of hockey as well as the clothes the players wear.
Equipment
Every player in hockey is equipped with a stick, a gum shield, shin guards and a glove which is optional. If a player does not have these pieces of equipment they cannot take part in the game.
Hockey sticks
An average hockey stick is usually around 90 cm in length. In the beginning of hockey sticks were made from hickory, ash or mulberry wood. The top of the stick, known as the shaft, was hand crafted by skilled craftsmen. However since 1992 hockey sticks have been manufactured from a combination of fibreglass, aramid fiber and carbon fiber. Different amounts of each are put in according to certain characteristics needed in the stick. For example the flexibility of the stick, the strength of the stick and other qualities. Popular hockey stick brands include Osaka, Gryphon, Grays, Kookaburra, Dita and Adidas.
Gum shield, Shin guards and Gloves
All of these are used as protection in the game of hockey. The gum shield can also be called a mouth-guard. It is used to protect the players mouth particularly the teeth. Gum-shields are typically made from acrylic. They can either be bought pre packed in sports shops or specifically moulded to the shape of your mouth by certain manufacturers. In order to mould the pre packed gum-shields to fit your mouth, it must be boiled in water to soften it and then cut according to your mouth size.
Shin guards are worn to protect the players shins. These are important to prevent the players shins from getting hit by the hockey ball. Due to the fast pace of the game, it is very often that players need protection here. Lastly the glove is worn the protect the players fingers. In todays game of hockey, many people have the ability to raise the ball and throw them over long distances with much power. This is why the gloves are needed, in order to protect the people trying to stop these balls. The level of padding in each glove differs in order to facilitate the needs of different players. It is often the case that defensive players wear gloves with more padding to protect themselves from the powerful shots of the attackers. Meanwhile some players may only wear the gloves in order to keep their hands warm during the winter months. Gloves can be worn on either one hand or both hands, whichever is the personal preference of the player. A player may even decide not to wear a glove at all, it is up to them.
Hockey gear
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Traditionally in men's hockey, the players wear a jersey and shorts whereas women wear a jersey and a skort. The jersey worn is either representing the school they are playing for, their club or their country, one of the greatest honours of any athlete.
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The goalkeeper however has completely different gear. They wear the most padding as they are the most exposed player in the whole game. It is their job o protect the goal. This involves saving shots from the attackers, shots that are of incredibly high pace. It is estimated that the ball travels at around 150 kph. The equipment that they wear includes chest padding, foot padding called kickers, padded shorts, hand padding, a helmet, leg guards, neck guard and a crotch pad ( optional).
Thank you for reading and I hope you enjoyed my post.
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