Hockey is the national sport of Canada and one that is rooted firmly in the United States' northern regions, such as New England, Michigan, Minnesota, Wisconsin and the Dakotas. It's a sport that children start playing at a young age in organized leagues and unorganized neighborhood contests, and one in which some of the best in the world compete for the Stanley Cup in the National Hockey League. Hockey can be rough but fun, and is an exciting game for players and spectators alike.
Advantage: Fitness
Hockey can provide a cardiovascular workout because you're racing up and down the ice, pushing the limits of heart rate and lung capacity. It's also effective at strengthening muscles in the legs and back, as well as the arms when shooting and doing other stick work. Hockey and ice skating in general are good for improving balance and coordination. Skating also is less stressful than running on joints such as the hips, knees and ankles.
Disadvantage: Injury Risk
Hockey is a fast-moving sport that can have a lot of contact and spills on the ice. Even at the youth level, hockey injuries can be common and serious. A 2001 study by the British Columbia Injury Research and Prevention Unit found that there are four times as many injuries in leagues that allow contact than those that don't, and that among teen hockey players, body checking accounted for 86 percent of hockey-related injuries, and 23 percent of those were to the head and neck.
Advantage: Character Building
Participating in any team sport can be a way to develop a sense of teamwork and good sportsmanship. A long-standing tradition in hockey is the handshake line at the end of a game or a series, where the players, from kids on up to the pros, shake hands one by one with all of their opponents. You learn that you can compete hard against someone, but when the game is over can treat each other with respect.
Disadvantage: Violence
Hockey often thought of by casual fans as game too often marred by fighting and cheap shots. And while the reality is that fighting is only a small part of the game, it is a way that players and teams settle differences and defend teammates. In international play and college hockey, fighting is seldom seen, but in North American minor leagues and to a lesser degree the NHL, fights are a longtime component of the game. Many people are turned off by this aspect of the game and parents might want to discourage their kids from participating in a sport that ultimately allows and encourages the occasional fisticuffs.
Advantage: Connection to Northern Culture
Hockey is a part of the fabric of growing up in Canada and much of the northern U.S., and having a team to root for helps bond people throughout a given region. To feel connected to the traditions of a particular area, playing hockey in rinks or even frozen ponds in winter is considered a rite of passage.
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