The coward does not play hockey - the famous phrase says, and every year hundreds of boys choose this sport as a hobby and the meaning of life. A couple of decades ago, no one would have believed that in this seemingly purely masculine sport will come women. And they will not just come, but they will be firmly fixed on the world level. For many, hockey and women are incompatible things. Is this really the case or does female hockey still have a right to exist?
Girls and hockey
The beginning of hockey with the participation of women takes in the 18th century. True, he officially began to claim the title of a women's sport only in 1990. It was then the women's national ice hockey team from Canada defeated the US team with a score of 5: 2. The third place in the World Championships was taken by girls from Finland. During the next five world tournaments, the leaders remained Canada, the United States and Finland. Olympic hockey became the Olympic sport in 1998. At about the same time, he was already beginning to gain momentum in many countries.
In 2000, the women had their own National Hockey League. And now hardly anyone will be skeptical about the appearance of a weaker sex on the ice. In addition, as practice has shown, hockey for girls is less traumatic than the same figure skating, where the child learns to stay on ice without a protective gown. And if you look at the professional representatives of this sport from outside, such an occupation does not affect their femininity at all.
Women's hockey and its types
Today there are two official sports, previously considered only men's: women's hockey with a puck and field hockey. Both are included in the program of the Olympic Games and have long been popular in many countries. The first kind of hockey looks almost the same as the male. It does not matter for coaches what kind of sex an athlete is when he takes a stick in his hand. In addition to the classical washer, there is also an option for playing with the ball. However, the rules in both cases are the same. In hockey on the grass, women literally burst as far back as the 19th century and successfully continue to play to this day. And most of the modern teams for this sport are women. The goal of the summer version of the game is basically the same - using a stick to score the ball into the opponents' goal. It is forbidden to take it in hands or touch with your feet, except for the goalkeeper. The composition of the team, as in the classical game - 11 people.
The age from which you can give the child to a big sport usually varies from 5 to 7 years. Coaches do not advise giving the girl to hockey before. Like any sport, it requires serious work and discipline. A child under 5 years of age usually has such skills
Today, hockey and girls are not so surprising phenomenon, which it was before. Many girls, first getting on the ice, began to give preference to hockey, although they could compare this partly rough game with the beauty and grace of figure skating.
Women's hockey continues to walk around the country and gain popularity in many cities. And if one day a girl asks you to give her to this sport, it's worthwhile to think carefully before resisting her desire.