| The issue of body-checking in girls hockey always | | | | going on around them and aren't going to be ready for |
| sparks a heated debate. Those who support putting | | | | contact. |
| full checking back into women's hockey believe that | | | | Playing "heads-up" hockey means that you will be able |
| this will teach girls to play with their heads up and | | | | to see contact coming. Once girls hockey players are |
| prevent a lot of the serious injuries that are happening | | | | aware of the fact that they might get hit, they have 3 |
| out on the ice from both accidental and intentional | | | | options for dealing with contact. |
| contact. But would adding body checking back into | | | | 1) Get out of the way: This is always the safest and |
| female hockey make it safer for players or would it | | | | smartest decision, but there is not always the time and |
| do more harm than good? | | | | space for this to be possible. |
| I personally don't believe that body checking should be | | | | 2) Take the full force of the hit: This is the passive |
| added back into the female game, but I do think that | | | | option and the most dangerous one. Unfortunately, |
| girls hockey players need to be taught how to take a | | | | most girls are not taught how to deal with contact |
| hit properly, as well as how to initiate body contact | | | | properly and this is the option that they take most |
| properly. Girls are getting hit and getting hurt because | | | | often. |
| of their inability to protect themselves from body | | | | 3) Initiate contact: |
| contact and something needs to be done. | | | | This is the active option and your safest one if you |
| Playing "Heads-Up" Hockey | | | | aren't in a position to be able to avoid the contact |
| Girls need to learn how to play "heads-up" hockey and | | | | entirely. Instead of letting yourself get flattened against |
| putting body checking back into the game seems like | | | | the boards, taking a step into the oncoming player and |
| the easiest way to teach this skill to players. Once a | | | | leaning into them will decrease the amount of force |
| player gets run over in mid-ice or gets the wind | | | | that your opponent can deliver with the check. Actively |
| knocked out of her from a bone-crushing check | | | | moving into the check will go a long way to protecting |
| against the boards, she will "learn" to keep her head up | | | | girls from sustaining an injury with contact. |
| to protect herself. While I don't entirely disagree with | | | | We need to educate girls about how they can protect |
| this "trial by fire" way of teaching players to protect | | | | themselves and give them the tools they need to not |
| themselves, the reality is that the majority of injuries in | | | | only survive, but thrive, in the female game. Before girls |
| girls' hockey are happening from incidental contact and | | | | even step on the ice, they need to be aware that |
| are not due to intentional checking. Girls' hockey | | | | there is going to be contact. Once they are on the ice, |
| players are not getting hurt because their opponents | | | | they have to play with their heads up to see when |
| are trying to hip-check them through the boards or | | | | contact is coming. And when that contact happens, |
| lining them up at the blue-line for the big hit. Girls are | | | | they have to be ready and actively move into contact |
| getting hurt battling for the puck along the boards and | | | | instead of being passive. |
| in front of the net. | | | | There is a big difference between teaching girls to |
| One of the big reason girls are getting hurt by this | | | | play "heads-up" hockey and teaching them how to |
| incidental contact is that they lack the awareness that | | | | body check. While bringing body checking back to the |
| they are going to get hit. When a men's hockey player | | | | women's game will force girls to be more aware of |
| is skating down the ice, he is always thinking, "I am | | | | contact, this change also will make the game more |
| going to get hit". For girls' hockey players, this thought | | | | about strength and survival, and less about speed and |
| rarely crosses their minds. They tend to skate with | | | | skill. The girls game is different and the rules are |
| their heads down, looking and "fishing" for the puck, as | | | | different for a reason. Teach girls how to play with |
| opposed to playing the heads-up style of hockey that | | | | their heads-up, and how to be active instead of |
| is critical for survival in the men's game. If girls aren't | | | | passive when it comes to contact, but leave the full |
| playing with their heads up, they are oblivious to what's | | | | body checking to the boys. |