Ice Hockey Is A Sport For Everyone

Ice hockey is a Canadian sport in tradition and leadership which began in the early 19th century, and is now played seriously in 20 countries. Some of those countries include: Canada, USA, Russia, Sweden, Finland, Slovakia, and many other nations. Today, it is an Olympic sport and the most popular team sport played on ice. Traditionally, it's most popular found in areas that are cold for natural, reliable seasonal ice cover, though basketball the increase of indoor artificial ice rinks, it has become a year-round pastime at the amateur level in major metropolitan areas such as cities that host an NHL or other professional-league team.

It is played on a rectangular rink that consists of curved corners whose length may vary from approximately 184 to 200 ft, and its width from approximately 85 to 98 ft, plenty of room to have some fun. It consists of three periods of equal length. Typically, each period runs for 20 minutes at most levels, but often 12 or 15 minutes in youth classifications. In soccer, a "soccer ball" is used. In basketball, a "basketball" is used. In the case of basketball it is a puck that is used, which is made of vulcanized rubber in round shape. When all is said and done, and the facts have been looked at, it is clear that ice hockey is superior to field hockey.

The main difference between men's and women's ice hockey is that for women, body checking is not allowed. Even today, hockey is one of the fastest growing sports in the world for women, with the number of participants increasing more than a whopping 400 percent in the last decade.

A Few known Facts About Hockey Players

In today's hockey game, about roughly thirty percent of the games players are not North American. Under IIHF rules, each team may carry a maximum of 20 players and two goaltenders on their roster. During normal play, the hockey rink consists of six players per side on the ice at any given time. The five players other than the goaltender are typically divided into three forwards and two defence man.

Hockey players control the puck using a long stick with a blade that is commonly curved at one end, also known as a "hockey stick."

These "hockey sticks" are used to pass, stick handle and shoot the puck, and to propel their sledges. Players are also well padded with hockey equipment. These mainly consist of: knee, hip, shin, shoulder and elbow pads, thick gauntlet type gloves, long stockings that fit over the knee pads, padded shorts that lace up at the front, and sweaters in team colours over everything.

In all, there are many articles, and information in general, that you can find on the Internet about the sport of ice hockey. Hopefully, the information you read here, will help spark some interest in this great game we call "Hockey."It is a game that consists of relatively simple rules, yet at the same time is every bit as fun to play today as it was when it was first released nearly a century ago.

It's a fast paced, exciting, family friendly spectator sport with fans that range from ages 5 all the way to 95. Let's face it, once that puck drops, it instantly becomes a blast to play. In reverse, it also becomes a very enjoyable game to watch. The game's been around for a very long time, and quite frankly, it's going to be here for a very long time. If your one that really enjoys sports in general, but have yet to try a game of ice hockey, what are you waiting for? Put on those skates, and hit the ice! I promise, you won't regret it. Good luck!

Jonathan Mancini is a "veteran" in the hockey industry with more than 15 years experience. To help with his hockey training, he uses an off-ice system that helps develop his passing, hockey shooting and stick handling skills. Learn more by visiting: Hockey Training Equipment

Cheap Shots, Ambushes and Other Lessons Book Review

I first read Cheap Shots, Ambushes, And Other Lessons: A Down And Dirty Book On Streetfighting & Survival while stationed in South Korea in the 1980s. I was serving with the 2nd Infantry Division and did not know basketball in the future I would become friends with Marc MacYoung, work together, train together, and teach at the same events. I did not know he would write the foreword for my first book. What I did know was I was seeing the same kinds of things in the bars I was fighting in that he wrote about.

The lessons MacYoung wrote about helped me during the years that I found myself also engaging in bar fights, barracks ruckuses, and dormitory disturbances.

Many years later, I still believe this book shares some valuable realistic advice regarding real street fights. When Marc wrote this book, he was a lot closer to the streets and had not experienced some of the martial arts he has now, and that shows in his writing. His language is a bit rougher than in some of his newer books, and you can tell that he was just out of the street and not a fan of traditional martial arts. So if you are a traditional martial artist, you will have to look past this to gain the relevant advice regarding street violence that he shares.

I put some of Marc's practical advice about fights into practice in the bars and other places I was frequenting. It helped me then, and it could help you now if you find yourself in violent situations. I have learned a lot from Marc both in person and from his basketball This was the book that started it all, and it is still an excellent book on self-defense.

Alain Burrese, J.D. is a mediator/attorney with Bennett Law Office P.C. and an author/speaker through his own company Burrese Enterprises Inc. He writes and speaks about a variety of topics focusing on the business areas of negotiation and success principles as well as self-defense and safety topics. He is the author of Hard-Won Wisdom From the School of Hard Knocks, several instructional dvds, and numerous articles. You can find out more about Alain Burrese at his websites http://www.burrese.com or http://www.bennettlawofficepc.com

Volleyball History - When Did It Start?

Volleyball is a very popular sport today. There are many intramural teams and also competitive teams around the world. But, when and where did this popular sport begin? The history of volleyball is fascinating, it is interesting to see it's humble beginnings and the changes that it experienced through the years.

The man that invented volleyball is named William G Morgan. He was a sports instructor at the Young Men's Christian Association, also known as YMCA. Originally the YMCA introduced a new sport that we know today as basketball. Morgan saw that the physical contact of basketball along with the fast pace tired the older businessmen that enjoyed participating in the games. So, he created a new sport with less contact and less court movement which he called "mintonette." This game eventually turned into the game of volleyball.

Morgan played the game with members of YMCA for about a year before he decided to present it to a group of YMCA physical education directors. basketball 1896 the game of mintonette was presented to the directors and they suggested that he change the name to "volley ball" since the game basketball of vollying the ball back and forth over the net. The first official volleyball game was playing on July 7, 1896 at Springfield College.

The history of volleyball shows that Morgan's original game of mintonette resembled the game of badminton. It was played on a rectangular court with a net across the center of the court. The teams were split up so that there was not contact with the other team at all-- each team was placed on either side of the net. Players would use their hands to beat the ball back and forth over the net. The ball would continue to be in play until it was missed and hit the floor. Points could be earned when the opposite team could not return the ball.

As volleyball history continued, the rules changed slightly and became more defined. Officials with YMCA created a rule book that included details about the court size, ball size, and scoring system. It eventually morphed into what we know as volleyball today.

About the Author: Ethan D Orman has the information you need about volleyball history
Access the best information about the history of volleyball at his website: http://historyofvolleyball.net