A Parent’s Guide To Hockey For Their Kids

Struggling to find the perfect fit of a sport for your kid? Give field hockey a shot and both you and your child will be adopting not a sport but a lifestyle you will be proud of. If like me, safety is your concern being a parent of a lively and outgoing child, field hockey is your best bet. It is a non-contact sport where risks of hitting the ball or being hit by another player is minimal. Being a tactical skill, players will focus on game play and building technique rather than showing off their strength.

Or, if you are looking for a game to improve your kid’s health and social skills, this sport again beats others. Being a team sport kids bond up really well and constant activity keeps them fit and mentally agile, says players of hockey leagues in India. Well the benefits of it are immense and out of the scope of this particular blog. Here we will discuss what you would want to know first as you choose hockey for your kid.

Safety and equipment

Before your child can say turf, the first thing you would want to ensure is that he is braced up with proper safety equipment and gear, advices a Indian hockey player and coach. Well, for mums, nothing comes before protection so let’s start with the essentials. You would want to invest in a good quality mouth guard. They protect your child from mouth injuries by falling face first and also they are a must. If you will go for cheaper versions, they are uncomfortable to wear and may compromise safety. Next you need a shin guard and some nice cleats. Cleats in particular are a fashion statement. 

So children may tend to overlook protection and quality. Well, the blend of both is pretty costly, and not advised for growing kids. Your job would be to keep them firm on quality footwear. If he is not the goalie, there is no other protection required. Just buy him a good stick and he is good to go! 

For more info please check www.delhi-waveriders.in/.

Delhi Waveriders: Hockey Team’s Winning Story

The India’s Hockey League (HIL) was inaugurated during the year 2013 and has been recorded as the latest development in the sport of Hockey since history. The fascinating concept of a city-based franchise system like we saw during the IPL has proved to be quite a success, even in Hockey. Each city franchise featured players from different parts of the world who played alongside some of our best domestic players.
 

It would have been a crazy idea when it was first put forward. Who would’ve thought that the Delhi Waveriders led by Sardar Singh would emerge as such a successful hockey team? They were runners-up to Ranchi Rhinos in the first edition of HIL, while they bagged the title the following year.
AK Bansal, who was the team’s coach during the first season of HIL, says the success of his team owes to the flexibility and openness of all the players. They all learnt to adjust with each other, no matter how different they were culturally. Delhi’s hockey team consisted of big names from abroad like Jason Wilson and Matthew Gohdes from Australia, Mujtaba from Denmark, and Simon Childs from New Zealand among others. They played alongside some of our best players from within the country.
 

In the championship-winning year (2014), skipper Sardar Singh emerged as the disciplined midfielder, while Rupinder Pal Singh, Kiwi Steve Edwards and Aussie Tristan White playing on the defense side contributed to the team’s strong point. They collectively led Delhi Waveriders to win during the second edition of Hockey India League.
 

All in all, it was a great year for the Sardar-led team who choked the life out of their opponents by executing their strategy well. HIL might have changed the way Hockey is played around the world, thus bringing our national sport to get the attention it deserves.