Yoga Exercises For Hockey Players

People deserve a break from their respective work, but apparently, hockey players don’t. The pre-season beginnings can leave the players in a void and their flexibilities and stamina in a rut. But a little bit of yoga can surely help them keep up on the game along with maintaining form and function during the season. Here is how! Have a look.

High Lunge

This pose will help strengthen the groins and help build stamina. Lift the torso off the leg so as to allow the spine to elongate further. Push the shoulders away from the ears and try to reach out forward using the upper body to take on the explosive action of skating forward. The Delhi Waverider hockey team religiously follows this pose for great results.

Plank

Plank is the most useful of exercises and serves as a great core strengthener. You can follow this yoga exercise by actively pushing the heels back while hugging the thigh muscles to bones. Keep the breath slow and steady and make sure that your neck is in continuation with the long spine by tucking the chin towards your chest.

Warrior-2 Balance

The balancing act sure helps many score the points! It is splendid, for reasons more than one. The forward reach of the torso and extension of the back leg helps one engage the core and lengthen the spine. The gluteus medius is also engaged by opening a leg up which further helps in pushing action of a breakaway skate.

Downward dog

This pose helps strengthen the shoulders. It is a great way to protect against dislocation. But, dolphin needs to be practised with great care. You need to ensure that elbows are parallel and directly under the shoulders. Go carefully about this pose if you have rotator cuff injuries. Stay in forward facing dog stretch for better results.

Why You Should Watch Hockey

Hockey might not be as popular as baseball, cricket or basketball, yet it is one of those sports that require deep knowledge and attention to detail to comprehend. Hockey leagues India have long been trying to push the sport back on the top, and supporting their cause are a few reasons that can definitely motivate a start.
 

It is fast-paced
 

With hockey, it’s a non-stop action on the field. Unlike many other games like baseball and football, there are a very few breaks and on an average a player plays for as long as 45 seconds at a time. It shouldn’t come as a surprise if you find yourself gasping for breath, just like the players.
 

It takes skill to play the sport
 

It takes dexterity of another magnitude to understand the game and play it in line with the game ethics. Players need to be in excellent shape and should have a strong base. Being able to handle the equipment with deft and technique is indispensable; the game depends entirely on the sportsperson’s pick on the stick. To be able to chisel a way out through the traffic is another imperative that the player must possess. 
 

It takes physicality to stay in the sport
 

If you have seen hockey players of Hockey leagues in India, you would know how much of physical fitness is required to dish out a fair game on the ground. Hockey, undeniably, is one of the most physical sports around and at times protection equipment can’t help much with the hitting thing. Blocking pucks requires physical fitness of a magnanimous degree. The players need to be pepped up all the time to play the game with ease and vigour.

Hockey, as it turns out, is the most challenging of all sports in India. And if challenges are your cup of tea, give hockey a shot!

Why Should You Encourage Your Child To Play Hockey

Playing hockey is not just a profession, but pursuing it as a hobby has numerous benefits. When the present generation is busy exploiting social media, defeating aliens in virtual worlds and eating junk, you should be proud of yourself if you could get your child move around in his hockey gear. Excellent exercise, an enjoyable sport, helps in career, builds character and inculcates good habits for life: on top of all this it’s fun to play and watch.

With hockey league in India picking u popularity, more children follow this game crazily. However, if you get your child to play it as well, you will be a happy parent who made the right choice. Following are only a few benefits of playing hockey.

Fitness

This is the case with all the sports but hockey tops the list. Besides a fit and lean body, with just the right amount of muscle fat, hockey doesn’t strain your ligaments like football and cricket. Moreover, beside physical fitness it improves motor coordination as well.

Team Spirit

Joining a hockey team develops the individual in you in a much better way. You learn to trust and protect your mates, which is a skill closing extinction. This helps your child build better relations and be a better human. He also learns to be a team-player by side-lining his own interests and playing for the teams. He becomes tolerant towards others and learns to handle competition in a healthy way.

Strength

The sport builds inner strength of hands and legs improving your child’s stamina, says a professional hockey team’s coach. It will help him in all walks of life even much later when he quits regular play. Academics in particular can be improved as he learns to focus better and overcomes fatigue.

Healthy Habits

The passion for the game keeps them away from junk food, drugs, alcohol and anything gross as ultimately it reflects on their body and hence in game. They realize the importance of regimen and a good lifestyle. Hence, they develop healthy habits for life which are hard to inculcate in children these days.    

Work On Mental Strength Besides Skills In Hockey

The game of hockey is brimming with passion. The drive for victory is what keeps the players and spectators hooked to it. With each goal scored and every near miss, the hoot and cry of the crowd varies. Players put in their best efforts and treat each game as a war.
 

However, in this sport amid the avid passion, there are chances of going overboard with it. Young teams, who lack the training and composure, are often found struggling with some rash players. Such players might be able to create a spectacular show once or twice or they may receive cheering from the crowd, but it doesn’t work if you are aspiring to make it big.
 

Expert trainers of national hockey team advice youngsters to keep adrenaline under check. Violence is demeaning to the spirit of the sport and themselves. This is why, coaches are advised to keep a check on all this and take strong measures. 
 

Beside the technicalities, learning to keep your composure under pressure and discipline are crucial skills to master, says a successful hockey team trainer. Any friction can turn into a row within a matter of seconds, and such behaviour is not only unacceptable on field but it brings down your own and your team’s reputation. You would certainly be showed out of field, which will chop off your chances of playing well and sharing the fame.
 

So, in order to overcome this difficulty, coaches should discourage such things from the start. There should be mental exercises and training to keep their calm, even when instigated. They undergo a lot of stress and once they gain the much yearned popularity, fan pressure is an important and ever pressing aspect. Cheering crowd in a full packed stadium and people are holding photos of hockey players, some of which are yours: the thought is invigorating and its desire can build up a lot of pressure. So, something like meditation and mental training drills are necessary for their mental strength.
 

As it is said, in hockey, the mental mathematics can make or mar the game. Learn to focus and to keep that focus unfaltering till the end. You will avoid pitfalls and perform over and above expected norms. With the ability to perform under pressure you can turn the game on your side just when the opponents begin to give way to pressure and frustration.     

Just how India could reclaim its global supremacy

One fine day, as I saw the late Mr. Pataudi, nicknamed ‘Tiger’, India's former cricket captain, playing a hockey match at Bombay Gymkhana, I discovered that a couple realized how excellent a hockey player Tiger was and that he could have cut it through as one of the best hockey team player alike. He had long relinquished cricket yet played a dazzling game at the club that afternoon.

Later on, talking casually, he remarked, pointing to the lush green industry that the disaster of Indian hockey team is that they do not use lawn such as the one at the gymkhana. He was, in effect, horrified that the worldwide game had changed to astroturf, placing the future of the hockey league India at such a downside.

India earned 8 Olympic gold medal awards in the game of hockey. After 1980, hockey leagues in India have not seen much action and hence, the nation has actually not gained a single hockey gold since then. At the 2012 London Olympics, India's hockey group finished last in a field. Why was a daunting question?

Likewise tennis players adapt to turf and hard courts within a span of a few months and especially between the French Open held in May, Wimbledon held in July and the US Open held in September, so could the expert hockey gamers of India. Turf is an all-natural surface of the game. It tests the ability of players not just their toughness.

India's hockey authorities, fractured by domestic competitions, have slightly worldwide influence. It is India's company market, with an interest in future Olympic gold awards that have to lead the project to restore organic lawns as one of two alternate playing surface areas of selection in future worldwide hockey events. The new Hockey League India might establish the instance in its next version. Sponsorships for industry hockey competitions would comply with.

India has started winning Olympic awards in specific sporting activities though yet none in team sporting activities like hockey. That will change. In India much less in comparison to the major populace has access to the centres, health and nutrition and training athletes from Western nations. In the sports-access terms, the Indian population is equivalent to that of New Zealand's. It is no embarrassment to have won fewer awards than smaller, richer nations. Yet it is an embarrassment if we do not offer hockey, an equal opportunity.

The best of Indian Hockey

The sport of field hockey fills up quite a few pages in the rich and glorifying parts of Indian history. India has time and again produced legendary hockey players for the world to witness. Dhyan Chand is definitely the first name that comes to mind while speaking about legends, he was nick named ‘the wizard’ for his magical performances on the field. With an unbeaten record of more than 400 goals scored in his international hockey carrier. Dhyan Chand is undoubtedly the best hockey player that ever lived. Such was his excellence that it left the opponents doubting whether his stick was made of wood or not? Another fabulous Indian hockey player is none other than Dhanraj Pillay. He is arguably the best forward in world of hockey till date, best known for his dribbling skills. It was said that Dhanraj Pillay was so quick with the ball that he could penetrate any defence line with players considerably younger to him.  The current flock of players also have massive potential and players like Sandeep Singh, Affan Yousuf and Yuvraj Walmiki seem promising.
 

The Indian men’s field hockey team held the title of the best hockey team in the world for a long period of time. It was an era when India won 6 consecutive gold medals in the Olympics; even today India holds the record of the most successful hockey team in the history of Olympics with 8 gold medals. In the 80s India started to lose grip on the game and is still going through a rough patch. Currently, according to the International Hockey Federation (FIH) ranking system the position of top International Men’s hockey team is held by Australia and in women’s category the title is held by Netherlands, whereas Indian men and women teams are at 8th and 13th position respectively.

When I batted for the Hockey team of Delhi

It was when the final score line read in favour of the hockey team I am crazy like hell about that I felt my breath back. And it was just as much as I had expected, having cheered the hockey team of Delhi every step of the way through to the final destination. Of course, it had to do with the love for the game, Delhi, and a name tied to it--John of course! 
 

I have always been the one for close finishes and what more than result by penalty. It’s the ultimate thing for every hockey team to come up trumps in a match that hangs by a thread. And when it’s the title match, I guess even John would agree. His making a dash for the players at the final whistle bears it out for me.
 

It may sound insanely paradoxical, but I failed to pick up even a thing or two about the crowd there. Except the only way to vent to match their decibels was to vent my lungs out!  Which I did all the time! The one thing I was no match for is stripes—hardly a face I can think of (except a bum like me) was not striped. That serves me a fan lesson and would help me save some of the ‘out of the league’ looks the next time.
 

Credit must also go to the Punjab team for putting up what can only be called a show of skills and efforts, but they met their match on the day. Big cheers for the hockey team of Delhi for making us all live the moment, and everybody who played a part in the Hockey India League bringing clamour back at the centre stage. That includes John by the way!!

Hockey Team: About the Hockey Team of Delhi

Summary
Delhi Waveriders is a hockey team that represents Delhi. They have always showcased the best performance during HHIL.
 

Delhi Waveriders is the hockey team of Delhi that takes part in the Hockey India League. This team is really a strong one with talented and excellent players in it. This is a team that is owned by the wave group. The owners of the team spent highest amount on the player by paying 42.5 lakhs on Sardara Sigh during the time of auction. Sardara Singh is the highest paid player from India for HHIL. He was also made the captain of the team and this has made the team really much powerful. This team has Ajay Kumar – Bansal as its coach and also Ajit Pal – Singh as the chief advisor and he is the one who was once the captain of Indian team.
 

Ownership
 

The hockey team is owned by wave group which is a popular business group of India. The business group has its imprint in diverse niches of business that include the paper manufacturing, sugar manufacturing, distilleries, multiplexes, real estate and retail management. This business group has a legacy of over 40 years. The founder of the wave group is Kulwant Singh Chadha. The group is now integrated by his three sons along with his grandson. The company started its journey from the sugar crusher and has spread over many different areas. The team is also co- owned by the Bollywood actor John Abraham. He has 13 percentage of share on the team.
 

Team Members
 

The hockey team of Delhi is strong due to the amazing players that it has got. Wave riders have three goalkeepers in the team who all are much experienced and also skilled in playing excellent game. Nicolas Jacobi, Gurpreet Singh Guri, and Hamish McGregor are the excellent goal keepers of the team. There are nine forwards, 6 mid fielders and four defenders in the team.
 

Performance of the Team
 

This is a hockey team that has shown its performance in a regular manner during the different seasons of HIL. The team has always been a great opponent for other teams who play in HIL. During the 2013 HIL, the team played a total of 14 matches and have lost only 2 matches and 2 became a draw. The performance from the team was not different in 2014 also as they won 8 matches out of the 11 matches that they have played.

The National game of India- hockey- is back in action with the HHIL series

The India national field hockey team is the national men's team on behalf of field hockey in India, proscribed by Hockey India, the governing organization for field hockey in India. It’s a First non-European team to be a piece of the International Hockey partnership.

In 1928, the hockey team won its first Olympic gold medal and until 1956, the Indian men's teams remain victorious in the Olympics, charming six gold medals in rows. The Indian field hockey team has won total eight Olympics gold medals, the highest among all national teams.  In 1975 World Cup India also won and defeating Pakistan 2-1 in the final.
 

Hockey team of Delhi is named as Delhi Wizard which is plays World Series Hockey. Pakistani striker Shakeel Abbasi is captain of hockey team. Team is practice in Delhi Dhyan Chand National Stadium and owned by Wizcraft International. Roelant Oltmans and Darryl D'Souza is coached the Hockey team who are coach of Dutch hockey team.  

The hockey match also gives both the teams a ability to test each other's power as they are playing against each other for the first time in the second edition of the occasion.
 

Leaders of the hockey team of Delhi Waveriders will look to combine their numero-uno position in the points table when they expression an evenly-matched Uttar Pradesh Wizards in an away league match of the second Hero Hockey team of India League at the Major Dhyan Chand National Stadium on Saturday. The Delhi Waveriders are currently on top of the standing with 24 points from seven hockey games, while the Wizards find themselves in the third mark with 15 points from five matches.
 

Uttar Pradesh team said that we had a extremely close game with Delhi Waveriders in Delhi. We wait for to have a same type of game. We need to play a fair game. We are playing with hockey team of Delhi on our home ground and we hope to play some attractive game, Waveriders captain Sardara Singh said: "Uttar Pradesh Wizards is a different team this year as compare to the opening season of Hero Hockey India association. We are working very hard with a focus to give less penalty corner to the Wizard. Wizards skipper V R Raghunath said that next time we concentrate on our core power and try to avoid mistakes like earlier games. We are strong-minded to play our best game next time.

Delhi Wave Riders: The dominant force of HIL

Hockey India League or HIL is the official domestic franchise tournament in India. The league is organized by the Hockey India (The official governing body of Hockey in India), and the International Hockey Federation. The inaugural tournament occurred in year 2013 in India, and the league received great response from the hockey lovers in India. Among the teams participating in the Hockey League India, Delhi Franchise in Hockey a.k.a. Delhi Wave Riders is one of the most talked about team.

As the name makes it clear, the hockey franchise Delhi represents the city of Delhi in the tournament. The name of the team comes from the company that won the sponsorship rights for the team, which is Wave group.

The Wave Group paid the highest money to win the naming rights of the Delhi Franchise in Hockey. Wave group is now the sole sponsor of the Delhi team for HIL for the next seven years. The players for each franchise team were selected by the support staff of the franchise team in an open auction. Delhi Wave Riders purchased the Indian hockey team captain and the star player Sardar Singh for $78,000. This is the highest amount paid to any Indian player in the first season of HIL.

The Delhi Wave Riders team plays under the captaincy of Sardar Singh, while Ajit Pal (former Indian national hockey team) joins the team as the chief advisor of the team. Mr. Ajay Kumar Bansal is the coach of the hockey franchise Delhi. Delhi Wave Riders has the record of highest number of consecutive wins with 11 wins until they lost to Uttar Pradesh team franchise in the 12th game. The auction for the franchise rights was held in September, 2012. Wave group is a big business group with many industrial sectors under its subsidiaries, such as real estate, retail businesses, cinemas, etc.

In the first ever Hockey India League tournament, Delhi Wave Riders performed amazingly as expected and won 10 games out of total 14 games, two of them resulted in drawn matches. The team clearly dominated the league matches and reached to the final game of the tournament for the title of inaugural HIL winner. However, sadly they lost the final match of HIL season 1 to Ranchi Rhinos and came out runner up of the cup. In the entire tournament, Delhi Team scored a total of 41 goals in 14 matches, out of which highest 7 goals were made by Rupinder Pal Singh.

Revival of Indian hockey

There was an era when public used to play games and sports in order to revive their mind in their idle time, but nowadays these sports events have turned out to be competitions on national as well as on the whole global platform. Hockey is one of the oldest sports in the world. It was discovered 120 decades ago and has now become a national and international game of India. Formerly, hockey was played among the people to expand their hostility skills and in order to become a mighty warrior, but in today's era it has become a zeal of many individuals and this competition has drawn in many countries.

Hockey was exposed and developed in India by the British and then afterward when it became the national sport of India; it crazed the Indians with a lofty number of spectators and fans. However, with passing time this national sport lost its spectators and fans. Ultimately was replaced by current favourite sport, cricket. With time cricket gained many fans and audience, which made them, a religion of India, whereas the hockey team India was somewhere elapsed.

There also came a time when the cricketers were treated as gods while the Indian hockey players did not even obtain an introduction to the public. Nevertheless, with time this situation is changing by the current hockey players who are trying their best to increase their performance and at the same time have come along with an increased number of spectators along with huge fans from India. The present hockey players are raising the position of India in the global level hockey and simultaneously trying their best to triumph as many matches they can.

The present hockey players of hockey team India have altered the method of playing and have come in conjunction with high degree techniques that have the capability to a triumph maximum number of games. After a long phase hockey is earning viewers and fans because of the performance of these hockey sport person and even got back the real attention that a nationwide game deserves. There was a time when the Indian hockey player like Dhyan Chand, Leslie Claudius etc made hockey the heartbeat of the country and now new players like Sandeep, Danish Mujtaba etc are once again raising the same craze among people and are trying to take hockey to new heights.

Hockey is India’s national game and every Indian should support this game. Its survival depends on your encouragement. The cheering will encourage Indian hockey players play at their best and soon Indian hockey will retain its old status and position back.

Tips for scoring a goal in hockey

Hockey is the game that is played with passion and followed with fervor, across the world. The players treat a game as a matter of life and death. The game is regaining its lost popularity amongst the youth of India, and youngsters are approaching the field. But beginners are finding it hard to master the skill of scoring a shot which is of utmost importance in the game. The goalies are getting better at defending the net; with latest accessories, they are more protected and light footed. Moreover, they are of a greater physical built than the rest of the team. Thus to steal a goal amongst these growing challenges is difficult, but despite these if the best hockey teams still manage to score then even you can. But the best ways to combat these challenges are Practice, determination and tactful strategy.

Practice makes a man perfect is an old proverb but it holds good even today. There is no shortcut to it, and sheer hard work is the only thing with which you can see your way through it. Watching decisive matches is a good idea to gain inspiration from some of the best Indian hockey players. You can actually see and learn strategies to create a space between the strongest of defense. Upon closer observation you will notice that the best sportsmen take advantage in two ways.

The first trick is to learn to create the element of surprise. Goalies are quick at reading your body language and anticipating your moves, so surprising them is the only way you could score; and some of the best Indian hockey players base their game on this. So instead of dribbling longer dribble it with another of your teammate passing simultaneously, and then attempt a goal when the goalie is confused about your positions. Also you can keep moving your feet in and around the scoring area, this can give the impression that you are trying to pass it to another player instead of attempting the shot yourself.

The second trick is to make the goalie move as much as possible, and the best way to do that is to attack from sides. The human body cannot make uncoordinated movements, the goalie can move his leg and hands both in the same direction only. Thus, he can defend either of his side and not both; and if you would appear to be attempting the goal at one end then he would position himself accordingly, thereby creating a gap on the other side. And movement between sides is difficult for the goalie, but you can quickly flip side and attempt a high rise shot at the former end.

Thus by using these tricks you can become the star player of your hockey team. But remember to polish these tricks with a lot of hard work and practice. Team work is also necessary, so work on your team skills as well.

Tips for formulating a diet chart for hockey players.

A winning performance on the game day takes a lot more than practice. In order to ensure a bright career as a hockey player, focusing on your nutritional needs is also essential apart from rigorous training. Hockey is a high calorie consuming sport and it requires a lot of physical stamina and muscular strength, as a result the nutritional demands of your body increases considerably.

But most of our Indian hockey players do not consider this aspect, their body is strong and resistant in the early years but in later years it affects their health and performance. The extra workout burns out more calories due to which sportsmen take larger food portions. This makes them believe that they are refilling the nourishment vitals sufficiently; but those extra chapattis and buttermilk do not compensate your body requirements. Therefore a planned diet with a balance between all food groups is important, so following diet tips should be adopted by hockey teams.
 

Carbohydrates

Carbohydrates are the best and most essential form of energy source for sportsmen. Carb rich products should be included in your breakfast and lunch to fuel you through the day. They provide a large portion of the daily stamina required for your active bodies. Vegetables, fruits, whole grains (such as brown rice), milk and its products, Legumes (peas, all kinds of beans, lentils) etc are rich sources of carbohydrates. The average Indian diet misses out carb rich sources, so it is essential for hockey teams to especially focus on its intake. 
 

Proteins
 

Protein is the Tinkerbelle for your strong muscles; it repairs, strengthens and builds tissue and maintains a strong immune system. Including small but frequent portions of it in your diet will fortify your muscles and tissues. An ideal protein diet consists of food items like lean meats, milk products, eggs, cheese and tofu. However do not overdo on it as it can be dehydrating for your body.
 

Fats
 

A limited amount of healthy fats are also essential in your diet; the Indian diet is rich on it but you need to focus on the type and the amount of your intake. Peanuts, olive oil, walnuts, almonds, soy nuts, salmon etc. are some sources of healthy fat.

Thus follow this diet plan which is preferred by the professional Indian hockey players as well; and it will help you in maintaining your energy levels. And last but not the least, do not forget the fluids and drink plenty of water.