10 Ways to Have More Fun Playing Hockey

With this post, Women’s Hockey World is going on hiatus. I have only played three hockey games since injuring my back in October. After re-injuring my back in the third game back, I am hanging up the skates until I’m 100% healthy. It’s not as much fun to write about hockey when I’m not playing, so I’m taking a break from blogging. Thanks to all for your support, comments and feedback. We’ll be back soon.

If you feel stuck in a hockey routine or are thinking twice about showing up for that 10:30 p.m. game, you might be losing your hockey mojo.

Don’t succumb! Try some of these tips to rejuvenate your love of playing hockey.

1) Crank up the tunes in the dressing room. It will energize you before the game and those rooms are big enough for dancing post-game.

2) Upgrade your equipment. Is it time to finally get a decent stick, a helmet that fits properly or gloves that don’t stink? Your family will appreciate that you’ve taken care of your next birthday present.

3) Plan a team party. Season-opener, Christmas, birthday, TGIF…any excuse will do.

4) Play with the boys. There are a growing number of co-ed hockey leagues and tournaments. My husband and I have played in a co-ed New Year’s Eve game for the past few years. Choose men who will pass to you or make a rule that only women can score.

5) Give out team awards. Everyone likes to feel special. You can have some laughs and build team spirit with awards. Our team has a Purple Heart for the best injury of the year and a stuffed gorilla for the Goon Award (most penalties – last year I think it was 6 minutes!).

6) Sub for another team. Switch it up and find another team that needs players. They’ll be happy to have you and you may pick up a few tips and tricks.

7) Watch kids play hockey. Whether it’s ankle-biters who can barely stand on skates, 8-year-olds that can skate circles around you or teenagers who still have dreams of the NHL, you’ll probably see pure joy on ice.

8) Challenge yourself. Pick one thing you want to accomplish in the next game. It could be as simple as taking a slap shot on net or it could be completing a new play you learned in practice.

9) Score more. Face it, scoring is really fun. And unless you’re a goalie, you can make chances to score. Cook up a plan with your linemates and make it happen.

10) Take your team to a tournament. It’s all the fun of a road trip PLUS hockey. Just imagine!

Have fun…and soak up every moment of fun on the ice and off.

7 Comments
by karen27 on March 29, 2012  •  Permalink
Posted in Motivation and Musings

Posted by karen27 on March 29, 2012

http://womenshockeyworld.com/2012/03/29/10-ways-to-have-more-fun-playing-hockey/

Hockey Team Scheduling Made Easy

Scheduling a recreational women’s hockey team can become a full-time job – if you let it. So unless someone on your team is looking for an unpaid, unrecognized, aggravating job, check out these alternatives for scheduling in a fair and efficient way.

  • The “laissez-faire” method. If you have a manageable number of players who are fairly committed, save yourself headaches and just let people show up when they can. Lots of teams function well with the “just show up” scheduling system.
  • Online systems.There are any number of online scheduling systems including the Team Sports Scheduling System (TSSS) and TeamSnap. My friends give a thumbs up to Pointstreak. Everyone signs several days before a game as either “In” or “Out”, and the manager sets the lines based on that information. Quick and easy, but it can require some last minute scrambling if there aren’t enough people signed up.
  • Google Docs. Our coach and manager created a fabulous online system that matches our team list to games. We are each assigned a certain number of games. If you’re not playing, your status is either “Available” or “Off”. If you can’t play a game, you put your status as “Trade”, and you can either trade or sell your game. It allows us to plan in advance and not give up games without either getting a game in return or getting money from the player who takes our game. Works fabulously for a team that has a roster of 22 players.

The bottom line is that we want to play hockey, not spend hours on email or the phone.

Let me know what works for your team.

Have fun – and be kind to your team scheduler.

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by karen27 on March 23, 2012  •  Permalink
Posted in Team Talk
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Posted by karen27 on March 23, 2012

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Sparing Etiquette: How to be a Welcome Guest on Another Team

I’ve never met a cottage I didn’t like. So I’ve worked hard to be an outstanding house guest. There’s an art to it. The same goes for sparing for another hockey team. Do it right and you’ll get asked back. And who doesn’t want more hockey?

There’s lots of sparing in our women’s league. My teammate Lisa has probably played on six different teams this year. And she keeps getting asked back. She’s a good player and she’s good in the room.

Sparing etiquette is based on common sense and keen powers of observation.

  • Show up. It’s annoying when someone agrees to sub and then doesn’t appear. Get there on time so they’re not scrambling to fill your spot.
  • Pay up. Don’t wait until someone asks; it can be awkward. If you’re paying, don’t expect someone to make change for you. Put your cash in a sealed envelope with your name on it – if you put the team’s name, they won’t necessarily know it’s from you.
  • Read the room. What goes on in your team’s dressing room might not go over as well with another team. If you don’t see a cooler, keep that six-pack in your bag. Don’t assume they want to listen to your iPad or pre-game pep talk.
  • Play their game. Listen to any advice given. Don’t offer any unless you’re asked. Make sure you know how they change lines, and plans for the penalty kill and power play.
  • Make the most of your experience. Even if the team you’re playing for turns out to be a bunch of hockey bags or you’re getting thumped 8-0, it’s still in your power to have fun.

Have fun out there – and like Mum always said, be a good guest and you’ll get invited back.

2 Comments
by karen27 on March 15, 2012  •  Permalink
Posted in Team Talk, Uncategorized
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Posted by karen27 on March 15, 2012

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“Puck Cancer”: Fundraising Secrets from Ms Conduct Hockey

This week’s guest post comes from Mel from Ms Conduct Hockey in Chicago, who shares tips from their successful cancer fundraiser last week – a hockey double header with a fundraising twist:

On March 3, 2012, Ms Conduct Hockey hosted the first ever Commit to the Cure event, benefitting Puck Cancer. After the merchandise, raffles, chuck a puck and admissions came to a close, we raised just over $2,500 for Puck Cancer!

Planning a charity event can be a little overwhelming to the first timer or even a veteran, no lie!   With a bit of early planning, support from your teammates, everything will come together in the end!

Here are some tips that I have learned along the way on how to plan for a successful event…

  • Choose a charity. Don’t forget – it’s O.K. to keep it local!  We chose Puck Cancer for a few reasons: it’s a local charity that gives back to families in the Chicagoland area affected by cancer, it’s a great story on how two sisters started it all, because “they gave a puck” and we all know someone that has been affected by cancer in one way, shape or form.
  •  Know your donor base… Of course they will be fans of the game right?!  Hosting your event at a rink for them to watch a game is ideal!  Most rinks are open year round in the United States, which makes for the opportunity to have the event anytime of the year!
  • Brainstorm! Gather your teammates, listen and jot down ideas and come up with a basic game plan/theme for the event.  Think big because you can always scale back! Our theme played off of our already created theme “Commit to the Fishnet”; we changed it to “Commit to the Cure”.  Sometimes perfection needs a slight tweak.
  • Book the ice (venue)!  Make sure the rink (venue) is available and be sure to let them know what your plans are for the evening.  Our rink is a park district rink and had chairs/tables for us to use.  This alleviated additional costs or bringing our own.
  • Establish event committees/sub-groups.  Assign jobs of donation/prize collection, marketing/advertising, setup/cleanup, and any other tasks that need to be accomplished in advance and during the event. Not everyone can or will volunteer.  Be up front with your expectations and ask, communicate needs.  You’ll find more people will step up than not.
  •  Schedule meetings/Plan!  This allows decisions to be made as the event nears. The concepts/ideas become reality as the event nears as well as the excitement!  As our event got closer, our reality hit when the raffle prizes were coming in.  We had 2-3 women that took this and ran with it.  We have prizes that will be can and will be used for next year’s event!  
  • If you build it, they will come! Don’t forget to publicize your event. Spread the word with flyers at local rinks (be sure to check with them first), emails, mailers and social media.  We were fortunate that a teammate knew a former local news anchor that was able to have an official press release drafted up for our event!  
  • Tie off loose ends.  A night or two before the event, your last meeting should be a dry run of from set up to cleanup! Anything missing, last minute ideas, missing supplies should be covered that evening!  We realized after our meeting (day of, in fact) that we needed a bank of money so we could make change for our customers/donors!  Luckily our bank was open until 1 pm on Saturday!
  • Expect the unexpected.  No matter how perfect the event has been planned, there will always be something that goes wrong!  My husband placed his open energy drink on a table, it was hidden by a coat and I didn’t see it and knocked it over, spilling it all over our t-shirt bin (luckily the bin was closed).  No damage was done thankfully…. that was the worst thing that happened that night.
  • It’s a wrap! It’s ideal to announce your successes of the event.  Shortly after the event’s completion, be sure to communicate the amount of money raised, thank the people that made the event happen, and follow through with any other requests.  Two of our follow ups are for a local newspaper that ran our press release and this blog post. Providing this information will only benefit your event/organization for years to come.

Our event could not have been a success without the support of the Ladies of MsConduct, our friends and families, our fans, our rink and Puck Cancer.   We Commit to the Cure, because we “give a puck”.

I used to do a lot of volunteer work for the booster club for the Chicago Wolves (AHL) and gained a lot of experience, which helps this event run pretty smoothly for us. If you have any questions about that or if there is anything else I can help you/your team with for your charity event, let me know. I’ll be more than happy to share my knowledge. :)

4 Comments
by karen27 on March 9, 2012  •  Permalink
Posted in Team Talk
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Posted by karen27 on March 9, 2012

http://womenshockeyworld.com/2012/03/09/puck-cancer-fundraising-secrets-from-ms-conduct-hockey/

Secrets to Avoiding Hockey Injuries

I’ve got a special interest in this subject, having recently spent four months out of hockey due to a back injury. Read on to avoid my sad sojourn on the sidelines.

Almost half of all hockey injuries take place in the third period, according to numerous online sources. It makes sense that fatigue can lead to injury. So of course the reverse holds true: a high level of fitness will help you avoid fatique which will help you avoid injury. That’s where we start in our list of best ways to avoid getting injured playing hockey.

  • Commit to be fit. That means doing activities beyond playing hockey. Aim to do a mix of on-ice activity, strength exercises, conditioning (cardio) and stretching for flexibility. Balanced training can prevent muscular imbalances that lead to injury.
  • Focus on the core. Make sure your exercise regime includes developing a strong core (the major muscles in your belly, lower back and mid-back). Having a strong middle will help you skate more smoothly and shoot more powerfully while reducing the risk of hip, groin or back injuries.
  • Warm up. This includes loosening up before you get on the ice (gentle movements, not intense stretches), a good warm-up skate and some shooting to get your upper body moving.
  •  Watch for warning signs. If you have sharp pain, inflammation, tenderness or poor range of motion, these are all red   flags. Ignoring these warning signs and continuing to play can slow the recovery process and make the problem worse. If you ignore your sore back  and commit to a tournament that involves 4 games in 2 days, you may end up alone in the dressing room after the first period of the first game wondering if you can get your own skates off. I did. And it really, really sucked.
  • Hydrate. Having enough fluid in your system gives you fuel and also protects your muscles, Dehydrated muscles won’t perform of recover properly and are prone to injury.
  • Stretch after the game. The more flexible your muscles, the less chance they will tear when they are stretched during a game.

Have fun out there – and stay healthy.

2 Comments
by karen27 on March 3, 2012  •  Permalink
Posted in Hockey and Health
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Posted by karen27 on March 3, 2012

http://womenshockeyworld.com/2012/03/03/secrets-to-avoiding-hockey-injuries/

Best Excuses to Have a Team Party

I was impressed yet again this week with the Ms Conducts from Chicago who were having a Mardi Gras party after their practice on Tuesday. How fun are they?!

Socializing off the ice can build team spirit. Need an excuse for a party? Read on.

  • Season opener: Reacquaint yourselves, meet the new girls and plan which tournaments you’ll play in.
  • Milestone birthdays:  Celebrating 50 years in style!
  • Stanley Cup finals: Our team got together to cheer on the Vancouver Canucks during their Stanley Cup run last spring. (This year we’ll cheer louder.)
  • National women’s games: Groups of my teammates attended Canada women’s team games before and during the Olympics. Great entertainment, cheaper than the pros and so encouraging to see women play the game really, really well. If we had a CWHL team here, we’d watch them, too.  
  • End of season celebration: We give out team awards, including a stuffed gorilla for the Goon Award, a purple heart for the most spectacular injury and an individual award (all hockey-related) for each player.
  •  Hockey theme party: Our teammate Denise decked her house and yard out in hockey jerseys, sticks and trophies for a very fun Canada Day party that involved women’s and men’s teams (and dancing and carrying on…). 
  •  Christmas: Secret Santa, anyone? Don’t get all caught up in having your team Christmas party in December. At my last game in early February, there was a hockey team holding their Christmas party in the bar and they looked plenty festive.
  • Hockey trivia night: We did a beat-the-buzzer style trivia contest (hockey rules, team stats etc.), Forwards vs Defense with the winners taking a fabulous prize (Jello shooters).

What are your best hockey party ideas? Let us know.

Have fun out there…and plan a team party soon.

3 Comments
by karen27 on February 24, 2012  •  Permalink
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Posted by karen27 on February 24, 2012

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How to Avoid Offside Calls in Hockey

We’ve all done it – even the pros do it. I’m talking about the game-stopping shame of being offside.

It can be so annoying when you’re on a devastating offensive rush that is sure to result in a goal, and the play gets called back offside.

Offside is called when a player on the attacking team enters the other team’s defensive zone before the puck enters the zone (either carried by a teammate or shot into the zone).

Here are a few ways to avoid being called offside:

  • Shoot.  Shoot the puck once you have crossed the red line. This way, the puck will already be in the zone before any offensive players cross the blue line. This is especially useful if you’re not a great skater or the offense needs a line change. Of course, you have to be over the red line to avoid an icing call.
  • Keep skating. Skate over the other team’s blue line with the puck. As long as none of your teammates cross the blue line before you, nobody will be offside. If you get a shot on net, there’s a chance you’ll score on that shot or a rebound.
  • Watch the puck carrier. Keep an eye on your teammate who has the puck. If she’s carrying the puck, it’s your job to make sure you don’t go over the blue line before the puck does. If you’re watching, you’ll see if she suddenly stops with the puck or makes a pass before crossing the blue line.
  • Talk.  Let your teammates know what’s happening. If you have the puck and plan to pass, call out the name of the person it’s heading towards. If you see a teammate crossing the blue line before the puck, call them back.
  • Don’t hesitate. Avoid a sudden change of direction near the blue line. If you start to go sideways or pause, your teammates might sail right past you over the blue line.
  • Chip it in. Shoot the puck into the other team’s defensive zone by bouncing if off the boards. In a best case scenario, you’ll skate around the defender, pick up the puck and continue towards the goal.

I read about another strategy that involves bouncing the puck off one of their defenders (so if it goes all the way down the ice, you won’t be called for icing). It seems like this could involve turning over the puck to the other team. When I ran it by my son, he said, “That’s probably not a good idea for you, Mum.”

But if you have the confidence – go for it!

There’s a lot to think about on the ice, but it doesn’t take long before it becomes instinct to make sure the puck crosses the blue line before you do.

If you want to know more about offside, including the origin of the word (hint: old British war term), check out this article on iSport.com.

Have fun out there…and watch that blue line.

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by karen27 on February 19, 2012  •  Permalink
Posted in On-Ice Strategies
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Posted by karen27 on February 19, 2012

http://womenshockeyworld.com/2012/02/19/how-to-avoid-offside-calls-in-hockey/

Does Pink Belong in Women’s Hockey?

Pink gloves, hockey tape, laces, socks, sticks, jerseys…have I missed anything?

I gained an interesting new perspective about the prevalence of pink in women’s hockey from a blog post by courtneyszto. Here’s part of it.

Personally, I hate pink jerseys – simple as that. I hate the colour pink. Correction, I hate what the colour pink stands for. It’s not like the colour itself is physically painful for me to look at or wear, but the characteristics ascribed to the colour pink are, shall we say, problematic for the feminist movement. Let’s be honest, gangs don’t wear pink for a reason. Pink is equated with femininity and fragility. Pink is a women’s colour and women love pink is how the assumed relationship goes. It starts from birth, girls stuff is pink, boys stuff is blue and from a very young age I was able to identify that what pink represents is not me. As a female athlete we have enough to contend with, we have enough to prove and throwing pink hockey gloves or jerseys on top of being a female athlete just seems like one more hoop to jump through in the circus that is women’s sports.

Hmmm. Some valid points there. Personally, I’m just relieved we don’t have to wear bikinis like those beach volleyball players (while their male counterparts somehow manage to play in shorts). But hang on for her conclusion:

There are enough hurdles in our way ladies, we don’t need to trip each other up. We have made the greatest inroads with regard to gender relations when we have fought as a collective. Let not the pink jersey divide and conquer.

The bottom line? Relax! If pink doesn’t float your boat, you have lots of other choices. And those choices include deciding not to be offended by anyone who does wear pink.

Read courtneyszto’s full blog post.

What do you think? Does pink in hockey make you see red?

Have fun out there…no matter what colour you’re wearing.

2 Comments
by karen27 on February 16, 2012  •  Permalink
Posted in Motivation and Musings
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Posted by karen27 on February 16, 2012

http://womenshockeyworld.com/2012/02/16/does-pink-belong-in-womens-hockey/

The New Date Night: Co-Ed Hockey

Welcome back to our guest blogger, Janet, who has discovered how to combine romance and hockey. 

Last spring, I ventured into the wildly different territory of Co-Ed hockey with my spouse. I’m pleased to say that we’re still together.

If you’ve never played Co-Ed, there’s just one rule you need to keep in mind:  you need to have (in our league anyway) a minimum of two women on the ice at all times. Our team played with at least one girl up front and one on Defense.

Shifting lines in Defense got complicated every now and again. I suppose every team runs their lines differently, but it seems to me that I spent an inordinate amount of time making sure I was subbing correctly. You get in to a rhythm pretty quickly though, and can actually focus on the game after a while.

I found Co-Ed hockey to be much faster than my women’s teams. Sorry, I hate to generalize, as no doubt I’ll offend someone, and yes, there are always lots of exceptions, but typically and statistically, guys are bigger and stronger and generally have much more hockey experience (than me, anyway). Just so you know.

In Co-Ed there’s no hitting. Most of the time, the men work hard to avoid collisions with female players. Despite that, it can be a little intimidating when you come face to chest with some of these guys. One game last spring, I was bearing down like I was birthing quints trying to push this massive hulk of a guy out of the crease (and thinking that I need to do more Kegels) when he looks casually over his shoulder, peers down and says “Oh, Hi, I didn’t know you were back there”. Truly nasty. And humbling!

If you and your partner have been invited to play on a Co-Ed team, there are a few things to consider first:

  1. What’s the skill level generally? You probably won’t want to sign up for a team of ex-NHL-ers if you’re only starting. Or vice versa.
  2. Are the men on the team willing to play like gentlemen and let you touch the puck every now and again?
  3. What’s your significant other’s tolerance?  Is he/she going to be a supportive team-mate or will you be flying solo (if you catch my drift) for a few weeks after each game?

Co-Ed hockey may not be the right game for the über-enthusiast who must win every game and must carry the puck all the way, must score solo all the time and would never, ever pass to a woman (or conversely, a man).  It’s a social game, very fun and very fast.  It challenges both men and women to play differently than they would on their regular teams.

If you think the team has the right composition, it’s definitely worth considering, after you rule out #3 above.  Unless you prefer to fly solo, in which case, never mind. Just sign up.  It’s ice time, and if you’re like me, you never, ever get enough of that.

Still not sure you want to try? My best recommendation is to spare for a few games and see if you and your spouse are compatible teammates. Just because you’re that rare couple who once hung wallpaper together and lived to tell the tale doesn’t mean you can play hockey together.  If you spare a few games and you both like it, then hurry up and cut the cheque for next season.

In summary, if your idea of a date night is yet another DVD rental or cleaning your teen’s bedroom…try Co-Ed…the new Date Night.  Maybe you’ll create a wonderful new connection with your partner, increase your speed and skill level, and have some fun to boot.  It beats a candle-lit dinner hands-down.

JHo.32

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by karen27 on February 12, 2012  •  Permalink
Posted in Motivation and Musings
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Posted by karen27 on February 12, 2012

http://womenshockeyworld.com/2012/02/12/the-new-date-night-co-ed-hockey/

Post-Game Rehydration: Beer and Beyond

There’s a reason why they refer to senior men’s hockey as “beer league” – those guys drink a LOT of beer in the dressing room. The last time my husband bought beer for his team, he packed 48 cans into a rolling cooler. I didn’t see many come back.

When our women’s team was being formed, we addressed the important issues first, such as: who brings the beer after the game?

The problem was, one size doesn’t fit all. Sue likes her red wine, Denise drinks cider, Roberta brings Palm Bays…what a conundrum.

Then someone had a brilliantly simple idea: one person brings a cooler filled with ice. We all pack our beverage of choice in our hockey bags and pop it into the cooler during the game. Everybody’s happy.

Enjoying a cold beer in the dressing room is one of my favourite parts of playing hockey. It’s a fun way to relax, re-live the game and visit with friends.

Have fun out there…and cheers.

1 Comment
by karen27 on February 10, 2012  •  Permalink
Posted in Hockey and Health
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Posted by karen27 on February 10, 2012

http://womenshockeyworld.com/2012/02/10/post-game-rehydration-beer-and-beyond/

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