Hockey/Lacrosse, etc.

[DavidDetroit]

I'm not sure if I mentioned these sports before (beer memory) but I'm curious now what the state of those sports are in the UK? Do your schools (18 and under) support them, are there teams and so forth? An ice rink is ridiculously expensive so maybe not or there's no interest.
I was just watching the Red Wings (Detroit pro hockey team) and that's what made me think of it.

 

[pilgrimhudd]

There is a pro league here (ice hockey) and I went to a few games in Nottingham when I went to Uni there. That was 20 years ago but i'm not sure the standard has changed much, it was far slower than the NHL which I grew up watching on the telly (go oilers). I remember being vaguely excited because Marty Mcsorley was going to play in the UK league after his ban in the NHL but that fell through. I went to a school where the nearest Ice Rink was probably in Bristol so 150 miles away so not sure about if schools support them. It's a pity because going to an NHL game is a great experience, I was lucky enough to see the Canucks vs New York Rangers years ago and loved it.

 

[jof]

Hockey is played in a few state schools but not many. Sports staff at my school did rugby an hockey but almost all surrounding schools did football and that was 40 years ago.

From my knowledge, hockey remains popular in private schools for girls but not boys and you can still find a reasonable number of hockey clubs around the country. We have one nearby and my niece plays at another further up the country.

Lacrosse is becoming very rare.

 

[RoomWithABrew]

@DavidDetroit
Not sure if rugby union, rugby league, field hockey,indoor hockey, rounders, stoolball, cricket, hurling, gaelic football and shinty are played in the USA. Maybe just a UK thing!
But as they are enjoyed by billions of people they can't have a world series.

 

[DavidDetroit]

But as they are enjoyed by billions of people they can't have a world series.

Are you being kind of sarcastic? If so, I don't find it funny. I asked a serious question without Googling to get info because I don't know.

 

[DavidDetroit]

Side note: I actually don't know the difference between Lacrosse and field hockey.
As my parents were from Canada, hockey was a big thing but, alas, too expensive for us to play. No lacrosse teams at the schools but only at the prep schools.

 

[pilgrimhudd]

Side note: I actually don't know the difference between Lacrosse and field hockey.
As my parents were from Canada, hockey was a big thing but, alas, too expensive for us to play. No lacrosse teams at the schools but only at the prep schools.

I know nothing of the rules of lacrosse, however I do know that they play with a stick that has a net thing on the end. This is thanks to watching American Pie. Field hockey is similiar to soccer/football really, just played with a stick.

 

[Leon103]

Hockey in the uk is not played on ice. Either grass or astroturf. Never heard it called field hockey.

 

[Slid]

Lacrosse was the second term's sport at my school, WHGS, which I left at the end of 1976. It seemed to be very much the last of the Grammar Schools and the like that played it then and I doubt it is much played now, I was hopeless at lacrosse, though it is entertaining to watch, if played by those who can actually play! Quite a fast flowing and skilful game, but does require expensive equipment for protection as well as the sticks. The ball is rubber with a metallic centre and the size of bag (known as a Crosse) on the end of the stick depends on whether you play in attack (small bag) or defence (large bag).

Also, the goals are only 6 feet square, so a big goalie was quite an asset at school level.
Only real memory of playing the game was hitting a classmate around the head with the Crosse, which left a pattern of indents on his forehead. More lack of skill than malice, needless to say.

 

[pilgrimhudd]

Hockey in the uk is not played on ice. Either grass or astroturf. Never heard it called field hockey.

You forgot to mention the joys of all-weather shale pitches, my legs are scarred to hell from it.

 

[An Ankoù]

Hockey is played in a few state schools but not many. Sports staff at my school did rugby an hockey but almost all surrounding schools did football and that was 40 years ago.

From my knowledge, hockey remains popular in private schools for girls but not boys and you can still find a reasonable number of hockey clubs around the country. We have one nearby and my niece plays at another further up the country.

Lacrosse is becoming very rare.

I played hockey (on the tarmac, not on ice) at school some 50 years ago. It was a PE lesson thing rather than a Sports Afternoon thing. None of my kids played hockey and I doubt they even know what it is. Did some work at a girls' grammar school over twenty years ago where there were some bits and pieces of lacrosse stuff still knocking around and some of the teachers remembered it, but nobody had played it for years.

 

[DavidDetroit]

Not surprisingly, ice hockey isn't nearly as big in the South. I forget which pro franchise moved there but the fans didn't really understand what was going on.
We had a ward some years ago and she played football (soccer). I went to some games and that's where I learned most of what I know about the sport. I'm not sure if the rules were adjusted for girls.

 

[MickDundee]

My school pushed hockey (of the field variety) quite a lot. The PE Teacher/coach was super into it and I think he had umpired to quite a high level. Quite a few people I went to school with have ended up playing hockey at quite a high standard.

They used to joke that the only way to get that teacher to like you was to either play hockey or be friends with one of his kids. I never played hockey once, but his son was best man at my wedding

 

[DavidDetroit]

it was far slower than the NHL which I grew up watching on the telly (go oilers).

They were an unstoppable team for a while back in the day.
The US gets a ton of their talent from overseas.

 

[Jim Brewster]

We did Lacrosse one year in PE around 2000. I enjoyed it but it was a flash in the pan /novelty thing and never heard anything about Lacrosse again until now.

Never did field or ice hockey but once had a go at roller hockey during the 90s fad for roller blades, but since I can't skate very well it was a complete mess.

 

[RoomWithABrew]

I played Field Hockey at University in the England and one of our players was from Canada he was on the edge of the Canada national team, so it does seem to be something in Canada. It's a pretty cheap sport stick, shoes, shinpads, gumshield, unless you go in goal.