It all started last spring break for me- hockey fever. I wasn't sure at first how much I’d like it. I mean, I liked the idea of hockey, but wasn't too keen on the broken bones & missing teeth & blood flying everywhere that you usually think of with hockey. But that's not what I found as I started playing roller hockey with a nearby team.
    The thrill of the game and the excitement of physical exertion skating in a circle chasing a puck are just two aspects of roller hockey. Roller hockey, also known as inline hockey, is oft bypassed as a possible sport because its rules and feel are so much like ice hockey. When people say ‘hockey’, they are usually thinking of ice hockey, not roller hockey. Roller hockey is rising in popularity, however- The International Inline Skating Association says on its website http://www.iisa.org/ that in 1990 about 3.6 million people participated in roller hockey, while 7 years later that number had already climbed to 26.6 million.
    Roller hockey is the most intense starter sport suitable for athletic and non-athletic people. In my speech, you will hear about: the physical advantages to playing roller hockey, social advantages associated with the game, how easy and fun it is to play, what equipment you need to start, and how the game grows with you as your skill increases.

    Roller hockey is good for the body, like most other exercises. When your chasing after the puck, you don’t pay as much attention to how much exercise your getting. “Hockey is a demanding game, one of the toughest in the world when it is played right,” says Lois Kalchman in her book  Safe Hockey: How to Survive the Game Intact. Because you're so into the game, you don’t think about anything else.
    Amateur roller hockey player Seth Hartbecke maintains his body weight through street-skating and hockey. He estimates over the past few years he’s spent around 1,000 hours on skates, which is 600,000 cal burned total if skating burned 600 cal/hr (which is about average). That correlates to about 171 pounds that he’s kept off by skating and playing hockey. Of course, Seth skates every day, even in the winter, because he says better for the joints than jogging.
    The benefits don’t stop there- roller hockey is also good socially.
    Roller hockey can help players form friendships. Whether it's sharing pain of tired muscles or pucks slamming into you, somehow, hockey players form close friendships within the team. Several hockey players I know hang out together whether skating or not. When one has a problem, the others are right there to help, whether it's trouble with family, friends, work, or anything else. Jeremie Miller, another hockey player, says the single biggest advantage of roller hockey is the health, not just physical, but mental as well. Hockey’s fun and distracts you from issues you may have in your life. Jer also said hockey is great group activity because of camaraderie.
    The game may be physically and socially good for you, but it is also a ton of fun. Many different people find roller hockey not only easy to learn, but fun. http://www.whockey.com says that roller hockey is increasing in popularity for both men and women. If you're worried about the violence aspect, rest assured- roller hockey is exactly as aggressive as you make it be. You control a large portion of the amount of violence going on. In his book Everything you’ve always wanted to know about hockey, Brian McFarlane says “When hockey claims a player’s interest, it usually owns him body and soul.” Hockey is so exciting, it’s addicting.
    So maybe some of you are interested now. What do you need to play the game?
     You do need special equipment to play hockey. Amateur leagues usually require less protective gear than professional leagues do. You need a helmet to protect your head and you need pads- usually a combonation of knee & shin pads that reach down to your skates- and gloves and/or wrist guards, while elbow pads are often optional. Of course a stick (of the correct handedness) and skates are required, but many types are available, including aggressive and non-aggressive skates.  Someone on the team will need a puck and two goals. With pick-up games of hockey, all you personally may need is skates and a place to play for hours of entertainment. Professional leagues require all of above equipment plus a mouthguard and face mask in the helmet, and hockey pants or hip pads.
    Okay, so it’s good for you physically & socially, and you have the equipment. Can you outgrow the game?
    Hockey grows with you as your skill increases. Many hockey players improve drastically as they play. Necessity improves your skating very quickly. After about a month or so of playing hockey, I began to learn to skate backward. You learn to skate quickly and agilely to better chase the puck and fend off opponents. Other hockey players are often glad to give you tips and help you learn. My brother started playing with us, and he’s been basically personally tutored by two of the hockey players, so his skating has improved drastically. Because it’s roller hockey, you can practice almost anywhere- on streets, driveways, parking lots,  cement lots, wherever you can find a good spot. The American Sport Education Program says in Coaching Youth Hockey that “the skating ability of beginning roller hockey players is generally more advanced than that of beginning ice hockey players” because roller hockey players have many more opportunities to practice. Lydia Wrobel, a writer for The State News, said in an article on a beginning roller hockey league, "You don't have to be an excellent skater. You just have to be able to go forward."
     Roller hockey is the most intense starter sport suitable for athletic and nonathletic people. So the next time you hear someone mention hockey, give it a try, and be sure to think about roller hockey as a possible pastime. Sure, we’re all busy, but we also get bored. So hockey could serve as your next study break.