Hockey Team Research Articles

An Outbreak of Respiratory Viral Infections in a Professional Ice Hockey Team.

Viral acute respiratory infections (ARIs) are an important cause of illness in athletes. However, their impact on ice hockey players is unclear. We describe an outbreak of ARIs in a professional ice hockey team. Contrary to expected influenza, the 40-day outbreak was caused by 8 different respiratory viruses, that is, 2 different influenza A viruses, human coronavirus-NL63 (HCoV-NL63), respiratory syncytial viruses (RSV) A and B, 2 different rhinoviruses, enterovirus D68, and parainfluenza type 2 virus. Only influenza A and HCoV-NL63 were possibly spread within the team thus suggesting an important contraction from the community. The burden of illness was substantial.

Relationship between Repeated Sprint Ability and Force–Velocity Profile in Elite and Subelite Female Field Hockey Players

This study aimed to compare two female field hockey teams of different competitive levels by analyzing kinematic variables in repeated sprint ability (RSA) tests and the force-velocity profile (FVP). Twenty-five female hockey players representing the elite and subelite levels from the same club volunteered to participate. The RSA protocol included six 30 m maximal sprints with a 30 s recovery. Kinematic variables, such as sprint time, step frequency, and step length, were analyzed for each sprint. Additionally, players performed counter-movement jumps (CMJs) and CMJs with 50% body weight (CMJ50s) to calculate the FV50 using the Bosco Index. The elite players showed better (≈2%; p < 0.05) fatigue indexes in sprint time (0–30 m and 0–10 m sections), step length (0–10 m, 10–20 m, and 20–30 m sections), and step frequency (20–30 m section) during the RSA test, as well as greater values (>10%; p < 0.05) in the CMJ50 and FV50 tests. In addition, these RSA (sprint time, step frequency, and step length) and jumping (CMJ, CMJ50, and FV50) variables showed a moderate, significant, or very significant relationship with each other. Therefore, it seems that both strength and speed capacities can be used either in conjunction or as a complementary approach to enhance the overall RSA performance.

An Olympic Fairytale: The Zimbabwean Women’s Field Hockey Victory at the 1980 Moscow Olympic Games

In July 1980, an all-white Zimbabwean women’s hockey team made history by unexpectedly winning gold at the Olympic Games in Moscow. The 1980 games had been overshadowed by cold war political tensions which manifested in the boycott by several western countries in protest over the Soviet Union’s invasion of Afghanistan. This politicization of the Olympics set the stage for Zimbabwe’s participation and the eventual politicization of the women’s field hockey victory. This victory was unexpected partially because the Zimbabwean women’s field hockey team had very little time to prepare for the tournament. The ramifications of the victory extended beyond the playing field as it became intertwined with racial and gender discourses that dominated the post-independence political narrative. Therefore, the events connected with this 1980 Olympic victory by the Zimbabwean women’s hockey team demonstrate how the victory transformed women’s field hockey from being a relatively obscure white minority sport, into a critical social space where political rhetoric was enunciated. This effectively increased the standing of the sport in the eyes of the ruling ZANU PF regime as demonstrated by investment in hockey infrastructure as well as attempts to continue its association with the 1980 Olympic victory.

Expectations and disadvantages: a case study approach exploring the mental health challenges of elite, student-athlete women

ABSTRACT Elite athletes, student-athletes, and women are reported to have an increased risk of experiencing mental health concerns, yet little is known about how the intersectionality of these three factors affect the individual. The present study addressed this by interviewing members of an international women’s Junior World Cup hockey team. Reflexive thematic analysis was used to identify two triadic themes (i.e., challenges encompassing all three factors) and three dyadic themes (two of the three factors). These findings, and in particular, the triadic themes of “Pressure of Expectation” and “Comparative Disadvantages”, reveal the multifaceted nature of the challenges faced by this unique cohort. We identify possible explanations for our findings and discuss implications for optimising the experiences of elite, student-athlete women.

Chemist left the lab, leads hockey team and spare a thought for the thinkers

Chemist left the lab, leads hockey team and spare a thought for the thinkers

Bridging the Gap Between Training and Competition in Elite Rink Hockey: A Pilot Study.

Monitoring training load and competition load is crucial for evaluating and improving athlete performance. This study proposes an applied approach to characterize and classify the training task specificity in relation to competition in a top-level rink hockey team, considering external and internal load from training tasks and competition. Training tasks and game demands have significant dose-response differences, and exercises can be classified successfully based on their physiological and biomechanical demands. Cross-sectional study. Level 5. Ten elite-level male rink hockey players participated in this study. Players were monitored on 6 different task categories during 8 training sessions and 2 official games. A linear mixed model with random intercepts was used to compare training tasks and competition load, accounting for individual repeated measures. A 2-step cluster analysis was performed to classify the training tasks and games based on physiological and biomechanical load, employing log-likelihood as the distance measure and Schwartz's Bayesian criterion. Average heartrate , maximum heartrate, and high-speed skating (18.1-30 km/h) were the best physiological load predictors, while the most effective biomechanical load predictors were impacts [8-10] g(n), decelerations [-10 to -3]m/s²(n), and accelerations [3-10]m/s²(n). Different physiological and biomechanical responses were verified between training tasks and match demands. A 4-quadrant efforts assessment for each task category revealed that training tasks used by the team in the analysis presented lower biomechanical and physiological load demands than competition. Training tasks failed to adequately replicate the specific demands of competition, especially regarding high mechanical stress, such as the absence of high-intensity impacts and decelerations. This method of classification of training tasks may allow coaches to understand further the specificity and contribution of each task to competition demands, consequently improving the capacity of load management and the preparedness and readiness of players for competition.

Subsidizing a sports arena in a bankrupt city: Detroit's Little Caesars Arena

AbstractObjectivesThe potential for ancillary real estate transformation and downtown revitalization has moved to the forefront of sports venue subsidy arguments. Despite the City of Detroit being in the largest municipal bankruptcy in U.S. history at the time, $324 million in public funding was directly provided to Little Caesars Arena, a new home for the Detroit Red Wings hockey team. Using the Detroit context, this article examines how a major arena subsidy deal arose in a severely financially distressed city.MethodsUsing a snowball technique, documents were collected from government, media, industry, community, legal, and academic sources to inform a retrospective, single case study. Over 300 documents covering a period from 1992 to 2021 were then reviewed for prospective relevance. A review of secondary media sources was conducted in lieu of traditional interviews.ResultsThe arena funding outcome is best explained by three interrelated aspects: local growth coalitions, real estate development promises, and lacking procedural and financial transparency exacerbated by both the chosen funding mechanism of tax increment financing (TIF) and the bankruptcy.ConclusionsWhere flexible financial subsidies and arena deal making are concerned, procedural transparency matters. Growth coalitions and rent‐seeking team owners can use the earmarked nature of TIF to circumvent traditional budgetary processes and mute prospective opposition through promises of self‐financing subsidies that will not result in new tax rate hikes. For venue deals where the substance is in the details of contractual obligations, transparency and adequate time for scrutiny are especially important.

Exploring the dynamics of Women's field hockey performance: A comparative analysis of the impact of opponent quality between Olympic Games and Chinese National Games

This is an observational retrospective study analyzed the performance of the Chinese women's national field hockey team during the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and 2021 National Games to assess the impact of opposition quality on performance. Game statistics were collected using notational analysis software for 76 Olympic and 40 National Games matches. Non-parametric Mann-Whitney U tests were used to compare tournaments. No significant differences existed for 35 out of 38 metrics, except Offense in 25-Yd Area (P = 0.013), Handball Style (P = 0.000) and Entry into Arc - Right Lane (P = 0.017). When exclusively considering Chinese national team's observations, superior National Games performance did emerge for Shot (P = 0.046), Goal from Short Corner (P = 0.044), Into the Arc (P = 0.046), Entry into Arc - Q3 (P = 0.009), Dribble into the Arc (P = 0.046), Handball Style into Arc (P = 0.041), Forehand Shot (P = 0.033), and Small Skill Shot (P = 0.014). The study underscores the influence of opposition quality on team performance, with a need for targeted improvements in arc penetration efficacy, conversion rates of shots to goals, and adaptation of tactical approaches against stronger defenses. The research points towards the need for strategic high-performance programs, improved domestic league quality, and a structured youth development system to elevate the overall standard of Chinese field hockey to achieve global competitiveness.

Comparative Analysis of Activity Profiles in Division I Female Field Hockey Athletes: Before and after Game Time Modifications

Collegiate field hockey in the United States underwent a game format change in 2019, moving from two halves to four quarters to align with international play. The purpose of this study is to report physical activity profiles for US Collegiate Division I female field hockey athletes in the game format of four quarters and compare activity pre- and post-rule change. Activity profiles of a US Collegiate Division I female field hockey team were recorded using a Polar Pro Sensor. Fifteen regular season games from 2018 were analyzed from 21 players, and fifteen regular season games from 2019 were analyzed from 20 players. Absolute and relative activity profile data, including total distance, maximum velocity, low-speed and high-speed running, and number of surges for the team and positional difference, were compared across the two seasons. While an increase in the number of substitutions as well as a decrease in match time was noted, overall, the change in format had minimal impact on player performance profiles, including total time played, distance traveled, and maximum velocity. The results suggest the change in format did not alter the physical activity profiles for midfielders or forwards but did change for defenders. Implications for performance that existed before the rule change can be seen as consistent going forward.

Assessing Helmet Fit for Varsity Ice Hockey Athletes: A Field Intervention Study

Background: Protective equipment is at the forefront of the discussion on reducing sports-related concussions, with the role of helmets being equivocal. Data suggest that modern helmets are not entirely protective against concussions, and ill-fitting helmets may contribute to concussions with longer-lasting symptoms. Helmet fit can be assessed via a checklist, but its application outside of youth sport is lacking. Objectives: The purpose of this study was to assess helmet fit and the effect of feedback for a men’s (n=22) and a women’s (n=20) university varsity ice hockey team across a season. Methods: This field intervention study used a 12-item helmet fit checklist which was divided into five categories, defining “proper fit” as meeting all criteria of the stability and size categories. Players’ concussion histories and helmet fit knowledge were assessed using a survey. Results: The number of properly fitting helmets for males increased from 23% to 77% over the season, while remaining consistent at 50% for females. For males, 73% had an increase in overall checklist scores and 27% saw no change; 45% of females had an increase, 5% saw no change, and 50% decreased. Reported female (85%) concussion rate was double that of males (41%), but perceived knowledge of helmet fit (male=36%, female=30%) and actual knowledge (male=77%, female=85%) were similar. Conclusions: Feedback only had a positive effect on helmet fit for males across the season, potentially due to helmet style differences for females. Improvements to checklist criteria and scoring would increase the effectiveness of assessing fit for multiple helmet styles.

Intensified training augments cardiac function, but not blood volume, in male youth elite ice hockey team players.

While it is well-established that a period of interval training performed at near maximal effort, such as speed endurance training (SET), enhances intense exercise performance in well-trained individuals, less is known about its effect on cardiac morphology and function as well as blood volume. To investigate this, we subjected 12 Under-20 Danish national team ice hockey players (age 18±1 years, mean±SD) to 4weeks of SET, consisting of 6-10×20s skating bouts at maximal effort interspersed by 2min of recovery conducted three times weekly. This was followed by 4weeks of regular training (follow-up). We assessed resting cardiac function and dimensions using transthoracic echocardiography and quantified total blood volume with the carbon monoxide rebreathing technique at three time points: before SET, after SET and after the follow-up period. After SET, stroke volume had increased by 10 (2-18) mL (mean (95% CI)), left atrial end-diastolic volume by 10 (3-17) mL, and circumferential strain improved by 0.9%-points (1.7-0.1) (all P<0.05). At follow-up, circumferential strain and left atrial end-diastolic volume were reverted to baseline levels, while stroke volume remained elevated. Blood volume and morphological parameters for the left ventricle, including mass and end-diastolic volume, did not change during the study. In conclusion, our findings demonstrate that a brief period of SET elicits beneficial central cardiac adaptations in elite ice hockey players independent of changes in blood volume.

High-Intensity Running During International Male Field Hockey Involves Frequent Changes of Direction and Repeated Accelerations but Seldom Reaches Sprint Velocities.

Goods, PS, Appleby, B, Scott, BR, Peeling, P, and Galna, B. High-intensity running during international male field hockey involves frequent changes of direction and repeated accelerations but seldom reaches sprint velocities. J Strength Cond Res XX(X): 000-000, 2024-The aim of this investigation was to quantify the characteristics of high-intensity running in international male field hockey. Player movement data were collected through wearable player tracking devices across 3 tournaments (17 matches) from 27 members of the Australian male field hockey team (totaling 266 player matches). Active duration (minute), high-intensity efforts (>2.5 m·s-2 for >1 second), repeated high-intensity efforts (≥3 efforts with ≤45-second recovery between efforts), and sprints (>7 m·s-1) were extracted and aggregated for each player match. The duration, distance, mean and peak speed, mean change of direction and straightness for each high-intensity effort, and peak deceleration at the conclusion of each effort were calculated. Mixed-effects models were used to estimate the mean for each outcome (fixed effect), with random intercepts modeled for player and match. On average, players completed 42.2 high-intensity efforts and 2.1 sprints per match. High-intensity efforts were short (3.61 seconds, 12.9 m), failed to reach high velocities (average peak velocity: 4.8 m·s-1), and involved frequent changes of direction (56% of efforts were not straight). There were 4.7 bouts of repeated high-intensity efforts per player, per match (comprising 3.8 efforts, with 3.53 seconds per effort separated by 16.2-second recovery). Last, we also found that 29% of high-intensity efforts involved a high-speed deceleration (>3.5 m·s-2), and these occurred frequently when in conjunction with a >45° (86%) or >90° (89%) change of direction. We recommend practitioners focus on developing players' ability to repeatedly accelerate, decelerate, and change direction over short distances and adopt testing and monitoring programs that assess these qualities.

Analysing the competitive actions of goalkeepers of Superleague ice hockey teams

Analysing the competitive actions of goalkeepers of Superleague ice hockey teams

NEAR MAXIMAL VELOCITY SPRINTS ARE RARE, BUT HIGH-INTENSITY ACCELERATIONS OCCUR FREQUENTLY DURING INTERNATIONAL MALE FIELD HOCKEY

INTRODUCTION &amp; AIMS In team sport, high-intensity running is generally used to describe velocities associated with maximal aerobic speed, with sprints defined by near maximal velocities, which are considered important to team sport performance. However, recent team sport investigations have revealed that near maximal velocities are seldom attained, but high-intensity accelerations occur frequently and may better represent the most demanding aspects of team sport match play. Field hockey research in this area is lacking, and therefore, we aimed to explore the frequency of high-intensity accelerations in elite field hockey, and how often these accelerations resulted in the attainment of sprint velocities. METHODS Movement data were collected during 2023 across 3 tournaments (17 matches) from 27 members of the Australian male field hockey team (totalling 266 player matches). Duration, high-intensity accelerations (&amp;gt;2.5m.s-2 for &amp;gt;1s), sprints (&amp;gt;7m.s-1), and repeated high-intensity efforts (≥3 accelerations or sprints with ≤45s recovery between efforts) were extracted. Mixed effects models were used to estimate the mean for each outcome (fixed effect), with random intercepts modelled for player and match. RESULTS Players were active for 51min and completed 42 high-intensity accelerations per match, which lasted for 3.6s, covered 12.9m, and reached a peak velocity of 4.8m.s-1. Only 6.4% of high-intensity accelerations resulted in the attainment of sprint velocity (2.5 per match), and these efforts lasted for 6.1s, covered 35.6m, and reached a peak velocity of 7.5m.s-1. Players completed 4.5 bouts of repeated high-intensity accelerations per match, which comprised 3.7 efforts per bout, interspersed with 16.4s of recovery; however, no repeated-sprint bouts were observed. CONCLUSION High-intensity accelerations occur frequently in field hockey; however, these rarely result in the attainment of sprint velocities. Practitioners should consider monitoring high-intensity accelerations to ensure players are being adequately prepared for competition demands.

Analysis of Injuries in the Swiss U20 Elite Ice Hockey Season 2019/2020-A Retrospective Survey.

(1) Background: In Switzerland, there is little data on injury characteristics in elite ice hockey players aged under 20 years (U20 Elite juniors). This study aimed to determine the injury rate and type of injury in Swiss U20 ice hockey players. (2) Methods: The present study was carried out in a retrospective, non-experimental design using an online questionnaire provided to the 314 elite players of the 12 Swiss U20 Elite ice hockey teams. The injury rate, rate ratios, injury location, type and severity of injury, and injury mechanism were reported. (3) Results: Seventy-three athletes from 11 teams volunteered (response rate = 24%). A total of 30 out of 45 recorded injuries led to time loss in practice and competition. Injury occurred once or twice during the 2019/2020 season. For each player, the injury rate was 0.66 per 1000 practice hours and 2.98 per 1000 competition hours (injury rate ratio = 4.5). The head/neck region was the most common injury location (45.5%). (4) Conclusions: Knowledge of injury characteristics in ice hockey is necessary for meaningful injury management and injury prevention. The results of the present study provide information on the injury rate, location, types, severity, and mechanism in elite Swiss U20 ice hockey players. Most injuries result from contact with another player. More strict sanctioning for irregular behavior and fair play can serve as preventive measures. Further studies should examine different preventive measures such as wearing full-face coverage.

Recklessness or Simple Negligence

A girls’ field hockey team coach instructed players to warm up in an area adjacent to the school’s turf field, where the boys’ soccer team was practicing. Plaintiff Morgan Dennehy, a member of the field hockey team, was struck at the base of her skull by an errant soccer ball. The plaintiff filed this suit against the coach, the school and others due to the defendants’ alleged failure to supervise and prevent potential and foreseeable dangerous conditions.

Research note: Evaluating the efficacy of an online post event reflection tool in competitive sport

In competitive sport environments, coaches and sport psychology practitioners work to optimize individual and team performance. One strategy identified as a key to optimal sport performance is athlete self-awareness. This study evaluated the efficacy of a novel, online post-event reflection (PER) tool. Using a mixed methods design, 22 members of a competitive women’s ice hockey team completed the PER across one season. The PER demonstrated efficacy through tailored insight used as a basis for athlete discussions, complementing other performance-related feedback. Follow-up interviews with three team members and the head coach provided additional support for the efficacy of the PER. Lay summary: In competitive sport environments, coaches and sport psychology practitioners work to optimize individual and team performance. This study provides evidence to support the use a novel, online post-event reflection tool by athletes, coaches, and sport psychology practitioners to enhance athlete self-awareness of mental skills and performance.

Marketing a Junior B Hockey Team After the Major-Junior Ontario Hockey League Relocates a Team to Your City: The Case of the Valley Brook Barons

After a major-junior hockey team relocates to their city, the well-established Junior B Valley Brook Barons hockey team’s attendance dropped 30% to only 350 fans per game, leading to a financial loss for the season. For the team to break even again, their Business Manager believes they need to restore their per-game attendance back to 500 fans. Consequently, she wants to implement a new marketing plan before the next season begins. She recognizes the opportunity of targeting their current and potential new market segments. Despite the urgency, the team’s owner will only budget $5,000 to implement a new marketing plan. Students are required to conduct a strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats analysis, segment the market, analyze the five Ps of the marketing mix, pick one or more target markets, and develop marketing tactics that can be implemented on a very tight budget.

Coaching Across Borders: Lessons From Finnish High-Performance Ice Hockey Coaches

Sport coaching has become globalized. Finnish ice hockey is an example of this globalization of a coaching workforce. Indeed, the success of Finnish ice hockey teams in the international arena has been fueling the demand for coaches and players from this country worldwide. Yet, despite the increasing trends of migration of the workforce in sports, there is limited research that is conducted on the experiences of foreign coaches. Thus, in this study, we aimed to expand our understanding of the work of high-performance coaches in the globalized sports context. A case study design was adopted. The participants were 14 Finnish high-performance head coaches with transnational career experiences across 11 nations. Qualitative data were collected via semistructured interviews. Reflexive thematic analysis guided how the authors made sense of these data. Three major themes were (a) preparation practices, (b) acculturation, and (c) emerging learning experiences. The findings provide helpful insights for (a) coach developers when preparing practitioners to work in different cultural settings, (b) club administrators to further inform their decisions when recruiting and working with foreign coaches, and (c) sports’ governing bodies to develop policies to support coaches’ acculturation in the new country.

Indigenous Visual History: Remembering “Us” in Indian Residential School Hockey Photographs

Photography was a potent settler colonial technology that was employed — and contested — in the residential school system. In one photographic campaign, the Canadian government marshalled images of Indigenous children on a once-in-a-lifetime hockey excursion to publicly convey it was successfully assimilating them into Euro-Canadian society. The 1951 Sioux Lookout Black Hawks, a residential school hockey team from the Pelican Lake Indian Residential School (Anglican) in northwestern Ontario, were taken on a whirlwind exhibition tour to Ottawa and Toronto. They were celebrated by high-ranking governmental and Anglican church officials who posed alongside them in a series of professional photographs taken by a National Film Board’s Still Photography Division photographer and commissioned by the Department of Indian Affairs. These photographs suggested that hockey fostered appropriate masculinity and citizenship values, in line with the government’s assimilationist agenda. The responses of three hockey players shown in these images some seventy years after they were taken, and our exploration of how the survivors interpellated the colonial knowledge embedded in the photographs to reconstitute their own subjectivities, extends the small-but-growing canon of visual repatriation, where archival photographs are “returned” to Indigenous communities who were the subjects of the colonizers’ lenses. Ultimately, we demonstrate how the survivors’ responses to the photographs (and their implied meanings) comprise technologies of Indigenous memory that re-centre themselves and their communities as authors of their own stories, and, thus, their epistemic futures.