Ice Hockey: Fast-Paced and Physical

Hockey: Pronunciation: \ˈhä-kē\
a game played on an ice rink by two teams of six players on skates whose object is to drive a puck into the opponents' goal with a hockey stick.

Boys and girls hockey are fast-paced, exciting games that are most popular in North America, Canada, and Europe. Generally, kids start playing hockey at an early age because it requires skating skills that take years of hard work to perfect.

Hockey is not a sport for every child: it not only requires dedication at a young age from the players, but also from parents (as any parent who has driven her child to 5 a.m. practices will attest!).

Youth players are classified by age, and the rules (especially for checking) vary from class to class. Ice hockey is also one of the fastest growing women's sports in the world, with the number of participants increasing 400 percent in the last 10 years!

Our goal is to provide comprehensive information on ice hockey, from advice on the equipment needed and how to buy it, a primer on the rules of the sport, to videos and advice from experts, parents, and manufacturers of hockey gear.

But to do that, we are going to need your help. If you are parent of a child who plays or has played hockey, we hope you will share what you have learned with other MomsTeam parents. Please consider writing a blog, contributing an article, or posting on or hosting a Forum. If you know of someone who used to play or coach hockey who has knowledge to share, ask him or her to join. Together we can make MomsTeam a true community of hockey parents!

-- Angela Ruggiero, MomsTeam Ice Hockey Expert