Sand Hockey and Beach Hockey

Beach or Sand Hockey

The New York Times published images of Canadi an soldiers playing hockey in the sand during the Gulf War.  Some like to claim that as the beginning of beach or sand hockey. Not necessarily so.

The guys shown are not Canadian, but Tunisian. Sand hockey only became visible, thanks to the New York Times photo of the Canadians.

 

Come and experience one of the only Beach Field Hockey tournaments in the United Stated!
In the tradition of all of our other beach sport tournaments, Morey’s Piers is proud to offer you a chance to play Field Hockey in a new and exciting way. Teams will compete on the beaches of Wildwood, NJ and enjoy the waterparks during the day and the famous Wildwood boardwalk and amusements in the evening. Mark your calendars now.
Team registration and packet pickup will take place on Friday, July 19, 2013 from 5:00 to 9:00 PM only at the Wildwoods' Convention Center.  Tournament and Gameplay will take place on Saturday and Sunday July 20 & July 21, 2013.
For more information contact our Beach Sports Coordinators at 609-522-3900 ext.1195 or Leslie LaFronz (Tournament Director, www.rapidfirefh.com) at 201-312-7125.  You can also email us at beach.hockey@moreyspiers.com.

Fix My Field Hockey Stick

Dita is now offering a stick care service that goes beyond anything you can get elsewhere.

It's called: FIX MY STICK.  It is perfect for restoring your old Dita stick, you know, the one you love, to reliable use as your back up stick. There are three services offered: one that makes your stick look almost new, another that removes annoying rattles and eliminates most vibrations, and a third cut down option for older hand-me-down sticks.

All Three FIX MY STICK options include:
1. Round-trip UPS Ground Shipping (value = $30)
2. A fresh new grip applied to your Dita stick (value = $12)
3. Rapid turn around Most players will have their stick back within three weeks.

REFURBISH - All chips and holes will be filled with epoxy and a fresh grip applied. No paint or graphics can be fixed. The stick will be fully inspected and returned in good playing condition.

RATTLE REMOVER - Dismantle end cap and stabilize interior of the stick, reattach original cap, clean head and shaft, fix any chips, and apply fresh grip. ONLY DITA BRAND STICKS WILL BE TREATED. No other brand sticks accepted for this service.

CUT IT DOWN - Cut down stick to within 1/8" tolerance. Regrip, as needed.


Be a Genius, visit ditaGENIUS.com

Forget Those Stupid Goggles

Even without those goggles that cause more injuries than they prevent, field hockey is safer than these eight Sports:

FOOTBALL
ICE HOCKEY
CHEERLEADING
SOCCER
LACROSSE
BICYCLING
POLE VAULTING
BASEBALL AND SOFTBALL

Read the article.  Field Hockey is a safer sport than many.

Click for full article



 at Dita Field Hockey North America, where true passion and GENIUS abound!

When Field Hockey was More Popular Than Football Amongst Men in the USA

Few know that at the beginning of the twentieth century intercollegiate football was nearly prohibited by President Teddy Roosevelt.

Northern Iowa University tells its own story of men playing field hockey during that time. 

"Beginning with the 1903 fall term, instead of participating in one hour of military drill three times a week, the men were required to participate in some sort of physical activity four times a week for forty-five minutes.  They could choose among basketball, tennis, football, field hockey, track, cross country, and golf.  Basketball and tennis were the men's most popular choices, but football, track, and field hockey were close behind.  The other two sports attracted few students.  The student newspaper speculated that compulsory athletics for men would help to build stronger intercollegiate teams at the Normal School". 
 
 Read The Story of an American University's Long, yet almost forgotten,saga of field hockey for Both men and women.

at Dita Field Hockey North America, where true passion and GENIUS abound!

Hockey: A Family Tradition of Excellence

For Ian Scally, field hockey is an heirloom passed down from generation to generation. His father and grandfather played in the Olympic Games and his aunt competed in several World Cups. At every level of play, Scally remains true to the core reason he and his family played and still play field hockey – because they simply enjoy it.













at Dita Field Hockey North America, where true passion and GENIUS abound!

Left Hand at Top of Stick

For the benefit of the purists who know that the left hand is at the top of the stick,
here is Stick Boy not looking in the mirror at himself.

email for more information

Or visit the website





Sponsored by Dita

Men Coaching Field Hockey?

As long as one lives in the USA, and not anywhere else in the entire world, one sees that there is only one sport exclusive to women:  field hockey.

Once upon a time other sports were the exclusive domain of men.  Along came Title Nine and the world changed.  Or, rather we thought it changed.

This morning I came across an old blog from a woman who has coached ice hockey questioning what gives a man the right to coach women's field hockey.  Well, the same right she has, perhaps?

Men have been playing field hockey in the USA since the tail end of the nineteenth century, more invisibly as not.  This lack of visibility and lack of scholastic teams for guys have helped support the myth that field hockey is territory exclusive to females.  At some bygone time ice hockey was known as Boys hockey and field hockey was called Girls hockey.
Pink and blue sports are an antiquated notion.

Field hockey does need both men and women, as players, as coaches, as umpires, as promoters, as everything else.  Take a good look at the most successful NCAA Division I field hockey programs and you will notice the diversity of the coaching and support staffs.
Strong programs are built with the strongest building blocks: diverse individuals with special knowledge, skills, and talents.

Men with international field hockey experience have played a role in the success of those teams who are prominent in NCAA Division I.  It is a smart use of talents and diversity, not a gender issue.  The top programs in the USA hire their coaches from the ranks of women who have competed on an elite, international level.

 Steve Jennings, shown above, happens to coach at American University.
Marcia Pankratz, to the left, is head coach at Michigan. Both were members of USA National teams with considerable international experience.




Ask either coach if they coach alone.

This is genius level hockey.