Original Hockey

Fake and Unauthorized Field Hockey Sticks

2012-03-09T11:13:00.001-08:00

Major Brand name field hockey sticks continue to
be counterfeited. Buy only from a reliable source.

AVOID THE FOLLOWING VENDORS:
We are compiling a list of those who are selling counterfeit Dita products.

sportswholeseller.com Is not an authorized Dita distributor. The sticks they sell are not authentic.

hockeyshowroom.com is not authorized to sell our goods. They are not authentic.

DYNAMIC SPORTS is not authorized to sell our goods. They are not authentic.

kayfarooquee attempts to sell unauthorized sticks on eBay.

Total-Hockey.com is not authorized to sell in the USA.

jannatenterprises.com offers products. We have a report from a victim in Australia.
* EBAY HINTS
Ask yourself - why would someone sell a new, unused Dita on ebay? If it is "NEW" there is a good chance it isn't authentic. You may want to remain on your guard about used sticks as well. Think twice before bidding.

Smart Players Know Dita Improves Their Game.

Jesse Gey Six Teeth Fewer

2012-03-06T11:16:00.001-08:00

Jesse Gey is a star who has been with the National Team since the last Olympics. She is now preparing for London.

Read Jesse's Tale

Yes, There is a USA Men's Field Hockey Team

2012-02-29T11:29:00.001-08:00

NPR story about the USA Men's Field Hockey team not playing in the Olympic Qualifier in India.

Elite Level Wood Indoor StickNow In Stock!

2012-02-18T11:21:00.000-08:00

The Problem With Mouth Guards

2012-02-16T05:28:00.000-08:00

The giant problem with mouth guards is that they are too bulky. How many times have you seen players chewing on their mouth guards?

Conventional mouth guards are made from soft material and transfer forces to teeth with risk of dental injury.

There are three main types of conventional mouth guards, all based on the soft material EVA:

Stock guards -- These are pre shaped, bulky and uncomfortable, They are hard to breath, drink and talk with. They have poor fitting and users complain about significant drooling.
"Boil and Bite" -- To some extent personal fitting is possible, but they are still bulky and uncomfortable; hard to breath, drink and talk with. Drooling is a problem with these as well.
Dentist made -- The advantage is the custom fitting. They are less bulky, but still not comfortable and hard to drink and talk with. The major disadvantage beside discomfort is that they are far too expensive.

The first two options are too bulky and the third too expensive. None of them are really comfortable.
Here is a better idea.

2013 Dita Indoor Sticks Now Available

2012-02-15T05:55:00.000-08:00

2012 Indoor sticks are old news.

CLICK HERE TO GET YOUR 2013 DITA INDOOR

The new 2013 Dita Indoor sticks have arrived!

Field Hockey Video Cache

2012-02-15T05:36:00.000-08:00

A whole channel of Dita videos on Youtube

While the spoken language is Dutch,
the visual language is pure
Genius Level hockey.

Subscribe to the stream.

Take the Field Hockey Survey

2012-02-02T05:53:00.000-08:00

Electronic Edition of FH LIFE Magazine

2012-02-02T05:44:00.000-08:00

See FH LIFE Winter 2012 Issue

There is an article about the high school goggle controversy.

Personally it should be about how a non-field hockey high school organization is corrupting the sport.

The best answer is not to cave in and wear goggles, but to
START PLAYING CLUB FIELD HOCKEY.

p.s. get a FREE COPY of the magazine when you place an order at Dita

Field Hockey: Made In The USA

2012-01-26T09:20:00.000-08:00

Ask any other major team sport if their gear is being made in the USA .
Perhaps at one time it was. Now everything is out sourced, even that all-American sport: baseball.
Show me a baseball made in the USA and it is an antique.

The big names in sports do not manufacture anything in the USA. Those companies that are really huge names and associated with the USA; can you guess where they make their shoes?
Look at those corporations that sponsor our beloved colleges and university teams. Do you suppose they at least make the socks they require their contracted athletes wear someplace in North or South America? Good luck.

At least Major League baseball and the NFL have their socks made in North Carolina.
But, college players are required to wear socks and apparel made outside the USA.

One thing can be said about American Jobs and the sport of field hockey. Because field hockey has never been large enough to develop production of stick, ball, or goalie gear inside the USA, no previously existing American jobs have ever been out sourced.

Currently, only one field hockey company is known to produce some USA made gear. Dita has its socks knitted in North Carolina, by the same knitting mill that makes MLB and NFL, and NBA socks.
Dita also has its quality bags handcrafted in Boulder, Colorado.

Is it time to produce other field hockey gear domestically? Is it possible we could make world class composites and field hockey balls that are marked: MADE IN THE USA ?

Men Who Play Hockey

2012-01-25T11:00:00.000-08:00

It is not easy playing hockey for a male, in the USA.
Growing up, for me, the option was ice hockey or nothing.
I only discovered field hockey while at Oberlin College.

I shouldn't have paid any attention when they called it "girl's hockey".

I should have kept on playing. But, there were only girls playing and they
said I wasn't allowed to actually play.

A significant chunk of time passed before I picked up a field hockey stick
again. By then I was a father and my daughter needed a sport. There was no so-called
"girl's hockey", so I started it. While I taught my own daughter to play, I was being taught
by an amazing Australian player, Del Hokanson. We taught both boys and girls to play,
not "girl's hockey", but field hockey.

Teach guys to play and they will teach their children, too.

Let anyone who wants to play, play.
It is an amazing sport I wish I had discovered it as a child.

Blog Post: USA Field Hockey Weekly Report-Week of January 16, 2011 | Community | USA Field Hockey

2012-01-19T06:14:00.000-08:00

Blog Post: USA Field Hockey Weekly Report-Week of January 16, 2011 | Community | USA Field Hockey

Blog Post: 2012 National Indoor Rules Briefing | Community | USA Field Hockey

2012-01-06T08:34:00.000-08:00

Blog Post: 2012 National Indoor Rules Briefing | Community | USA Field Hockey

New 2012 Dita Indoor Models

2011-12-25T19:37:00.000-08:00

Dita Indoor sticks have almost vanished.

But, not to worry. The 2012 models are expected in February.

Mega W4 Indoor - 35.5", 36.5"
Color: Red/Silver Grip: White
Wooden Indoor stick with maxi-shaped head, regular bend 19 - 20 mm

(above) Mega W7 Indoor - 36.5" , 37.5"
Wooden Indoor stick with J-shaped head, heavy bow profile 23 - 24 mm
Color: Black/Red/Gold(not yellow) Grip: Black

Mega W3 Indoor - 35", 36", 37", 38"
Wooden Indoor stick with J-shaped head, bend 21-23 mm
Color: Black/Silver/Red Grip: Black

Giga G3 Indoor - 36.5"
Composite Indoor stick with heavy bow profile 22-23 mm and J-shaped head
Color: White/Black/Red Grip: White

and, drumroll, please:

EXA 500 - 36.5"UL The primo indoor tool, for elite players.

Indoor Hockey Hub Updated

2011-12-08T07:06:00.000-08:00

INDOORHOCKEY.NET has been updated.

If you have any suggestions and links to ad to the site, especially under the heading "WHERE TO PLAY", kindly let me know.

Goggle Question

2011-12-01T05:18:00.000-08:00

At the National Hockey Festival players were NOT REQUIRED to wear goggles.
Was this a good thing or bad?

Watch For FH LIFE Magazine in Early December

2011-12-01T05:12:00.000-08:00

The paper version is already in the mail to USFHA members, but the DIGITAL version is online NOW!

You can subscribe to either or both the paper or digital magazine.

2011 NCAA CHAMPIONS

2011-11-21T05:19:00.000-08:00

Congratulations to the new champions
as well as their worthy opponents
University of Maryland - D I - University of North Carolina
West Chester - D II - University of Massachusetts - Lowell
TCNJ - D III - Middlebury

Click above to view some photo links from the championships.

A Refreshing Look At Field Hockey

2011-11-17T09:39:00.000-08:00

I like the looks of this REBLOG site.

It is pretty MUCH FUN

Here is a quote from the page, addressing the goggle issue:

come-along-pondy asked: You know how goggles are mandatory for high school girls now? Well lately, we've been getting a rise in hand/finger injuries and my coach has a theory that the goggles are affecting the way that we hold our sticks because of depth perception (We don't use lacrosse goggles). I have broken my hand in 3 places this season, and it's only been 1 month. A friend of mine and a girl I know broke fingers this week, a girl I played travel with dislocated her finger. Have you or anyone else noticed this?
Huh, that’s interesting… I have been hit in the hand/fingers a few times along with my teammates, but I guess it never seemed unusual. But there could be something to it. The goggle rule is so ridiculous.

12/10/2011 . 4 notes . Reblog

NCAA Division II Champions: West Chester

2011-11-13T14:20:00.000-08:00

2011 D-II Championship

NCAA Final at Bloomsburg
West Chester 2, UMass-Lowell 1

UMASS LOWELL was the defending Champion.

(Both teams play with Dita gear).

Lawsuit against Goggles Hinted by VA Lawyer

2011-11-07T04:33:00.000-08:00

A Virginia Lawyer is suggesting a possible lawsuit against those who
manufacture, sell, and mandate the use of goggles.

Let Boys Play, Too

2011-11-06T06:41:00.000-08:00

Boys Should Be Encouraged To Play Field Hockey

Every sport or activity that is growing encourages
non-gender specific participation. Hockey, in its other forms,
promotes healthy activity and excitement for all members of the family,
young and old.

End of Another Season

2011-11-05T06:43:00.000-07:00

We find ourselves at the terminus of another field hockey season.

Each team, no matter what their record during September, has the opportunity to be reborn into the role of ultimate champion; to erase a miserable year or to continue their streak.

It is Hammer Time. Two teams both come to the pitch swinging their metaphorical hammers. One team needs to pound in one more nail than the other, to prevail.

All hail the 2011 Champions.

Field Hockey Inspired Top Fashion Designer

2011-10-28T22:46:00.000-07:00

If you look at VOGUE, page 291 of the November, 2011issue, you will see how fashion designer Joseph Altuzarra has been inspired by field hockey uniforms for his 2012 Spring line of clothing.
Katie Evans, of the London-bound USA Olympic Team has to see this!!!

Photos That Capture Our Sport

2011-10-19T06:01:00.000-07:00

While any picture that depicts the sport of field hockey is better than a pointy stick to the eye, a really superb image that gives one a peek at the unexpected, the passion, the humanity, the thrill of the game is a wonderment.

Yuchen Nie takes many of the photographs that grace F H LIFE magazine. He has established a website that shows his trove of past and current field hockey images. At present, Yuchen is taking photographs of the USA Men and Women during the Pan Am Games, in Mexico.

Yuchen Nie's Field Hockey Photographs

Liner Socks - What you wear under your shin pads

2011-10-15T08:20:00.000-07:00

Those hard-to-find liner socks are back in stock at:

http://www.fieldhockey.net/lisowhyouweu.html

They arrived Friday afternoon, October 14.

The socks are a barrier against contact dermatitis, caused by bacteria

that grows in the inside of your shin pads.

They also, as a second pair of socks, help deter foot fatigue. You will play fresh with clean liner socks!

Renovated Dita Website Now Running

2011-10-05T05:40:00.000-07:00

The Dita Field Hockey North America website has a new look.

Bookmark the Dita Site on Your Computer

New Forms of Field Hockey Injuries

2011-10-04T19:55:00.000-07:00

So, parents of field hockey players were encouraged to buy special safety
goggles, to what end? In what way do goggle-related injuries justify the term:
"for safety purposes"?

USA FH Players spent $5,000,000.00 on Goggles this Year

Report ALL Goggle Related Issues

2011-09-30T16:11:00.000-07:00

Click the link below to report all GOGGLE-RELATED INJURIES:

http://goggleinjury.com

This is a responsible effort
to gather and analyze data
concerning the effect of
mandated goggle use
in high school field hockey.

Drivers Training

2011-09-14T08:16:00.000-07:00

When you got your first car, was it a Rolls Royce or Ferrari ?
Mine wasn't either. My first car was an old dented VW bug.
The first week I drove the car, another student backed into it.
There was a dent and I was horrified.

Looking back, I was glad to have not had a pretty car, at least while learning.
Bumps, dents, and paint scratches are going to happen.

The same attitude should be used toward field hockey.
Learn with a good, but not awesome stick. Buy your Porsche after you are

away from other beginners. They are going to hit your stick.
Bumps, dents, and paint scratches are going to happen.

Counterfeit Brand Name Sticks

2011-09-11T09:19:00.000-07:00

Counterfeit sticks have been a problem for several years. If the counterfeiter fails at selling a fake with one brand, they will repaint the stick with a different brand design. You might think people would learn that a top end stick, that sells for lots of money, offered "direct from the factory" at a fraction of the cost is nothing but a scam.

I recently heard from a mother who bought two new sticks on eBay. Her daughter tried them. Had she been a beginner, she wouldn't have recognized the sticks were fakes. They looked like real Adidas models. They played like do-do.

If it looks too good to be true, use your head.

What is next? Fake goggles? They are already fake safety "protection".

Injuries Related to Goggle Use

2011-08-31T06:01:00.000-07:00

Already we have witnessed some eye-goggle-caused-injuries and the high school season has yet to begin. Let's document the concussions, head injuries resulting from the aggressive behavior that is encouraged by a false sense of invincibility that such safety gear stimulates.

Eye Goggles will cause more problems than they will prevent.

Latest Issue of F H LIFE Magazine

2011-08-17T05:14:00.000-07:00

F H LIFE is available ONLINE !

Do You Have a Dita Terra V5?

2011-08-07T05:24:00.000-07:00

If you have a Dita Terra V5, 36.5" medium weight; you could be part of HISTORY.

Would you like to be part of history?

Lauren Crandall, of the USA Women's Olympic team plays with the Terra V5. She has always played with that model stick. She used it to help Wake Forrest win NCAA Championships, she played with it in Beijing, she wants to use a Terra V5 in the London Olympics.

The problem is there are no more Terra V5 sticks currently available and she is playing with her last stick.

Lauren Crandall needs YOUR Terra V5, 36.5" medium weight stick. Your stick could play in the London Olympics! Please email:sandy@fieldhockey.net

The classic Dita is not currently in production. Before the London Olympics a special Limited Edition of the Terra V5 is likely to be produced.

Why I Like Original (Field) Hockey

2011-06-21T05:50:00.000-07:00

At its core, field hockey is really about the joy of being alive and sharing the
thrill of moving through space and time with others.
It is about the benefits of teamwork and friendship, without losing our individuality.

Much of what we humans do places us in an insular situation. I, at this moment am sitting at my laptop. Perhaps you were just texting a distant friend. We are individuals.

Yet, we humans are a social species. We form social groups and find strength in our associations. Each person is as individual and unique as a snowflake. Alone we are a flake; together we are a ski slope, a glacier, or a snowman. Together you and I make field hockey happen!

Field hockey is a physical activity played around the planet Earth. It brings individuals together for the benefits of exercise, goodwill, camaraderie, competition, friendship, all in a mode of human teamwork. We need a society, a group of people with sticks in their hands, to play. I like the word play. We, humans, need to play to refresh ourselves, to remember that life is to be enjoyed.

Field hockey, as a community, is like a small town. It almost seems possible to know and appreciate everyone. In reality, we might not know each other, but each unique individual who is part of field hockey makes a valuable contribution to our small town. I love being a shopkeeper on the main street of Field Hockey, USA.

Happy Hockey, neighbor!

Don't Shorten Your Field Hockey Stick

2011-06-19T10:19:00.000-07:00

Let me talk you out of cutting your stick down.

Dutch players almost all use 36.5" sticks.
THEY DO NOT CUT THEIR STICKS DOWN.

Watch an elite, international player and you will notice they tend to move their left hand according to the action they are involved with at any given moment.
When you use the Dutch Sizing Method, you should do what the Dutch do with this information.
They mark the stick at the ideal length, i.e., where their left hand should grasp the handle for most effective hitting and dribbling. Perhaps that measurement is at 36" or 35". That means they have a little extra length on their handle, above where they grasp the stick.

What do elite players do with the extra length? They use it when they need it to tackle or intercept or receive passes.

If you cut a stick down you will lose the extra length that you have removed.
This might mean that the one inch you have thrown away won’t be there when you need to
intercept a pass or make a tackle. Think of it this way: if you have the length, you get the ball.
If you don’t have the ball, the other team scores! Your missing inch could be the difference between winning and not.
How do they know when their left hand is in the right place for dribbling or hitting?
The player has used the Dutch Sizing Method and has marked the handle one inch below his or her knee cap. Elite players then make that point on the stick obvious, often using a ring of tape or a rubberband, secured in place with some tape. Even without looking, the player learns the feel of where the left hand should be positioned for the best stick skills.

In other words, the only reason for cutting a stick down is if you are certain you will never need that extra inch or half inch to save the game.