Harder Than It Looks
As far as sports go, hockey might just be one of the most complicated ones to get good at. For one, you're not playing on normal ground, you're on ice! It's one of those sports that would require intense training if you want to make it big and go pro. Here are just five examples of difficult aspects of hockey that make this one hard sport to learn and master.
1. Endurance
To become a professional hockey player, you have to up your endurance levels. From skating at high speeds for the entirety of the game to battling off other players trying to knock you down, you need to have the stamina to keep up the pace. Slow down, and the other team will definitely take advantage of you.
2. Making Split-Second Decisions
Do you make a shot for the net or pass to your teammate? Most of the time in hockey, you only have a split second to make a decision with the puck. Any longer and you risk losing control for your team! This just means you have to be able to know what to do and when to do it at any moment.
3. Dealing With Pressure
You're not just dealing with the pressure of being a professional athlete, but also having to deal with cheering or booing audiences and your career on the line. So much is at stake for hockey players every time they hit the ice, meaning they need to be able to handle stress and pressure immensely well if they want to be able to perform at such a high level.
4. Risking Injury For Plays
Hockey is a very physical sport, which makes it entertaining to watch, but also very dangerous for the players. From slamming each other into the boards to player collisions, there are a lot of dangers to be careful of when trying to make plays to score goals.
5. Multi-tasking
When you get so absorbed into watching the players battle for the puck, you might forget that these pros aren't just running around, they're skating! Hockey is a sport that requires intense multi-tasking, from making sure you don't trip on the ice to handling the puck and watching your opponents all around you. Sounds like information overload to us!
