Sophia Borghese wrote an article for Thought Catalog in which she discussed 28 memories you have when you played field hockey. If you played field hockey, you are going to make a lot of memories. But what type of memories? Before you begin playing this sport, you might want to know exactly why you should give the sport a chance.
10 Things Every Field Hockey Player Should Know
There are way more than 28 memories you will create if you play field hockey, but here are 10 things you should know before you even start making those memories. In fact, they are things every field hockey player should know.
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Field hockey is going to get you in shape.
Field hockey is hard work. You are going to be exhausted, sore, and frustrated more times than you can count. However, when you see how great you look at the end of it all, and when you realize how much healthier you are.
Exercise is good for you, and when you play field hockey, you are going to get a lot of exercise. If you pair it with eating right, you are going to become really healthy. Even without the healthy eating, you are going to look great.
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You are going to be in pain sometimes.
Continuing the field hockey is hard work theme, sometimes you are going to be in pain. Hockey is tough. All the practices, running, and drills is going to make you wake up sore quite a few times. Not only that, but you are probably going to get injured.
Field hockey is a contact sport, and when you make contact, sometimes that contact is going to lead to you being hurt. You have to be tough if you want to make it in this sport.
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That pain is going to be worth it in the long run.
Yes – you are going to get hurt. But if you really love the sport, those injuries are going to be worth it. You will be injured some, but you will have even more good memories than bad. The team spirit, success stories, and potential college scholarship will make those injuries feel a lot less painful.
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You are going to develop team-building skills that will stay with you forever.
Field hockey is a team sport, and when you play a team sport, you have to learn to be part of a team. However, field hockey is not the only place you need to know how to be part of a team. You are going to be in study groups, group projects, relationships, and then you are going to get a job. Having the ability to work well with others is going to come in really handy.
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You have to be willing to put in a lot of work.
Have you ever been told that field hockey is hard work? Because it is. You cannot show up on the field on game day and be a starter and play your best game. You have to condition, practice, drill, scrimmage, watch games, listen to strategies, learn plays, and on and on. If you want to play the sport right, you have to be willing to put in a lot of work.
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Everybody on the team is valuable and wants to be there.
From the best player on the team to the one that hardly ever gets off the bench, everybody on the field is out there because they want to play field hockey. You are all joined by a common interest and love of the game. Never forget that, but also do not forget that even the player that plays the least is important. Do not take their contribution, small though it may be, for granted. Even if all they do is add team spirit or give the other players a much needed break, they are important.
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You will win some, and you will lose some.
You will hopefully win a lot of games in your career, but you are going to lose some as well. You cannot get down when you lose. Just start preparing for the next game.
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When you lose, you have to work that much harder to make sure it doesn’t happen again.
When you do lose, you have to get out there and practice harder. You want to figure out how you could have done better, and then you want to do as much as you can in order to make sure you do not make the same mistakes again.
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When you win, you have to work that much harder to make sure it keeps happening.
When you do win, you have to get out there and practice harder. You cannot let it go to your head. You want to make sure you do everything right the next time to. Don’t slip because you think you have already gotten where you need to go. Work harder, and keep winning.
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You are going to love it and remember it for the rest of your life.
Perhaps the most important thing to know is that if field hockey is right for you, you are going to be able to put up with all of the bad things because you truly love the sport. And one day, you will also be able to write about the memories you made. Because you are going to be making a lot of them.
Go Make Some Memories
Now that you have a general idea of the things you should know before you start playing field hockey, you are ready to start learning the game at field hockey camps, on teams, in school, however is best for you. Go start making some memories. You will not regret it.