MEN WOMEN
1. GERMANY 1. ARGENTINA
2. AUSTRALIA 2. NETHERLANDS
3. NETHERLANDS 3. ENGLAND
4. ENGLAND 4. NEW ZEALAND
5. BELGIUM 5. AUSTRALIA
6. KOREA 6. GERMANY
7. NEW ZEALAND 7. CHINA
8. SPAIN 8. KOREA
9. PAKISTAN 9. JAPAN
10. INDIA 10. UNITED STATES

Hockey can be dangerous at times, and as you play more competitive hockey people start to raise it and hit it hard. In hockey there are two compulsary elements which are worn through out the game, one is the mouthguard and the other is the shinguards, shinguards are to protect your shins from either a hockey ball or a hockeys stick hense the name shinguards, a mouthguard is to protect your mouth from a hockey ball flying through the air or in some rare cases a hockey stick, which if it happened to be up that high it would be illegal.
Sometimes in a short corner the players are required to where face masks to protect them if anyone raises the ball.
All in all hockey is a safe and enjoyable game.

Hockey skills are essential to a good hockey player, they have to be able to dribble the ball at speed with control, a common and basic known as the indian drill which consists of moving the ball from one side of the stick to the other.
E.g You start on the fore-stick than flip the stick to the back-stick the bigger the drag is to the other side of the stick the more likely you will get past your opponent.
More skills like a little jinx, which involves flicking the ball over an opponents stick. Also a reverse jinx which is the same but on the backstick, as players progress through the game and become more skillful skills like V drag and others can be incorporated throughout the game.

Here is and image. On one half it shows all the positions in a game of hockey. (each position is designated to one player). on the other side it shows were some free hits would be taken from for example the 16 yard free hit is marked on the image. positons can differ on what the coach thinks players should play but this image shows the the basic positions played in majority of hockey games.

The positions and free hits on a hockey field

Teams consist of 11 players on the ground at one time, each player is set to a position on the ground whether it be in the forward line, back line, midfield or goalie. hockey is a team sport so everyone has to work together as a TEAM to win the game. Usually a team that consists of all average players will be the favourite against a team that consists of two to three good player and the rest below average. mainly because the game needs everyone to play at a high level to win.

The Goalie is a player in a team who is trusted with guarding the goals hence the name goalie. The Goalie is heavily padded with Shin/Thigh pads a protective vest and pants, helmet, hand pads and hockey stick. To be a good goalie you need to be athletically fit to be able to move, run and jump in heavy gear.

These holidays the junior Hockey Zone challenge competition kicks off, it gives an opportunity to junior hockey players to get involved and play in a team with kids from other clubs. the competition is a step up from club hockey,  you have to travel far and wide.

before you are accepted into the team you have to trial for the team there are usually about 20 to 30 people trying out and they accept 10 to 16 people. the age groups are under 12’s, 14’s 16’s and 18’s  the team consist of either just boys or just girls.

good luck to all the teams!

VOODOO Hockey Sticks are made for midfielders quite strong sticks with good flexibility.

A Video on all the sports played at 2012 London Olympics.