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This paper examines the tenuous balance of Indigenous generosity in hockey spaces with the need for non-Indigenous players and organizers to educate themselves and others, pursue systemic change, and unburden Indigenous players of the heavy lifting of anti-racism. Interviews with five Indigenous elite women's hockey players identify hockey as a potential site of decolonial and anti-racist learning, fueled by the players' love for the game and willingness to expend emotional labor to affect change. Our interviewees express the desire to make hockey safer for future generations of Indigenous players by educating their non-Indigenous teammates, often, in the process, exposing themselves to ignorance, indifference, and racism. The players uniformly argue that education is required for change; however, this paper illustrates that such education is not solely the responsibility of Indigenous participants in the game. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The 2024 AOSSM Annual Meeting featured Dean C. Taylor, MD, delivering a Presidential Address on leadership in sports medicine. Taylor highlighted the importance of incorporating leadership education into medical training and shared the success of the Feagin Leadership Program. He emphasized collaboration, discovery, learning, and leading for the future as key initiatives within AOSSM, showcasing programs like the Traveling Fellows program and the BOLD Program for early career members. Taylor also announced changes to the subspecialty certification process to better support orthopaedic surgeons in sports medicine. [Extracted from the article]

The primary objective of this study was to discern the determinants affecting the ice hockey game based on the performance of the fast attack between the winning and losing teams. Data from the women's ice hockey games at the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics (n = 28) were used. A total of 2011 fast attacks were recorded, which included winning team 1156 times and losing team 855 times. 29 variables from nine categories were involved and analysed using chi-square tests, univariate tests and binary logistic regression. As a result, that fast attack performance varies between winning and losing teams, Effective Offensive Play. Scoring Analysis of the 2005 World Championships and the 2006 Olympics, INT, DZ, OZ, one-timer, dekes, shooting zone 1, shooting zone 3, shooting zone 4, SOG, SG%, 2nd period, PK, are key variables in distinguishing the winner and loser (P<0.05). The predictive model shows that shooting zone 4 (OR = 0.824), one-timer (OR = 1.255), 2nd period (OR = 1.193), SOG (OR = 1.230), and SG% (OR = 1.170) are determining factors of game outcomes. The current information has important practical applications as it allows coaches and players to improve the tactical strategy and offensive efficiency of the game. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In October 1920, 15 American women arrived in Plymouth, England, to take part in the first transatlantic field hockey tour. Three more exchanges between the nations would take place before the end of the decade, and an Irish team also visited the US in 1925. English physical educationalists had introduced field hockey to America in the late-1890s and numerous physical training college graduates were employed by US colleges to teach the game prior to World War One. But demand for British coaches grew exponentially after the Americans' tour and the subsequent visit to the US of an All England Women's Hockey Association (AEWHA) team in October 1921. After the United States Field Hockey Association (USFHA) was formed in January 1922, one of the first things it did was ask the AEWHA to source suitably qualified coaches to travel to the US. Eight women were selected and would play a pivotal role in not only exchanging sporting knowledge, but also in fostering the friendships and comradery that would influence field hockey's development globally in the interwar period. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The main objective of the present study was to develop a concise predictive model to determine the likelihood of winning in female rink hockey based on various situational variables. Additionally, the study aimed to assess the individual impact of each predictor on match outcomes. The analysis encompassed a dataset of 840 matches during five consecutive seasons (from 2018–2019 to 2022–2023) in the Spanish first division (OkLiga). Employing the comprehensive method of all possible regressions, the most effective predictive logistic model for match outcomes was identified. This entire model featured five categorical predictor variables (match location, team level, opponent level, scoring first, and match status at halftime) and one binary outcome variable (match outcome). Subsequently, the final model, which exhibited a sensitivity and specificity surpassing 80% for a cut-off point of 0.439, emerged. This model was applied to predict winning a match in 18 frequent situations determined from a two-step cluster analysis. Within this predictive framework, match status at halftime emerged as the most influential predictor impacting the match outcome, followed by opponent level, team level, and match location. The implications of our findings extend to rink hockey coaches and practitioners. Recognizing the significant impact of situational variables on match outcomes empowers them to customize game plans and design more specific strategies, thereby enhancing game understanding and elevating the overall performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Women's professional hockey was hindered when the Canadian Women's Hockey League announced its abrupt closure in March 2019. The action disrupted the opportunity for hundreds of elite women's hockey players to continue pursuing competitive hockey after university. This study outlines the time period surrounding the Canadian Women's Hockey League's closure and the formation of the Professional Women's Hockey Players Association. The Professional Women's Hockey Players Association announced that its members would not play in any professional Canadian or American league until its players receive a living wage, proper training resources, and employee benefits, such as health care. Through semi-structured interviews and discourse analysis of media narratives, the authors situate the #ForTheGame movement within second-wave feminist tactics to create social change through collective action. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To determine if there is a link between the demands of competitive game activity and performance profiles of elite female field hockey players. Methods: Global positioning systems (GPS) were used to quantify running performance of elite female field hockey players (N = 20) during 26 competitive games. Performance profiles were assessed at 2 time points (preseason and midseason) for 2 competitive seasons. A battery of anthropometric and performance field-based tests (30–15 intermittent fitness test, incremental run test, 10–30-m speed test, T test, and vertical jump test) were used to determine the performance profiles of the players. Results: Players covered a mean total distance of 5384 (835) m, of which 19% was spent at high intensities (zone 5: 796 [221] m; zone 6: 274 [105] m). Forwards covered the lowest mean total distance (estimated marginal means 4586 m; 95% confidence interval, 4275–4897), whereas work rate was higher in forwards compared with midfielders (P =.006, d = 0.43) and central defenders (P =.001, d = 1.41). Players showed an improvement in body composition and anaerobic performance from preseason to midseason. Aerobic performance capacity (maximal oxygen uptake and speed at the 4-mM lactate threshold) was positively correlated with high-intensity activities. Conclusions: There is a clear relationship between running performance and aerobic performance profiles in elite female hockey players. These results highlight the importance of a well-developed aerobic performance capacity in order to maintain a high performance level during hockey games. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent college sport headlines highlight the decision to cut teams during the COVID-19 pandemic. Yet, a number of institutions are charging forward and have announced the addition of a team(s) to their athletic offerings. Plymouth State will add men's swimming, Indiana Tech is adding women's ice hockey, and Augustana College just added men and women's water polo. Such additions are somewhat surprising given the difficult economic climate currently facing higher education and intercollegiate athletics. This study sought to identify a structure that NCAA Division I decision-makers took part in when adding a team in previous years. Accordingly, the authors conducted expert-based, in-depth, semi-structured interviews with 15 Division I athletic administrators representing 23 sport teams. The following decision-making phases were identified: Identification, Justification, Evaluation, Acceptance (or Interruptions), and Authorization. Theoretical and practical implications for institutions seeking to grow their sport offerings are provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Femoroacetabular impingement (FAI) appears common in ice hockey, but there is a lack of data examining pincer-type impingement in women's ice hockey athletes. The objective of this study was to assess the prevalence of pincer-type impingement in National Women's Hockey League (NWHL) athletes. Our hypothesis was that there would be an increased prevalence of pincer impingement in these athletes. Data were gathered for a team of NWHL players, and age, gender, and body mass index (BMI) matched controls were also retrospectively collected. All subjects were above 18 years of age. Control patients were excluded if they had undergone prior hip surgery, were greater than age 30, or had BMI greater than 35. Radiographs of both groups were assessed for lateral center edge angle (LCEA), Tönnis angle, and crossover sign. Tönnis angle <0 or LCEA >40 degrees was considered pincer morphology. An alpha angle >55 degrees was considered cam morphology. Thirty-seven NWHL players and 37 female controls were included. Overall 32% of the players had a pincer lesion in either hip based on LCEA, 8% had a Tönnis angle <0, and 22% had a crossover sign in either hip compared to 9%, 19%, and 13% for the controls, respectively. None of these findings were significantly different between the groups (p > 0.05). An alpha angle ≥55 degrees in either hip was found in 84% of players, but lateral Dunn images for alpha angle measurements were not available for the control group. Pincer-type morphology and crossover signs were present in a larger portion of NWHL players than has been reported in the general population, but these findings were not statistically different than in the control group. Cam-type morphology was even more prevalent in these athletes and may be related to age at menarche due impingement at the physis prior to closure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mary Russell Vick OBE (1922–2012) first came to fame as a prolific goalscorer for the England women's hockey team after selection in 1947, and later an indomitable sports leader. Methodologically, this article incorporates oral history sources from her daughters Christabel, Susan and Rosemary, combined with written sources left by Mary Russell Vick (MRV) at Bath University and at The Hockey Museum (THM) Woking. These mixed sources provide family insights into her life as a well-travelled pioneer administrator and family-oriented careerist. After World War Two MRV was a significant figure in the evolution of women's hockey, not least due to her initiation of annual internationals at Wembley, which ran from 1951 until 1991. One of Russell Vick's proudest moments was hosting the Queen at the 1981 Wembley international. As President of the AEWHA for ten years MRV guided women's hockey during a period of rapidly evolving change away from its amateur roots. At the same time, she served on the inaugural Olympic Hockey Board, having persuaded the home countries to form the Great Britain and Ireland Committee in 1977 to send teams to future Olympic Games. This article will show how Mary's life, career, and leadership in hockey were groundbreaking. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study documented injury types, rates and mechanisms for female youth ice hockey players reporting to US emergency departments to inform safety measures and sideline medical preparedness. The National Electronic Injury Surveillance System (NEISS) database was queried for ice hockey injuries (product code 1279) from 1 January 2002 to 31 December 2019. Incidence rate ratios (IRR) were calculated using OpenEpi and compared between age divisions. Spearman's rank correlation was utilized to evaluate the correlation between age and injury incidence. USA Hockey membership statistics were used to establish the population at risk and calculate incidence rates (IR). An estimated 20,384 ice hockey injuries presented to participating United States emergency departments. The number of female youth ice hockey players increased significantly from 36,258 in 2002 to 65,072 in 2019 (p < 0.01). The most commonly injured body parts were the head (n = 5,519, IR = 62.1 [95%CI 54.3–70.0 per 10,000 athletes), trunk (n = 2,364, IR = 26.6 [95%CI 21.2–32.0] per 10,000 athletes), and wrist (n = 1,824, IR = 20.5 [95%CI 15.7–25.4] per 10,000 athletes). The most commonly reported mechanisms of injury were player-to-player collision (n = 4,746, IR = 53.4 [95%CI 46.4–60.5] per 10,000 athletes) and falls (n = 4,585, IR = 51.6 [95%CI 44.1–59.1] per 10,000 athletes). The most common diagnoses were traumatic brain injury (n = 5,333, IR = 60.0 [95%CI 52.3–67.8] per 10,000 athletes), contusion (n = 4,204, IR = 47.3 [95%CI 40.3–54.4] per 10,000 athletes) and strain/sprain (n = 3,601, IR = 40.5 [95%CI 34.1–47.0] per 10,000 athletes). A positive correlation was found between age and injury incidence, as well as increasing age and injuries from player-to-player collision and TBI's. Though body checking is illegal at all levels of women's ice hockey, player-to-player collision prevailed as the leading mechanism on injury. Hopefully this study informs players, parents, coaches, trainers and clinicians about the impact of player-to-player collisions on overall injury burden in the older age divisions of youth female hockey. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The participation of NHL players in the Olympics from 1998 through 2014 further expanded the sport's visibility and the NHL's value. When most people think of globalization and sport, the world's most popular game, soccer/football, or second-most widely-played sport, basketball, come to mind for their global reach in recent decades. The entrance of the Soviet Union into international ice hockey (as in other sports) after the Second World War "transformed the ways the sport was played, analyzed, and taught" - and ultimately "infused hockey with politics" (83). [Extracted from the article]