大象传媒

Ice hockey is a game built for speed, agility and excitement. But is the cost of equipment hindering the progress of the British players getting into the sport?

I started playing at the start of 2017, when I had just turned 16, going along to weekly 鈥榣earn-to-play鈥� sessions at iceSheffield on a Wednesday night. I could be considered a late starter; but I am now starting to train with a team in the Sheffield academy.

Because I pay for my own equipment, I find it鈥檚 very expensive. It seems unnecessarily expensive, by being over 拢250, for padding, sticks and helmets for just the cheapest equipment.

Before this, I borrowed from iceSheffield, however, I found that to have a good experience playing hockey, you need your own equipment.

I found the borrowed equipment hard to use because it was hand-me-down.

Heather McDermott is the head coach at Sheffield Ice Hockey Academy and says equipment is expensive for people starting out, but there is a reason for it.

鈥淚t is for the safety side of things, it is a legal requirement, as it is the fastest game in the world. Insuring bodies and the International Ice Hockey Federation have set the minimum requirement for kit.

鈥淲e sometimes lend kit to get players started on their journey.鈥�

Liam Kirk plays for the Sheffield Steelers. He came through the academy and has recently been picked to play for Great Britain.

He agrees that equipment is expensive, but you don鈥檛 necessarily need the best kit to start out with.

鈥淚 grew up with hand-me-down equipment and the top stuff is the most expensive, but it wasn't until I was 15 or 16-years-old that I started buying the more expensive equipment.

鈥淭hat's more on the protective side of things, as players grow older they get stronger therefore you need it for general protection.鈥�

Kirk played in the academy with Cole Shudra 鈥� son of Steelers legend Ron Shudra.

鈥淵ou don't have to have the best equipment鈥�, says Cole. 鈥淚 didn't have it until I played professional.鈥�

However, the 19-year-old says it鈥檚 important for the academy to keep encouraging people to take up the sport.

鈥淭here are a few players coming through now, so as the other guys get older, it is more important for younger players to start coming through the ranks. They need to replace them.鈥�

Overall I do think that ice hockey is a minority sport because of the cost of equipment.

This is evident because there are fewer younger people that look to play ice hockey, rather than the more popular game of football.

Something Heather from the academy in Sheffield agrees with.

鈥淚ce hockey is a minority sport, whereas football is a national sport where you just need a pair of trainers. Compare that with ice hockey and the cost implications are huge.

鈥淚t is a sport that interests the more wealthy parents. It is rather expensive.鈥�

The two players I鈥檝e spoken to say they don鈥檛 need the best equipment, and the academy does their bit to help players start out in the sport.

- By George, 大象传媒 School Report, Sheffield

Show less