Truly special athletes, the ones that fathers talk about to their sons and daughters, change the game they play. Arguments emerged late in the 20th century about who most deserved to be called the greatest hockey player of all time. Perhaps it was the retirement of Wayne Gretzky in 1999, or perhaps it was a desire to sum up 100 years of a sport that had come into its own and grown exponentially around the world that led to these discussions. Hockey fans in Parry Sound, Ontario, in the late 1950s saw a lot of this hockey genius in its infancy. Doug Orr, Bobby's dad, had been a speedy player and gifted scorer in his own right. He wanted his son, still small for his age but also enormously talented, to play forward in order to take advantage of his speed and puckhandling abilities. Bucko McDonald, a former NHLer who played defense in the 1930s and 1940s and coached Bobby when the youngster was 11 and 12, believed his charge had all the makings of an outstanding defenseman. He taught Bobby the ins and outs of the position and encouraged him to use his offensive skills as well. …show more content…
The Boston Bruins went to unusual lengths to land the small prospect. When Orr was 14, Boston made arrangements for him to play with the Oshawa Generals in the metro Junior A League. He continued to live at home and commute to each game. Though he didn't attend a single practice with the team, Orr was selected to the league's Second All-Star Team. All the speedy youngster required was size to make him a bona fide star. He was 5'6" and 135 pounds at 14. The next year, when he moved to an Oshawa high school and played in the Ontario junior league, he was 5'9" and 25 pounds heavier. By the time his junior career was over - when he was all of 17 and a man playing with boys - he was a sturdy 6' and almost 200 pounds. The phenomenon Boston fans had been reading about since he was a freckle-faced kid with a brushcut was ready to enter the professional
... milestone game in 1980, hockey in the United States has grown significantly at the professional and amateur levels. (USA Hockey, N.d.)
Anxious to turn professional, but unable to join the NHL because of its age restrictions, Gretzky signed with the Indianapolis Racers of the developing World Hockey Association in the fall of 1978 (“Wayne Gretzky Biography”). Not long after Gretzky arrived the franchise closed its doors and sold its young asset to the NHL's Edmonton Oilers. “In the fall of 1979, Gretzky embarked on his first full NHL season As he had at every other level, he quickly started to dominate the competition, racking up an astonishing 51 goals and 86 assists, on his way to winning the league's Hart Memorial Trophy, an award recognizing its most valuable player,” (“Wayne Gretzky Biography”). It was the first time in history a first-year player had ever been honored with the award. Gretzky went on to win the Hart Memorial Trophy nine more times over the span of his career. To this day, he still holds the record for the most times that specific award has been given to an individual (Getz). Wayne Gretzky was a leader, and although his character as a person cannot be measured by mere statistics, he sure has some outstanding
As stated in my thesis statement, the sport of hockey has been forced to compete with the growing mass popularity with other sports such as basketball and football. There once was a point in time where hockey had just as much popularity as those sports but because people are finding more interest in those sports, the National Hockey League found itself in a “drought” of unimportance with other sports. With not televising the sport as “commonly” as other sports.
He experienced joy, pain, satisfaction and disappointment through it, but ultimately, he let social pressure overcome his spirit and change who he was meant to become. Hockey allowed him to physically and mentally mature as a person, but it was the sport itself, at the end, that led to his destruction. His journey as a player is a clear representation of the racism that is still unconditionally present in our community and that has to be overcome in order obtain social equity in sports and other recreational
stands at any caliber of hockey at any age. This is also a significant problem which needs
For example, Dr. Kristin Heredia, who is a dean of students of a high school in Ottawa, claims, “Not everyone is going to be a starter. People earn these things by their performance.”.” In the same fashion that not all actors can be the star role in a play or movie or gets to be the lead singer in a band, not everyone gets to be the starting forward or pitcher. Some players are not fit to play some positions just based on natural abilities, and if the coach gives the same amount of time on the field or court for these positions, the game’s competitiveness, moral, and enjoyment is destroyed. Finally, Dr. Alan Goldberg, who travels across the nation to help coaches learn and teach young athletes, describes, “The really maddening, discouraging and frustrating thing for kids and their parents is watching the coach's favorites put in minimal or inconsistent effort into practice, perform poorly in games and still get more playing time from the coach”..”
Parents in the U.S. are also placing too much pressure on their kids to be the best. Parents in America are becoming much too involved in youth sports and are starting to get out of control, sometimes even resorting to violence and vulgarity. Parents in the U.S. today are becoming too involved in youth sports and are getting out of control. In the July 24, 2000 issue of Sports Illustrated, there is an article by William Nack and Lester Munson about a father in Massachusetts who killed another father over a dispute about youth hockey. On July 5, 2000 Thomas Junta, a father of two, got into what seemed to be a minor shoving match with Michael Costin, a father of four, over a play in a hockey practice.
Terrence and Jordin Tootoo grew up in Rankin Inlet, Nunavut, in Canada’s arctic region. They were like other Inuit children in Rankin Inlet in many respects: They were brought up to respect the customs of their people and they enjoyed the resources the land around them provided- they learned to hunt and fish for food like the others. However, the brothers were also different from their peers in one main respect- they were blessed with a love for the game of hockey, and also with extraordinary amounts of talent which would enable them to leave their native community to pursue the dream of professional hockey. While the brothers were growing up they were inseparable; however, after leaving Rankin Inlet to pursue the professional game their respective careers took strikingly different paths. Jordin’s journey took him to the top- he was drafted into the National Hockey League and signed a lucrative contract with the Nashville Predators. However, Terrence’s road to the professional ranks was filled with hardship and tragedy, ultimately resulting in his suicide in August of 2002. The contrasting paths taken by the brothers is an illustration of how professional sporting careers can have varying impacts on the lives of Native American and Canadian athletes and their communities. In the following few paragraphs I will outline the history of Native Americans and Canadians in sports. I will examine how successful Native athletes are able to help their communities, both financially and by serving as role models for younger Natives. Also, I will argue that their still exist barriers and challenges to Native athletes that do not confront other athletes. For example, Native athletes are often placed under increased scrutiny because of their positions as role models. I will conclude by commenting on how Native athletes fit into pro sports today, and speculate on what can be done to increase the amount of success enjoyed by Natives.
When I think of what it means to be Canadian, one of the first things that come to mind is hockey. This is true for many Canadian’s as hockey was and is an integral piece of the formation of the national identity. However, when people think of playing hockey their attention usually turns to the men in the National Hockey League or other top men’s leagues and tournaments. Even so, Canada has come a long way from its beginnings, when women were not even considered persons under the law until 1929. While it has taken many decades for women to receive more recognition in the world of sport, today shows great improvements from the past. A key reason that women are not treated the same way as men in regards to hockey is due to how the game began;
To begin with, Henderson’s game-winning goal shaped modern hockey. Specifically, Canada was under the assumption that they were going to beat the USSR easily, but that all changed when they realized the Soviets could actually play well. It brought both teams together and the Russian influence on the NHL began with that series (Recsey). As a result of how...
Statsky also makes another faulty assumption, which is that competition is an adult imposition on the world of children’s play. She says in her article, “The primary goal of a professional athlete – winning – is not appropriate for children” (629). Children compete to win in the same way that adults do, and they do so on their own without any adult pressure. Common playground gam...
Athletes waiver an uncanny amount of courage, by pushing their bodies to the test and showcasing themselves and abilities to the judgement of the public. Sports may come natural for many people, but having utmost character and bravery does not come easy to anyone. Undoubtedly, having both is a rare occasion. Being a prime example, Jackie Robinson used his natural born gifts of a strong character and personality, along with an unprecedented athletic ability. He fought for equality by dignity and hard work. Respectfully, he was one of the best in Major League baseball for his time, and sparked a Civil RIghts Movement while doing it.
He passes the puck across the ice, skating down the boards to the middle,past the blue line! He's on a breakaway! Shoots, Scores!!! Many people know about the fast paced game of hockey. A very old popular sport using wooden sticks to move a rubber disc around a large sheet of ice. Here are some interesting facts about the game of hockey that will amaze you.
Attention Getter: Mia Hamm. Peyton Manning. Steve Nash. Here are just a few great athletes that most of us have heard of. But what is it that makes us look up to them? What is it that makes them great? The truth is that sports are only a small part of what makes a person worthy of looking up to.
Until this day, field hockey remains one of the world’s oldest sports in the United States. The idea came from the popular activity called hurling. “Drawings of men playing the game non-competitively can be seen in the Beni Hasan tombs of Egypt’s Nile Valley from around 4,000 years ago” (Wpadminskhdev). Field hockey started from an educated women with good intentions. “In 1901 Miss Constance Applebee came from England to study at Harvard Summer School”(Barnes). Harvard was once a small school located in the United States. Miss Applebee organized the first game of field hockey with the help of her students. The students worked together with smiles on their faces and couldn’t wait for the new sport to go world wide. She referred to herself as “Miss Hockey” and everyone called her that because of her persistence and courage in making field hockey a sport. “From Harvard, she went to Vassar, then helped start the new game at Wellesley, Smith, Radcliffe, Mt. Holyoke, and Bryn Mawr”(Barnes). “By 1922, popularity had increased and the USFHA (United States Field Hockey Association) was founded along with five other local associations”(Barnes). “The origins of field hockey can be traced to nice to Egypt, Persia, and Greece; but the game as we know it, was developed in the British Isles in the late 19th