by Huihua Lulu Zhou
In order to cooperate with the Beijing Winter Olympics in 2022, the Western Academy of Beijing’s newswriting club conducted a series of articles on the development and promotion of winter ice and snow sports among teenagers. In September 2021, an interview was conducted with Mr. Si Liang, the Deputy Secretary of the Chinese Ice Hockey Association. For this visit, in addition to preparing a series of questions about ice hockey, we also interviewed nine peers who play and enjoy ice hockey through a survey and summarized some more specific questions.
After explaining my intention, I asked my first question. “I did a survey among my classmates who had played ice hockey before I came here. When I asked, ‘why do you like ice hockey, and what does it give you?’ Everyone mentioned happiness, friendship, friends, and also mentioned cooperation, excitement, rhythm, etc. What do you think of ice hockey?”
Mr. Si Liang replied very emotionally, “Ice hockey is known as the crown jewel of the Winter Olympics! You must know that there are nine collective ball sports in total. The Winter Olympics has only one — ice hockey. It’s the largest group event: a hockey team has 25 on each men’s team and 23 on each women’s team.”
“Ice hockey games are very fierce, and the sport itself is full of manhood. Ice hockey perfectly embodies the Olympics. Ice hockey is speed, strength, and unity. A concentrated expression of cooperation.”
In order to give us a better understanding, Mr. Si Liang also introduced the characteristics of ice hockey from four aspects: speed, strength, unity, and cooperation:
Speed: “The speed of ice hockey can reach more than 150 kilometers an hour. It is the fastest ball sport in the world. Maybe some people think, how much power can a small ball have? Because of friction, it is relatively difficult to perform high-speed performance in ball games on the ground. Still, ice hockey can be an exception to the list because the smooth ice surface can greatly reduce friction.”
Strength: “In competitions, most ice hockey players perform technical movements such as turning, changing directions, sliding and colliding with each other. Therefore, ice hockey players must have good strength in addition to confrontation ability. It is also necessary to have good ‘functional power.’”
Unity: “Ice hockey is a sport for real players. Ice hockey requires a high level of teamwork. There’s only ‘we’ and not ‘me’ in ice hockey. Ice hockey players must have a strong sense of cooperation, and ice hockey is very fast. Without a sense of cooperation, it is easy to fail.”
Coordination: “The offensive tactics of ice hockey games are divided into individual offensive, 2-3 person group offensive, and team offensive tactics. The team offense can be divided into fast offense and positional offense. In the rapidly changing situation of the game, it needs to be between players. There is a high degree of tacit understanding.”
Looking at us who seem to understand but don’t really understand, Mr. Si Liang kindly added, “In addition, in the ice hockey game, the player’s equipment, including clothing, protective gear, etc., also looks very cool, right?”
While we nodded frequently, we also raised new questions. “We often see frequent disputes and even fighting during the game. How can we allay parents’ worries about this?”
“This is also part of the ice hockey culture. The vast majority of the so-called ‘fights’ we have seen on the ice are carried out within the scope allowed by the rules. This form is also called ‘gentlemen fighting’ in the West. At the same time, we also see that the players outside the rink are all neatly dressed and polite, and after the game, no matter how fierce it was, players get along with each other. This is the charm of ice hockey.”
Mr. Si Liang continued to explain affectionately, “Ice hockey brings more than just physical enhancement to children. As a competitive sport, ice hockey can make children be infected by the spirit of sportsmanship and fighting spirit during the competition; At the same time, ice hockey is a sport that tests teamwork in an extreme fashion. In team cooperation and team comparison, teenagers will gain friendship and confidence. In addition, ice hockey is a great way to relieve stress and vent emotions in today’s generally heavy academic pressure. Therefore, after parents truly understand the essence of ice hockey, they will recognize that ice hockey is the most suitable collective ball game for teenagers in winter.”
I asked, “Chinese culture emphasizes courtesy and humility. Will ice hockey, a sport that pursues speed and collision, cause ideological conflicts after the participation of young people in ice hockey? Will it also cause parents to worry about it?”
“Although Chinese culture emphasizes humility, the responsible manhood spirit is what the Chinese have always pursued. Ice hockey perfectly interprets the spirit of manhood. Although ice hockey entered China more than 100 years ago, the real development happened from the concern of Vice Premier He Long in the 1980s. The establishment of the Beijing Capital Ice Hockey Arena will enable the national ice hockey team to have standard indoor training venues. The Beijing Winter Olympics will call on 300 million people to participate in ice and snow sports. As the only collective ball sport in winter, ice hockey will surely develop fast under the country’s promotion of the sport and it matches with Chinese culture. I will also give you a detailed introduction to our Ice Hockey Association’s specific measures promoting ice hockey, especially among teenagers.
At the same time, I also want to introduce to you the benefits of ice hockey for young people and hope to help parents better understand and support ice hockey.
First, the charm of ice hockey is that ice hockey is one of the fastest and most exciting collective sports in the world. It has a fast game rhythm, high-intensity competition on the ice, and combines technique, balance, and physical strength. Secondly, ice hockey is a team sport. Children can realize the value of cooperation through playing ice hockey and better understand that only by trusting your teammates and cooperating with each other that you will achieve success. On an ice hockey team, children can experience team spirit and trust the essence of teammates and athletes. These experiences will extend to children growing up, your teammates becoming colleagues, coaches becoming your boss, and your team becoming the company you work for. The benefits of ice hockey as a team sport will also enable children to face the ups and downs of life better when they grow up. Winning or losing an ice hockey game can make children better face success and failure in life. Ice hockey will also give children a strong sense of self, a positive sense of self-esteem, and team pride. Using positive self-talk to adjust pressure can help balance the child’s outlook on life. ”
Mr. Si Liang explained seriously and patiently, “I also think that ice hockey is the best embodiment of ‘Physical Education.’ It is not only sports, but it is also education and method. Ice hockey is a sport that emphasizes strategy. Understanding what decision will cause what results, or even creating a new thing is the key to success in life in the future. What children learn on ice can also be transformed into skills in their lives.”
About the Author
Huihua Lulu Zhou is a high school student at WAB. She loves writing, skating, hiking and cooking. She initiated the Winter Olympic theme report campaign at WAB to help increase her fellow students’ understanding of winter sports through interviewing Olympic athletes.
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