Should you join UKC Field Hockey?

You’ve returned back to university after Christmas, ready to try something new. InQuire's very own Sports Sub Editor Mark Saggers has three key reasons why Field Hockey could be the Sport for you.

With the Welcome-Back Fair (11am January 16th & January 17th, Eliot Dining Hall) happening after Christmas, students will be able to discover different societies, sports clubs and volunteering groups. This is the best time ever to start joining a sports club, especially when fatigue and injuries start to kick in, and so the inclusion of new players, regardless of ability, is always welcome. Especially for Field Hockey.

So, what makes the game of Hockey so beautiful in general? First of all, it’s the fans. The fans are integral to the game; they create the club and revenue, they are the 13th player. They are the driving force behind the crazy atmosphere found in games. They enhance the feelings of pure joy when great moments that demand to be relished happen. What’s greater that this, however, is the act of playing the beautiful sport itself.

Here are three reasons why playing field hockey is awe-inspiring, and why you should consider playing (if you don’t already):

[if !supportLists]1) [endif]The thrill of the unpredictable game...

The outcome of the match can determine your status as a victorious champion or a fallen warrior - nothing else. The diligent player knows that hockey is more than leisure. The value of hockey is not ingrained within the type of sport itself, but rather the intrinsic values that are put on the line. Games of such unpredictability and chance involve the wager of the strengths and weaknesses of the opponents, and the fundamental principles that define what it is to be human: pride and humiliation.

The hockey game is not merely an activity of leisure, but a battle of egos, skill, and effort.

2) The rush of hitting a Hockey ball...

The blazoning of the pen is not enough to describe the beauty of the sport itself. The player’s stick is an extension of the forearm. A great torch of fortitude, which is supported by the left hand, the supportive keel that stabilizes the pristine motion of the hit of a hockey ball. A hit with such force that the ball defies gravity, forcing itself an invisible path that rebels against the intention of landscape designers. The hockey ball that’s been hit has breathtaking pace and an employment of placement that cannot be compared; the motion of the ball is dangerously graceful. Visible only for a second at the moment of impact.

3) The overwhelming feeling of scoring a winning goal...

Not everyone has experienced the joys of scoring a winning goal. In a situation of scarcity of time and urge for results, enjoying what is left of the game becomes an art. Those who can immerse themselves in such a limited time span and produce something out of nothing will experience sublime triumphant feelings that transcend any other emotion.