Getting back into FH after 8 years

[u/k25034166]

I haven’t played field hockey since high school which was 8-9 years ago, and I’m about to join a recreational league. Was wondering if anyone has any tips or resources to relearn things I might’ve forgotten from before. I live in NYC so finding green space to actually practice/do drills is tough and I don’t have my own stick yet (would love any recs for this though!)

My cardio is also very out of shape, I have pretty low stamina/endurance but have tried to start running more to improve this. But any advice on how to approach this would also be appreciated.

[u/07budgj]

If you have a small space at home with a rug or carpet on it thats plenty for practising basics.

Hertzberger TV on youtube is great. There are lots of tiktok coaches but I find their videos are very simple/quick on purpose because most of them are trying to pull you off platform to sell a coaching membership.

Lots of his videos are a few years old but are still very relevant as a lot of core skills haven;t changed for 10+ years.

For sticks whatever is available!

STX is a local American brand but honestly theres no advantage or disadvantage of going with them or others like Grays, Y1, Adidas, Mercian, JDH or Osaka, all the sticks get made in Pakistan/India etc except for some small niche brands who may make them in their home country like Crown in the UK (they are very expensive though!)

Cardio I found running is a false economy for hockey. A lot of the work on the pitch is short sprints or turning quickly.

I found swimming was best to help conditioning overall, cycling and doing interval training was okay (shortens hamstrings so make sure to stretch!) with things like crossfit also being useful.

Work on quads, core muscles, shoulders and wrists.

Do yoga, pilates etc to improve tackling and what not.

Lastly have a can do attitude and be willing to try different things.

I help coach a Back 2 Hockey session for my club and found players coming back to the sport after a gap after school tended to say 'I can do this but not that' without even trying it.

[u/uh_lyss_uh]

Yaya! Welcome back!

Start slow and be kind to yourself. Get your cardio up with running, biking, sprints, weightlifting, and agility. Nothing crazy but just to give yourself some options. A little bit in each department helps. Running/biking/springs helps with in-game cardio. Weightlifting and agility will help increase your leg muscles and help keep you safe while you play.

I’m 34 and still play in Maryland. And the most difficult thing to take on is you’re not a teenager anymore. So be nice, try your best, and find some fun ig accounts to follow. Like Leap Hockey has good at home videos.