It used to be that a hockey stick
would be made of wood and would only cost about $25. Now a day a good composite
stick will cost you upwards of $200. There are numerous types of sticks you can
get, different types of shafts, different blades, even what you want them to be
made out of, wood, fiber glass, aluminum. Steven Pinker the author of Mind Over
Mass Media talks about how technology in today’s world makes life easier.
Technology has made the game of hockey safer, and easier to play.
With the sticks of today kids are
able to pull of shots that were, up until now, impossible for their age. Wendel
Clark is the couch of the Toronto Young Nationals, he says "These kids can
do a lot of things at 12 that we could never do." (Stick shift) The reason
that kids can pull off these shots is due to the new sticks that are available.
With the sticks now you can shoot higher, harder, and straighter then you could
with the old wooden sticks.
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| (Science of Hockey) |
Along with how the sticks have
changed so has the rest of the equipment. In the early days the pads that were
worn by players were just leather and cloth sewn together. Now players have
hard plastic pads to protect them from pucks, sticks, and other players. Some
people don't like the new technology in hockey and say "players are far
less concerned for their own safety and play a wilder, faster style with harder
hits."(How Hockey Equipment Has Changed) Much like some people do not like
the new technology that comes out such as "the printing press, newspapers,
paperbacks, and television." (Mind Over Mass Media) What about the
goalkeepers? There was a time when even they didn’t wear helmets, and the pads
they wore were just like the rest of the players. In todays hockey the goalies
have ultra thick pads, masks that allow a full field of view, and chest and
neck protectors to protect the goalie from pucks and skates.
All in all the advancement in
technology has made things safer in terms of hockey and easier in terms of
everyday living. With the new sticks today we are seeing kids become amazing
hockey players just based on their equipment. With the new technology there are
always going to be people who don’t want to accept it, but it is for the
greater good then it should be embraced.
Feschuk, Dave. "Stick Shift: Hockey Stick Technology
Is ‘great Equalizer' | Toronto
Star." Thestar.com. 22 Dec. 2012. Web.
"Science of Hockey: Sticks and Pucks |
Exploratorium." Science of Hockey: Sticks
and Pucks | Exploratorium. Web.
Petersen, Travis. "How Hockey Equipment Has
Changed." Made Man. 1 Apr.
2010. Web.
