Taking it to the Streets
Street hockey is an interesting cultural development. Hockey originally was meant to be played on ice. However, due to the lack of ice in some areas, and the lack of funding for equipment, the art of street hockey was formed. Street hockey is played with little equipment; roller blades are optional. Because there is little equipment, the game is a lot less physical than ice hockey. Though there are body checks, they are usually limited to picketing and stiffing, much like the defense seen in basketball. Street hockey can be played with a puck or any ball. For example, a tennis ball would be sufficient to play street hockey. Originally, street hockey was a loosely organized sport in comparison with its ice hockey counterpart. However, as more people began to play the sport, leagues and divisions were formed. Now, there are several street hockey leagues all across the United States. Later on, official rules were added to the game by Mr. Leclerc. The size of the street hockey field was defined to be 160 feet long by 80 feet wide. This size is now used as the standard for most street hockey fields. An iconic phrase that resulted from the rise in street hockey is the shout, “Car!”, made by kids to warn each other of incoming cars. This phrase has spread to other street sports such as street basketball and street baseball. Street hockey, even though organized, will still be a fundamentally street sport that has made a place for itself in American culture.
