Roughly how many people/percentage have played or still play hockey in one of its forms

[NJ Brazen_3133]

Originally Posted by MickIlhenney

Do American schools set up shooting ranges and make firearms safety a mandatory credit to graduate?

I believe at one point most kids learned to shoot from Dad, uncle, or older brother. Many schools had shooting teams, and did have an indoor range even in NYC. I remember watching old vids or black and white vids of PE class prior to the 70. The kids where doing military style obstacles courses. Is like they were being prepped for war

Originally Posted by MickIlhenney

It was the insinuation that Canadian culture and identity is so wrapped up in ice hockey that schools would build rinks in order to force kids to learn to skate. It is truly as ridiculous as asking if we all get around by dogsled in the winter. As such, I responded with a sarcastic reply illustrating a stereotype associated with Americans.

To be honest, I really don't understand why I need to explain this to you. The section I quoted clearly illustrated my point above.

But why is this so outlandish? I have been told Canadien fathers build small rinks for their kids in the backyard. So would it be difficult during the cold season to build a larger rink for kids at school?

In America, any decent elementary school has a grassy little league baseball field which can be used to play gridiron football, or soccer, and there is basketball hoop set up somewhere. There is also the standard jungle gym.

Every town will probably have a full sized Olympic Track, with the gridiron football in the middle with the goal posts. And on top there be HS aged baseball field somewhere plus basketball courts. Probably a tennis court here and there.

[Zoisite]

Originally Posted by NJ Brazen_3133

I believe at one point most kids learned to shoot from Dad, uncle, or older brother. Many schools had shooting teams, and did have an indoor range even in NYC. I remember watching old vids or black and white vids of PE class prior to the 70. The kids where doing military style obstacles courses. Is like they were being prepped for war



But why is this so outlandish? I have been told Canadien fathers build small rinks for their kids in the backyard. So would it be difficult during the cold season to build a larger rink for kids at school?

In America, any decent elementary school has a grassy little league baseball field which can be used to play gridiron football, or soccer, and there is basketball hoop set up somewhere. There is also the standard jungle gym.

Every town will probably have a full sized Olympic Track, with the gridiron football in the middle with the goal posts. And on top there be HS aged baseball field somewhere plus basketball courts. Probably a tennis court here and there.

None of those other things are really relevant because none of them are the same as ice rinks and they don't present the same hazards and maintenance that ice rinks do.

Schools won't do it on public school property because of insurance and liability issues and other hassles with regard to health and safety, as well as potential property damages. Fathers with back yard rinks for their kids don't have to face the same kinds of insurance and liability or other hazard issues that schools do. So no temporary outside ice rinks on school properties.

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[ChevySpoons]

I never played ice hockey.

Oh, sure, pickup ball hockey games on the street. But never league ice hockey. More on that later.

Our high school did have a city owned and operated rink nearby. Like, right next door. It doubled as a tennis court in summer. I remember a few ice skating Phys Ed classes on it.

I can skate; I learned how to do so when I was 3 years old.

But I am a figure skater. Dance, specifically. I still have my figure skates from those days, and they still fit. I go out a few times each winter, and have some fun. Wish I had a partner who knew how to ice dance, but few others on the public rink got to the level that I and my partner reached. Most do not even know how to dance.

More specifically, to the OP: Although almost all of us can skate, not everybody does so in order to play hockey. Sometimes, we do it in order to skate for other purposes. Like figure skating.

[Mike2023]

When I was a kid almost everyone played we had community clubs in every neighbourhood that don"t exist anymore its become a sport for the rich because its so expensive to play. Cities stopped supporting community clubs.I played for the North-side community club in Portage which does not exist anymore.All games were outdoors even at 30 below except Saturdays when we played the arena. Hockey was available for everyone not just a select few.