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I remember when I first started playing hockey. It wasn’t that long ago; five years to be precise. Back then I bought a £20 stick, a cheap pair of Grays shoes (I think they were on offer for about £25), a Slazenger glove and shin pads from Sports Direct. All in all, about £60 to get started.
I didn’t realise back then how much I’d fall in love with the sport, and I thought that some of the crazy prices for some of the equipment and accessories were all about paying for the name, rather than being actually worth the money they were charging. As time went by and my skill levels increased, I realised that some of my equipment was really in need of a revamp. I fell over an awful lot, and as you know, when you go over on that astro turf, it can leave you with some hefty grazes.
It’s really weird seeing your hockey friends all dressed up!
Then there was the first hockey Christmas party. It was quite an eye-opener really. I’d never seen all my team-mates with make-up on, with their hair done and even wearing dresses! And there I was with my gorgeous dress and those beautifully scabby knees. I wasn’t the only one, but it definitely made me think that maybe it was time to invest in a new pair of shoes.
That year, I added them to my Christmas list and I upgraded to a pair costing a whopping £69.99. As well as the shoes, I also spent about £60 on a new Grays stick. Now, I’m quite tall, so I managed to get a 37.5 Inch stick, and compared to my original wooden 36.5 standard one, my new stick was a revelation. I did feel a little guilty for spending so much on my hobby but once I got going with my new shoes and stick, I realised what a difference they made to my game.
By the time the end of season party came, I was really looking forward to going without those scabby knees, and sure enough, my new shoes kept me on my feet a lot more and I was able to have beautiful knees for our party. Sadly though, in our last game of the season I broke my wrist and had a lovely cast (or pot as they call it here in Yorkshire) all the way up my forearm. It wasn’t the greatest look, having a bright pink cast with my black dress, but I soon realised that hockey players are kind of used to seeing those sights.
Naively, I thought my shoes would last forever but a few games into the start of the new season I started to fall over again. This time earning the nickname Bambi in the process. Previously, I’d just bought the ones that looked the nicest, but this time I did some research before I bought them. I was specifically looking for ones with really good grip and settled on a pair of Asics Blackheath 5s. I couldn’t believe the difference they made.
You don’t necessarily think that your footwear would contribute that much to your game, but when you get a decent pair of hockey shoes, it makes a massive difference. The fact that you can turn acute angles, stop dead and sprint from standing without slipping makes a great difference to your play. As well as the grip, a good pair of shoes will also support and protect your feet, and all of this put together gives you more confidence on your feet and really helps to improve your game.
After that, I started think about a new stick. It had took a bit of punishment over the season and I did feel that I’d like to get one a little longer. So, once again I did my research and splashed out on a Grays GX5000 Ultrabow 38.5. I really love this stick. So much so, I bought the same one again when it was time for a new one. I couldn’t tell you the reason why I like it so much, apart from the fact that it just feels comfortable to use. And I suppose that’s the key really, just stick to what feels comfortable, although it does help to do a bit of research about what stick would suit your playing style and height.
2016 was a massive year for hockey and, caught up on the wave of emotion, I made my most expensive purchase to date. A pair of limited edition Adidas adiZero hockey shoes. These shoes were worn by all the Adidas athletes in Rio and only 2,016 pairs were made. I couldn’t resist. They cost me £157.50! I did think it was a high price to pay for a pair of hockey shoes but I was pleasantly surprised to find that they were amazing to play in, and definitely the best pair of shoes I’ve ever owned.
The evolution of my equipment has come a long way since I first began, with that wooden stick and those cut price shoes, and if you’d told me back then that I would be spending £300 on shoes and a stick I would have laughed at you. I have to say though, my stick isn’t the most expensive on the market by far, but I can’t see myself paying £200+ for one anytime soon, especially when my current one feels so comfortable.
So, I suppose the message here is start off slow, do some research and stick to what’s comfortable. And if you start to fall over, it’s time to get a new pair of shoes, unless you fancy sporting scabby knees at your Christmas party!