Learning Outcomes
- Understand the demands of field hockey
- Understand relevant strength and conditioning training for hockey
- Understand how to test field hockey performance
Introduction
The game of field hockey is largely made up of low and moderate intensity activities which different player positions demanding different physical outputs on the field (1). Generally speaking, as the player moves up the field from defence to attack the players cover more distance with strikers recording the fastest speeds and greatest number of sprints and fullbacks completing the least. (1). Essentially, field hockey, like many team sports, is a low intensity activity, interspersed with varying bouts of high intensity activity (1).
It is logical to assume that as the standard of a player improves, so do the desired traits of athleticism associated with the sport.
Below is a video from the Hockey Performance Academy outlining ‘How to get fit for hockey’ which discusses the key strength and conditioning aspects that are important for field hockey.
High Performance Field Hockey 