The Hardest Sport To Play

Growing up in Raleigh, North Carolina some things that you can do are go to a Durham Bulls game, maybe just go downtown, or you can go to a Carolina Hurricanes game. That's what the Lytle family did approximately fourteen years ago. While watching the game, a four-year-old Ryan Lytle said to his mom, "I want to do that," little did I know how difficult this lifestyle would be.

Hockey is the most demanding sport. Not only physically, but financially and mentally. Some of you might say hockey is hard but it is not as mentally challenging as other sports. You might say that we don’t have to memorize as many plays like in football or basketball. You could also say that not as many people play hockey in America.

The main argument against hockey being the hardest sport is the mental aspect, and I would disagree with that. There is an infinite number of situations that can occur in hockey. In football you can have hundreds of set plays that you have to memorize, but they are set. You know what you have to do while in hockey your job could be everchanging. Your defensemen could rush the puck, and then you have to play an entirely different position. The physical aspects of hockey alone are enough to put it in the top five, but when you add the other parts such as the mental aspect. Learning how to skate takes years alone. Add learning how to use the stick proficiently and that takes a lifetime of practice. The hockey knowledge that one acquires amasses over the entire time that you play hockey is something that you can't just memorize like a football playbook. It's an everchanging game, where no two situations are exactly the same. Yes, more people in Canada play hockey then in the U.S., but it doesn't substitute the difficulty. The game is still as difficult, there is just different levels of competition. Also, financially it is a huge burden. Basketball you need to buy the shoes and a ball, and football costs a bit more, but not nearly as close to hockey. The helmet alone to get a safe one is $300; the skates are $1000 for brand new skates. Yes, you can buy an older model, but at least it is still $300. Sticks break frequently and those cost $300. Financially alone this is a grind.

Next time you go and watch an NHL game, or the Olympics remember just how hard hockey is.