So i went out to find out a bit about this latest popular sport! Floorball. I spoke to one of Farnhams trainers and spokes person and a member of one of their teams. Have a read and learn a little or possibly a lot about Floorball!
Even though not many will have heard of this latest sport sweeping Britain, Floorball is anything but new. The simple structure of a game of Floorball is enticing many new-comers to pick up a stick and play. Without any previous knowledge of Floorball people are more willing to have a go, especially since it’s a low violence sport and there are less than a handful of rules, anyone can play. With only the need of a plastic hockey like stick from £20, a light weight plastic ball of £1 and a pair of trainers you can go and play this sport practically anywhere, although I’d take care of getting on your neighbours nerves.
Floorball has been around since the 1970’s, where it was created in Sweden
Farnham has 2 of their own Floorball clubs, the Farnham Fireballs and the Shooting Stars. I spoke with a teammate from the Farnham Fireballs, Louie Goodman who has been playing for 4 years and is only 13 years old. Louie described his favourite pastime Floorball as a fast and fun sport to play and insists that the training for Floorball helps his footing in tennis and badminton too.
Floorball also known as Uni-hockey is a great for not only men but women too, with the option of staying on for as long or as short as you like in a game, uni-hockey is suitable for any range of fitness, making sure you get as much or as little time on the rink as you wish. Louie explained that ‘’Floorball has helped me make new friends but it’s also good because my friends can play too’’
Farnham sports centre, newly refurbished enables locals to go and play Uni-hockey in a full sized indoor rink providing the sticks and balls. This sport is so universal because there is a no violence rule, the sticks are kept below the waste ensuring that there is minimum chance of injury. Peter Goodman local coach to the Farnham teams enthusiastically boasted that in 34 years of training there have been no major accidents, in all the years the worst case has been a twisted ankle. The only player in a team that wears protective clothing is the goal minder, this player is the only one without a stick and has to use their protected hands to block the ball whilst on hands and knees.
Floorball is a sport that has no age, unlike ice-hockey and field hockey where you have a player’s peak performance age. You don’t have to be young or tall or sporty. Uni-hockey can be played by the young and old and is often played by retired professional sports men and women to keep active. Even if you don’t seek a career in Floorball there are many who keep playing in local teams.
Being such a versatile sport it’s the perfect game to start playing in school in P.E lessons, and recently schools have been trying to collaborate with the sports centres so that they can achieve their target of getting children to take part in 5 hours of sport a week. Which at the moment sounds quite a leap but the teachers and coaches have every confidence in reaching this objective. In playing Floorball at school, children are far more likely to enjoy the game and choose to play it outside of curriculum too, with the ability to play virtually anywhere, thus reaping the benefits of the extra activeness in their spare time.
By Cas the journo.
