What do you think about women in Ice Hockey

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Today at the Olympic Games in Sochi is the game of ice hockey USA vs Switzerland, the women's hockey teams.

I maybe sound a little sexist but ice hockey is not very suitable for women. I have a similar resistance against a woman weights lifting at the Summer Olympics.

Why are those sports not suitable for women?

I think women have no business playing ice hockey for the simple reason that it's much too rough of a sport. It should be left to the men. Not everything is meant for a woman to do (and I say this as a woman myself).

Dont you think, that a grown up woman, should be allowed nowadays, to decide on her own, if something is too rough for her?

I´d as well never do freeclimbing. With a rope and security hooks? - No prob. Freeclimbing? - Nope. Never. Would never do it. Every knowledge of my environmental engineer degree simply tells me, that you will never be able to know, when a piece of rock may become naturally loose because of the water/weather influences.

But if other grown up people want to do so, whats the matter about it? I am not other peoples nanny or mistress, so they dont need to ask me, if they want to do freeclimbing.

I think the woman playing that sports in professional leagues, will be absolutely aware, that you better know a good dentist/doctor. ^^

I dont think a woman bone or teeth, to be more precious, then an male bone or teeth. I dont see, why a male broken bone should be less of an issue, then an female one.

As well that I dont see, why a broken leg is for a woman more dangerous, then for a man?

I already broke four teeth and my leg while doing bicycling (and got me a cool eyebrow-scar ^^) and broke three fingers, cleaved a fingerbone and squeezed my lung almost in an amount, that I got an rupture. (Nope, not with oh so rough icehockey..., but the oh so elegant female gymnastics XD)

So what exactly would have been else if I broke that fingers while playing hockey, or if I was male? And why exactly do you think, that doing cycles and overheadjumps on an small bar in shoulderhight, is safe? ^^ Or catapulting yourself with full speed above obstacles and trying to do elegant stuff meanwhile? (Responsible for the three broken fingers. ^^) And the lung-injury I got during floor gymnastics, when I failed a backward cycle, as a finish, cycled too much, landed with my upper chest at the floor, with my legs still being above me. (You know, what that chinese dish jongleur always do, sadly without lifelong training to do so. -.-)

I dont think, having a penis, would have helped anything in that situations. ^^ (Ok, actually when I failed the jump and landed on my hand, maybe the softer area between my legs, would have prevented my fingers to crash, but in the opposite, I think I would now sing italian castrate operas. ^^ I am not sure, if thats so much cooler. ^^)

I feel that women have just as much of a right as men to play hockey and do weight lifting. Threads like these make me proud to look like Mick Avory.

Well, thank goodness for Title IX. It's really surprising to me that people still have views like this.

One of the most ignorant statements I hear is that hockey is a rough or dangerous sport. I recently got hit hard accidentally and had to leave a game due to dizziness but that is an extremely rare occurrence and has only happened three times in 10 years. Hockey is far safer than other sports I play(ed) like softball due to the equipment, especially for goalies. Women's hockey, like adult rec hockey does not allow hitting and women don't shoot at dangerously fast speeds. I've been a target for bullies my whole life but have never been attacked or roughed up on the ice and have always been treated with the utmost respect. Fights and physical play are almost unheard of in adult hockey as well as there is a strong code of honor in the sport at the rec level. Even youth players are generally very respectful and polite (the parents on the other hand......).

I've filled in (as a goalie) with Women's hockey and while the skill level is FAR inferior to even lower end Men's hockey, that has more to do with the lack of opportunities in the past. While a woman cannot compete with a man professionally (due to size difference: even average sized men would find it hard) in my position (goalie) women have an edge due to their better flexibility and more mature attitude (goalie is more a mental than a physical position). I would say the only reason a woman will not play professionally as a goalie again is because they don't have skilled enough competition to make them better NOT because they are unable to do it. I also played with a group that had four high end, older women play with us (I'm talking 30+ here) and they can compete with the men since there is no hitting or physical contact and slapshots were not permitted.

The biggest issue facing women is the whole 'macho' locker room culture. Unfortunately, many older (50+) players are rather intolerant of equality of the sexes and would refuse to accept a female as a equal competitor just as they would not accept an openly gay player. Thankfully, you rarely see this in the under 30 crowd and they are FAR more accepting of women. In fact, it's almost impossible to tell the gender of a player with all the equipment on anyway.

I play hockey. Yes it can be rough.

GiantHockeyFan, you have obviously been very lucky. Most of the people I meet on the ice are great, but there are still a small number of idiots who like to use it as an excuse to participate in some violence. However, everyone in the league knows who those people are, and you try to stay out of their way.

Also, even though we play in a 'non-check' league, it's still hockey, and sometimes two people are trying to take up the same space on the ice at the same time, so contact can occur.

There are not enough women here to have separate sex leagues, so I play on a mixed team. Yes, the locker room atmosphere can be a little testosterone loaded (I don't think shy girls or shrinking violets would last long ) but overall the guys are pretty respectful, albeit that the humour can get a little bawdy. I don't expect any special favours on the ice because I am female, and I will certainly take advantage of anyone who backs off just because I am smaller than them (I'm only 120lb, some of the guys out there are literally twice my size). They soon learn that one.

I have broken two ribs playing, but that's not because of my sex, it's because injuries can happen in sport. I know lots of guys who have broken bones.

I resent the fact that anyone thinks I should be sitting at home quietly knitting or something just because I am female. I love hockey, I choose to play it, and if I get hurt occasionally then so be it. The only concession I make to my sex, that not all the guys do, is that I wear a full face cage and mouth guard, because I don't think girls look pretty with no teeth.

I'm not a hockey fan, so it does not matter to me.

Philosophically, since military women are now being deployed on the front lines of combat zones, it seems only fitting that they would take up traditionally "masculine" roles as boxers, hockey players, and corporate CEOs.