Getting Ready For London

In just 41 days, the 2012 London Olympic Games will open, and there will be a plethora of precious metals handed out over the two-week Olympiad. HBIC won't be there mostly due to work reasons, but also because HBIC is headquartered in Canada and London is in England. Without getting into the financial details of how much it costs to attend the Olympic Games, let's just say that HBIC is not going to bleed red ink just to visit London during what will be a spectacle.

HBIC is going to watch from afar, though. My high-definition TV will be tuned to Olympic coverage whenever I find myself in front of it, and I'm hoping there will be a chance to catch as much field hockey action as possible. I've been doing some reading, and this game is pretty interesting despite it being very foreign to me. With that being said, HBIC will begin its off-season project as the HBIC Field Hockey Primer will run from tomorrow until the conclusion of the London Olympic Games.

I'm going to try to being new information forward about this game that is rarely seen on TV in North America. Much like cricket, it's a sport that is truly celebrated elsewhere on the planet, and HBIC is all for learning about new ways hockey can be played. I've known about field hockey for a while; I just haven't ever given it the credit that it deserves. Until now.

I'll be looking at a variety of topics. Everything from the technical points of the game - field dimensions, equipment used, rules of the game - to the history of the game to the current squads that will be vying for gold at the 2012 London Olympics will be covered over the next 41 days. I will still cover things like the NHL Entry Draft and free agency, but the vast majority of the stories found on HBIC will concern themselves with the game of field hockey.

If you're interested in the game, HBIC is willing to take any requests for information. If you're knowledgeable about the game, HBIC encourages you to send through any information or any articles you may wish to contribute. I fully admit that I'm not the most knowledgeable guy about this sport, so I'm open to all suggestions and resources you can send my way.

With all of that being said, we'll get started with a look at the pitch tomorrow so we get an idea of the surface of the game and the dimensions of the pitch. From there, the sky's the limit until we hit the Olympics!

Until then, keep your sticks on the ice field!