Jason is a high school hockey
player, and his team has made it to the playoffs. With four minutes left to go
in the third period of a tie game, Jason is on the ice. As his team moves to
break the puck out of their zone, one of his defensemen passes him the puck. The
defense for the other team skates back to cut him off as Jason charges forward.
He looks around to make a play, and seeing no options to pass, he decides to
take his chance and go for it. In the blink of an eye, Jason makes his move.
He breaks for the net, cutting
inward toward the center of the ice between the face off circles, as the opposing
goalie adjusts his position to square off with him, Jason leans into his stick
and snaps a quick shot, aiming for the corner where the goalie’s helmet once
was, catching him moving. The goalie reaches up with his glove, but the shot is
just out of his reach. The puck soars past his ear, as the telltale ping of the crossbar rings throughout
the arena before the puck slams downward onto the ice and into the back of the
net. Jason throws his arms into the air, the crowd erupts, the goal horn
blares, and the entire arena becomes a scene of pure chaos. Jason’s line mates
crowd him as they celebrate his goal, patting him on the head and congratulating
him using slang that leaves an outsider to the sport unable to follow the
conversation. They head back to the bench, skating down the boards for a high
five with the rest of the team.
These are the moments hockey
players live for. Whether they are the player who scored the goal, or are
sitting on the bench with their teammates, this rush of adrenaline quickly
becomes a drug for anyone who steps onto the ice. But what is it about these
moments that players cherish, and what other elements of the sport keep players
ever striving for greater success? Hockey is considered a form of
entertainment, but can there be a deeper benefit to playing? Why do athletes play hockey? An existing psychological theory may be able to
help.
Maslow’s Hierarchy is a theory
that categorizes human behavior to achieve certain “needs” in an effort to
explain why humans act the way they do. First published in 1943 by Abraham
Maslow, the Hierarchy was presented as a pyramid with levels of needs broken
down in to five layers. Since its introduction, a number of revisions have been
made, with the current pyramid containing eight layers divided into two subcategories.
The Hierarchy shows that some needs take precedence over others, however, Saul
McLeod of simplypsychology.org states: “Maslow (1943) initially stated that individuals must satisfy lower level
deficit needs before progressing on to meet higher level growth needs. However,
he later clarified that satisfaction of a need is not an ‘all-or-none’
phenomenon, admitting that his earlier statements may have given ‘the false
impression that a need must be satisfied 100 percent before the next need
emerges.’”
While the pyramid is not a strict
guideline for human behavior, it is recognized as a model for helping to
explain the motivations behind personal wellbeing and growth. In order to
understand how a passion for the sport of hockey may fit into this theory, a
closer look at Maslow’s Hierarchy is needed. The two subcategories of the
pyramid contain four layers of additional needs, each, the first of these being
the Deficiency Needs. These consist of those needs most basic to human survival
and include the Physiological Needs, Safety Needs, Belonging and Love Needs,
and the Esteem Needs. Even when concerning a person’s emotional and physical
health, hockey has the potential to fit into various places on the Deficiency
Needs. As a sport, hockey serves no real purpose in our search for food, water
and rest, and thus has no real power to fulfill the Physiological Needs of the
pyramid. However, the Safety Needs can be fulfilled by a career in hockey.
Elite level players are often paid or compensated for their participation on
various teams. Given the resources to find their own shelter, or having it provided
for them, this can become a great motivator to further one’s understanding and
skills in the sport.
The challenge of elite level hockey can itself be a draw for some players
whether or not they are paid to be part of a team. Harrold Patterson is
a collegiate hockey player for Saginaw Valley State University. An ice skater
and avid hockey player his entire life, Harrold’s motivations for joining and
playing the sport of hockey are simple. “I’ve been an enforcer all my life. Big hits and fights are what it's
about. Goals are good too.” Enforcers are a special type of player easily recognized
among those who play the sport. While hockey is notoriously physical, enforcers
go above and beyond to protect the members of their team. These athletes often make
it their duty to ensure their presence on the ice is known, and if there is any
suspected fowl play against either themselves or one of their teammates, they
are the first to step in and handle the problem.
Many teams and fans openly welcome a player dedicated to looking out for
everyone on the ice. While the approval of one’s teammates is almost never the
direct goal of an enforcer, the respect and reciprocation they receive can
satisfy their Esteem Needs in the Hierarchy. Many NHL enforcers have also found
themselves as both a local treasure and the ire of many fans and players, such
players as Tie Domi, Bob Probert, Marty McSorley and Darren McCarty.
The Deficiency Needs describe
motivations that all humans experience in order to lead a healthy life, however,
there are also motivations humans pursue that account for needs beyond just
those of basic survival. The Growth Needs were once categorized as a single
layer in Maslow’s Hierarchy, but this step in the pyramid has been expanded
into its own four-tiered group of needs. Unlike the Deficiency Needs, these are
not specific goals to be met, but are instead intended to account for a process
of learning and self-actualization. These are the Knowledge and Understanding Needs,
Aesthetic Needs, Self-Actualization Needs, and the Transcendence Needs.
While a small number of athletes are able to compete at elite levels, more
common among the population of players are those who play in recreational
hockey leagues. Adult hockey or “beer league” as it’s more affectionately known,
is a popular pastime for players over the age of eighteen who still enjoy the
game, but either do not possess the skill to play in more competitive leagues
or play for sheer love of the game.
Jeff Ostrander is an adult league goaltender and a veteran of the game. While
he has never played above the recreational leagues, he has over twenty years of
experience to his name. His introduction to the sport, like many, came through
his family. “My sister's husband and his brother were just starting to rent the
ice. They played a little pond hockey and were looking to play more regularly.”
Many start the game at the suggestion of others they know, but to continue
playing requires the game to offer something to them in return. “I am a very
competitive person. I enjoy the challenge that hockey gives. Love the rush of
making the big save at the key moment of the game. I like the responsibility of
being there for teammates.” No matter the league, hockey satisfies the Esteem Needs
of those who play, but in Jeff’s case, the sport offers him a little more. “I
also have the unique situation in which my wife plays goalie as well. We enjoy
watching hockey and playing together (…) When we watch we are always critiquing
and noticing different goalie nuances.” Hockey in this instance is also helping
Jeff fulfill a Cognitive Need. Regularly exercising his observation and
critical thinking skills, in spite of having no childhood training, Jeff is
able to take the strategies he sees and translate them into real world skills.
Satisfying an innate curiosity for the game is only an introduction into
how hockey may satisfy a number of the Growth Needs. Players often push
themselves to develop better puck handling skills, often honing these skills
beyond what may be considered useful in a game situation. Picking up the puck
only using one’s stick, scoring goals by shooting between their own legs,
flashy dekes that allow players to break free of the opposition and advance up
the ice, all of these skills are coveted and admired, and mastering them could
be considered a way of satisfying one’s Aesthetic Needs. This exposes another
side of the sport, where hockey is known for big hits and brutal fights, the
grace and finesse of the game is often overlooked. Those who are most
successful utilize these skills to become an integral part of their team.
Winning the championship game, leading the team in points, becoming team
captain, these are all goals that many players hold near the top of their hopes
for the sport, no matter what level of hockey they play. Self-Actualization and
Transcendence in the sport of hockey often go hand in hand. Personal successes
are always greater when shared among the team, and the best players of the
sport are not only able to improve their own skills, but also of those around
them.
While the Hierarchy functions as
a framework, every person’s needs and goals still fit into the pyramid differently.
Some may have reasons for playing that are entirely independent from one
another, and the fulfilment of Deficiency Needs and Growth needs are not
exclusive to elite level players and recreational players respectively. With no
singular solution to the question of why athletes play hockey, there is at least
one motivational factor that all players share.
The moment every hockey player
lives for, the goal. Everyone who plays the sport holds their breath in
anticipation as players like Jason release their shots, and for these brief, flickering
moments in time, everything stands still. The player’s commitment to the game,
the countless hours of practice and study, honing their craft to the best of
their ability, their successes and failures, all culminate in what passes in
mere fractions of a second. While Jason’s skill put his team in the lead, his
moment in the sun is not the product of a single player. Hockey is a team-based
sport, and any victory requires a team that works together seamlessly. This is easily
one of the biggest factors that drives those who play hockey.
In a survey comprised of a small
number of local hockey players of all different skill and competitive levels,
the connections these athletes build with their teammates is mentioned by all
of them as a key reason they continue to play. Teamwork, trust, and belonging,
these are all elements that make an active role in the sport a way to fulfill
one’s Belonging and Love Needs. As part of the Deficiency Needs, the passion that
players have for the game has the potential to not only connect with them on a self-fulfilling
level, but a basic one, as healthy social relationships are not only necessary
for one’s mental, but also physical wellbeing (Umberson). Actively doing so or
otherwise, athletes have adapted the game into a tool they can use to reach out
to each other. Players and fans alike benefit from this network, which has
become a potentially boundless social resource. situations as they are able to
connect on a new level with those around them.
The English are responsible for
bringing field hockey to the colonies, and in the cold eighteenth century
British winters, ice hockey was born (SIHR). While the roots of the sport are
buried on the shores of Georgian Era lakes and rivers, hockey has grown from its
humble beginnings, and is played by athletes worldwide. Whether it is the
strategies, the exercise, the physicality of the game or the brotherhood,
hockey is not fulfilling to only a select few, it is a unique social human
experience that can be enjoyed by anyone at any level.
Works Cited
Mcleod, Saul. “Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs.” Simply
Psychology, Simply Psychology, 2017, <www.simplypsychology.org/maslow.html>.
PsycheTruth. “Expanded Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs, Human Needs, Self Actualization, Humanistic Psychology” Online video clip, YouTube. YouTube, Jun 22, 2011, <https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=547&v=yM8SwZkvCIY>.
Van Conett, Thomas. “Why We Play Hockey”, Questionnaire.
24 Feb 2018.
“The Birthplace or
Origin of Hockey.” SIHR, <www.sihrhockey.org/__a/public/horg.cfm>.
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