Ice hockey has the reputation of being an extremely tough sport that leads to severe injuries. Of course, this is not true. If you want to get a real picture of ice hockey, you should come to the Hessenhallen in Giessen on Saturday, 2 December (2 to 4 pm) and Saturday, 9 December (4 to 5 pm). Giessen's only ice hockey team, ERC Pohlheim, will be playing on the Stadtwerke Giessen ice rink. The skaters would like to use the SWG ice glitter to showcase the fastest team sport in the world. Anyone interested is welcome to take part in the joint training session in Hall 5 of the Hessenhallen.
The "Galloways" - as the Pohlheim puck hunters also call themselves - are currently the sovereign league leaders in the Hessen state league.
The ERC currently has just under 160 members. That's pretty decent for a club that can't rely on the natural resources of an ice hockey region. The "Galloways" started out as hobby players in 1992, then joined the Hessian regional league and won the championship in 1996/97.
The puck doesn't skate directly in Pohlheim, but on the border between Hesse and Rhineland-Palatinate, in Limburg. There is currently no suitable hall available in Giessen.
The ERC from Pohlheim can therefore normally only be seen playing or training in Frankfurt, Bad Nauheim, Lauterbach or Limburg.
In Giessen, the cracks, together with some young players, will be on hand to help potential ice hockey stars take their first steps on the ice. The skating school will provide valuable tips on the right technique on the skates and then it's onto the ice with stick and puck. Goal kicks are of course also on the programme. The players' extensive equipment is also presented. It has been proven that there are fewer serious injuries in ice hockey than in other sports. Ice hockey players are also protected from head to toe with special equipment.
Special ice hockey skates, helmets, ice hockey trousers, ice hockey sticks, chest protectors, elbow pads, shin guards, groin guards, neck braces and ice hockey gloves are of course all part of this, to name but a few. Injury from the puck or a stick is therefore almost impossible. It is therefore understandable that it can take a good quarter of an hour for a player to put everything on.
Ice hockey fans should not miss out on the opportunity in Giessen and take advantage of the next two Saturdays. Meeting point Hessenhallen. The ERC recommends that visitors bring head protection in the form of a helmet.