Aside from their daily training regimen, the UK team currently training for the Olympic men's hockey qualifying tournament in Chile have been told to practice on Nintendo Wii sports games to improve the hockey abilities.
EADT tells us that England hockey uses the Wii improve hand-eye coordination, peripheral vision and awareness.
“As well as being fun and providing some time off the pitch, the training on the Wii has really improved my performance during games," says goalkeeper George Pinner. “We are made to play games like tennis and boxing with eye patches on to concentrate on working each eye individually."
David Faulker, a spokesperson for England Hockey, said: “Nintendo Wii is one of the many resources we are looking at to improve reaction and speed for goalkeepers.”
If they do make it to the 2008 Beijing games next year, they could further improve on their skills by picking up a Vii console.
[Thanks, Mr. Ross]
Dale North is Destructoid's Editor-In-Chief, a founding editor, and specialist in Japanese gaming. An accomplished musician, Dale was reporting from Japan during the earthquakes of 2011. Luckily, he got the fuck out alive and is home in America now with his wife and beloved corgi, Einstein. Dale is also a co-founder of Destructoid's sister anime site
Japanator. Likes Corgis, Sega Saturn, PSP, iPhone, Photographic tools.
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Contest:
12:00 PM on 12.17.2007
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Oh and Beijing is hosting the summer Olympics. No ice hockey there. The winter Olympics are 2010 in Vancouver.
*prays that his wife doesn't read his online postings*
Yep, they is talkin' some field hockey. Strange, in the U.S. only girls play it. Men play lacrosse...I guess.
And I was about to jump all over the Brits for calling the rink a "pitch" and goalies "goalkeepers". Good thing I clicked the link.
That's why England sucks at hockey as a nation.
Darren Macarthy needs to come home to hockey town.
Souray's a douche.
Also, on the comment about field hockey being a girl's sport in the U.S., the last time I was in England and talking to my girlfriend's relatives, they were saying how Basketball (or a game similar to it) is considered a girl's sport there.
I've been asking myself the same question. I'm dying for an NHL game on the Wii.