PAUL BUCZKOWSKI       Bio       Setting Goals       Respect       Back to School       Professionalism       Those in the know       Turn It Positive       Finding a Job       Eye Protection       Playing Injured       Gearing Up       WCHL vs. CHL       Europe v. N.A.       Specific Training       Training Camps       Road to Success       Dedication       Life in the WHL SANDY LAMARRE       Bio       Season to Forget       College vs. Junior       Sportsmanship       Game Prep       Conditioning FORBES MACPHERSON       Making the Jump BRIAN PATAFIE       Bio       Stretching       ICE PATRICK POWERS       Is Hockey Just a Sport? ANDREW ZOPPO       Be Tenacious
	PlayYourGame.com is proud to welcome Paul Buczkowski as a feature writer. From the WHL to the NHL, Paul will bring insight to every aspect of the game, as a sport and as a career. Eye Protection By Paul Buczkowski June 2, 2001 "To play the game of hockey, one must be able to see the ice effectively." Equipment plays a big role in the success of a hockey player. This is a very serious issue with professional hockey players. Their sticks have to have the right curve, their skates have to have the right amount of edge, and of course, all their equipment has to fit properly. Having said the above statement, one would think that being suited up in armor makes players invincible. This, in fact, may protect players from smaller injuries, but people don't realize that players nowadays are bigger and stronger than the past, and the size and of these players is growing tremendously every year. The games are getting rougher and faster, and players who are skating at 40km/hour are running into each other at every opportunity. This whole article comes down to the first line: eyesight. If you can't see the ice, you can't play the game. It is simple. If you were to happen to get an eye injury (and I pray that no one ever does) you would not be able to play the game of hockey. This past season was the first one that I have ever worn a visor. I decided that it was a good idea, since I didn't want to take the chance of losing my eyesight and wrecking my career. It only takes a split second to lose an eye, and 99.9% of the time it is done by accident. I look at it this way... You can only play the game professionally for a limited number of years, and most players are done playing by the time that they are thirty years old. What about "life" after hockey? You have the rest of your life to live and having the opportunity to see your kids grow up is priceless. With the way that the game is changing, just look to the NHL to see almost 65% of the players wearing visors. I think that they are on the right track even if Don Cherry doesn't approve. Why take the risk. You won't be called a "sissy" or a "wimp", and even if someone calls you something, just look at it as a good business decision. Here is my quote for the month: "The difference between a successful person and others is not a lack of strength, not a lack of knowledge, but rather a lack of will." - Vince Lombardi Paul Buczkowski 1 Year CHL 1 Year ECHL 3 Years Europe 6 Years WHL
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