Coaches' perceptions of aggressionin elite women's ice hockey

In the past three,decades,,there has been a substantial amount of research and public debate regarding aggression and violence insport, particularly in men's ice hockey. Up to this,point, there;exists a paucity of research on aggression and violence in women's ice hockey, despite the rapid increase of participants in this sport. The purpose of this study was to address this gap in the literature by summarizing the perceptions of expert coaches of women's ice hockey. A qualitative research methodology was employed in the current study. Four elite ice hockey coaches participated in an in-depth open-ended interview. The results of the study revealed that aggressive techniques were being used in elite women's ice hockey. This paper discusses the causes and ramifications of aggression on women's ice hockey, as well as the impact that the increase of size and strength of the modern female hockey player has had on the sport.