>>512882726
>Thanks. Well starting young is definitely a requirement for most people,
It is.
>although it doesn't guarantee reaching a high level.
Nope, never said that, but to reach the higher levels it is required unless you have a natural talent for it that is exceptionally rare.
>The age used to be higher,
As access to rinks grew, it was easier to start at younger and younger ages to learn the variety of on-ice sports.
if a skater avoids injury and wants to keep going they can,
They often wear special pants with foam cusions to protect their tailbone, rear, and lower spine when they fall. It's really caught on in the past decade. Hockey players have had hockey pants for far longer that work the same way.
and adults can skate recreationally.
They can and do, though helmet is recommended for novice and even mid tier. Small kids love to fool around and often crash into you doing some sort of hockey stunt. Seen it often.
>The skills required now are so high you need the right combination of body shape, injury free, mental stability, skill, and luck.
That's how competitions have always been. It's those factors, and your ability to compensate as needed in order to win, like when you see a heavily injured boxer make a comeback by managing their pain and mental state to come out on top.
>Especially hard for women because hips change everything.
They can manage just fine. There are many ways they can move to propel themselves. Higher tier female hockey normally compensates their slower speed which is about equal to a 14-15 male hockey team, by excelling at passing and puck handling.
