Such a checking ban would be successful only if adopted at the international level, Roberts says. Proper checking technique, they claim, can prevent injuries. Roberts and others have said that more emphasis should be placed on calling penalties for illegal checking. Roberts disagrees with those who say checking would make hockey less exciting. Fair play rules and injury reduction in ice hockey.
Pediatricians suggest limiting checking in youth hockey.
Kelly and his coauthor based their conclusions on annual surveys of 15,000 to 23,000 households between 1976 and 1996. During the last two decades, adult participation in most sports and fitness activities remained steady or went down. Leisure activities that have gained more participants are golf, walking for exercise, and gambling, Kelly says. He notes that the increasing popularity of golf and walking can be attributed to the aging population. He also notes that investment dollars in recreation, as in society in general, seem to flow toward high-return areas.