The sport of ice hockey is a contest of skill. The three basic skills involve skating, puck skills and checking. Checking is often the most misunderstood but most talked about skill. In this segment participants learn about the checking continuum that starts with on-ice awareness and situational awareness and ends with regaining the puck. The purpose of this segment is to illustrate where players can find themselves - regardless of age or level of play - on the checking continuum when attempting to defend.