My dad is Canadian, but we live in Texas. Hockey isn't in my blood and I didn't play, but I remember when it was on in the background. We spent a birthday, at my request, eating dinner in the living room to watch a Dallas Stars playoff game in the hunt for the Stanley Cup. After marrying my sports-obsessed husband, I found a growing love for hockey.
I know nothing about playing hockey, or navigating this world. My husband always played baseball and wasn't focused on the ice. We're new hockey parents, but we've received lots of advice from our new, sideboard parenting friends.
Quick tips for getting started in youth hockey:
- Make sure your kiddo can skate. Our Dallas Stars Center offers skating lessons and free skate rental. All the parents encouraged us that it only took a few lessons for their kiddos to stop using the buckets. Sure enough, Little Man is ice skating on his own after 4 lessons.
- Don't skimp on the helmet and pads. Yes. Your child needs them. They will fall. Without pads, they will come home with bruises all over their elbows and legs. Hockey Monkey is really the best place for purchasing hockey equipment online. They offer daily deals that can save you lots!
- In-line skates will help your child learn to stay balanced and use both feet to move across the ice. As you watch at their lesson, you'll probably see your son or daughter favor one leg over the other. She will only move down the ice by picking up her left foot. Roller blading at home will help her learn to skate better on the ice! (Mom is not-so-secretly hoping for a pair herself!)
- Use new equipment as an incentive to perfect new skills. One parent told us that their son will get a new hockey stick when he can skate with the rest of the class and not have to use the buckets. Brilliant!
We have loved breaking into the hockey world! I plan to share more tips along the way!
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