Quote:
Originally Posted by Steelhead16
As someone who has taught beginners skating as well as beginning hockey PLEASE DO NOT DO THIS! This would be like teaching your kids to walk backwards at first and then sending them out into the world. Don't make an instructor undo this, it will frustrate your kids and they will quit skating.
To build a strong house you need a strong foundation to start from. Same with hockey. I would highly reccomend that you give your kids skating lessons first. No sticks, no pucks. Hockey is hard enough to learn when you are having to learn to skate at the same time. As soon as they can skate well then move to the beginning hockey classes and they will have a much easier time learning all the hockey skills.
Most people who are teaching the beginner hockey programs are coming from a hockey background and aren't usually there to teach your kids how to skate. They naturally gravitate towards the kids who have the most ability and take to the hockey skills part. The kids who need the most skating help seem to get the least amount of attention and don't progress as fast. The instructors don't purposely ignore any kids but it's difficult to teach the other 10 kids when 1 of them needs so much attention.
My suggestion to you if you want to fast track this is to get them private lessons with a skating instructor. If cost is an issue then my second choice would be to enroll them in skating classes. Build a foundation and they will be flying around you by the time they are 10.
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Yup, this. I have been my son`s coach ever since he started playing. I also coached my daughter`s ringette team for about 8 years (until she got to be a better and faster skater than I). I started playing at age 3. Avoid the bob skates and let them learn right.
Also, Hockey USA has a great program for teaching kids the game. If you do a google search for `hockey USA practice plans`you`ll find great info on helping your kid learn. I am a level 3 coach in Hockey Canada and many times throughout the years have prefered and found I get better results from the kids when I employ Hockey USA development plans. 6 years coaching him and 4 league championships speak for themselves.
There is nothing more rewarding than watching all the kids develop, not just your own. I do many things on my own initiative such as monthly skill progress reports that give each player a measure of his or her progress. I find it really helps to keep them motivated and working hard to see and be rewarded by the monthly progress. But most important is to make sure they are having fun learning. There are many ways to incorporate games into the learning process that make the child forget that he is on skates and just start moving.
Good luck.