The RinkFor the not so ready for prime-time players, coaches, referees, and the people that have to live with them. Discuss experiences in local leagues, coaching tips, equipment, and training.
Hockey has become my favorite sport over the past 5 years and i'm really regretting not playing it earlier. I'm 22 and today i'm buying my first pair of skates. They're new Bauer-somethings and i got em for $45 which isn't too bad.
My bosses at work are going to help me learn but i was wondering if you all on HF Boards could give me some tips for starting out. Also how long do you think it would take me to go from ZERO skating ability to playing in men's leagues.
Search on this forum and you'll find all the help you need. The Hockey Noob Chronicles thread has a lot of good info.
If you have never put on skates before I would think you could be playing in 6 months-1 year, but that all depends on you and how much time you are willing to put in per week.
I started about 2 years ago (with a little skating experience) and since then I have been on the ice at least 2 times per week every week. I now play in a D level league and will be subbing for a lower C level team this spring, but I have put in a lot of work and practice to get here.
I started out skating in mid-October and played my first pickup game about 3 weeks ago. Since October I've been skating at least 1 time a week and have had 3 classes worth of lessons (Adult beginner, Hockey skating class, and now a learn to play hockey class).
Am I comfortable on the ice? Mostly. Am I any good? I have my moments of brilliance, but not really, but having fun is what matters. Of course, everyone's different and it may take you less time or longer to start playing.
My advice is to learn at least the basics of skating before you make the investment in hockey gear. If you feel like you're making progress and want to stick with hockey, then you can start piecing together the rest of your gear.
I'd also like to say that the Hockey noob chronicles is a great thread to find tips in. Finally, work on your skating as much as you can. I've been told and learned while playing that skating is the most important thing in hockey.
That said, I wish you luck in learning to play as hockey is possibly the best sport I've ever played and I wish I had started earlier as well.
my one piece of advice is start without a stick. I find if your an adult and learning to skate, starting with a stick/ hockey gear as some do is almost like a crutch. The stick is great for support and keeping your balance, but if you rely on it for those then you will take longer to "get" skating. They also have learn to skate for adults as well as learn to play hockey if you don't have anyone that is willing to teach you. Also, if you Ski, you may be able to pick it up faster as part of skiing has a similar motion to skating.
I had to cringe a little when you said you were getting 'Bauer somethings' - a common mistake (which I also made) for beginner players is that they get the wrong skate for their foot and this can hamper the ability to skate at their best. With my first pair of skates I had a whole extra inch of room for my toes so it was like skating on skis. Plus they didn't support my high arch and were too low for my high instep. Different brands have different kinds of fit and you should make sure the skate you get is the right one. Do you have flat feet? High arches? Low or high instep? Heel width? All these things matter when selecting a fitted skate.
If you are starting out then of course you will want to see if you will stick with it (I'm sure you will ) and not splash out on the most expensive out there. At the same time you don't wanna get cheap skates that will break down fairly quickly either. It is best to go to a skate shop and get someone who knows their stuff to get you fitted properly. It will save a lot of frustration in the long run.
It is best to get your skating up to par if you want to start playing in leagues. I see too many people who learn the bare minimum of skating and then can't contribute much when playing on a team. At the very least you should get your skating down to - stopping on both sides, tight turns and skating backwards. You can then move on to crossovers and backwards crossovers, toe starts and proper stride technique.
When I wanted to play I didn't know how to skate at all. I went with a friend 3 times a week for just over a month before joining a beginner hockey class. The one thing for sure is the better you are at skating, the better you will be at hockey at that level.
The Bauers seem to fit me fine (when I tried them on in the store) and they were really cheap for new skates. Since I'm just learning I didn't want to spend any real $$$ on high end, perfect fitting skates.
Also, I've heard from LOTS of people that learning how to skate is a necessity to being even below average in men's leagues. I've told myself that I want to be a great skater, not good, before I even pick up a stick. If that means it takes a year then that's what it means. I don't expect to be the best guy on the ice but I'm too competitive to be the worst.
The Bauers seem to fit me fine (when I tried them on in the store) and they were really cheap for new skates. Since I'm just learning I didn't want to spend any real $$$ on high end, perfect fitting skates.
Also, I've heard from LOTS of people that learning how to skate is a necessity to being even below average in men's leagues. I've told myself that I want to be a great skater, not good, before I even pick up a stick. If that means it takes a year then that's what it means. I don't expect to be the best guy on the ice but I'm too competitive to be the worst.
I skated regularly for two years before I even thought about playing any real hockey. Get competent using both edges, stopping on both sides, crossing over, transitioning from forward to backward (and vice versa). Skating is the hardest part of learning to play hockey, the other stuff can follow if you understand how your body feels and handles on ice.
I've skated since 2007-ish, but didn't really start playing hockey until late 2009/early 2010-ish, and I'm now one of the best guys on my D-level team in my league (and I could hold my own on a C-level team). And it's all because of my skating ability. My hockey skills themselves, in comparison, aren't that fantastic.
I learned how to skate on an outdoor rink with a good friend of mine. What I did was stay on the side of the rink and have a hand on the boards so I could get my balance on skates. After a while I started pushing around near the boards so if I felt like I was going to fall I could just grab onto the boards. After a few times out I started skating from one end to the rink to the other, and now I can skate decently enough to have fun. I went out skating probably 10 times over the christmas break when I was at home, and only fell once.
WHat are some tips that helped you guys get accustomed to hockey skates?
i skated for the first time today and I used figure skates just cause of the longer blade. I took a couple spills but gotta get right back up and keep going!
I'm 6 months into my infant hockey life (I'm turning 23 in a few months).
Both hockey and skating was foreign to me. Been on the ice at least 3-4 times a week, and at most about 5-6 times a week. Gone from Bambi on ice to... Well, slightly less of a Bambi on ice. Either way, put the time in, but make sure you learn the proper technique and you will see results, or at least those watching or playing with you will see it. Powerskating lessons recommended.
Really if you are just starting out, get on the ice as much as possible. It's hours on the ice that will make you a better skater. Go as often as you can to public skating etc.
WHat are some tips that helped you guys get accustomed to hockey skates?
i skated for the first time today and I used figure skates just cause of the longer blade. I took a couple spills but gotta get right back up and keep going!
If your posture is even close to what it should be, it shouldn't matter.
WHat are some tips that helped you guys get accustomed to hockey skates?
i skated for the first time today and I used figure skates just cause of the longer blade. I took a couple spills but gotta get right back up and keep going!
I would really make the switch to using hockey skates ASAP, otherwise you'll pick up habits that may just make learning how to skate even harder.
I agree with starting out with no stick. I've been skating since I was 3 and took power lessons from age 5 till I was in my teens with the same skating coach who used to teach the Leafs. We all absolutely hated this girl, she basically made it no fun. No pucks, no sticks, bag skating...it was like boot camp but it was well worth it considering I can blow by just about anybody in only a few strides. I think a crucial mistake most beginners make is getting cheap low-end skates. They have absolutely no support in them which causes "bambi" like skating and causes the myth of "ankle-burning" which doesn't really exist 99% of the time. If you can find any adult power skating lessons in your area I suggest going. The more you're on the ice the more you'll improve. Also do some calves and general leg workouts. Get power skating lessons and learn proper technique.
One personal advice would be, use some knee pads for your first times. I learned skating in high school since we had a few weeks on ice courses.
I remember my 2nd day on ice, I tripped and both of my knees hit the ice at the same time, for me it was a big moment of working on myself for not quitting it at that moment. Here I am now, 12 years later spending everysingle day/night I can on local outside rink and being a sub in two beer leagues.
) and not splash out on the most expensive out there. At the same time you don't wanna get cheap skates that will break down fairly quickly either. It is best to go to a skate shop and get someone who knows their stuff to get you fitted properly. It will save a lot of frustration in the long run.
