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.
Let's say you have an odd number of forwards, such that you need one guy to "float" through the lines. No one likes to float and everyone feels it's a slight to have to do it. Most teams then pick their weakest skater and have them float through the lines.
Don't do this. It's a terrible idea. Instead, pick a good all-around skater who has years of experience. This will provide several benefits:
He'll be able to float through the Center positions ok and won't single-handedly kill a shift like a crappy center can
He's got experience, so it won't be as hard for him to adjust to a new position every shift
He's a decent player, so people won't complain when he's on their line and will listen to his communication
If he's floating through the weakest line, he'll improve it rather than make it a liability
Also, make sure he floats 1 period at a time (1st period, first line, 2nd period, 2nd line, 3rd period, 3rd line) to avoid confusion.
Don't get down on yourself it takes time and practice. That guy skating with ease right now was in your shoes at one time. At some point someone will probably be watching you skate with jealously. I used to hate watching people that could stop. When you know how to do it right it just looks so simple, but when you can't stop it seems impossible. Well I have been working hard on it and now I can stop pretty good on my right side. I still can't stop on my left and my right still needs a lot of work, but once you start to make progress it is really rewarding. Just keep at it and you'll get it.
Over the past few weeks I've been working INTENSELY on one-foot hockey stops on both feet, inner and outer leg, and it helps my balance a great deal.
Go from pie/wedge ---> hockey stop with both feet ----> one foot hockey stop (outer foot) ----> one foot hockey stop (inner foot)
I followed this path as a way to bring my stopping to the point where i can do it unconsciously with either foot, from either side. Now if I could just get some acceleration as I am a painfully slow skater when starting from a dead stop.
I totally want to learn to do that inside-one-foot hockey stop. The power skating coach was at my son's practice today doing it, and it just looks cool.
Let's say you have an odd number of forwards, such that you need one guy to "float" through the lines. No one likes to float and everyone feels it's a slight to have to do it. Most teams then pick their weakest skater and have them float through the lines.
Don't do this. It's a terrible idea. Instead, pick a good all-around skater who has years of experience. This will provide several benefits:
He'll be able to float through the Center positions ok and won't single-handedly kill a shift like a crappy center can
He's got experience, so it won't be as hard for him to adjust to a new position every shift
He's a decent player, so people won't complain when he's on their line and will listen to his communication
If he's floating through the weakest line, he'll improve it rather than make it a liability
Also, make sure he floats 1 period at a time (1st period, first line, 2nd period, 2nd line, 3rd period, 3rd line) to avoid confusion.
Good idea. In the opposite situation, I try to get the two guys with the strongest legs (not necessarily the best goal scorers) to split ice time if there are 8 forwards (eg, 2 left, 3 center, 3 right).
One of the best reasons not to screw your worst skaters, ESPECIALLY on a beginner team, is that your best and worst skaters will change drastically. I help run a one year old team with 11 guys (out of 19) who didn't play before the team started (myself included).
One of the guys who joined was average height and pushing 250lbs. He puttered around in a three point stance for 6 months (aka, half his weight on the stick). But he showed to *every* practice and now he does a great impersonation of the immovable object on the offensive far post, jamming in rebounds all day (despite having lost 30+lbs skating twice a week with us).
Dudes!! You won't believe this, but I just got back from the rink where I totally accomplished the one-foot-outside edge stop. And it was totally easier than I thought it would be! I am so freakin' excited about this, you have no idea!
This is the stop I'm talking about:
I'm going to break it down how I worked it out while it's fresh in my head.
If you're confident doing one foot outside edge drills, you should be able to pull this off. Like these ones:
Start with the drill, and don't really think about stopping yet. You don't have to exaggerate the movement as much as in that video, but when you're on the outside edge on one foot, start to let the back half of the skate rotate and drift into a little skid, just a tiny bit at a time to let yourself get a feel for where your balance and your stick needs to be. Figuring out how to counterbalance your body is like 90% of figuring this stop out. Once you get the hang of doing that skid, then start pushing down with the outside of the ball of your foot and that will make you stop.
Be careful though! If your ankle wobbles at all, you will catch that inside edge and go down. Keep your knee really bent.
I went to the rink with the intention of just introducing my legs to the idea of doing this stop, and to my surprise, by the end of my two hours could do it as fast as my two-footed stop (which is not that fast, but still). It seemed to really help my two-footed stop improve too. But I can only do this on the right foot so far. Next time I go I will figure out the left!
Friday night league: great game we won I got an assist no fights, no hacking, slashing, or chippyness of any kind. I got hit by my captain He was skating with his head down.
Dudes!! You won't believe this, but I just got back from the rink where I totally accomplished the one-foot-outside edge stop. And it was totally easier than I thought it would be! I am so freakin' excited about this, you have no idea!
This is the stop I'm talking about:
I'm going to break it down how I worked it out while it's fresh in my head.
If you're confident doing one foot outside edge drills, you should be able to pull this off. Like these ones:
Start with the drill, and don't really think about stopping yet. You don't have to exaggerate the movement as much as in that video, but when you're on the outside edge on one foot, start to let the back half of the skate rotate and drift into a little skid, just a tiny bit at a time to let yourself get a feel for where your balance and your stick needs to be. Figuring out how to counterbalance your body is like 90% of figuring this stop out. Once you get the hang of doing that skid, then start pushing down with the outside of the ball of your foot and that will make you stop.
Be careful though! If your ankle wobbles at all, you will catch that inside edge and go down. Keep your knee really bent.
I went to the rink with the intention of just introducing my legs to the idea of doing this stop, and to my surprise, by the end of my two hours could do it as fast as my two-footed stop (which is not that fast, but still). It seemed to really help my two-footed stop improve too. But I can only do this on the right foot so far. Next time I go I will figure out the left!
Thats awesome!
I've been wanting to try these for a while but never really knew how to even start doing them. I'll give this a go in training tomorrow night!
Thats awesome!
I've been wanting to try these for a while but never really knew how to even start doing them. I'll give this a go in training tomorrow night!
Let me know how it goes! I was trying it again and got the left side figured out a little bit, but I couldn't get the right side as good as last time - but I do have a cold and so my equilibrium is a bit off anyway. When I'm feeling better, I want to nail this move down! It's totally fun.
I signed up for a pickup game tonight... my first game ever! Really excited and a little nervous...
Good luck and have fun! It is normal to be a little nervous but dont let that discourage you. Most guys out there are good people and willing to help out noobs.
Let me know how it goes! I was trying it again and got the left side figured out a little bit, but I couldn't get the right side as good as last time - but I do have a cold and so my equilibrium is a bit off anyway. When I'm feeling better, I want to nail this move down! It's totally fun.
I gave it a shot at Training tonight and managed to get my left foot sliding a little but I had my skates sharpened earlier on today and they aren't reacting the same as they were before, they seem to be skipping over the ice rather than scraping
First game went really well... Everyone was much better, but I was able to keep up for the most part. I even got a shot off lol. My lower back is incredibly sore today... Hooked for life!
I gave it a shot at Training tonight and managed to get my left foot sliding a little but I had my skates sharpened earlier on today and they aren't reacting the same as they were before, they seem to be skipping over the ice rather than scraping
Keep trying! It's a very fine line between digging in too much and getting the angle just right. You have to just barely get the inside edge up off the ice (which is why it's so easy to catch that inside edge and fall). But you'll get a feel for it with practice. I'm still working on it too.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Hockey Crazy
First game went really well... Everyone was much better, but I was able to keep up for the most part. I even got a shot off lol. My lower back is incredibly sore today... Hooked for life!
Yay!! It is totally addictive, isn't it? And the best core workout ever. I can't wait to to get my first game!
I have been reading this thread with interest ever since I cam a across it a few weeks ago. I really appreciate the many attached instructional clips, as well as the immense comraderie that I have seen from folks near and far on beginning to get into leagues and or just getting into skating.
My son recently turned 10, and has been playing hockey for about 3 years now. This was his first "serious" league season - on-ice three times a week for practices/games, tournaments both locally as well as a few out of state later this winter. Getting to know his teammates and their families, etc. has been a wonderful experience - enough so that a couple of the fellow Dad's convinced me to join one of the "Never Ever" leagues in our area. I start on a team in January, and have been skating with a coach that I had signed my son up to skate with as extra practice for the past few weeks. It was the first time I had ever donned a full uni and actually skated with sticks and pucks - it has been an absolute blast!
I have been a hockey fan for most of my life, and this was the first time I had given actually PLAYING the sport serious thought - and I'm almost 50! I am so stoked to begin playing, and hope to continue to post about my experiences with it as others have.
Thanks so much for having started this thread to give myself and others the venue to post about our "noob" beginnings!
I have been a hockey fan for most of my life, and this was the first time I had given actually PLAYING the sport serious thought - and I'm almost 50! I am so stoked to begin playing, and hope to continue to post about my experiences with it as others have.
Isn't it an amazing feeling to be a fan your whole life and finally start playing. I am a bit younger than you (28) but I just started playing seriously lat winter and I can't get enough of it. I remember going out to breakfast with my wife last year on a Sunday morning and there was a guy walking to the rink with his bag and said to my wife, "look how lucky that guy is." Now one year later I am progressing in an instructional class and playing in a league that I created. I keep thinking how lucky I am that I finally took the dive and started playing b/c I can't imagine my life without hockey now.
I think that people who have been playing their entire lives don't really understand it. When you have been sitting on the sidelines your entire life and finally start playing it really is awesome.
I don't know why I never gave it serious thought before - I've been on softball teams or golf leagues, etc. - but hadn't thought seriously about playing hockey until my son has been into it so deeply. I've also sensed playing it (well, in my case, getting ready to play it - all I've done so far is have one father/son session with some fellow dads and kids on his team) gives you such a different perspective to the game as well, which I really like! So different than just watching from the stands.
I wish I had done it years ago, but I am going to enjoy it for as long as I can anyway. The longer I can do stuff like this and stay young the better!
I wish I had done it years ago, but I am going to enjoy it for as long as I can anyway. The longer I can do stuff like this and stay young the better!
Cheers,
Kev
Yay! Kev! So glad you took the plunge and came to share!
I too, wish I'd discovered hockey a long time ago. It just fits, you know? But I figure if I can get even 5 years of playing before my body starts falling apart, then that will be awesome. Better than never!
A link to an adult hockey school if anybody needs it. I am not sure if it has been posted in the last 5 pages or not but it can't hurt posting it again eh.
I cant believe that it took me this long to find this thread, i wish i had this a couple months ago!
I just recently got into hockey about a couple years ago due to my former roommates being really into the sharks. I slowing started watching the games with them and by the beginning of last year i was a die hard fan. I practically breathe hockey.I convinced myself during the summer that i wanted to learn how to play, but it took a couple months to finally commit and go for it. My girlfriend was jealous that i was trying new things so she asked if she can tag along for the journey, of course i obliged.
We starting taking beginners skating lessons in early september, and lets just say it was not pretty. Besides a couple ice skating parties growing up i was completely terrible. My girlfriend was showing me up and to this day is still a better skater than me. After the first couple of lessons we were HOOKED, and we havent looked back.
We finished beginners skate and participated in a couple stick and shoots before we just said **** it and tried out the beginner league. Tomorrow will be our third week there and every team we play asks what roller hockey team we've been on or how long we've been playing and are always shocked to learn that we're noobs. I cant wait to play again tomorrow and thanks for the great thread beth!
Another good clean game for us as well as the "W". I had a good shot on net but was robbed by the goalie and I had a chance on a puck that was dancing around in the crease but missed it. The R winger came in behind me as was able to poke it in and he is just as much as a noob as I am so that was cool.
This has been my first game in over a month that my leg did not hurt before, during or after the game. So I will be going back out to S&P and playing more shinny again.
On a side note I got a call a few hours before the game asking if I could keep time for the game before ours and I did it. I have been saying that we drafted a goon for our team to settle things down for us and he did. The game I kept time for was chippy as heck. Then our game was nice and laid back with minor exceptions of a slash on our captains hand and allot of mouth. from the goalie.
Our win was sweetened by the fact that they had big mouths writing checks and no arse to pay for them.
Our goalie was hearing some smack so at the end of the game with fractions of a second left on the clock one of the guys who was pestering him took a shot and he makes a great catch then looks at the clock and tosses it backwards into the net right before the buzzer goes then proceeded to skate to there bench and congratulated them on what a nice goal he made.
All in all it was good clean fun with just enough smack talk to keep it interesting.
Our next league game is Jan 7 but we may have a New Years day tournament which we are a lock to win.
Playing in a mixed level league is a way to improve fast as long as you have a good captain who sets the lines with a mix of players and stresses the importance of playing as a team and is less worried about winning.
As well spending time skating with teammates outside of games helps gel the team as well.
Our goalie was hearing some smack so at the end of the game with fractions of a second left on the clock one of the guys who was pestering him took a shot and he makes a great catch then looks at the clock and tosses it backwards into the net right before the buzzer goes then proceeded to skate to there bench and congratulated them on what a nice goal he made.
OMG this is hilarious!
Methuselah - so glad you finally found us! It's great that you have someone to learn with. It sounds like you're having a blast.
i scored my first goal tonight! they let me keep the puck.
it was an amazing feeling.
Nice work! Last week I got a goal and two assists, but it was against a bunch of 6-7 year-olds in our "coaches vs kids" scrimmage. Not quite as fulfilling.
Had my first game today!
I struggled quite a bit with Puck control and my passing wasn't great. Managed to get an assist though and the highlight of the game was when I blocked a shot from about 6 yards out with an empty net!
3 more weeks to wait until the next one.
It is totally addictive, isn't it? And the best core workout ever. I can't wait to to get my first game!
