Featured Blog: Hockey's Final Myth and an Invitation to Dinner

Editor's note:  Mike Murphy, a hockey dad and board member on the Roseville Area Youth Hockey Association, has been writing a series of local voices posts debunking the 10 biggest myths about  youth hockey. This blog is the last in his series.

***Roseville Hockey is hosting its annual “One Team” Spaghetti dinner on Monday Oct. 1 at the Roseville Ice Arena from 5:30 to 8 p.m. We are all on the same team, whether you are a mite, a bantam or have never skated in your life. Everyone is invited to this fundraiser, and the event is catered by the Little Venetian.***

There is little in life quite as rewarding as introducing a child to something they
will love for the rest of their lives. Hockey is one of those joys. 

But as a board member, and as a parent that has always been approachable, I hear a lot of questions about hockey – “Why should their kid sign up, what is the cost” etc.  Over the years, I have learned that there is only one consistent – there is a lot of misinformation about youth hockey. I have already dispatched of the first 9 myths of youth hockey. Today I will cover myth #1.  

Hockey is a great sport. Don’t let bad information keep you from enjoying it!

And now, the one you have been waiting for!

Myth #1 Hockey is too expensive.

Don’t believe the hype. Folks, it is just not as bad as you think.

If your five-year-old wants to skate, it is $40 for the year. For ages 6-8 it is still only $90. At the $90 per year rate, that works out to about $1.80 per hour they are on the ice.

That is cheaper than…. Well, just about everything. For a buck eighty, you could get a half a gallon of gas, a single loaf of bread. Heck you could almost afford a latte at Starbucks (well, you would need another seventy cents to make up the difference).

In comparison, RAYBA (Basketball) will charge you $160 for your 8 yr old, heck, their fall conditioning camp is $75, and we have an entire season for only $15 more! The same price as entry level gymnastics and our season is longer!

As the kids get older, it does get more expensive. But there is more ice time, more established referees, more tournaments etc.  But even then, it is cheaper than going to a movie. 

And by then your player will have established a passion for the game, and not trying it out on a whim. Heck, you need to buy or lease a $2,000 instrument for band/orchestra before your child has even played a note. And they say hockey is expensive!!!

The founders of RAYHA (Roseville Area Youth Hockey Association) established hockey here with the idea that any kid could play regardless of their financial situation. That tradition continues today, and will into the future.

Can you drop a wheel barrel full of cash on hockey?  Absolutely!  In any area where parents are willing to spend money on their kids, you will find other folks that are willing to take it.

Hockey is no exception. High cost equipment, personalized “training,” and out of town camps can drain a checking account faster than you can say “Wayne Gretzky!” The reality is, all of those things are extras, and just not necessary. Those are choices, not needs.

All of the camps and expensive equipment in the world will not develop a love of the game. And really, that is what it is all about.

About the photo – I have twin boys that are the best of friends, and worst of enemies depending on what day it is. The final game of their first year had one of my guys serving as team goalie. Knowing that there would a “Kodak moment” hogpile when the final horn blew, I nudged my wife to start taking pictures of the impending human carnage. Only later that evening when we were able to examine the pictures did we learn that the very first kid to celebrate with our goalie son was our other son. Locked in an embrace born of sheer happiness, they forgot that they were brothers that don’t hug, and became hockey players that do. Hockey is worth every penny.

Roseville Hockey continues to take registrations at www.rosevillehockey.org