Featured Blog: Busting Myth #10 on Youth Hockey-My Kid Doesn't Know How to Skate

School buses are practicing their routes, the leaves are beginning to turn and the State Fair is here. All signs that summer are coming to a conclusion and that winter will soon be here.

The Roseville Area Hockey Association will hold its annual registration on Sunday Sept. 9^th from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and Monday Sept. 10^th from 6 to 8 p.m.  The event will happen in the Olympic room of the Roseville Ice Arena. Forms and more detailed information can be found at www.rosevillehockey.org.

There is little in life quite as rewarding as introducing a kid 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.  

I have learned that there is one consistent – there is a lot of misinformation about youth hockey. In the days leading to registration, I will list and debunk the top 10 myths of youth hockey.

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

Today’s myth “#10, My kid does not know how to skate. Maybe after we
send him/her to lessons we will be ready.”

Hogwash!

Most girls and boys come to hockey with little or no skating experience. Coaches are equipped with the knowledge of how to get them up to speed rather quickly. After a few practices it becomes difficult to tell those with experience apart from those without. At the end of the season it is nearly impossible.

This is true at all ages. We have had kids learn to skate with us at age 5–15.  (Yes, 15 and I am not kidding here). 

My own kids started playing hockey a couple of years after they were old enough to sign up. I too was skeptical, but my boys who are rarely lacking in self confidence assured me they knew how to skate. At practice #1 I saw 10 kids that could skate really well, and my two that could go almost 15 feet before falling down.

I thought I was a bad dad, and intended to pull them out of hockey and put them
in lessons. I was terrified that they would get frustrated and angry.

Another parent talked me off the ledge and back into some form of sanity. After three or four practices, they could skate the entire length of the rink, and by the end of the year, you could not tell them apart from teammates that had been skating for 2 or 3 years.

The coolest part is that my kids never thought they were struggling. The idea existed only in their father’s version of their reality.

This past year, we had new skaters at the Pee Wee and Bantam levels, the two oldest age groups in youth hockey. In all cases, the players learned a skill that they will have for the rest of their lives. They all became hockey players, and had
a great time in the process.

Youth hockey can teach your child to skate at any age. Come on out and give it a try!