I grew up in Northern Michigan, where it felt like winter lasted for an eternity, so we had to make the best of it. One of the ways we did that was by flooding the backyard to create our own ice rink. As kids, we had a blast skating in the backyard, but the most fun came from playing hockey. I’ve since grown and moved to the Arizona desert where snow drifts and ice rinks have been the furthest thing from my mind. Surprisingly, we have a professional hockey team in Arizona and hockey has a niche here in the desert. As my kids have been getting involved in more sports, I’ve been wondering if hockey could be right for them.
We have the big four (soccer, basketball, baseball, football) youth sports that are typical, see my post on how to get the most out of kids sports, but why does youth hockey tend to be an afterthought? Hockey is an exciting, fast paced game that has the ability to keep kids engaged and provide many of the benefits that other sports can provide. It is enjoyable to watch and rewarding to play. A couple reasons youth hockey is most likely overlooked are safety concerns and cost.
The first reason that comes to mind is safety
We all want our kids to have a stellar youth sports experience without the possibility of long term injury risks, but every sport comes with some risk. Anyone that watches NHL hockey has seen the physicality of the game.
A fight can break out at any moment, bodies getting slammed into the boards, or seeing guys walk off with bloody faces from a stick slash. I’m sure if you’ve watched any other professional sport, you’ve seen that injuries occur just as frequently and can be as gruesome.
It reminds me of motorcyclists, when they are abiding by the rules of the road, while wearing safety equipment like helmets, it becomes less risky than a motorcyclist driving at high speeds, recklessly, without a helmet.
At the youth level things are different. With all the protective gear that is being worn, rules that reduce the physicality of the game, and better trained officials and coaches, youth hockey is a lot safer than one would think.
There are rules against fighting and major physical contact in youth hockey. Penalties are enforced for things like tripping, slashing, and high sticking. Officials and coaches understand the need to keep the game as clean and safe as possible for your kids enjoyment.
What about Concussions?
Concussions have been a hot topic of discussion over the last couple of years pertaining to sports safety. More and more research is providing insight on how traumatic brain impact is having adverse long term effects on the brain.
The good thing is that coaches, leagues, and officials are being educated on how to make the playing experience as safe as possible and re-evaluating the way sports are played to create a safer experience for youth.
Don’t be afraid to ask the coach what kind of training they’ve had in concussions. As a parent, you should be able to recognize some of the symptoms of a concussion. If you suspect a concussion seek medical attention immediately. If your child had a blow to the head, than some concussion symptoms to look for include:
- Having a tough time concentrating or brain fog
- Headaches
- Dizzy
- Bothered by sounds or bright lights
- Irregular sleep patterns
- Difficulty reacting quickly
How about the cost?
Cost is another factor that I’m sure weighs on parent’s minds when considering youth hockey. There is more equipment needed to play hockey, then something like youth soccer, but comparable to youth football.
Youth sports can get expensive no matter what sport your child is involved in with paying for personal training, camps, clinics, leagues, and club sports. So, cost shouldn’t be a deterrent from youth hockey in comparison to other recreational activities for your kids.
Here in Arizona we have a program that is free for kids ages 4-8 to try out youth hockey, you may be able to find similar programs in your area. With all that being said, I recommend buying quality equipment, making sure everything fits appropriately every year to maximize safety.
With all the doubts of youth hockey out of the way, let’s look at what makes youth hockey a great opportunity for your child
One of the major benefits of youth hockey is the health benefits
Many kids are struggling with maintaining a healthy weight, due to inactivity. Hockey moves at lightning speed with a lot of short bursts of movement great for burning calories. When I would take my gear off after playing, I’d be drenched in sweat from the workout of playing. You get so into the game that you don’t even realize how hard you’re working. With all the energy in movement, it leads to increased breathing and blood flow for improved circulation.
Hockey is a great way to build strength
It takes a lot of effort to balance on skates and really strengthens the core and legs. A lot of the movements in hockey come from the core of the body. Coordination comes from being able to skate and do things like pass and receive the puck with a hockey stick while skating. Quick burst movements help with building strength and speed.
Helps improve the brain
Hockey is filled with skills that improve concentration and hand eye coordination. Playing the game at a fast pace helps kids to think on their feet and make quick decisions. With the workout that hockey provides it increases the production of the “feel good” endorphins that help with brain health and wellbeing.
Your kids will learn values
Like many team sports, hockey teaches kids the importance of working together and good sportsmanship. Working with others will improve social skills. Hockey can help kids to build self-esteem through positive experiences and by coaches that support the kids. Kids can learn how to handle winning and losing that can translate to life experiences when things don’t go their way or when they do experience successes in life.
What makes hockey fun?
It’s enjoyable to play
Hockey is just an excellent game to play. Kids will feel the exhilaration that comes from scoring that first goal or assisting in helping someone else score. Goalies get the thrill of making those big saves.
It’s fun to watch
With all the intense action, hockey is exciting to watch. Parents will have a blast watching their kids, while sipping a hot chocolate. The game moves at a quick pace and always has something going on. It seems that hockey has a tradition of making the crowd atmosphere exciting.
Everyone gets to play
One of the great benefits of hockey is that everyone gets a chance to play. Hockey consists of line changes throughout the game to keep everyone fresh. Since hockey is such a workout, it requires that players come off the ice for breaks throughout the game. These line changes allow for multiple kids to shuffle on and off the ice at a time giving everyone the chance to get some ice time throughout the game.
How do you get started?
Ok, so you have an interest in getting your child in youth hockey, but where do you begin? I’d recommend starting with skating lessons or a combination of skating lessons with a hockey league for beginners.
It’s going to be important for your child to start learning some of the basics of skating like stopping, turning, skating backwards, and just maintaining balance on skates. Learning some of the basics of skating will help to increase safety and create a better experience.
Obviously, it’ll take some time to master, so as long as kids have somewhat of a comfort level on skates, then they can begin playing some hockey.
Help your kids learn about their equipment and what it is used for. It would be beneficial to help them put their gear on and take it off a few times to get familiar with how it works. Make sure they are getting a good stretch in before taking the ice.
What do you need?
Here is the basic equipment needed to get your child started with youth hockey and these are my recommendations.
Helmet– A helmet is going to be your most important purchase and if you are going to skimp on equipment quality, at least get a high quality helmet. It’s important to find a helmet that is certified by Hockey Equipment Certification Council (HECC). You’ll also want a helmet that comes with a facemask and chin strap. I’m a big fan of Bauer products, as they’ve been a reputable producer of hockey equipment for a long time. These are two helmets I like:
Bauer IMS 5.0 Helmet Combo
Bauer Youth LIL SPORT Helmet Combo
Skates-You will want to make sure you have a skate that fits well, is flexible, and comfortable. Blisters are no fun. These are some great youth skates.
CCM Jetspeed FT340 Ice Hockey Skates
Bauer Youth Vapor X300 Skate
Stick-When selecting a stick be mindful of the blade curvature. You’ll want to select a blade curve based on if you shoot from the left or right side.
Sher-Wood USA Hockey Learn To Play 550 Wood Stick
Frontier 1500 Kid Hockey Stick
Pads-Make sure you look for pads that are specific to hockey. Some of the pads for lacrosse or other sports don’t have the same amount of protection as the hockey pads.
CCM U + 04 Shoulder Pads Youth
Bauer-Supreme-S170-Hockey-
Franklin Sports SG 175: Street Hockey Shin Guards
JAMM 5001 Youth Shin Guards
Hockey Pants-Bauer Youth Nexus 400 Pant
CCM QuickLite Ice Hockey Pants Youth
Gloves– Find something that is relatively easy to grip and has some flexibility.
Franklin Sports Hockey Gloves – NHL – 10 Inches
Mouthguard– Mothguards are important to protect the teeth and jaw.
Athletic supporter cup–
Shock Doctor Core Loose Hockey Short Supporter w/BioFlex Cup Included, Adult & Youth Sizes
NOTE- If your child intends to play goalie, they will need some specialized equipment.
So, even if you live in the desert southwest or the Midwest, hockey has a place. I hope that you give youth hockey a look as an alternative to the more common youth sport options. I believe that youth hockey could provide the optimum youth sports experience that your family is looking to be involved in.
Please comment down below and check out some of my other posts.
10 Way parents can bring fun back to youth sports
How to get the most out of kids sports
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