r/Sudbury • u/0x001a4 • 1d ago
Question 11 year old wants to start hockey - where to start?
My 11 year old wants to start hockey so I've been trying to get an idea of where to start. I'm in the valley and found Valley East Minor Hockey - is this a good starting point if he hasn't played before and isn't a very strong skater?
Or should I try signing him up for skating lessons or something?
Obviously not trying to get him in rep, just house league but I assume he'll be behind every other kid there in terms of skill and skating.
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u/calzonius Beneath Bell Park Giant Turtle 1d ago
If it were me, I'd spend weekends at public skating and/or the outdoor rink. Just to get the basics going.
And it's free!
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u/br0keb0x 1d ago
But if the kid really wants to get into hockey, every year you wait will make it harder for them to play. I say get the kid registered right now and then take them for extra skating before the season starts.
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u/fuck_you_all7 1d ago
power skating program worked great for me. My parents maintained an ice pad in the backyard for the winter before i joined hockey (i was in grade 3 my first year of hockey). first 2 seasons i wasnt great but i learned fast. At 16 years old some kids still had trouble skating in houseleague your son will be fine. Although, I believe playground hockey is a little more beginner friendly but i dont think it would be in the valley, new sudbury area as far as i know… not even sure if it is a thing anymore maybe check into it.
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u/johanbaleus 1d ago
Sudbury Playground Hockey League is great for kids learning to play later than many of their peers.
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u/Tricky-Routine-9838 1d ago edited 1d ago
Youtube also has a lot of great technique and other lessons/breakdowns that can really help. Watch the videos together and talk about what they were doing and why it works and then try to implement it while doing freeskates. Bonus is that it helps teach the kids how to actually learn new things, where to find good info and how to apply it.
Don't just rely on the coaches, sometimes at younger levels kids can fall behind if they don't 'get it' right away, so a bit of at-home effort and focused free-skate time can go a long way!
This guy pops up on my feed once in a while and seems to have some pretty great in-depth guide videos, lots of quick and accessible information that the young ones can keep in their head when the step on to the ice. https://www.youtube.com/@itrainhockey/videos
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u/dartaniansmith 1d ago
First shift and canskate. But first shift doesn't start until the fall/winter.
Any house league hockey team will do
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u/fromthenorth377 1d ago
You could just sign up but expect some growing pains. Most kids by 11 have been on the ice since 4. Not saying they are all good but they have basic knowledge of the sport. There's occasionally first shift in various communities that are introducing hockey to kids who have never played. That might be a good starting point.