25 years old and want to learn to play

[JMUcapsfan07]

I know I've come across a few threads like this before but I figured I'd start my own since I have a few additional questions. I apologize if this is a problem.

I'm a 25 year old in the DC area and I've decided I really want to learn to skate well and play the game of hockey. I'm kind of nervous about it but the game seems like a ton of fun. I thought I was too old to learn but have come across several posts on here and on other forums about older people learning to play so I figure I'll give it my best shot.

Anyone have any recommendations on the best way to get started? I know that I need to learn more advanced skating techniques since I am pretty limited in my abilities as of now. I'm assuming it would be better to take a skating class or two before taking any classes involving hockey?

I know that I'll be needing to acquire a lot of different equipment over the next however many month as I get closer to my goal of actually being able to play the game. What's the best way to learn about all of this equipment and how to manage it? For example I have no idea how to go about taping sticks or anything of that nature but I just got done reading a whole thread about tape on here. Seems pretty complicated to learn at this age which only increases my anxiety.

Should I go ahead and purchase my own skates before I start taking classes? Seems like it would be good to break them in but I don't know.

I'd like to go about this the best way possible without pissing off as few people as possible. I'm sure it's pretty easy to do that as a inexperienced player once I get to the point where I'm trying to play the game.

Thanks in advance for any advice. I really appreciate it.

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[Toonces]

I would just find where there is public hockey in your area and show up, but that's kinda hard to do without some equipment. If you have any friends who play, see what extra stuff they have lying around. I started playing when I was 14, almost 18 years ago, and I have enough old equipment to outfit two or three people.

If you want to work on your skating a bit more before jumping in, that's great, definatly take some lessons, but please, do yourself a huge favor and buy a pair of skates. Rental skates are generally awful, and nobody should be forced to suffer learning to skate wearing a pair of those. Find a local Pro shop, a good one (might take a little looking around, but I'm sure someone here knows of a good one), and go in and explain your situation.

Ignore the cheap "beginner" skates (almost as bad as rentals) and get something mid range, which you'll be able to flex well enough to actually learn to skate properly on, but will also have enough support for legs that have a lot of muscle developlent to go through. I won't recommend a brand, because they all fit differently, so try on everything you can.

Nobody is too old to get started, good to see you have the right attitude.

Also, when you finally do go out there, don't worry about pissing anybody off because you arn't very good. If it's public hockey, nobody will care, and many people will actually be very helpful. There are plenty of leagues and private skates out there for people who want to play a competitively. Public hockey is recreational, and should be treated as such. Of course you'll always encounter some random ******* who thinks he's playing for the Stanley Cup, but they generally are just dickheads who are insecure of their own skills anyway so just ignore, or laugh at them.

 

[JMUcapsfan07]

Thanks a ton for the response.

Unfortunately, I have pretty much no friends that play hockey. I have a few that played in the past but I'm either not in contact as much with them anymore or they have moved. The fact that I don't know anyone that plays is the main reason I'm pretty nervous to get started but I'm not concerned as much with buying equipment or whatever - I knew this would be an expensive hobby to get involved with. Since I plan on taking skating lesson and a hockey class or two I figure I can acquire some of this equipment over several months while I learn.

I don't normally do something like this but I've always enjoyed watching the game and I live in an area with enough ice rinks that I would like to start playing and hopefully get to the point where I can play on a rec league team.

Thanks a lot for the advice - I'll probably try to head to the Capitals practice facility since they probably have the best pro shop in the area that I know of. If anyone reads this is from the DC area I would appreciate any info. about others.

 

[kickassdrummer]

Hey man, I'm from the DC area as well and my brother and I recently went through the process you're about to embark on, and we're near your age too. If you want to PM me, I'd be happy to talk to you offline about how we approached it and give you some suggestions.

 

[noobman]

A beginner's hockey school will spend 90% of its time on skating drills.

If you can skate forwards/backwards comfortably, do forward crossovers, and stop without falling too often, you could probably get away w/ a beginner's hockey school.

 

[SouthpawTRK]

Congratulations on making the decision to getting into the game of hockey!!!

I would definitely recommend to purchase a pair of mid grade hockey skates; you'll probably want to spend around $200 to $300. The main focus on buying skates is to make sure that they fit well when you are at your local hockey shop. If they hurt your feet or "feel alright", and are hoping that they might feel better after they break in, you might be a bit disappointed.

If there is a beginning hockey class you can take, I would definitely advise on enrolling. They will teach you a lot of the basics in skating; the text book way; which will lead to a good foundation. Obviously, you can learn on your own, but then that would be up to you.

Whether or not you take the class, I would recommend on going to as many public skate sessions. This will help break in your skates and you will eventually become more comfortable on the ice and more comfortable on your edges.

Once you get some protective gear, then you can head out to a stick/puck session (some places require full gear and other places may only require helmet and gloves for safety equipment). It's a great way to skate with your gear on and with a stick in hand.

Hopefully this helps! I myself am going to play hockey for the first time in my life in May and I'm 42. I'm really looking forward to it; kind of a feeling of excitement and nervousness at the same time. The great thing about this site is that you can learn a lot from all the various members here. Feel free to shoot me a PM if you have any other questions. Good luck with everything!

 

[ChiTownHawks]

I am doing the exact same thing and I am 28 so I sure hope you are not too old to get started. I grew up playing ball and roller hockey, but I only played ice a couple times recreationally as a kid. I still play on a ball hockey team, in fact I have a game tonight, so I guess I might be a little ahead of you right now. I play ice on the weekends with my buddies and that helps out as well, but we just play for fun and we don't wear any equipment besides gloves and we don't take any slappers. I really needed skating lessons though.

As far as getting into organized hockey I was thinking the exact same thing as you. Do you want to spend all this money on equipment if you can't guarantee that you will stick with it. I tried looking up skating lessons in Chicago, which I would imagine compares with DC pretty well, but all I found were figure skating classes . However almost ever ice areana in the Chicagoland area has an intro to hockey class. The bad news is they all require full equipment. I finally decided to bite the bullet and start buying equipment so I can take Adult Intro to Hockey Classes in the spring. I emailed the guy who runs it and told him about my concerns and he reassured me that the most important part of hockey is skating and that they focus mostly on that before they do anything else. So my advice would be to check your local arena's for adult hockey classes and go to a hockey shop for skates and just be honest with them in what you are looking for. I recently picked up a pair of Bauer X30s for $199, which was perfect for me. Not too pricey but not cheap junk either. Hope this helps out and sorry if I talked your ear off.

 

[RaoulDuke2k]

The adult hockey clinics are good - my brother did a few 2 years ago, first time ever playing ice, and he's managed to become a decent player. He did that first, then started to go to open hockey and now plays in a rec. league.

As far as equipment goes, some LHS offer consignment gear and you can find great deals. Ebay can be good too.

I agree with the others though - spend a little $$ on skates.

 

[Johan Santana]

I am 20 and I just started as well. I used to play some roller hockey as a kid so I know just a bit about skating but I took a intermediate skating class and went to alot of public skating sessions just to get as comfortable on the ice as possible. Like everyone else suggested, get the skates first and make sure you can skate forwards/backwards, stop without falling at medium speeds and some forward crossovers before heading too far into hockey itself as it is a foundation built on good skating skills. From personal experience: Stick and puck without good skating skills = OUCH

Definitely go to a good proshop in your area and spend ~ 200$ on skates as the cheaper kinds are not comfortable and will hurt you more than help you (not much better than rental skates, which are dreadful to work on). Get something that gives you ALOT of support, as you don't need the quickness and agility offered by a low cut boot. Different brands all fit differently, try on a bunch of skates and the shop will usually help you alot with fitting as well as give you a free bake to fit it even better. (Baking is molding the skate in a low temp oven that fits around your foot, most midend and higher skates are bakeable to make them feel even better)

Make sure to ask them for leftover stock from last year as they will be greatly reduced. You can get a 350$ skate for 200$ that is the same as the current 350$ skate model just because it is a year older.

also don't be shy to take a figure skating class, it helps ALOT with hockey

 

[JMUcapsfan07]

I really appreciate all of the responses so far.

I'll probably head down to a pro shop tomorrow or the day after to try on and hopefully purchase some skates.

I'll be sure to get some decent skates now that I have read all of these responses.

 

[Badger36]

I recently started on the same thing as you, and heres what Ive learned so far:
Work on your skating before you even thinking about picking up a stick. You need to be able to skate forewards, backwards, do crossovers and stop on a dime before you worry about hockey. Even taking figure skating lessons would be a good idea because its going to teach you to be a lot more in control on your skates and teach you things in the matter of a few lessons that would take you years to learn on your own.
When and only when you have mastered the basics of skating should you try getting into a hockey school or adult hockey league.
Once you can skate pretty well, you will be fine in a league. Most of the people who play in those leagues arent all that good anyways (a lot of them can barely skate and are far from being good hockey players), so there is no need to worry about people getting mad at you if you arent a great player. Most of them are just love hockey and are out there to have a good time. You will meet the occasional jerk who think he is the next Crosby, but the vast majority of people are cool and just want to enjoy playing the game and would be more than happy to help you learn the game.
I personally dont think you need to go out and spend $200-$300 on a pair of skates, as long as you buy a name brand (Bauer, Easton, Reebok) and get a pair that fit you well (you want them to fit snug but not crowd your toes); you will be fine. Ive got a pair of Nike Bauer Supreme One05s that I bought new for $65 from the local Dick's Sporting Goods store and they work fine for me. I skate for a couple hours at a time 2-3 times a week and they dont cause me any discomfort. Especially for someone who is just starting out and isnt sure if they are going to stick with skating/hockey, I think that buying a quality inexpensive set of skates makes more sense than going out and getting a pair of top of the line pro skates for $200-$300.

 

[prorobo]

I haven't read all the responses so these things were probably covered but just in case.....

1. Go to your local pro shop (NOT Sports Authority, Dicks, etc). The staff there will be knowledgeable and either play or have played hockey competitively at some point and will help you get all the equipment you'll need. They can also show you how to tape your stick, etc.

2. Go to your local rink. Ask someone who works there about skating and hockey classes and also when their pick-up games and/or stick-time sessions are. This will be your main form of hockey "playing" until you feel ready to hop into a men's league. Rinks usually have a billboard of some sort in the lobby with fliers for different clinics and what not so take some information down.

3. Learn at your own pace. If you can't skate very well (or at all), that's okay! Everyone starts somewhere and there are plenty of slower and older guys (and gals) out there. Don't get flustered just because you can't dangle through 5 guys and score. Just have fun and remember, hockey is for everyone!

 

[Johan Santana]

I really appreciate all of the responses so far.

I'll probably head down to a pro shop tomorrow or the day after to try on and hopefully purchase some skates.

I'll be sure to get some decent skates now that I have read all of these responses.

are you near JMU? I go to the Charlottesville Ice Park, which i think is the closest icepark to JMU

 

[CuteHockeyBunny]

Your ability to have fun is positively correlated to your ability to skate. I spent my first few months skating without a stick and when I finally got a stick in my hand, stickhandling was the only thing I had to focus on, instead of my feet. Keep that in mind.

 

[blueberrydanish]

If you can make it out to what your rink may call "Stick n Pucks" do it. All you need pretty much is skates, stick, helmet, gloves, and a puck. Once you plan on doing pickup games/leagues then you need to get full equipment obviously. Starting older myself my biggest tool to learning was Stick n Pucks.

Im sure theres been plenty said already it seems, but a big thing is dont be embarrassed to fall, wiff the puck, or anything for that matter. Go out there, and do your best to learn stuff. When I first got out I would eat the ice cause I really wanted to learn my slappers, just got right back up immediately then continued what I was doing. Its definitely paid off.

Take any classes you can for hockey till you feel like you've been taught enough of the fundementals and have em down. Heck, if ya even got the spare cash for it just continue to take em just to have somewhat of a practice if ya want.

If there isnt a real beginners league in the sense of people just being completely new, then wait a bit and learn from scrimmages some about ingame positioning etc.(although hard to learn positioning during scrims in my area, everyone just floats around it seems).

Watching hockey you hopefully picked up on most the rules and possibly positioning, just know that sometimes there is minor differences in rules from rec to NHL so make sure ya know em before playing, or just learn as ya go along whichever you are comfortable with.

Most important thing though really is to have fun and keep doing your best to improve yourself. The more you go along the more things will start to make sense and click for ya. This section of the forums can be a pretty handy tool too if ya ever cant get some advice or help from people locally.

Anyways, good luck man. Never too late to start, and being young definitely helps with the learning curve =].

 

[Hockeyfan68]

I know I've come across a few threads like this before but I figured I'd start my own since I have a few additional questions. I apologize if this is a problem.

I'm a 25 year old in the DC area and I've decided I really want to learn to skate well and play the game of hockey. I'm kind of nervous about it but the game seems like a ton of fun. I thought I was too old to learn but have come across several posts on here and on other forums about older people learning to play so I figure I'll give it my best shot.

Anyone have any recommendations on the best way to get started? I know that I need to learn more advanced skating techniques since I am pretty limited in my abilities as of now. I'm assuming it would be better to take a skating class or two before taking any classes involving hockey?

I know that I'll be needing to acquire a lot of different equipment over the next however many month as I get closer to my goal of actually being able to play the game. What's the best way to learn about all of this equipment and how to manage it? For example I have no idea how to go about taping sticks or anything of that nature but I just got done reading a whole thread about tape on here. Seems pretty complicated to learn at this age which only increases my anxiety.

Should I go ahead and purchase my own skates before I start taking classes? Seems like it would be good to break them in but I don't know.

I'd like to go about this the best way possible without pissing off as few people as possible. I'm sure it's pretty easy to do that as a inexperienced player once I get to the point where I'm trying to play the game.

Thanks in advance for any advice. I really appreciate it.

You're never too old to learn to play hockey as you have discovered already from reading in here. It will take a little time to get decent at it though so be patient. If you play just once or twice a month it will take years and if you play once or more a week it will take a year or two to start feeling like you can do stuff.

You want to get to the point at least where you are not spending your time trying not to fall or make passes without falling. Unfortunately these growing pains are unavoidable. Shooting a puck with your sneakers on in something like floor hockey is nothing like wearing skates.

Have fun and expect some mishaps and don't let that discourage you. Everyone has a different learn rate when it comes to hockey ... some guys are just good at it and pick it up faster right from the beginning.

Good luck!

 

[JMUcapsfan07]

are you near JMU? I go to the Charlottesville Ice Park, which i think is the closest icepark to JMU

I wish I was down there still. Graduated in 07 and I'm back in the DC area now. I never knew Charlottesville had an ice rink but I was probably too broke to go skating there in college anyway.

 

[xdaniellex]

I'm actually thinking of learning to play and am in the DC area as well.

I found this clinic which is held in Reston starting in May... Not sure if I'll be ready skating wise, but am going to take some lessons to get the basics down and see if I'm ready by May.

http://www.hardcorehockey.com/news/...ate-get-ready-for-the-initiation-program.html

 

[Kayen]

Start learning. I am too. I'm 17 and i'm in hockeyland up here in canada, so rinks are abundant.

I go to public outdoor ice every few days. Very easy to get into shinny. Learning how to skate is number one priorirty. Doesn't matter how good you can stick handle becuase most of hte time you don't have the puck anyways at first.
Make sure your skates are comfortable and don't hurt big time like the predicament i am currently in.

Secondly like someone said ... AVOID CHEAP SKATES.

 

[Injektilo]

Work on :
1. skating
2. stickhandling (just carrying the puck and protecting it, not dekes)








3. shooting.


Skating is by far the most important part of hockey. It's also the most boring to practice, but it's the most necessary.

 

[Renneys Revenge]

I recently began to learn how to play hockey through the hockey north america beginner league. I'm not sure if they have a beginners league in the DC area but it is definitely worth looking into if you are willing to spend some money. If you are anxious about spending money on equipment- like pretty much everyone else said get some decent skates and just get comfortable on the ice. You could have the hardest slapshot (Happy Gilmore anyone?) or the softest hands but unless you can skate you won't be able to utilize these skills. It might take a little time but once you get the hang of it you will love it! Good luck!

 

[Hockeyfan68]

Work on :
1. skating
2. stickhandling (just carrying the puck and protecting it, not dekes)








3. shooting.


Skating is by far the most important part of hockey. It's also the most boring to practice, but it's the most necessary.

bingo, bingo .... and bingo.

 

[1dude]

lot's of great info...really skate, skate, skate, skate...u get it...if u can skate well you'll do well....practice stickhandling and shooting at home on feet to increase the time you practice and fundamentals...good luck dude

 

[Mr Jiggyfly]

Thanks in advance for any advice. I really appreciate it.

Before you learn to skate, or how to stickhandle, you will need to overcome your fears. This is the #1 thing you will have to work on.

When you try new skating techniques, especially at full speed, you will feel fear and apprehension - Accept that you will fall down and there will be some bumps and bruises along the way.

When you play for the first time against really good players, the speed with which they can stop and handle the puck will be extremely intimidating. You will need to let go of that fear as well and remember it is only a game, meant to be for fun.

I have been playing/skating for almost 20 years now, and I still feel fear at times. I am constantly working on my skating and I'm currently learning how to stop at full speed on just one foot... on my weakest side.

I feel fear when I am flying down the ice and am about to pull up, but I push it back and don't let it stop me from perfecting my skating.

Conquer your fear and you will be able to do anything.