Is it to late?

[iceblue]

I skated when I was younger but never played hockey. Twenty years passed without lacing the skates. Last year I got back on the ice...and this year I bought a stick and other gear. So if a oldie moldie can do it, so can you. Don't listen to your brother!

 

[nikebauer]

Is it better to buy all the hockey gear first then learn to skate properly etc or learn to skate fairly well first before I invest?

...I play ball and roller hockey so I already have a skill base to draw from, not a complete rookie

 

[technophile]

Is it better to buy all the hockey gear first then learn to skate properly etc or learn to skate fairly well first before I invest?

...I play ball and roller hockey so I already have a skill base to draw from, not a complete rookie

Depending on your leagues you might be able to use some or all of your existing gear. I'm not in a league yet (no time at the moment ) but I've been using my old roller gear (except for the skates, obviously ) for my weekly ice hockey classes/scrimmages. I'm slowly replacing them as I get the chance -- new skates first, then shoulder pads (which I never wore in roller), then a new stick, new helmet, and I still need new pants, shins, and elbows. It makes the expense a lot easier to bear without slowing you down much. And I think it probably also helps if you're not trying to get used to a different surface and all new gear at the same time.

Like I said, it depends on the league and somewhat on your gear. If you feel pretty confident in your gear, then go ahead and use it, just changing out what you need to or most want to as you can manage it.

 

[Jack Canuck]

Is it better to buy all the hockey gear first then learn to skate properly etc or learn to skate fairly well first before I invest?

...I play ball and roller hockey so I already have a skill base to draw from, not a complete rookie

You can probably use some of the same gear. Your shin pads, elbow pads, helmet, gloves, stick, and cup. If you have been using these in roller hockey they should all be good for ice too. This really leaves you with only a little to get so you might as well go for it. However, you may want to go cheap and replace it with better quality once you know you are going to play a lot.

Also, I found that when I was learning I was more courageous with full equipment. Learning to stop is much easier when you know it won't hurt to fall, and I fell a lot.

 

[nikebauer]

Also, I found that when I was learning I was more courageous with full equipment. Learning to stop is much easier when you know it won't hurt to fall, and I fell a lot.

Amen to that

 

[futurcorerock]

I started inline when I was 17, very out of shape/overweight and went from teaching myself that, to switching to ice skating, then learning ice hockey on my own.

As long as you can physically do the general maneuvers without great wear and tear on your body you should be fine

 

[unbjames]

You can probably use some of the same gear. Your shin pads, elbow pads, helmet, gloves, stick, and cup. If you have been using these in roller hockey they should all be good for ice too. This really leaves you with only a little to get so you might as well go for it. However, you may want to go cheap and replace it with better quality once you know you are going to play a lot.

Also, I found that when I was learning I was more courageous with full equipment. Learning to stop is much easier when you know it won't hurt to fall, and I fell a lot.

True that! I have precious little hockey experience (never played organized), but I took part in a spaz game when I was in college (where experienced players lend total novices their gear, and watch them attempt to play hockey). I was rocked by a ringer on the other team (friggin cheaters!), and I hit the ice hard. Didn't hurt at all!

 

[nikebauer]

Hence the term "protection equipment"

 

[Hank19]

I'm 15 right now and I'm wondering if its too late for me to learn how to ice skate, learn how to play hockey on ice (I.e. the techniques), and play on an actual team? I've never played on a team or ice. Is it to late for me to begin? How would I improve my skills? I guess people will host skills night or something at local rinks. Its always been my dream to play hockey.....

It's never too late! I started at 13 and have been playing ever since (31 now).
I know a guy that didn't start playing until he was 22. He couldn't skate a lick at first but he would rollerblade in the summer and he took some powerskating courses. He's one of the best skaters I've seen now.

What really helped me was that I played as much hockey as possible. I played on two pickup nights and houseleague. I also played at the local rink in the mornings where shinny hockey was allowed for $3.00. That helped a lot. I would just bring a bucket of pucks and practice my shot, stickhandling, crossovers, etc.
Rollerblading in the summer also helped.

Try and get some of your buddies together for a regular hour of ice time a week.

And please, if you do love hockey just do it. It's too great of a sport NOT to try.

 

[Deebo]

There is a lady on my co-ed team, she is in her early 50s and only started playing last december

it's never too late

 

[nikebauer]

I must say there is a difference between too late to be good, and too late to start

 

[Titan124]

I didn't get bit by the "bug" til I was 14, and now I've been playing in a men's league with former junior, HS, and collegiate players...

Wow that's so wierd. I'm 14, and just got a sudden urge to play hockey (again) earlier this year, then I supressed it, and now it's back.

I played ages 6 (skating lessons), 7 (hockey lessons), and 8 (4 team minileague). I started out extremely strong and confident on skates. I was the fastest and had by far the most stamina of any of those other 6 year olds (sigh, this is what I must brag about).

When I started the hockey lessons, it all went down, having a stick and puck (which I remember seeming extremely heavy) changed the skating a lot. When my dad got tired of it, he started trying to push me, only he hadn't really ever played hockey anywhere near my age, and had no clue what to expect. The fact that the age group was 6-12 didn't help either, because we would have 2 groups/games, the group of older kids (9-12) obviously seemed better. There was one 8 year old in the older group, and my dad expected me to match him for some reason. Eventually it got to a point where he would scream at me after the lesson every day, saying I hadn't been trying (eventhough I'd be doing exactly what the coach said). After the first 2 times it happened, I decided to try to prove him wrong. The coaches divided us up into 2 groups, the bigger, older, better kids in one group (they got goalies, goals, and almost all of the attention), and the smaller, worse, younger kids in another (we got cones, no goalies, and very little help). Anyways, I scored something like 17 goals and 3 assists (I remember because it was my "last stand"). When I came out, expecting my dad to be proud of me, I was so happy, we got in the car, he screamed at me again for saying how much I'd scored because I was in the bad game. Everyone who I told it too stared at him like he was crazy. So the next year I play in the league, and at this point I feel pressured almost to the point of tears (sometimes I was crying from nervousness before I got on the ice, often I was trying to skip my shifts), when I was on I had trouble focussing, and so eventually in a shout fest we both agreed that I would be quitting (I didn't want to quit playing hockey, but if it was the only way to get him to stop...). He also had a business that was starting to expand and was taking a lot of his anger/stress out on me, which made it 10 times worse.

So here I am 6 years later, bitter once again saying that it's all my Dad's fault. We have season tickets to the Islanders, and he takes me to almost every game (like 34-39 in a season), but it really just makes me want to play more. I'm afraid to approach him for a few reasons:
1) stupid Islanders' Iceworks doesn't really have anything for anyone older than 12 in terms of learning.
2) He'll probably go ballistic and talk about how I used to be (we still fight about the whole 3 years sometimes).
3) He'll say it's too expensive (which really isn't true, but he never expects me to stay with anything that I try).

I really want to play, but I feel I'm screwed. (Sorry for the long post.)

 

[me_dennis]

wow this is a great thread.. i am new to this board and i also am very interested in learning to play ice hockey..
i am 21 and i tried playing some shinny for the first time last year.. i still can't skate very well.. and i can't skate backwards or stop very well either.. and unfortunately for me, my first time on the ice this year i sprained my ankle falling on my leg awkwardly.. it's been a week now and i'm still limping a bit but i hope to be back on my skates soon.. but it looks like it's going to be warm all this week (above 0) so i doubt the outdoor rinks will be up and running.. i'm thinking about just going to the rink on campus to practice my skating.. depending on my ankle of course..
i too, thought it would be too late to learn how to play.. but after reading that people in their 30s 40s and even 50s learned how to play, i feel less discouraged..

 

[donelikedinner]

power skating classes!

 

[Clown Fiesta]

Hey man you will regret not trying it, when you are born you are given certain talents that along the way you discover, if you dont try something you wont know if thats one of the talents you just naturally have, try it, even if you are not very talented at first you will have the most fun of your life, trust me its the best game on earth, everyone here will agree with that, nothing better than being at the rink, and the smell of the zamboni, and the feeling of the air in the building. My advice to everyone if there is something you want to try, even if it seems far fetched give it a shot, i wanted to learn the guitar, i dont play well but i do have fun trying... stuff like that.

 

[FangFingers]

Heh, your 15?

Youve nothing to worry about. Just go to a bunch of public skating and dont worry about falling down or how long it takes you to get good.

Im 27 and trying to pick up ice skating with the eventual goal of joining a beer league.

I used to play inline hockey, but that was when I was 17. I had not laced up a skate in 8 years until a few weeks ago. I figure if I can figure out this whole ice thing, the hockey skills will come back.

Through some hard work ive gotten pretty good at skating. I still have trouble, especially with the stopping and the crossovers. I have trouble with them because I get nervous as there arent many rinks around Nashville/Knoxville, and the public sessions they have are loaded with high school kids and little girls, so im a bit skittish about getting my 215lbs up to full speed and taking out a gaggle of yapping kids. Might not be such a bad thing come to think of it.

Just keep working at it and keep in mind that ITS SUPPOSED TO BE FREAKIN HARD!!! Also, its a long run project, so dont expect to be Lemieux in a month.

Good luck.

 

[NJDevs430]

...the public sessions they have are loaded with high school kids and little girls, so im a bit skittish about getting my 215lbs up to full speed and taking out a gaggle of yapping kids

They'll move...
}>
Where I skate there is usually a mix of tots/adolescents/teens/adults who are just learning to.../familiar with.../pretty OK at.../pretty damn good at...skating. A lot of times, some kids will invite their friends (many of whom are only savvy to ice as a means to cool their soft drinks) to a skating party. They'll all have name tags, so you know who to watch out for.
When I was first learning, I was a wall-hugger and I happened upon a little girl in a figure skating outfit who'd paused along the wall in front of me. Too scared to venture from the wall, yet too proud to ask her to please move, I simply looked at her and said, "I bet you're a better skater than I am."
She looked up at me and said, "Yup," then ZIP! she was off to the other end of the ice.
Sometimes I still feel like a C-5 being buzzed by Cessnas out there. But I have reached the level where I can confidently get out of the way of the better skaters and at the same time avoid ploughing over the lesser ones.

 

[Drop The Gloves]

Thanks for all the support.....


I missed the skating lessons sign ups but I have a plan that will eventually get me playing ice hockey....

First, I'm going to get a job. I've been looking up how much entering a league will cost, equipment, lessons and everything will cost and I've made the conclusion that I can not possibly expect my parents to pay that. I think once they allow me to get a job, they will consider the idea of me playing hockey.

Next I'm going to start looking for a way to play street hockey, I know I could join a little league and learn the basics of team hockey. NOt to many kids play street hockey out in the street around me......


So I'll have that going for me and I'll sign up for skating lessons the next time they come around.....


I really think some point in my life I'll play hockey, even if its when I'm older....


Thanks once again to all of you for your support....

 

[Drop The Gloves]

Anyone know what equipment you need to play floor hockey? What type of stick and what do you wear??

 

[DaveyCrockett]

Anyone know what equipment you need to play floor hockey? What type of stick and what do you wear??

Helmet, Cage, Gloves. Any stick is fine. Soccer shinpads or something are a bonus.

 

[nikebauer]

Thanks for all the support.....


I missed the skating lessons sign ups but I have a plan that will eventually get me playing ice hockey....

First, I'm going to get a job. I've been looking up how much entering a league will cost, equipment, lessons and everything will cost and I've made the conclusion that I can not possibly expect my parents to pay that. I think once they allow me to get a job, they will consider the idea of me playing hockey.

Next I'm going to start looking for a way to play street hockey, I know I could join a little league and learn the basics of team hockey. NOt to many kids play street hockey out in the street around me......


So I'll have that going for me and I'll sign up for skating lessons the next time they come around.....


I really think some point in my life I'll play hockey, even if its when I'm older....


Thanks once again to all of you for your support....

how old are you ?

 

[Jack Canuck]

Anyone know what equipment you need to play floor hockey? What type of stick and what do you wear??

I think it depends on the league. When I played floor hockey we only had thin gloves and either goggles or safety glasses. I think the sticks were regular accept that they had an ABS blade. I do not know for sure though.

 

[StorminZ]

I'm 15 right now and I'm wondering if its too late for me to learn how to ice skate, learn how to play hockey on ice (I.e. the techniques), and play on an actual team? I've never played on a team or ice. Is it to late for me to begin? How would I improve my skills? I guess people will host skills night or something at local rinks. Its always been my dream to play hockey.....

It's never too late.

Not sure about where you live, but here in Edmonton, there's tons of opportunity to play hockey at varying skill levels with players of varying ages. Hockey is a great sport for many reasons. First, it's physically demanding ... a great form of exercise. Second, it's a great team sport ... a chance to get out with the guys/gals (can't forget the women amongst us). Third, it's a great outlet to work off pent up energy and just get away from the busies of daily life. Fourth, there's no sport better. Fifth, you can play it at any age and still enjoy it. I've been playing for over 30 years and have no intention of stopping any time soon (though the bones and muscles let me know when I've overdone it LOL).

 

[dabid]

EDIT - Heh.

 

[nni]

I dont really want to waste any board space, so why start a new topic, eh? Now, I have never played on a "team" persay BUT I do know how to skate. I have always been a "above average" goalie. (note: I dont say this but many of my coaches, friends have) These friends, ironically that are on the team I am looking to get on myself on (high school team). They say that I am more than average and will probably be a starting goaltender if I were to try out. Only problem is.. that lets say I have eaten a bit too much hot dogs in my years of life. I'm fat. I used to be a a pretty athletic person but I got into this "metalhead" stage when I was 13 and gained alot of weight. Enough about my life story though. This is what I NEED, dangrt.

I need some sort of workout regimen (exercise, diet, weights, the whole shabangabang) to get me on a competitive team (high school). So if any of you nice souls could possibly help me with this I will give you my box of love for ever, and ever.

getting in shape isn't a mystery, it just takes hard work and dedication.

to lose weight you need a calorie deficient diet, and lots of cardio. if you need any advice, let me know. ill see what i can do for you.