Beginners: The Hockey Noob Chronicles II (Beginners' Thread)

x Tame Impala

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Aug 24, 2011
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Hey guys. I'm starting my first ever skating lesson in about 45 minutes!

Just got my skates sharpened and I'm waiting around. I really wish I didn't wait until I was 22 to start doing this.

Anybody have any tips for a slightly nervous, mostly excited gent like myself?
 

TickleMeYandle

Not so fast,
Dec 19, 2011
1,297
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I did a nice stick & puck session last night. Skated a bit on my own, worked on some shots against the wall, then practiced passing with someone.

I was feeling really good on my skates, finally able to get outside edges, etc. I got them sharpened before I skated yesterday and all of a sudden, my left ankle was collapsing in again. I also noticed my lower back was hurting quite a bit. It happened when I started working on passing. I was surprised, as last weekend I did a full practice and a game and didn't have any pain at all. Too many variables to figure out - maybe the skates weren't tight enough so not enough ankle support, maybe the sharper blades caused me to do something differently? I'm skating again tomorrow, so I'll see how that goes.

I'm crazy, I think. My coach sent out an e-mail from a team in NM that is doing a tournament over the Memorial Day weekend here in AZ. They were 4 players short, and looking for warm bodies to fill the roster. I warned them that I've only been playing for 5 weeks, but they were OK with that, so I'll be playing my first "real" games (other than the ones I've done with the adult D-league class).
 

TickleMeYandle

Not so fast,
Dec 19, 2011
1,297
0
Have fun! Remember that you're doing this because you want to, and while it's going to be work, it should also be something you enjoy doing.

Are you wearing padding for your skating? If so, remember that falling isn't really painful. It's hard to get over that fear, but once you do you'll have more fun. If you fall, get back up and you'll probably forget all about falling - until you fall again! Just keep repeating the "get back up" part and you'll be fine.

I started speedskating when I was 32. I had only been on ice maybe 10 times in my life. I was nervous and not very well balanced at all. But I kept skating and after a month or two, I felt very comfortable on the ice. I never got GOOD at it, but I wasn't scared or nervous to go out there.

I've just started hockey at age 40. I had about 6 years in there where I didn't skate at all (pregnancy, then no time). I got on the ice a couple of times in the past year but my skates no longer fit and it wasn't fun. Now that I have well-fitting hockey skates, I'm skating twice a week. I had really forgotten how much I enjoy being on the ice. I missed that feeling of the cool air, the smell of the ice, etc.

The first time I got on the ice in my hockey skates I felt really unstable. I remembered what it was like to just step out on the ice and not think about it at all, because I was equally comfortable on land vs. ice. It only took a week or so for that feeling to come back, and now I'm seeing progress in my skating skills! You just have to remember that everyone is a beginner at some point, and the only way to get good at it is to keep practicing.

I've found hockey players to be very helpful and willing to give a n00b a lesson or two. The kids/teens...not so much, most of them have been playing for years and just want to play pick-up. But the adults - every time I've gone for stick time, someone has seen me working on something and come over to offer tips and help me practice passing, etc.
 

qmechanic

Registered User
Mar 29, 2012
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I'm crazy, I think. My coach sent out an e-mail from a team in NM that is doing a tournament over the Memorial Day weekend here in AZ. They were 4 players short, and looking for warm bodies to fill the roster. I warned them that I've only been playing for 5 weeks, but they were OK with that, so I'll be playing my first "real" games (other than the ones I've done with the adult D-league class).

Have you learned positional hockey (i.e. where to be on the ice when on offense, defense, breakout)? If you're where you're supposed to be, I think you'll do fine. Tournaments are a lot of fun and I'm sure you'll learn a lot!
 

hockeymass

Registered User
Feb 13, 2012
610
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Have any of you kept a spare stick on the bench and, upon returning to it after a game of pickup, noticed that it had been used? This happened to me last week and annoyed me to no end. What's the protocol for something like that?

I leave my backup twig in the locker room for pickup and stick and puck. I'd rather have to get off the ice to grab it than have someone else use it (my backup is pretty nice, EQ50 with an X60 blade). Also, the walk to the locker room would give me some time to cry about my broken APX :(
 

x Tame Impala

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Have fun and bend your knees!

Bending your knees is a lot harder than I thought!

1st lesson was pretty cool. I've never been on skates before but the instructors were almost impressed with how not completely awful I was.

All I worked on today was using my edges. Skating around the Faceoff circle making half-circles with one foot and keeping the other foot on my outside edge for balance.

It was a little frustrating because I would have spurts of starting to get it but then I would, for some reason, lose it and go right back to zero.

Only fell twice.

Lots of fun. Looking forward to next time.
 

flyers10

Registered User
Apr 12, 2011
105
0
AZ
Having proper knee bend makes everything in hockey easier. Better skating, better shot, stability in front of the net, etc. Off-ice work on strengthening your legs and getting better endurance. One legged exercises are great. Even wall sits help. On-ice as a n00b keep doing drills and get as much ice time as you can. If you can get out at least 3 times a week (mostly practicing) you'll progress SO much faster compared to the n00b that only plays 1 game a week (and gets 15 mins of actual ice time).

frackiewicz - Not sure where you are but Polar Peoria has sticktime Sat AM and only 6-12 people show up. Lot of open ice to practice.
 

adaminnj

Leafs out = SPRING!
Feb 6, 2009
682
1
NJ
Regarding the stick, yeah unless it happens again best to just let it go.

And Jarick, thanks for the recommendation but Grafs are just a tad out of budget... lol

Just to be clear I was talking about my Goalie skates.
My player skates are Vapor XXXX 9 EE, the heel cup is fine and the width in the fore foot is not bad. I had to have the front of the skates pushed a bit.
 

Copeland

Registered User
Sep 25, 2010
143
0
Vancouver, BC
Just to be clear I was talking about my Goalie skates.
My player skates are Vapor XXXX 9 EE, the heel cup is fine and the width in the fore foot is not bad. I had to have the front of the skates pushed a bit.

No worries, I assumed you were talking about goalie skates. I thought Jarick was too, until I went and saw that there is no G35 in goalie lol...

frackiewcz, you've got some guts to join a tourney, but I think you made the right choice!! Sounds like you'll have a ton of fun! I can't remember, do you play mostly D or O?


And Hot Fuss, I've been trying to get those drills (half circles with other foot on outside edge) for a long time, and still don't have it! So you sound like you're doing quite well for your first lesson!
 

TickleMeYandle

Not so fast,
Dec 19, 2011
1,297
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It's only in the past week that I actually had a real position assigned to me - RW. The other game, it was entirely a matter of 'next person on the bench replaces whoever just came off the ice' so I did LW, RW, C.

We haven't done much as far as working out where people should be, other than "try to make a triangle between LW/RW/C" so that someone can be in a good position to receive a pass or shoot on the goal. We're starting to get more into that as the weeks go one, the first 5 weeks have been mostly getting the basics down.

I haven't done Polar Ice on Saturday, I may do that over the summer when I don't mind getting up so early on the weekends. I'm up at 4:30 every morning during the school year, and the Friday evening stick time is on my way home from work. I did try a Monday one last week and...ugh, never again. It was 95% teens and little kids, and half of the ice was taken up by a scrimmage. Friday has more adults and I've found someone to work with each time. Monday I was just in everyone's way.

I'm both terrified and excited. I repeated multiple times that I'm still new and often don't know what I'm doing, but they really need the players, I guess...and if they have the choice of playing with me or not being able to do the tournament, maybe it's worth it to them.
 

Fanned On It

Registered User
Dec 20, 2011
2,032
18
New York
Are thefts pretty common? Do people know others who have had stuff outta their bag, wallet, phone solen a lot? I was concerned about this.

Unfortunately there have been a couple of thefts at my rink... mainly out of the locker-rooms. So yeah... I wouldn't leave anything valuable in your hockey bag or whatever.
 

x Tame Impala

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As far as phone and wallet are concerned, they'll be staying in my car the entire time.

Even when I need a hockey bag for equipment (in 2 years lol) I'll still put my phone and wallet in my car. Who needs that worry?
 

7toZulu

Registered User
Jan 25, 2012
132
0
Denver
Been playing for about 4 months now, played one year of peewee as a kid and just started up at age 27 again. Scored a goal on a AAA Midget Major goalie who subbed for our opponent team today! Feels pretty bad-ass, not gonna lie :D
 

ean

Registered User
Nov 27, 2007
1,803
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Are thefts pretty common? Do people know others who have had stuff outta their bag, wallet, phone solen a lot? I was concerned about this.

How often it occurs likely depends on the rink. But I can guarantee its happene at every rink before and will happen again.

I once played on a youth team where a teammate was sent off practice early for not listening and decided to pee on several other teammates bags. Just goes to show you never know!
 

SCritical

Registered User
I've realised that my stick is too long, and I've been using it like that for six months :shakehead no wonder my stick handling is still a nightmare!

I only realised when I bought another stick and cut it down properly, then I noticed the difference. I could feel the difference when I took it to stick and puck, I feel like I'm not losing the puck in my feet as much
 

qmechanic

Registered User
Mar 29, 2012
99
0
Yeah, I tell everyone to cut their sticks shorter. Good for you!

If you use a pattern with a higher lie, that will also help you pick up pucks in your feet.

A stick with higher lie will generally be cut a little shorter than a stick with lower lie.
 

Jarick

Doing Nothing
It's so key. I think all beginners and novice players should at least try a stick 1-2" below the nose in bare feet for a month or so. I'm not saying that's the ideal height, but I do think a lot of people would be surprised what it would do for them, and even if they go back up in length they would likely learn something from it.
 

WeedCrimes

#Yzerteam
Feb 19, 2012
360
0
Gainesville, FL
I've been skating for about a month and a half now and I am feeling comfortable with my Hockey stops and my forward crossovers. I'm still getting the hang of skating backwards, but I don't think that should take too much more work!

I'm going to start attending Skate and Shoots next week and perhaps I'll stop by one of the Beginner pick-up nights before too long..

All in all this has been a super positive experience thus far!
 

steev182

Registered User
Apr 26, 2012
40
1
I'm new too!

I started some Ice Skating lessons in February, could skate forwards kind of quickly enough during public skating for a while during my life, but couldn't go backwards, crossover or stop very well! I always wanted to try Ice Hockey, I even remember knowing about Wayne Gretzky when I was about 12. We liked the North American sports in my suburb of London, England for some reason (despite not having many opportunities to play hockey). There's a photo of me somewhere in a Red Wings jersey which my mum got for me from a market stall as they didn't have a Rangers jersey there - at least it wasn't a Devils or Flyers jersey though!

As we couldn't afford me to try Ice Hockey, I grew up playing in goal in football and playing rugby for a team up until adult.

Last year, I moved to New York and got married to an awesome American girl. Looked at what sports I could try, Flag Football seemed boring, all the guys playing pick up basketball near me are way over 6 foot and way better than I ever was during High School and softball just looks like standing around in a field.

I took my wife to a few of Hockey games, we live nearer the Coliseum than MSG, and tickets were way cheaper, saw the Islanders lose to the Pens, beat the Hurricanes and then go on a great come back yet not enough to tie the game against the Flyers. Each of the games further inspiring me to try the game.

Anyway, the skating teacher thought I was good enough to try beginner hockey clinics, she had the hockey director see me skate and he said I should get myself to there too, and my life as a Hockey player is finally starting at the ripe old age of 27!

I'm very excited!
 
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CPAir

Registered User
Jul 31, 2011
60
0
Niagara Region
At 36 i'm completely new to playing hockey though i've enjoyed watching it most of my life. Since last summer i've learned to skate and taken two different skating courses. I don't have everything down perfect but i'm certainly better than i was last year. I've been trying to get to stick n puck as much as i can.

I've signed up for summer league which starts next week, we had try outs/try ins last night. It's a beginner adult league with no hitting. We did some drills last night and a full scrimmage which lasted about 45 mins.

I'm confident that my skills will improve but i was quickly humbled at how fast i was winded. Only by the second and third shift i was already freaking tired. This has shown me A. i need conditioning fast and B. i need to quit smoking ASAP. I'm a little worried i won't be able to keep up during an hour game.
 

Oak

Registered User
Apr 22, 2012
3,931
693
MA
Just read a few pages of the first thread and it is pretty exciting to see other people who went through the same situation that I did. I never did hockey, but did a lot of roller blading as a kid. I got my son on the ice this winter as something we can do together, and he picked it up so fast and then got interested in hockey that he is now in an atoms program.

I now find myself slowly getting more and more addicted by the sport. I bought a helmet so I can do stick and puck with him, and now have been working on my hockey stops. I find that I really want to learn as much as I can about the sport so I can help him. If I had more money and free time I would probably consider joining a mens beginner league, but considering I have 3 kids and the younger two now want to do hockey as well, I am going to have to start saving. :)

What a wonderful and exciting sport though. When I am on the ice with him doing stick & puck I cant explain how exciting it is to fly down the ice at speed chasing a puck. Man I wish my parents would have gotten me into this as a boy.
 

donkers*

Guest
It has been 14 years (I'm 24) and I'm still a noob. Don't worry guys, no matter what level you are at, you end up making an ass of yourself sometime.
 

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