beth
Registered User
I thought it would be fun to have a thread where noobs like me can come together for encouragement and support as we jump into the world of recreational hockey. Please jump in and share.
So I'm Beth, and I knew nothing of hockey before my 5 (now 6) year old started playing. We thought it would be a good fit for him as he's sort of rough and tumble and has always liked whacking stuff with big sticks.
When he started playing, his dad and I started watching the Stanley Cup playoffs, and we would google any call that we didn't understand, learning how the game worked.
It was watching the playoffs that sucked me into hockey. Up until this point, I'd assumed that hockey was a clumsy, brutish game. I seriously had no idea of the amount of skill and finesse that goes into it. The turning point for me was when Marc Savard made that overtime goal - that puck was bouncing on the ice, and he just sends it into a tiny little corner of net through a bunch of people. My reaction was something like, "are you ****ing kidding me??" I was amazed. I hate all forms of televised sports, but I was now totally enraptured by hockey.
In august, the local women's league put on a Try Hockey Free day, where they geared us all up and then ran us noobs through an hour of drills and a scrimmage. I seriously thought I was either going to puke or pass out by the end of that hour, but I was smiling the whole time. I totally want to join these ladies, but I'm taking this night class this quarter that conflicts with their schedule. So I will have to wait until december and then I imagine I will be put on their wait list, but I will be able to practice with them.
In the meantime, I've been practicing on my own twice a week during the day while my kids are in school. It's been almost 3 months now? The cool thing about being an adult when you start is that you can totally see your progress as the nerves hook up and you feel your body fine-tune your balance week to week. Every time I go, it seems a little more natural. Lately I've started doing stick-and-puck and I have the ice to myself for over two hours. Which is great for all the room, but sometimes is a bit lonely! It's going to be weird to start playing with actual people.
Oh, another thing that has happened recently is that my son's coach has encouraged me to join him on the ice. So now I help herd a bunch of Mites at their practice.
I've even got my level 1 coaching certification. It's totally fun, and it's more ice time for me, so a total win-win.
Anyhoo, I would like to hear about how other adults came to decide to finally go for it, and how they are progressing. I thought we could cheer each other on.
So I'm Beth, and I knew nothing of hockey before my 5 (now 6) year old started playing. We thought it would be a good fit for him as he's sort of rough and tumble and has always liked whacking stuff with big sticks.
When he started playing, his dad and I started watching the Stanley Cup playoffs, and we would google any call that we didn't understand, learning how the game worked. It was watching the playoffs that sucked me into hockey. Up until this point, I'd assumed that hockey was a clumsy, brutish game. I seriously had no idea of the amount of skill and finesse that goes into it. The turning point for me was when Marc Savard made that overtime goal - that puck was bouncing on the ice, and he just sends it into a tiny little corner of net through a bunch of people. My reaction was something like, "are you ****ing kidding me??" I was amazed. I hate all forms of televised sports, but I was now totally enraptured by hockey.
In august, the local women's league put on a Try Hockey Free day, where they geared us all up and then ran us noobs through an hour of drills and a scrimmage. I seriously thought I was either going to puke or pass out by the end of that hour, but I was smiling the whole time. I totally want to join these ladies, but I'm taking this night class this quarter that conflicts with their schedule. So I will have to wait until december and then I imagine I will be put on their wait list, but I will be able to practice with them.
In the meantime, I've been practicing on my own twice a week during the day while my kids are in school. It's been almost 3 months now? The cool thing about being an adult when you start is that you can totally see your progress as the nerves hook up and you feel your body fine-tune your balance week to week. Every time I go, it seems a little more natural. Lately I've started doing stick-and-puck and I have the ice to myself for over two hours. Which is great for all the room, but sometimes is a bit lonely! It's going to be weird to start playing with actual people.
Oh, another thing that has happened recently is that my son's coach has encouraged me to join him on the ice. So now I help herd a bunch of Mites at their practice.
I've even got my level 1 coaching certification. It's totally fun, and it's more ice time for me, so a total win-win. Anyhoo, I would like to hear about how other adults came to decide to finally go for it, and how they are progressing. I thought we could cheer each other on.
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Like today - I've been trying to figure out wrist shots, so last time I went I tried a bunch but I totally sucked at it, and then I looked at all the videos again to see what I'm doing wrong and today I was much, MUCH better. I managed to get at least 75% of them in the air with some authority. I still need to get all the muscles to coordinate, but that will come with practice. 
