Where does your kid play

MikeD

Registered User
Jul 3, 2006
1,066
2
Buffalo NY
www.hawksice.com
My youngest plays goal for the Hamburg (just south of buffalo) Hawks and is a Bantam Minor this coming fall. He plays in their Tier I program as part of the WNYAHL.
 

MikeD

Registered User
Jul 3, 2006
1,066
2
Buffalo NY
www.hawksice.com
a few pictures:

Ring Bearer at a goalie wedding in Wisconsin:

Rings.jpg


Summer Elite camp w/ Jukka Ropponen, Stopping a breakaway by Dave Christian, 1980 Team USA gold medalist: Yes, Dave was going VERY light...

Alex_Dave.jpg


First time in net, Version 4.5 in USA roller:

gator4.jpg


Coming rink side for his first Ice Hockey Game:

a56c57d0.jpg


Mite Minor w/ Olean Arrows (WNYAHL):

00000001.jpg


Pee Wee Minor Tier II:

DSCF0033sm.jpg
 

Dawn77

Registered User
Nov 16, 2006
58
0
Devils Suck, Fl
My son plays rec, this is his second season. He's in the Squirt Division but will be moving up to the PeeWee with our next season. We run year round in Florida. He plays right D and has a ton of fun.

This is his end of the year pic last season

The one with the yellow laces. He plays great D but is also money on faceoffs.

This is JJ rocking the Ice Crew at the Bolts/Leafs game. He got to go out at commercial breaks and scoop snow from the ice.

Feeling Shame, this was his first penalty ever
 

Hank19

Registered User
Apr 11, 2005
1,870
1
Well I just signed my kid up for skating lessons beginning this Sunday. He'll be 4 on May 16th.

I'm a little nervous. He says he wants to play hockey and I'd love him too, so I thought I'd get him some lessens first. The only problem is, he's not that great at trying new things.

We put him in swim classes when he was 14 months. He hated it at first. He hated getting his face wet and he would cling hard to me the whole time. But now, you should see him swim. He's a little fish and he's constantly begging us to get him to the pool.

I'm really hoping that the same happens with skating. It's costing us $175 so I don't want to pull him if he cries and cries after the first lessen.
And I'm not sure if this is a good thing, but I'm allowed on the ice with him. I think that'll be good because he might feel more comfortable with Dad out there, but at the same time I don't want him to use me as a crutch.

I just hope he doesn't end up hating skating/hockey. He tells me he really wants to play hockey in the fall but he really has no clue what that's going to be about. I'm afraid that this experience might turn him off to the sport for a while (or for good).
 

Jeffw-13

Registered User
Mar 23, 2006
382
0
My boy plays goal for the Hagerstown (MD) Bulldogs U-16 team.

Or should I say the CBHL champion U-16 team. :handclap: :win:
jerresized.jpg
 
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MikeD

Registered User
Jul 3, 2006
1,066
2
Buffalo NY
www.hawksice.com
Well I just signed my kid up for skating lessons beginning this Sunday. He'll be 4 on May 16th.

I'm a little nervous. He says he wants to play hockey and I'd love him too, so I thought I'd get him some lessens first. The only problem is, he's not that great at trying new things.

We put him in swim classes when he was 14 months. He hated it at first. He hated getting his face wet and he would cling hard to me the whole time. But now, you should see him swim. He's a little fish and he's constantly begging us to get him to the pool.

I'm really hoping that the same happens with skating. It's costing us $175 so I don't want to pull him if he cries and cries after the first lessen.
And I'm not sure if this is a good thing, but I'm allowed on the ice with him. I think that'll be good because he might feel more comfortable with Dad out there, but at the same time I don't want him to use me as a crutch.

I just hope he doesn't end up hating skating/hockey. He tells me he really wants to play hockey in the fall but he really has no clue what that's going to be about. I'm afraid that this experience might turn him off to the sport for a while (or for good).

might want to get him into spring house for the fun to balance the skate class. enjoy the time as it comes. They grow up way too fast.
 

Dawn77

Registered User
Nov 16, 2006
58
0
Devils Suck, Fl
Funny you should ask. He plays D and they had a two on one skating back to the zone. JJ is hustling his butt off to get back and as the kid winds up to take his shot, JJ hits the ice and throws his stick at the puck, disrupting play. He got called for Unsportsmanlike for throwing the stick. The ref tells him, helluva play kid but you can't toss the lumber. JJ skated all the way to the box smiling and his team killed the penalty. His next one was for tripping and he just hooking in his first game back this season. They scored a shortie on that PK.
 

Hank19

Registered User
Apr 11, 2005
1,870
1
might want to get him into spring house for the fun to balance the skate class. enjoy the time as it comes. They grow up way too fast.

You're telling me. It's an old cliche, but it seems like yesterday that he was born. Hard to believe he'll be going into J.K. this fall.
 

javorka

Registered User
Sep 9, 2006
207
0
......enjoy the time as it comes.......

You have hit the nail on the head!

Don't hurry away your kid's childhood wanting them to be bigger, stronger, faster. There's no rush! As a parent of two teens and a nine year old I can tell you they'll get there soon enough, and kids that are naturally athletic will pick up any sport easily, even at eleven, twelve or older.
 

Crosbyfan

Registered User
Nov 27, 2003
12,633
2,442
Thank you :) He will be playing Minor Atomr next year, so he is playing in his age group.

I have a '98 son also. Just finished his first year of hockey in Novice recreational. He is very keen though and hopes to make a rep team next year. He has a decent shot at Atom B, 97 & 98's are combined though. He will play summer hockey as an Atom, mixed levels, so we'll see how he does. He's a Leaf fan, (must have gotten a bad gene or two from the other side of the family :) ), but otherwise a pretty good kid.

I noticed the other thread on inline skates. Does your son practise on inlines and how do you think it affects his skating?
 
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Nbr-17

Registered User
Aug 15, 2006
516
3
Stouffville, ON
I have a '98 son also. Just finished his first year of hockey in Novice recreational. He is very keen though and hopes to make a rep team next year. He has a decent shot at Atom B, 97 & 98's are combined though. He will play summer hockey as an Atom, mixed levels, so we'll see how he does.

Cool, where does he play?


He's a Leaf fan, (must have gotten a bad gene or two from the other side of the family :) ), but otherwise a pretty good kid.

LOL that's ironic, 'cause my son's a Pens/Crosby fan :)

I noticed the other thread on inline skates. Does your son practise on inlines and how do you think it affects his skating?

He decided he wants to play roller hockey this spring/summer. He's only played one game so far, so we'll see.
 

Crosbyfan

Registered User
Nov 27, 2003
12,633
2,442
Cool, where does he play?




LOL that's ironic, 'cause my son's a Pens/Crosby fan :)



He decided he wants to play roller hockey this spring/summer. He's only played one game so far, so we'll see.

He plays in Dartmouth, N.S.

He is also a Pens/Crosbyfan. I'm an old Canadiens/Beliveau diehard since the late '60's, now a Pens/Crosby fan, but we have "issues" during Montreal/Toronto games. All in good fun. He had me hoping for the Leafs for playoffs after they knocked out Montreal.

Keep us updated on the roller hockey. I hope it goes well. Are many of his ice teammates playing also?
 

Nbr-17

Registered User
Aug 15, 2006
516
3
Stouffville, ON
Keep us updated on the roller hockey. I hope it goes well. Are many of his ice teammates playing also?

Will do. His teammates are doing different things over the spring/summer. All his teammates play on the spring tourney team (The Bulldogs), some play soccer others baseball. He's the only one playing rollerhockey.
 

Hank19

Registered User
Apr 11, 2005
1,870
1
Well, we just finished week 2 yesterday in Spring Canskate.
The first week definately had some ups and downs. There were 3 instructors on the ice with about 30 kids. One instructor picked out the stronger skaters and worked with them on their own. The rest of the kids were basically treated like leppers. One instructor had them do things but couldn't care less if some kids fell behind compared to others. It was a real dog-eat treatment. And the instructions she was giving them was rediculous. All of these kids could barely stand up and yet she was having them chase soccer balls around on the ice to kick. Most kids would fall down 40 times on the way to a ball she placed 15 feet away from them and as soon as they would lift a leg to kick they'd come crashing down backwards. Brutal.
So with the instructor basically ignoring my son (and several others) I decided that since it was my dime I would take him aside and do all the skating with him. He fell a crapload of times and cried almost as much. He got very frustrated because he couldn't get up on his own like they wanted him to and he could only skate a couple of feet before falling down. But he tried his best and never gave up. But I had a feeling that this was going to be a very tough experience for both of us.

Week 2 didn't start off all that well. My son didn't want to go and was begging for a nap (a nap he refused 2 hours earlier). But he got in the van and got some Z's in on the 40 minute drive to the rink. Once there he seemed to be in a better mood to skate.
I was incredibly relieved to see that a new instructor was present and she seemed very patient and worked hands on with the weaker skaters. She made them do some really fun and easy drills and my son ate it up. Instead of forcing these kids to get up on their own with no aids and then trying to force them to chase soccer balls around she had them use pilons to prop themselves up with. Once erect, she would have them push the pilon from one line to the next. In between she would have them crawl around on the ice, sit down and touch their toes, or just stand without aid and have them touch their heads and knees. Within 15 minutes of doing this, my son was able to prop himself up using the cone and skate with it from the redline to the goaline. After this, she would have them do helicopters (stand in one spot and turn slowly around) and take babysteps from one line to the next. And not once did she expect them to get up all on their own. She had them try but if they needed help she would give them a hand. In the first week the original instructor frowned upon anyone giving them any kind of help and if she saw a parent do so, she would abandon all instruction on them. I know that some people will feel that the best approach is to just leave them and have them figure it out on their own. This might be the case in some situations. But this Spring Canskate course is only 9 weeks. I've spoken to several parents who have put their kids in Canskate and they say it can take up to 4 months before kids learn to get up on their own and do some of the things they wanted these kids to do in Week 1. With only 9 weeks, I believe things should be handled differently and I was happy to see that this new Instructor taught accordingly.
And I believe it's working. In the first week almost all the kids were crying and balling and none of them were able to do anything better from the start of class to the end. My son could barely stand on his own in week 1. By the end of week 2, he was pretty much getting up on his own, skating by himself for over 20 feet, and doing the helicopter without falling once. In fact, I would say that he only fell no more than 8 times in this outing compared to 30 in the last. And I don't think it's because he's a natural. The methond that this new instructor provided worked wonder for him and a lot of the other kids as well. And the best part was that my son smiled and laughed through the whole thing. He was actually having fun! And so were the other kids. Now he can't wait to go skating again.
If he can get up on his own and skate around with good balance and confidence (no matter the speed) by week 9, this will have been money well spent. He says he wants to play hockey in the fall so I wanted to make sure he could at least move without flopping all over the place. And if week 2 is any indication he'll have surpassed any of the skills I wanted him to have by September.
 

Nbr-17

Registered User
Aug 15, 2006
516
3
Stouffville, ON
Thanks for the write up. I can't believe the attitude of the first instructor. :shakehead
If it's not fun, the kids won't stick with it. They don't have a drive like grown ups.
So this is a 9 week program, how often is he on the ice every week?
 

Hank19

Registered User
Apr 11, 2005
1,870
1
Thanks for the write up. I can't believe the attitude of the first instructor. :shakehead
If it's not fun, the kids won't stick with it. They don't have a drive like grown ups.
So this is a 9 week program, how often is he on the ice every week?

Only once a week (Sunday afternoons) for 50 minutes.

I know that Canskate is supposed to be about letting the kids figure it out, but the first instructor didn't help in the slightest and she had very little patience. Patience is something you need in abundance when dealing with kids - especially when they're trying to learn something as difficult as skating.

I can't say enought good things about the 2nd instructor. She was phenomenal. Every time any of those kids did something good (no matter how remedial) she would praise them. Every little milestone was greeted with praise and clapping. Even at the end all the kids were given stickers on their helmets. My kid loved it.
The whole session he kept saying "Teacher, I did it!!", like it was the most proud moment in his life. Because she had showed so much approval of their gains all the kids were trying their hardest for her. And like I mentioned above, she made the activities fun. I don't think my son stopped smiling the entire time.

They have a program following this one called Little Gretzky's. They have the kids wear all their hockey equipment and they get used to skating with a stick and all their stuff on. They also introduce puck play. I might get him in this afterwards as well. It's very basic stuff and that same instructor runs the class.

It was just so great to see how much my boy loved being out there compared to the first week.

P.S. Thanks for the response.
 

Hank19

Registered User
Apr 11, 2005
1,870
1
Not sure if anyone cares but I wanted to give a brief update of my sons progression in skating lessens.

We just finished Week 6 (of 9) yesterday and I can't believe how far he's come.
In Week 1 he could barely stand on the ice without holding on to something.
Yesterday he got tested and he can now skate forwards, backwards, make snow, stomp, jump, turn in a circle (both ways), and get up without assistance.

I've spoken to some of the parents who also have their kids in this class and they said there's a huge difference between the Spring Canskate and the fall/winter ones. They said that these kids have learned just as much in 6 weeks as most will in 4 months in the regular classes. The whole reason, of course, is because there's not nearly as many kids enrolled. In my sons 'class' there's only 5 or 6 kids to one instructor. They all have her undivided attention and they're all thriving on it.

So I'm hoping my experience might help others that are thinking of putting their kids in spring or summer canskate, or any other beginners skating programs. There might not be as many lessens, but with fewer kids and more attention you'll probably get more out of it.
I really can't say enough about how much this has done for my sons skating. And the best part is he's having a lot of fun and he's incredibly proud of himself when he learns a new skill.
 

vivianmb

Registered User
Jan 10, 2007
2,891
2
winnipeg
www.whocares.ca

last season my 5 year old ( 4 years at the time ) was awarded player of the year for his association .( bridgeport, CT.) he played mites (6-8 yrs.).
i was never prouder in my life.
the girl in the picture is julie chu of the U.S womens team. and that is her olympic bronze medal.
 

vivianmb

Registered User
Jan 10, 2007
2,891
2
winnipeg
www.whocares.ca


this is my three year old . in this picture he was two. this picture was taken in our backyard rink in connecticut. we have since moved to winnipeg where he is in the super skills for tots program . he loves it.
 

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