Where to begin? Advice to get my little guy started in hockey

Hey guys, my son is about to be four and I want to afford him every opportunity in childhood to pick up hockey. He already loves watching and playing street hockey at 3.

 

I played inline as a kid and didnt get involved in ice till an adult because my parents didn't have the $$ growing up. So with that said, I'm pretty clueless how to get my guy started. We have been skating a handful of times since he turned three and I plan to sign him up for learn to skate this spring/summer at a local rink. How old does he need to be to get started in a camp or league? Any suggestions? I live in Sussex County, NJ and have two rinks within 30 minutes. Any advice is greatly appreciated. Thanks guys.

Well, you're about where we are with our youngest, who is also turning 4.

 

At age three here you're in a "Learn to Skate" program where you get in full gear but it's really just a skate for half an hour a week. Lots of fun and very cute.

 

Next year we start IP, or Timbits, where they get on a team and exclusively practice half ice. Again, very cute, but the icetimes are famously brutal. 630 AM icetime on Saturday morning here.

 

It's been a lot of fun so far (and $$$$) with my ten year old. I played travel hockey my whole life, he's a house league scrub, but, even that level is run 10x more professional than my teams were growing up. I quite enjoy it and I look forward to running another kid through it.

 

I would bet you'll get some better advice from locals here in the board as I really don't understand how minor hockey works in the US. Hopefully Simon or Puckhead can chime in, but all that matters at this point in your journey, imo, is skating. Skating skating skating.

My son is 5 today. Never been on skates because I'm very much on the fence with keeping him away from it entirely vs. letting him top out at rec hockey.

 

No way I'm letting him play competitive hockey. We can't afford to go up against parents who buy their kids way on to teams and don't want to potentially explain that he's better than a kid, but that kids parents are the wealthy elite and you know how that goes.

Happy Birthday!

 

We had a road game yesterday in Listowel (Letterkenny). Brand new NHL size rink, one neat thing I noticed was that a local business was paying for all 1st year kids registration, worth about $500-$700 I would think.

 

Hockey is expensive, basketball is $75/year.

 

I've sensed its a big class thing in the US, which I've been poking at here lately, that's not really a thing here. My kid is on a team with some of the biggest pieces of white trash you've ever seen and we make sure they have what they need.

Hey guys, my son is about to be four and I want to afford him every opportunity in childhood to pick up hockey. He already loves watching and playing street hockey at 3.

 

I played inline as a kid and didnt get involved in ice till an adult because my parents didn't have the $$ growing up. So with that said, I'm pretty clueless how to get my guy started. We have been skating a handful of times since he turned three and I plan to sign him up for learn to skate this spring/summer at a local rink. How old does he need to be to get started in a camp or league? Any suggestions? I live in Sussex County, NJ and have two rinks within 30 minutes. Any advice is greatly appreciated. Thanks guys.

For a beginner, stick to the closest rink/program.

If the kid does well, you’ll learn where the top kids develop pretty quickly, but it’s not worth traveling an hour for a 5 year olds learn to skate practice.

 

 

That comes at 6 years old.

lol

NYR have several rinks that they ?partner? with and provide all hockey gear except skates, sticks and a cup for new, young players. My son enjoyed a full set with an awesome roller bag to boot.

Learn to skate, then learn to play, then mite house league, and then, if you’re up to it have him tryout for travel but no sooner than he’s 6 or even 7. Spend as much time on the ice with him as u can.

Happy Birthday!

 

We had a road game yesterday in Listowel (Letterkenny). Brand new NHL size rink, one neat thing I noticed was that a local business was paying for all 1st year kids registration, worth about $500-$700 I would think.

 

Hockey is expensive, basketball is $75/year.

 

I've sensed its a big class thing in the US, which I've been poking at here lately, that's not really a thing here. My kid is on a team with some of the biggest pieces of white trash you've ever seen and we make sure they have what they need.

thanks!

 

Parents here don't just buy ice time and gear.

 

They buy their way onto teams.

My son is 5 today. Never been on skates because I'm very much on the fence with keeping him away from it entirely vs. letting him top out at rec hockey.

 

No way I'm letting him play competitive hockey. We can't afford to go up against parents who buy their kids way on to teams and don't want to potentially explain that he's better than a kid, but that kids parents are the wealthy elite and you know how that goes.

 

If a kid is good his parents wont need to buy him a spot. Good kids get scouted and recruited just like anywhere else.

 

There has to be a different reason why you want to keep your kid away from enjoying playing a game

Thank you! I'm certainly going to get him all signed up for the learn to skate program. I'm not up to buying my way onto teams or having him live out my dreams of playing in top elite leagues unless he wants to and he gets that opportunity with his skill.

 

I appreciate the heads up and advice.

If a kid is good his parents wont need to buy him a spot. Good kids get scouted and recruited just like anywhere else.

 

There has to be a different reason why you want to keep your kid away from enjoying playing a game

Yes but good kids lose spots to other kids who's parents buy them on.

 

Don't pretend its more than it is, guy.

Yes but good kids lose spots to other kids who's parents buy them on.

 

Don't pretend its more than it is, guy.

Dont let anything interfere with you sitting on here all day, guy

Dont let anything interfere with you sitting on here all day, guy

Oh don't worry about me. We went to soccer yesterday and I didn't miss a beat.

 

Don't derail the thread. Bai.

Truly a skill.

 

Im a master of derailment, boy

Word, Gramps!

That hurt

If a kid is good his parents wont need to buy him a spot. Good kids get scouted and recruited just like anywhere else.

 

There has to be a different reason why you want to keep your kid away from enjoying playing a game

I was cut from some teams that I should have made.

 

I saw some better kids than me get cut from teams where they were the best player.

Some organizations are worse than others, but it exists. Even in the best league, rich, influential parents will “force” the organization to keep certain kids together/up. As an organization, you can tell these people to leave, but parents see issues when a plethora of top kids leave.

 

But we had some killer Tier II teams growing up!

I would be asking this same question in a few years, but this is a sad thread to read. That's a shame that rich parents can buy their kids' way onto teams. Now I'm not sure if it will be worth the effort someday to introduce my son to the sport rather than put the time and energy into other sports.

I would be asking this same question in a few years, but this is a sad thread to read. That's a shame that rich parents can buy their kids' way onto teams. Now I'm not sure if it will be worth the effort someday to introduce my son to the sport rather than put the time and energy into other sports.

 

be comfortable with non-competitive house league. And that's fine. And more affordable.

Yes but good kids lose spots to other kids who's parents buy them on.

 

Don't pretend its more than it is, guy.

 

That?s too bad that?s happening down there

We have a different system up here. Every once in a while past age 14 some kids shy away from ?comp? due to money, but not often. And never had a parent buy their kid on a team

 

 

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Our house league still gets one game minimum a week, and then tourneys. And 2 pretty quality practices a week plus one skill acquisition night.

 

So 3-4 nights a week on the ice. If they want more they can skate outside. We don?t have any ?comp? now until age 10, and that?s not much different than house financially.

U15/U16 is when it gets past 1-2k per season for Comp

 

 

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Practice Thursdays, games Saturdays, another away game once a week, skills night on Wednesday, goalie clinic Sundays. It's endless.

 

City folk tell me the game is dying, media says the sport isn't inclusive enough, I just laugh. 42 teams in my kids loop, across 3 counties, avg household income around 50k in the area. It's a game for everybody.

 

https://woaa.on.ca/Rounds/22199/Minor_Hockey_-_Local_League_2019-2020_Atom_Regular_Season/

I would be asking this same question in a few years, but this is a sad thread to read. That's a shame that rich parents can buy their kids' way onto teams. Now I'm not sure if it will be worth the effort someday to introduce my son to the sport rather than put the time and energy into other sports.

 

be comfortable with non-competitive house league. And that's fine. And more affordable.

let me add

 

Don't get me wrong, some of the best people I know are from hockey. There are a lot great people, too. And it's great for kids.

Even today you see kids running around the rink unsupervised, random hockey bags laying around, purses sitting around, phones laying everywhere... The rink atmosphere is different.

My son played Tier II and Tier I hockey and I never seen people buying a spot on any of the travel teams he played on or at least I never heard any rumors.