Any other hockey dads out there?

[TheCaptain]

My 5 year old is about to start "Initiation to Hockey I" at the Raleigh Ice Plex on Saturday. I'd like to know what to expect. He has had two skating semesters at the Cary Ice House when he was 3 and 4, and he got bored with the lessons.

I just want to know if he's going to have circles skated around him in these classes, or whether the time will be taken to help him recollect the fundamentals.

Also, any other tips or comments on the hockey program at the Ice Plax would be welcome.

Hockey Moms, of course, are more than welcome to chip in.

Thanks.

[TheCaptain]

Anyone?



Bueller?

[car3hur]

.

Yup....in about 4 1/2 years! :D

[svandijk1]

You could try asking over on TSB. They routinely have postings about upcoming Learn To Play sessions.

[StormChaserBH]

No idea about what the IcePlex program is like, so can't help you there.... But my son moved from the preschool-age Mice On Ice/Rink Rats stuff to the Learn To Play Hockey class at Cary when he was about that age... He did fine! "Learn to Play" is the first real hockey class there, and "Intro to Hockey" is where they go next. In each of them, Cary breaks the kids up into groups by age/size when they do drills and scrimmage-type games so that each kid has a chance to succeed at what they're learning, because there are a lot of kids much older than 5 who are learning the game for the first time. Both classes basically work on improving skating skills, balance, speed, and puckhandling and passing, then lets them practice what they've learned in small-area games/scrimmages. Again, sorry I can't help with IcePlex specifically.

[TheCaptain]

No idea about what the IcePlex program is like, so can't help you there.... But my son moved from the preschool-age Mice On Ice/Rink Rats stuff to the Learn To Play Hockey class at Cary when he was about that age... He did fine! "Learn to Play" is the first real hockey class there, and "Intro to Hockey" is where they go next. In each of them, Cary breaks the kids up into groups by age/size when they do drills and scrimmage-type games so that each kid has a chance to succeed at what they're learning, because there are a lot of kids much older than 5 who are learning the game for the first time. Both classes basically work on improving skating skills, balance, speed, and puckhandling and passing, then lets them practice what they've learned in small-area games/scrimmages. Again, sorry I can't help with IcePlex specifically.


Thanks. He can go forward and he's not afraid of falling. That's about all he got out of the other two classes. I'm hoping the added elements of a stick and a puck to chase will give him the incentive to start really skating.

[StormChaserBH]

Thanks. He can go forward and he's not afraid of falling. That's about all he got out of the other two classes. I'm hoping the added elements of a stick and a puck to chase will give him the incentive to start really skating.

That should be enough to start (again, based on my Cary Ice House experience).. at those early ages, it seems to me to be a matter of attention span -- are they interested enough to pay attention to coaches directions and follow the drill. Mine was so excited about just wearing the hockey gear, that he was really into it from the start. Your son will have a blast... and so will you watching him! Take a couple of these sessions and gauge the stick-to-it-iveness level, and you'll be ready for RYHA Mini-Mite in the fall.

FYI, here's one of the threads from TSB -- one of the coaches from Cary posts when they're starting new classes -- he lists requirements as "Requirements for ltp - completion of rink rats, mice on ice, etc. Basically the ability to skate around the rink.": http://www.thescoreboards.com/forums/showthread.php?t=9902

[TheCaptain]

grr

[TheCaptain]

I mean, look at this kid. Doesn't he just scream "badass defenseman" to you?

[sharkwing1]

I would stay away from the iceplex all together. When he starts playing make sure you dont get stuck in one of the iceplex leagues. The Raleigh Youth Hockey Association is a much better place to play.

[StormChaserBH]

I would stay away from the iceplex all together. When he starts playing make sure you dont get stuck in one of the iceplex leagues. The Raleigh Youth Hockey Association is a much better place to play.

Wow, I didn't even know IcePlex had their own youth leagues... ya I just checked out their website on it... I'd recommend RYHA as well when it comes time for a league. My 2 pence.

(Didn't know they had their own leagues 'cause RYHA does use IcePlex ice once in a while... my son's Mite team had a game there a couple weeks ago -- d*mn, that's some big ice for Mites! He got his first goal though! :D )

[TheCaptain]

I would stay away from the iceplex all together. When he starts playing make sure you dont get stuck in one of the iceplex leagues. The Raleigh Youth Hockey Association is a much better place to play.

Is there a problem with the instruction? We just liked that they had classes on Saturday. The Rink Rats program in Cary is on weekdays, which is impossible for our schedule.

[Scottie2hottie]

I mean, look at this kid. Doesn't he just scream "badass defenseman" to you?

:laugh: that's gonna be my son in the future!

[goalie33]

I don't think you'll have any problem with instruction at such a young age, but I too would recommend avoiding the IcePlex leagues if possible (and that goes for adult leagues, too).

[StormChaserBH]

(and that goes for adult leagues, too).

Well I wasn't going to go there, but um... yes, for the love of God, yes.

[TheCaptain]

OK, dire warnings without details are not fair.

[Shell]

I was thinking the same thing!! Come on people, WHY is the IcePlex bad? :)

[puck_it]

their boards are 6" taller than anywhere else :(

[StormChaserBH]

OK, dire warnings without details are not fair.

Sending PM to Captain.... my info about their adult leagues is second-hand, so I'll leave it in a PM.... I'm sure their kids' learn-to-play class Captain mentions signing up for is fine and will do a fine job prepping his son.

[BrindAmourFan]

My oldest son (11yo) recently started in the Garner Ice House "Learn to Play" program. My best advice to anyone considering lessons in a group setting is to make sure you register early. We were told we could wait until the day of the first class to register, but so did most of the other parents, so there were about 30 kids the first day and only one coach. To their credit, the Ice House folks let us know they hadn't expected such a turnout and would add more instructors the following weekend to allow for smaller group sizes. They also shortened the public skating schedule on Saturday afternoons so the LTP class would have the entire rink to themselves during the last half of the class.

As for individual lessons, I like T.W. at RecZone (not posting her full name to protect her privacy). Both boys (younger one is 6yo) started private lessons with her last night.

[livinthedream]

Hockey Mom here with a related question. LTD Jr. is ready to get out on the ice. He will be 5 in March and has never been on skates. I would like to put him in the Cary Icehouse "Mice on Ice" program but I can only find classes during weekdays and he's in school full-time. The Skate School program looks like it will meet our needs, it's more geared toward figure skating but I figure any program that gets him up on skates will work. Does anyone have any experience with the Skate School program? Thanks!

[StormChaserBH]

Hockey Mom here with a related question. LTD Jr. is ready to get out on the ice. He will be 5 in March and has never been on skates. I would like to put him in the Cary Icehouse "Mice on Ice" program but I can only find classes during weekdays and he's in school full-time. The Skate School program looks like it will meet our needs, it's more geared toward figure skating but I figure any program that gets him up on skates will work. Does anyone have any experience with the Skate School program? Thanks!

I can help here too :D Both my kids took the USFSA Skate school on Saturday mornings for several sessions, the one playing Mite now, and my daughter who was just in it for fun. That is just perfect for your future NHL'er! The skate school classes go all the way from the first-timer to the kids in tights and toe picks, and there's a lot to learn about skating along the way before the hockey players stop getting value out of it...

They had both taken the Mice On Ice/Rink Rats level a couple times earlier when they were younger and the weekday format worked for us before Mrs SCBH went back to work part-time. I remember one of the Wesley kids being in one of those classes too.

For skate school, we dressed the kids to prep for what they were looking to get out of it, so my son who was 4 and 5 at the time and was interested in hockey got his hockey helmet and starter knee/shin pads, and my daughter (who was probably 7 or 8 when we did it) just wore a toque (that's stocking cap if you say y'all :D ) and I think she might have also worn some rollerblading kneepads until she felt comfortable out there. I might take the kids back out for another session if they run one this summer, to keep my son's skating up during the offseason!

I also took the skate school for several sessions too when I was thinking of playing hockey, because it had been a while since I had skated regularly in college... they break the kids up based on level, several groups running during each class timeslot, and there was one timeslot where they ran an adult grouping. Elena B (the Olympic medalist) was one of my teachers sometimes, and boy, she didn't care if you were looking to play hockey, you were going to do her outside edge drills until you got 'em right! :D I took skate school once a week and adult LTP once a week until I felt ready to jump into the adult leagues.

Happy to help further if you have more questions... I love to see the kids getting out there on the ice!

[livinthedream]

That's exactly what I was looking for, thank you! Mom and Dad are probably going to lace 'em up too, why not?