Intro and questions

[proth0303 29]

I've been a lurker for about a month or so and absolutely love this site!  I'm going to step out of the lurker shadows and introduce myself and throw some stuff out there for feedback.

For starters, hockey is my mid-life crisis.  Some people buy sports cars... I decided to take up a game that requires significant protective equipment and every player has a "weapon".  ;)

My background...  I went through a learn to skate and a short hockey camp when I was about 6 years old.  The rink unfortunately closed down before I ever got to play and/or progress.  I remember being very disappointed as my family loved to ice skate and my dad loves hockey.  Fast forward 34 year and come to find out that in the hottest place on earth (Houston, TX) there are 5 ice skating rinks within 30 minutes of where I live.  Of those 5 ice skating rinks there are tons of options for complete beginners (what I learned at 6 years old has long been forgotten) and every person I've met has been extremely supportive and helpful.  I'm part of a novice league, played in a few drop-ins, started a basic hockey class, and everywhere I've been, even the people that are clearly superior in skill level (both old and young), have been respectful and encouraging.  Some great examples of this are 1) when I get the puck, the high skill level players will let me gather myself and skate with it 2) when I make a good pass or take a decent shot, members on both teams will say something positive and 3) the patience of people as I ask newbie questions like "why do players use tape on their shin guards?".

Anyway, a few questions:

1)  Does this site have a "wanted to buy" section?  My hobby up to this point has been racing cars and karts (some people will recognize "shifter karts" and understand the level of speed and competition) and several of the forums I participate in have a dedicated section for this.  It never ceases to amaze me that whenever I'm looking for some randomly specific part, I almost always have quick luck with the "wanted to buy" sections of the forums.

2)  I've been taking every opportunity I can to get on the ice to skate.  Public skates, stick n puck sessions, drop-ins, etc...  I even had a private lesson at one of the stick n puck sessions.  Each and every coach I have talked to said that the best way to improve my skating is ice time, ice time, and more ice time.  I was skeptical at first as I thought I needed to be coached on how to do something properly (and drill after drill after drill) but I'm finding that each and every time I step off the ice I'm surprised how I'm getting more comfortable and doing things that seem to come naturally.  For example, at the practice this past weekend we were doing a 3-on-3 drill in the center part of the ice and I found myself naturally transitioning from forward to backward (not perfect or at high speed but without falling) and starting to use my weak side because I need to in order to follow the play.  Does this make sense?  Is this pretty much the perfect example as to why the coaches say ice time, ice time, and more ice time?  

Cheers! 

[marka 518]

Howdy,

Congrats!

You're not alone here.  I'm 47 and also come from a motorsports background (Motorcycle racing when I was younger, then autocross for many years with a bit of roadracing here and there.  Even played around in a shifter kart for a very short while.  :-)  My son wanted to start playing hockey a couple years ago and I progressed from getting skates to be able to go skate with him to me now being on two different league teams, enrolled in a skills class, and playing in a regular over-40 pickup.  At this point, I've been chasing hockey for myself seriously for almost exactly a year.

I also view it as my midlife crisis... I'd already done the car stuff, so that one was out. :-)

As to your questions... There isn't a wanted to buy section, just the 'sell' forum that you need to pay to start topics / sell things in.  Seems like a good idea to me too, but it also might be harder for JR and the rest to charge a token bit of money to sellers for.  I think the goal with that token bit of money is to act as a deterrent to scammers / whatever, but JR is the best one to speak to that.

Ice time... I think you need to combine training time and "being out there" time.  Some initial instruction (even if its just via YouTube) seemed pretty helpful to me to know what was supposed to be happening, but I needed a LOT of repetition out on the ice to progress to first being able to do it at all to now doing something things unconsciously that a year ago I couldn't do at all.  To me, the key with ice time _to get better at skating_ is to be pushing yourself out of your comfort zone and not just skating around doing stuff you already do unconsciously.  That doesn't have to always (or even mostly) be with a coach.

 

Mark

[krisdrum 223]

To echo Mark, you are not alone.  I started skating just about 2 years ago (I'm 40).  My son was 4 at the time and just started to play hockey and I wanted to be able to do something with him that was fun.  Suffice to say I have had a hard time really making the time to dedicate to it like you and Mark have, but I am thinking/hoping this year is my year to really make the leap.  I've finally got some skates I am really comfortable in (it has been a long, painful and frustrating journey) and have been trying to get to open skate at least once a week since the beginning of the year.  So, I have a few sessions under my belt and the skill and comfort level is quickly returning.  When I first started 2 years ago I did take some group lessons at my local rink, which definitely helped establish some of the basics.  I am thinking of getting those started again this spring to help shake the rust all the way off and get things progressing in the right direction.  For now, it is ice time, ice time, ice time for me.  Also need to see if I can jump in to a few skills sessions I know a few local rinks run for adults. 

My sporting background is mostly in tennis and cycling.  I played soccer in high school as well and downhill skiing since I was about 7 or 8. But the last 10+ years have been mostly riding a bike.  Skating and hockey bring a whole new challenge to that foundation.  Much more power and explosive movement based and much more anaerobic.  I do tend to be a gear head, so the fact that I now have "armor" to cover my body with is pretty cool.  

My son's interest in the game is still quite strong and since I married into a hockey crazy family, it was only a matter of time before they had me suited up and on skates. 

[proth0303 29]

Thanks for the responses!  I am definitely complimenting my ice time with training time.  I'm fortunate that I have 2 options for novice hockey that include practices and coaching rather than just games.

...and if anyone is looking for one awesome shifter kart, the boss is "encouraging" me to free up the room in the garage... ;)

[Vet88 673]

16 hours ago, proth0303 said:

Thanks for the responses!  I am definitely complimenting my ice time with training time.  I'm fortunate that I have 2 options for novice hockey that include practices and coaching rather than just games.

...and if anyone is looking for one awesome shifter kart, the boss is "encouraging" me to free up the room in the garage... ;)

From someone who has been there and done that as a mid life crisis. There is no substitute for skate time (ice and inline) and what you put into it is what you will get out of it. If you go along and just wander around the rink you aren't going to get better that quick. You need to work on things, at a public skate find your self a corner and work on figure 8's, one foot skating, inside and outside edges, one and 2 foot stops, ladder steps etc etc etc. You NEVER stop learning. On You tube, search ice hockey, edge control, advanced edge control etc, there is so much out there to look at. And when you see something new like a drill you have never tried, next time at the rink give it a go. A really good video to start with is the Itrain "train the trainer" series, especially this one on edge control (it's long but worth every minute):

 

As for gear, hunt ebay, shop clearances, craigslist etc. You don't have to buy new at this stage, look for stuff worn for a short while that is top of the line from a few years ago. It should be around the price of lower mid range gear but offer much better protection and it is as you are learning that you want the good stuff on your head, elbows, knees and butt. Ask here if you are unsure on what you are looking at, someone will have worn it at some stage.

If you want to improve really fast with summer coming up and ice time is difficult, get yourself some outdoor inline skates (ideally the soft sided ones for comfort with the brake removed), hard wheels, a green biscuit (google it) and a shaft with an ABS blade. Then get out there (driveway / local park etc) and skate and puck handle to your hearts delight. There is nothing better than this for off ice training, especially as you are learning.

Oh, and if you really want to kill time, start watching nhl games. Watch players in your position, where they skate, what they do, lines they hold etc. Monkey see, monkey do... 

Welcome to the obsession and enjoy yourself, its a real blast.

[proth0303 29]

Thanks Vet!  That video is really good and I look forward to doing the drills next time I get the chance.  I live in Houston so "summer" is year round... we had our winter last weekend when we had 3 days in a row with temps below 32.  I still like the idea of picking up a stick and puck to work with at home. :)

Anyone have any insight on how often to sharpen the blades?  I'm on the ice 3-6 hours per week so far with about half of this being actual games and drop-ins vs. a public skate/stick n puck session.  

[marka 518]

Howdy,

1 hour ago, proth0303 said:

Thanks Vet!  That video is really good and I look forward to doing the drills next time I get the chance.  I live in Houston so "summer" is year round... we had our winter last weekend when we had 3 days in a row with temps below 32.  I still like the idea of picking up a stick and puck to work with at home. :)

Anyone have any insight on how often to sharpen the blades?  I'm on the ice 3-6 hours per week so far with about half of this being actual games and drop-ins vs. a public skate/stick n puck session.  

Different folks recommend different things / have different needs.  I've played with guys that can't remember the last time their skates were sharpened and there are others (some of them are on here... :-) that want their skates sharpened before every single session.  Heck, I think I read somewhere that Crosby gets his done between periods?

Anyway... my preference is that my feel of my edges doesn't change much.  For me and the cuts I've used (currently 95/75 FBV, also used 3/8" to 5/8" ROH), that translates to a minimum of five hours on the ice to a max of 10 or maybe even 15 hours.  The longer I go, the more difference I'll notice the first time out with a fresh sharpening.  I notice essentially no difference at the ~5 hours end and have a decent chance of a "whoops, caught an edge!" moment at the ~15 hours end.

Play with how much time between and see what you like / prefer.

 

Mark

[proth0303 29]

Thanks Mark!  I went to my LHS where I bought the skates and their rule of thumb was 15 hours, which I was overdue for.  I had them sharpened and immediately noticed an increased level of "edge comfort".  

I was struggling to get comfortable with my outside edges and while I still have a long way to go, I certainly will be keeping an eye on my sharpening schedule.