Rejuvenating this thread a bit as we have just finished year one of hockey. We did learn to play and spring ADM last year, just skated and did a little camp over the summer, and regular ADM this year. A couple things. One, our ADM program is very nice. The organization that runs it has coaches who are on the ice for all the practices, so when you take your team out there everything is set up and organized. No wasted time, parents run the clock to change stations, we get the practice plan every week two days in advance, and you can tell the whole season was planned out. For example, early in the season they were doing stationary forehand passes. Eventually backhand passing was added, then passing and receiving when moving. Same with skating skills. I know that not all ADM programs are like this (my brother’s kids are in a much smaller program and he isn’t real pleased with how things are run there).
So I think I was a little rambunctious at the beginning. I knew not to push and that more wasn’t better, but it took some effort and I didn’t always succeed. I kind of “really encouraged” him to come to stick time or play in the driveway, but I wasn’t too bad. My son kind of wandered around the ice at times and didn’t pay attention to the coaches a lot of the season. He is almost 8. Then something happened. I don’t know what, maybe just a jump in maturity. One, his schoolwork started to make pretty significant strides. Second, he started “getting into” hockey. He paid attention to the Pens on TV. He wanted to make his stick bend like the video I showed him of Kessel (this had a big effect, he stopped “swinging” his stick at the puck and figured out how to put some pressure on his bottom hand, passes and shots were way better). He saw that pic for Daryl Evans and wants to skate with no laces, etc. Every little success made him want to do more. He got his fwd crossovers, went to bday parties for kids on the team, etc.
Now he wants to play spring but I didn’t sign him up! 😊 Still a good move I think. We will play baseball and the closest rink has some sign up small group coaching sessions with a guy who is great with little kids. We will just do that a la carte and work on his skating. He should be excited next year to get back into it by the time it ramps up the end of August.
So I have learned to lay back even more. Last night HE asked me to go out and play hockey in the driveway!
And lastly, he has quit saying he wants to be a ref!