I really think it depends on your athleticism and your willingness to learn and practice and do what coaches tell you to do. I mean really listen and take their advice. I started at the same time as a a couple guys. I'm way better of a skater. I don't have much confidence in my hockey skills but I would say I'm way farther along than they are by a long shot. I don't expect to ever be amazing but if you want to improve, you have to make that happen on your own. I work out, I eat right, I go to practices, practice off ice, and (what I think is most important) I watch/ask questions/listen to people better than me. You can't feel bad or get defeated if someone is better than you. Learn from them, ask them questions, and have a drive to be better than you are now. There was one day at an adult practice (proflow) that they had us skate backward to the blue line, switch and go forward to red, etc and I had no idea how to skate backward and I was SO embarassed. I was so mad and when I finally got home I cried. But now, I skate backward and transition decently enough (better than some). :) if you wanna make it happen, make it happen.