6' 4"- 285 lbs- 40 years old

[UC-CP-SF-dB 0]

At my age and size, am I kidding myself for wanting to learn to play hockey having NEVER played before?

I am losing weight at the present time, so I hope to get in better shape and condition to learn.

[davis 0]

HECK NO! We had a couple guys start playing pick-up with us last year, one was 49 and the other 44 and had never been on skates wearing full gear before. It only takes a game or 2 for the obsession/addiction to cut in...you've been warned :)

[Flack38 0]

Its never too old. Edit: ~ You're never too old/it's never too late

I've taught a lot of hockey 101 camps in the US and Germany for adults/kids. I would say the only reason **most** of them stop would be due to skates that don't fit correctly and making it difficult for them to learn and progress. Make sure you get fitted for skates that fit your foot properly and you should be good to go.

Depending on how often you play, this should help in your weight loss a lot.

Welcome to the club funny named guy!

[Allsmokenopancake 0]

I'm 6'3'', and I'm 240ish lbs. I turn 30 this year.

Can you skate? I moved here from Ireland and had never skated before. I took 2 sets of the learn to skate classes, then signed up for a beginner league. I was still out of my league, as the "beginner" was filled with people who mainly played, but hadn't played in a while.

Then I got married, and stuff came up, so I didn't skate for 2 years. Started again, probably about 2 years ago as a complete beginner all over again.

If you can get to the rink for skating lessons, do that, and if you can get to public sessions for practice, go as often as you can.

Honest to god, it's the best sport in the world to play (alongside GAA football, or soccer), and it's never too old.

You can get set up fairly reasonably, but if I could offer a word of advice on gear....

Don't go cheap on skates, helmet or pants. Many say get good gloves, but you could probably pick up cheap decent gloves.

As a fellow big guy, I got cheap pants, fell so hard I bust the tailbone plate, and couldn't sit for 2 weeks. Invest in pants with good tailbone protection, as a fellow big guy and beginner, you will thank me later.

Here is what I would realistically say you could spend getting set up.

Skates - $200

Helmet - $50ish (NBH 4500 or such)

Gloves - $40-50 (CCM Vector 4 or the like)

Pants - $90 (If you can find Itech HP8000 pro, they are fantastically protective, with great motion, I got mine for $50)

Shoulders/Elbows/Shins - Most places can do a package deal, I have 4 year old Koho 3360 stuff, real low end, probably only paid about $70 for the set.

On top of that you will need your jock, socks, practice jerseys, and a cheap wood stick to get started.

All in all, you are looking at about $500 for a new set, but less if you get it on e-bay or such.

Sorry for the long rambling post, but I was about that weight starting to play, you will sweat a lot, so I figured I would try to be helpful too.

Cheers, and enjoy

[forbs02 20]

This article is a year old but its still worth reading. I have been on the ice with this lady and I play hockey with her daughter (who is 54) a lot. Did I mention her daughter plays with kids who are just out of college and is more than up to the challange?

You are never to old to learn hockey.

[tips09 0]

Your never too old to start there is lots of guys on my dads oldtimers team that just start when they are 40+ and for sure like one of the previous posters said it will definately help you lose weight too

[Datsyukiandeek 0]

I would easily give up a first, second and third round pick for you.. let me know.

[jjtt99 0]

My advice is learn how to skate first, then learn how to play hockey. Too many people think it's one in the same. The beauty of the game comes from skating. Once you can do the following:

- start

- stop (at least one side)

- forward cross overs

- basic backward skating (backward crossovers are something you can get to later)

Joining a league before you can do those basics will lead to frustration because you won't be mobile enough to "play".

Good luck!

[santiclaws 0]

Never too late! As has been suggested, don't skimp on skates. Go to a good local shop and get them fitted right. I'd suggest that at your weight, you may need stiffness which will only come with top of the line skates, which will set you back $400+. A good helmet is also a must. Hockey is just like crack - addictive and expensive as hell, but the rush is worth it.

[UC-CP-SF-dB 0]

Its never too old. Edit: ~ You're never too old/it's never too late

I've taught a lot of hockey 101 camps in the US and Germany for adults/kids. I would say the only reason **most** of them stop would be due to skates that don't fit correctly and making it difficult for them to learn and progress. Make sure you get fitted for skates that fit your foot properly and you should be good to go.

Depending on how often you play, this should help in your weight loss a lot.

Welcome to the club funny named guy!

I should explain my sig.....

I am the audio guy at the UC (United Center) CP (Comiskey Park...yea I still call it that) and SF Soldier Field here in Chicago.

My son is 5 and was born with clubfoot and just recently started skating/learning to play hockey....so i thought that if I could learn with him he could see that his old dad is just as nervous as he is to try out new skills.

So after about a month of him taking lessons, I got bit HARD and plunked down some serious cash as my LHS (Total Hockey in Downers Grove, Illinois) I was fitted by a really great guy there and prceeded to go to public skates at a few of out local rinks this summer. I now need to take lessons to progress beyond striding and gliding....I am having a hard time finding a hockey specific skating class for adults.

Any Ideas?

Thanks for all the positive input friends!

BTW are there any hockey pants made in big boy sizes?

[Patrick67 1]

Your never too old to start + Hockey is the best way possible to loose weight.

[UC-CP-SF-dB 0]

I would easily give up a first, second and third round pick for you.. let me know.

It's funny you say that....a few years ago durring a frelance job i was doing for the Big 10, Penn State football coach Joe Paterno asked me at the age of 35 and about 50 lbs ago if I had any eligibility left!

[Chadd 916]

I would easily give up a first, second and third round pick for you.. let me know.

It's funny you say that....a few years ago durring a frelance job i was doing for the Big 10, Penn State football coach Joe Paterno asked me at the age of 35 and about 50 lbs ago if I had any eligibility left!

So you're Italian? Or is it that Joe only recruits Italian QBs, I can never remember.

[FatAndSlow 0]

Definitely NOT!!!. I've been playing for 3 years. I was 36 years old when I started. I was 6'3" and over 300 lbs. Now I am 260 lbs and still losing weight. I took some skating lessons and became addicted. I play about 5 times/week. When you start just be patient. You will get better but it takes time. Be sure to get skates that fit!!! That's the most important thing. Once you do that have fun!!!

[fatwabbit 93]

never too old to play. Some of the guys I play with (some are about 25yrs) play on the same team as their dads. Funny to see them argue sometimes though.... just waiting for one of them to pick a fight with dear ol' dad.

Seriously though, it doesn matter how old you are... you're never too old to pick up something, just be careful of becoming a gear whore..

[DarkStar50 679]

Hockey players come in all shapes and sizes and ages. I play with a guy about 5'11", 300 lbs. When he walks into the locker room you would think there is no way this guy could skate and shoot. Joe never was fast but he knows how to get to the net, can let go a great slapshot or finish a one-timer wrist shot, and is particularly well known among our group for his famous hook or elbow in front of the net! I say go for it and don't let anything stop you. Bring the right attitude into the locker room and on the ice. I always say hockey is a small circle. Join the club.

[Bmplam 1]

Hockey IS a small circle and when you get on the ice, the guys out there will offer you the same help and encouragement as the people at MSH and on this thread in particular. Get out there and have fun with it.

[sabres48 0]

Hockey will be fun until global warming melts all the ice, then we will engineer ice that doesnt melt, o wait we already did. Good luck man, i would tell you to have fun if i didnt know you already will.

[Flack38 0]

Its never too old. Edit: ~ You're never too old/it's never too late

I've taught a lot of hockey 101 camps in the US and Germany for adults/kids. I would say the only reason **most** of them stop would be due to skates that don't fit correctly and making it difficult for them to learn and progress. Make sure you get fitted for skates that fit your foot properly and you should be good to go.

Depending on how often you play, this should help in your weight loss a lot.

Welcome to the club funny named guy!

I should explain my sig.....

I am the audio guy at the UC (United Center) CP (Comiskey Park...yea I still call it that) and SF Soldier Field here in Chicago.

My son is 5 and was born with clubfoot and just recently started skating/learning to play hockey....so i thought that if I could learn with him he could see that his old dad is just as nervous as he is to try out new skills.

So after about a month of him taking lessons, I got bit HARD and plunked down some serious cash as my LHS (Total Hockey in Downers Grove, Illinois) I was fitted by a really great guy there and prceeded to go to public skates at a few of out local rinks this summer. I now need to take lessons to progress beyond striding and gliding....I am having a hard time finding a hockey specific skating class for adults.

Any Ideas?

Thanks for all the positive input friends!

BTW are there any hockey pants made in big boy sizes?

The rinks up there should have the standard "Learn to skate, skating 101, 201, hockey 101 and hockey 201". There should be flyers laying around at tables and the front desk. If for some reason you can't find a rink with those programs or those programs aren't on your schedule, I suggest trying youtube for some decent skating videos so you have an understanding of what you should be doing, then trying to apply it on ice. Obviously this isn't going to be the same as having someone a bit more credible there to correct you on the spot but it can help a little bit. I'm sure as you know all the videos in the world can't make up for good ol' ice time.

As for the pants, I can see how you can have issues with that. It would be hard to find stock pants that would fit someone your size correctly. I would say your first and best bet would be trying to find "pro stock" or "pro return" pants that are oversized. Custom order pants to fit you would be the best bet but I know a lot of manufacturers have mandatory minimums for custom/special orders. You might want to try to get one of the LHS owners/workers to comment on that statement though.

[number21 3]

I am not sure on learn to skate classes in the area but the adult hockey classes at 7 Bridges are pretty good. At least when people show up, if it's a light class it just becomes an expensive stick and puck time! Talk to them there I believe the teachers name is Willis, i know he got a coaching job so it might be someone else now. (I work in Downers Grove but live in Chicago, so 7 bridges was close to work for my lessons)

You can use http://www.rinktime.com or http://www.arenamaps.com to find the other rinks around and look at their classes.

I never really skated much before i started my lessons. I went to the Chicago outdoor rinks as much as i could the winter before i started my class. It took me a bit to get hockey stopping up to snuff, after that it starts to fall into place (sometimes slowly).

By the way that's a pretty cool sounding job you have! Can you score me some good Hawks tickets? (kidding) Right now I play at Johnny's down the street from the UC. But in the fall I have to play in Skokie, because my team got bumped.

There are tons of rinks around, I am sure you can find an adult class somewhere to get the basics and then jump into a hockey class.

Good luck!

[UC-CP-SF-dB 0]

Here is a picture of my son and me skating together for the 1st time

[UC-CP-SF-dB 0]

Went to open skate in Joliet the other day and am starting to see some improvement in my skating....I still can't stop though.....I think my skates may be too sharp....can't seem to slide sideways or shave ice without major chatter.

I am going to keep posting updates if it is OK with everyone.

Hopefully I can get some pointers on what I am doing....Positive or negative.

Some of my acomplishments so far...

Learning how to lace my skates properly without using a lace tightener!

Put your pants on first...then your skates.

The more I bend at ny knees, the more stable i become on the ice...and i sweat more.....AAAAHHHHHH it burns!!!!!

REALLY trying not be a gear junkue....I mean REALLY trying! The guys at my LHS are starting to all know my name now.

Peace Out.

[Luckystrike 0]

I would suggest HNA, its great for beginners. I started playing when I was 32 and had only a couple of years experience skating when I was in my late teens/early 20's. I was awful when I first started playing. Fell all the time, couldn't stop, the list goes on. Now, after 4 yrs, I would say i'm one of the better players on my team. www.hna.com, they have a league in Chicago.

I was fat and out of shape when I started. I weighed 220 then and was down to 180 before I had surgery last year that laid me up for awhile. My best advice is to get into a good conditioning program, lose weight and build build build your legs, torso and lower back. I only spend about 4 hrs a week on conditioning because that's about all I have time for but it beats doing nothing. good physical conditioning can sure make up for a lack of skill and will help you develop the correct movements for playing good hockey. If your weak, you can't skate properly. If you can't skate properly, you can't play hockey very well.

and like these guys have all stated, don't skimp on skates or pants. I played with cheap equipment (not skates) at first to make sure i wanted to keep playing and have slowly upgraded my gear over the years. good pants are a must, you will fall on your ass alot, even if youre a good player.

[Project824 0]

So you're Italian? Or is it that Joe only recruits Italian QBs, I can never remember.

Ha, Joe can't really remember either. The current kid (Italian) has a million dollar arm but reads on a 2nd grade level. Doesn't read pass coverage much better.

[Cheesehead 0]

REALLY trying not be a gear junkue....I mean REALLY trying! The guys at my LHS are starting to all know my name now.

Just remember the more you play, you get in better shape, some equipment won't fit correctly, so you get new stuff.

Hope you have as much fun as I do playing hockey.