Adult Beginner League

[Vulcan7905 88]

So, tonight we had a drills/pickup game for the Adult Beginner league forming. It was awesome to not get skated over on by some of the better players. Also nice that everybody is concerned about everybody else. If somebody falls hard, somebody will always ask if there alright. All in All, it's nice to be in a league like this.

Side note. Messed up on my hockey stop and fell on my ass hard lol. Good to fall except I hit the back of my head a little, and now I seem to have some neck pain and pin by my ear. Hopefully it gets better with a massage this weekend. Just thought I'd share this with my fellaa hockey friends.

[stick&puck 1]

I am playing in a similar league now, I agree it's really nice compared to when I got to open shinny and get blasted..

[Stoop 1]

I start mine next week!! Are you finding a lot of ringers playing? Or is it truly beginners?

But yeah, I'm expecting to be sore.

[stick&puck 1]

I was thinking in mine there would be ringers but that wasn't the case, everyone was paired fairly evenly for the most part.

The league i am in specifically states that if you are in intermediate player you will be asked to leave (refunding them of course)

Keep up the off ice training is all i can say, roller blade, running and biking. When i started to play shinny with guys at work i started up off ice training a few times a week just so i could keep up with them and for my cardio.

I am a little sore today 2 days after i took a wicked fall which i was i had on camera i was about 3 feet vertical off the ice.. working on stopping pushing my trailing leg out more so it was parallel with my right foot i got into a rut in the ice and sent me on my ass. Thank god for wearing full padding..

Best fun i have had playing sports in years.

[Tondog 12]

...and it will only get more fun as you progress.

[Rashiki 0]

...and it will only get more fun as you progress.

Agreed.

[MatthewRoach7 130]

Sounds like a good time. I have fallen a few times and your body tenses up so that most likly the pain in your neck. I will pass in a day or two. Good luck!

[Vulcan7905 88]

I start mine next week!! Are you finding a lot of ringers playing? Or is it truly beginners?But yeah, I'm expecting to be sore.

Nope, not a single ringer at all! It truly is all beginners. Best fun I had in a long time honestly cause the skill level was all the same

I was thinking in mine there would be ringers but that wasn't the case, everyone was paired fairly evenly for the most part.The league i am in specifically states that if you are in intermediate player you will be asked to leave (refunding them of course)Keep up the off ice training is all i can say, roller blade, running and biking. When i started to play shinny with guys at work i started up off ice training a few times a week just so i could keep up with them and for my cardio.I am a little sore today 2 days after i took a wicked fall which i was i had on camera i was about 3 feet vertical off the ice.. working on stopping pushing my trailing leg out more so it was parallel with my right foot i got into a rut in the ice and sent me on my ass. Thank god for wearing full padding..Best fun i have had playing sports in years.

Same here with our league, if your skating circles around us you will be asked to leave as well. Just glad this was not the case at all. Also, I remember reading this on here but, if were not falling then we aren't trying hard enough! :D

[Stoop 1]

Good to hear. I'm hoping mine is ringer-free also.

My worst pain so far while learning came by working on backwards skating without gear, and falling right on my tailbone. Pain stuck around in my lower back for a while.

Now I don't do that.

[Bimmer 0]

Started mine last night as well. Fully enjoyed it. Took an off ice lesson today to better understand some of the aspects of game play so I can particpate in some of the pick up games for folks in my division.Enjoyed it so much I wish they had the clinic 2 nights week just so I could get more ice time with other beginners and not stick out so much when I play pick up.

[twolinepass 0]

The thing I love about the lower leagues is when a player picks up the sport super fast and they have the skills of someone playing their whole life and rule the league.

[Stoop 1]

Great, I'd love to keep track of everyone's experiences here.

What was the "off ice" lesson about? Positioning/rules/line shifts?

[Vulcan7905 88]

I will say, Thursday I didn't feel the fall or think it was bad at all.

Friday - Pinched Neck Nerve and of course my side hurts.

Saturday - Now just my side hurts lol

It def takes a day or two after falling to realize, OUCH. I just wish I could teach my mind to tell my body to not tense up before falling.

[CaptainFantastik 0]

That's awesome guys. Enjoy the journey. Warning: once you're hooked you cannot escape it. You're in it for life and it will always call you back after periods of hiatus (we all have them from time to time for whatever reason).

[Vulcan7905 88]

I hear ya Captain. I'm coming back after a 15 year hiatus and it feels so good.

[Bimmer 0]

I asked my instructor for some off ice lessons on positioning (like where to line up for face offs (don't laugh) and typical zone offense/degense strategies) I could get used to in the pick up games to get prepared for the fall season..She actually said she was very impressed with my motivation to learn how to play the game in theory off ice as well as on ice and wishes more people would do it instead of just showing up and hoping to figure it out..My instructor is very good, and patient..and even though I played hockey as a kid I had forgotten alot..

[Stoop 1]

I asked my instructor for some off ice lessons on positioning (like where to line up for face offs (don't laugh) and typical zone offense/degense strategies) I could get used to in the pick up games to get prepared for the fall season..She actually said she was very impressed with my motivation to learn how to play the game in theory off ice as well as on ice and wishes more people would do it instead of just showing up and hoping to figure it out..My instructor is very good, and patient..and even though I played hockey as a kid I had forgotten alot..

The toughest question I have is how deep to go on defense as a forward. Do I go as deep as the defender on my side (i.e. stay out at the blueline if he does the same)? Or get involved in the middle near my own net? I don't want to cherrypick, but I want to be available to for the outlet as well.

[Chadd 916]

The toughest question I have is how deep to go on defense as a forward. Do I go as deep as the defender on my side (i.e. stay out at the blueline if he does the same)? Or get involved in the middle near my own net? I don't want to cherrypick, but I want to be available to for the outlet as well.

You'll get a hundred different answers for that one and they're all as right as they are wrong. It's something you learn with experience and will vary from one situation to the next.

[W.Heinle 0]

Here is a pretty good video on defensive positioning as a guildeline:

[Stoop 1]

Finally had my first real game last night. I had played in a crappy intramural season with shooting tutors rather than goalies, but this was my first real organized game, with goalies and refs.

Even though its the bottom level adult league (of course), I'm one of the greener (ahem, worst) players on the team. But my teammates kept us newbies involved. One of them fed me nicely going across the center line early in the game, and suddenly I had the puck on the left wing, teammate coming down the center, and just one D-man between us. I swear I originally was going to pass, but the D stayed between myself and my teammate (right move?). So just me and the goalie, and I shot it about a foot of the ice and it somehow stumbled through his legs. 1-0. More than a little lucky, but I didn't care. I thought about hanging up my gear right there with a career shooting percentage of 100.

We scored a handful more and the game wasn't close. But I loved every minute. I still have a ton of things to work on (everything, but particularly receiving passes and takeaways). And I can't believe I have to wait another week to play.

And thanks again for all the tips here guys, it's been very helpful.

[wrangler 157]

Sounds like you made the right decision keeping the puck. Open shot, not risking a bad or blocked pass. Best of all, you're having fun.

[Race4LastPlace 31]

Nice article in this months USAHockey magazine about the adult beginner league here. Good read about a good program that got me started in hockey.

Louisville adult hockey grows through ‘Never Ever’ program

[fatwabbit 93]

Having fun is the best... good job with getting your first goal, more to come.

[Vulcan7905 88]

First official game was tonight. It was awesome. Almost had a goal as well. Listened to my body and it worked out well. Our team won 2-1 and I got ripped off of a break away. We had one ref and he didn't see the slashing on my gloves. Got hit real hard on my one hnd and had to let the puck go and go to the bench and put my water bottle on it. Besides that, just amazing and fun. Glad I got back into the game after a 13 year hiatus.

[CaptainFantastik 0]

Good to hear. Just be loose out there and have fun. The refs will miss calls sometimes, they can't see everything that goes on.