How did you find your position.

[hockeymass 11]

I suck at playing on the blue line and I suck at faceoffs. Wing was the only choice left.

[IPv6Freely 2092]

I *LOVE* taking face-offs but I can't skate well enough to play center. Going out on a PK is one of my favourite parts of a game since I get to take faceoffs :)

[Hooah4 12]

I was the only guy in the learn to play program that could skate backward. I was immediately made a defenseman.

[vectoranalysisgo 3]

I think as a kid it's easier to just 'play everything' but when you start playing as an adult you run into more situations where people expect you to choose, or at least to play a certain way. I'd still definitely echo all the good advice here, especially about making yourself just play every position and as you start to notice some tendencies, some situations that make you more uncomfortable than others, push yourself to play even harder in those circumstances to get more comfortable with it.

I started a few years ago at age 26 and since I had never been coached, I found it tough, except in pickups where-let's face it- people aren't necessarily really playing good positional hockey all the time anyway, to get a good variety- people tended to want to put the new/beginner players at wing (for reasons stated) or sometimes on D for the perception that D requires less skating and is where players go when they get tired (which drives me nuts).

Anyway, I ended up becoming more and more comfortable with D as I noticed that I liked those 1 on 1 and 2 on 1 challenges, rather than stressing me out as they seemed for my teammates, they were fun for me- and I realized a lot of good defensive play 'makes sense' to me intuitively. There's not a lot of glory in being a defensive defenseman, but if that's my lot in life and I'm good at it, so be it. You'll find a similar feeling about certain kinds of hockey situations- they'll start to happen over and over and some you'll dread and some you'll live for- and as that happens, if you start to take notice of them, eventually a 'preferred position' will shake out of it.

In the mean time I'd definitely follow everyone's advice to keep playing as many roles as you can while you learn- but I think from there you can narrow it down so in a year or two or three, when people expect you to play a single position on an organized team, you can know your own strengths and weaknesses and contribute accordingly.

[lastdeadmouse 0]

I was once a centerman/wing. Took about a 10 year hiatus. When I started playing again, I jumped on a house team of questionable quality. Being one of only a couple people who could skate backwards, I became a dman by default.

[Stewie 721]

how i found my position?

"john, go play right wing"

that was it first off. but after a while my coaches learned they could plug me in anywhere, except i wasnt much of a center. Nowadays i even dabble in that a little, but due to my play style LW and D are my prefered spots.

[LoneStar77 25]

I started playing forward/wing in roller hockey (4 on 4) so when I made the switch to ice, I decided to stick with wing (either side, but I usually ended up on the left because my linemates tended to prefer right wing & I had no preference). Then on my current team after a handful of games the team coordinator moved me to center, which I loved (even if I wasn't the best faceoff man). We have a new team coordinator this season (same squad) & he moved the better skaters back to defense. I now play right defense more than anything else & I have grown to love being back there. We also gave up less breakaways & goals this season too so that is another bonus.

[MC917 2]

When I was really young, I played center. I always felt bitter about losing and I still hate it to this very day. But anyways, because I didn't want to lose, I wouldn't trust anyone else to play defense so I was always the first one back. The coaches saw this and made me a defenseman. I have no regrets and I absolutely love it!

[shaundizzle15 2]

Started skating in a rental with all family from 8-12 and just wandered around started organized roller hockey around 14 and played wing as for my youth teams and a hybrid defenseman with my men's league team. With the men's league team I was basically a center even though we played 4 on 4. When I finally got back into ice at 21 center has always suited me well, but, I'm comfortable pretty much everywhere. As with most of the other's try out as many as you can at rentals and pick up and study players who do know what their doing and your hockey iq will increase. Positional skill makes up for a lot of other deficiencies.

[Iceraider53 1]

I was the only guy in the learn to play program that could skate backward. I was immediately made a defenseman.

On the upside at least that makes sense. I've reffed a lot of beginner beer league games where the philosophy seems to be to put the weakest skaters on defense. Which is exactly where they can do the most damage.

So I just started getting into playing hockey, still doing stick and puck to get used to handling the puck and getting more comfortable skating. I'm 30 and never played organized hockey so my question to everyone is how did you end up playing the position you do now? I know I don't have a very strong shot, and I feel like I am a pass first type of person, which I think would kind of direct me towards center, but I don't have that hockey sense/flow of the game intelligence yet. So I'm thinking either defense or a wing? I'm comfortable skating backwards and changing direction from forwards to backwards and vice versa. Is it something that I should just try playing a couple positions in a C/D league and see what feels best to me? Thanks for any input!

I'd just have different guys take turns at different positions each game. When you're playing beer league you no longer have to worry about playing the position that best suits you to increase your chances of making it to the next level. Might as well keep things interesting and it's fun to try out different positions. Also, I think you'll find in beer league hockey at any level when you stick people on defense constantly they're going to get frustrated having fewer opportunities to put one on the score sheet. That'll cause morale issues and it's just not any fun.

[Hooah4 12]

On the upside at least that makes sense. I've reffed a lot of beginner beer league games where the philosophy seems to be to put the weakest skaters on defense. Which is exactly where they can do the most damage.

It beats asking "who wants to play D" and it's utter silence. I know I'm usually guaranteed a spot

I'd just have different guys take turns at different positions each game. When you're playing beer league you no longer have to worry about playing the position that best suits you to increase your chances of making it to the next level. Might as well keep things interesting and it's fun to try out different positions. Also, I think you'll find in beer league hockey at any level when you stick people on defense constantly they're going to get frustrated having fewer opportunities to put one on the score sheet. That'll cause morale issues and it's just not any fun.

I agree on changing it up as it should make players appreciate and learn what the other guys on the team should be responsible. Nothing beats watching that guy spin around the neutral zone cherry picking

[nikkatnight 4]

I played a lot of street hockey growing up but never really learned how to ice skate. Because of that, when I started ice hockey I was put on wing. Stayed there because I have a good wrist shot and good stickhandling skills, but now I'll also play center.

[Scoobersti 0]

I played D during most of my youth hockey days (played wing my first season and also played wing for 1/3rd of a season few years after that). When I started playing in the beer leagues my team let me try playing wing few times, but I decided to stick with playing D because I felt more comfortable and I enjoyed it more than playign wing.

I think what the others have said about trying out all of the positions is good. I think you will eventually figure out which position is more comfortable/enjoyable for you.

[Cosmic 178]

I was put on wing just because it was the easiest position to hide my lack of abilities.

Ditto

[907amiller 0]

When I started playing I tried everything, but didn't really have a preference for any position. When I hit my third year and started playing for a travel team, I started playing center. I really liked taking face-offs and I was always pretty good at them. I was mainly put at center because I was always pretty defensively responsible and I skated hard my whole shift, getting around to the whole ice. From there my play kind of adapted to the center position, I became a pass-first player. <br /><br />Now years later, and after a 5 year break from hockey I played left wing on my beer league team because we had enough centers but it didn't feel quite right. Over the course of the season I became more comfortable but I will always be a center. Towards the end of the season I played some center and it was awesome. I hope next season I get to play more center than I did this last season.

[Iron Mike 1]

As suggested throughout, I recommend focusing on a position that plays to your strengths and don't depend on things your are not skilled in. It will allow you develop your play style and your strengths. There are roles and responsibilities common to all positions, so you won't get stuck in this position -- moving the puck well, forcing turnovers, etc.

I am good setting up plays and reading players. While I know how to read an offenseman, my skating is sloppy so I can get burned. So, I try to play center or wing so that I can create opportunities in the opposition's end. My stamina is low so I have to make sure not to get to deep in their end however, otherwise I can't contribute in the neutral zone or on defense until late.

For developing players such as myself, it's really difficult to know where you have the most potential because you have so many fundamentals to develop. Once you gain those fundamentals, and thus reduce your weaknesses, you can take full advantage of your strengths and that may be put you somewhere you did not anticipate.

[Meals 2]

Not good enough at backwards skating for defense as a kid, and no one wanted. Left wing on the line.

[bradd94 5]

Depending on handedness really.

If you are right handed, play C/RW/RD
If you are left handed play C/LW/LD

If you have alot of money or are crazy, play goalie. Each position needs to know how to skate backwards, but defenseman use crossovers more than forwards who can backcheck and then attack as the opponent enters the blueline.

[Chadd 916]

Depending on handedness really.

If you are right handed, play C/RW/RD

If you are left handed play C/LW/LD

Not true at all. Again, please stop passing off your preferences as if they were undisputed facts.

[hardflip177 1]

Just started roller about 3 months ago. Got put at defense because everyone wants the glory of scoring. Let me say, it is rough to learn the sport at defense. You gotta learn to skate quick and all of your mistakes are magnified playing back. A forward misses a pass or loses a puck battle, no biggie. D man lets one go, there's automatically a mismatch.

Just play and have fun with it. It'll come evident where you should be after a while.