How did you start hockey?

[bulletproof_funk 0]

I started playing hockey around age 23/24, later than alot of people on this board and also amongst the people I play with. I got into hockey because I wanted to challenge myself, a broadening one's horizons thing. Before this, I hadn't played team sports much when growing up. Hockey seemed to be tough in that you need to skate well with a stick and puck, and also need team play skills and vision/creativity. I found out I wasn't too bad of a skater for starting late (age 20), and hockey seemed more fun than taking up speed skating, so I gave it a try.

I had tried shinny/pond hockey a few times a year or two after I learned how to skate, and I found it pretty tough. I remember playing outdoors with some classmates a few times back then, but we all really sucked. Even against 10-12 year olds, we got schooled at the outdoor rinks. I wasn't about to give up though, and it seemed like a good challenge, so I was determined to get better. When I finished school and started working full time, I signed up for as much ice time as I could playing pickup and adult clinics, and all that has really helped alot.

It's been like 6 years or so later and I'm still at it, which I think is a good sign. I've come a long way, but I feel I can still get better. It's that stubborn side of me that in part keeps me playing, but mainly because it's fun.

[LkptTiger 1]

Started playing when I was 5 years old and got an old pair of Bauer skates at a garage sale down the street. I skated with a Novice program for a few weeks then made the Depew Saints Mite travel team when they needed a replacement for a player who had been kicked off for going ape-shit on a teammate. Been playing non-stop for the last 11 years, and will quit the game when the undertaker peels my stick from my dead hands...

[EBondo 232]

I have been playing roller hockey for about 8 years now, but not much competivitely, then went public skating with some friends when I was 10, and I loved it, I was pretty good too, being I played a lot fo rollerhockey, I could skate backwards and stuff, but not stop......To make a long story short, I signed up for in-house leagues at Squirt level, played in-house up to this year, then ditched that for travel and now I am playing Bantam A, and I love it soooooo much. I wish I coulda started around 5 years old, but oh well, it's better late than starting never.

These are some great stories guys, keep it up

[nazer 0]

I had grown up around hockey because both my brothers played it so at the age of six i got to play also.

[HackeyNoob 0]

Started playing basic street hockey when I was about 8. We got our first pair of rollerblades and someone had bought us a few sticks for christmas. I loved playing and joined our outdoor rec league for a few years. Good times. About 4 years later the city decided to build a icerink and indoor sportcourt. Played 1 year of indoor but the league was pretty much fizzled out. They turned our roller rink into a soccer field/gym and that was the end of that. Played ice for 2 years which was interesting but we never had enough people for any sort of league. Quit due to poor program and steep costs. Took a 2 year break because there was nothing else to do. Found out about another indoor rink from a friend and never looked back. It's like a half hour drive but I try to go 3-4 times a week to practice! I'm still learning but damn i love this game.

[seanmccann 3]

When I was <5 I hated hockey because hockey always reminded me of the damn Leafs on CBC HNIC; boring. I went to a real game; the Oilers and Canucks and loved hockey ever since.

[JR Boucicaut 3786]

My first encounter with a hockey stick was when I was 5. My next-door neighbor had an old CCM stick. Messed around with it at his house, played for about a year after that. I moved to Dominican Republic when I was 7, then when I came back 7 years later I got a pair of inlines. My mom bought them in October, for Christmas - every day I'd go and take them out of the box, skate in them, go home before she got home and put them back in the box. When Christmas came around and I unwrapped them, they were already shredded to death!

[seanmccann 3]

My first encounter with a hockey stick was when I was 5. My next-door neighbor had an old CCM stick. Messed around with it at his house, played for about a year after that. I moved to Dominican Republic when I was 7, then when I came back 7 years later I got a pair of inlines. My mom bought them in October, for Christmas - every day I'd go and take them out of the box, skate in them, go home before she got home and put them back in the box. When Christmas came around and I unwrapped them, they were already shredded to death!

lol, sounds like something i'd would do with a Christmas present bought early.

[Dangles 0]

Been playing since I was 6 and I guess I wanted to join since my older brother played and I thought it was something that I'd like to do.

[ponty 0]

Real short answer.

1980 Olympics. Hell anyone would have started after that.

Yes I was REAL YOUNG!

[Neo5370 132]

I was the quintessential bookworm geek (Bye Bye Brown Univ. haha), but one of my friends (back in grade school) was a natural athlete and got me out of the house for once.

However I didn't take much to the other sports as much as street hockey. I thought skating and stickhandling was so much fun.

I asked for my first street hockey stick when I was in 6th or 7th grade.

A good old fashioned Franklin Street Lightning w/ a purple screw on plastic blade. I loved it to death. :D :D :D

[Reaper 0]

When I was a kid (about 9) I played some driveway hockey but didn't really get into it as the Canadian west coast isn't exactly a hockey hotbed. Baseball and soccer are popular there.

When I was in university I played a bunch of intermural ball hockey and became a huge hockey fan. I moved to Calgary in 1996 where I got a chance to see my favourite team live and in person on a semi regular basis.

In 2002 I began to dabble with ice skating. I sucked at it and I still do to some extent.

This fall I registered in Hockey North America's beginner program and love getting on the ice to play. On Monday night, at the age of 31, I played my first official game with my team and I love it even though I probably couldn't crack the roster made up of pylons and a shooter-tutor.

I am going to stick with it, try to take a powerskating class and get better conditioned to play for one reason.

I love hockey. :D

[Neo5370 132]

When I was a kid (about 9) I played some driveway hockey but didn't really get into it as the Canadian west coast isn't exactly a hockey hotbed.  Baseball and soccer are popular there.

When I was in university I played a bunch of intermural ball hockey and became a huge hockey fan.  I moved to Calgary in 1996 where I got a chance to see my favourite team live and in person on a semi regular basis.

In 2002 I began to dabble with ice skating.  I sucked at it and I still do to some extent.

This fall I registered in Hockey North America's beginner program and love getting on the ice to play.  On Monday night, at the age of 31, I played my first official game with my team and I love it even though I probably couldn't crack the roster made up of pylons and a shooter-tutor.

I am going to stick with it, try to take a powerskating class and get better conditioned to play for one reason.

I love hockey.  :D

That's awesome reaper.

This sport needs more enthusuasts like you.

If I may make some suggestions, if you have a spare 15 or so bucks, do yourself a favor and grab a copy of Laura Stamm's power skating.

Digest the material in small chunks and try some of the beginner drills. But more importantly pay attention to the explanation of techniques in the beginning of each chapter.

Also, I looked into power skating coaches myself and some can charge through the nose while others are willing to give free lessons if you happen to be at the rink when they are already teaching, particularly at open skate ('round here at least)

I found a neat way to pick up some great great tips is to just talk to some of the figure skaters at open skate.

A lot of times they are more than willing to help you out. Also a cheesy way to talk to the cute ones

[Accord 0]

I started around 1990 when I was only 5 or 6 years old living in Buffalo. The parents of my best friend had Sabres season tickets and we'd always buy like half the tickets for the season from them and I was hooked ever since I went to my first Sabres game. After my first Sabres game, my mom signed me up in a squirts house league at Amherst Hockey and the rest is history.

Which brings me to another point, it's a real shame that the NHL isn't playing, I can only imagine all the little kids that are in the same position right now that I was 15 years ago that will end up playing another sport as opposed to hockey because they were never inspired by going to a live NHL game or something.

[MaverickFBI 0]

I live in Europe (Belgium) so hockey was absolutely unknown 15 years ago :(

So at the age of 13 I started... judo.

I got my black belt at 18 !

Then it was time to move to go to the university.

So I moved from nowhereland to the biggest city of our country : 1.000.000 people

Dont laugh !!!

Aaaaand at 20 I discovered roller skating !!! yeah !!!

In Brussels (the big city, u remind ?) we have a nice woody park call "Camber Wood" where the roller craze really exploded.

Suddently there were 200 people skating every sunday.

And then I discovered Roller Hockey : I joined 4-5 people playing street hockey. I was 22

We "played" every weekend. And then we met an other group of guys playing street hockey too. Funny enough, they were as baaad as we were :D :lol:

The rivalry and the legend started : it was THEM vs US every weekend for 3 years.

Other people joined our teams : among them some old ice hockey player...they ruled us!!!

It gave me the urge to play "organized hockey"

After some research I was stunned to learn that a league was born in Belgium. What was I doing during all those years !!!!! :o

I was about 27 when I joined my first team : The Fireballs Brussels Inline - FBI

I pretty sucked back then... It took me a lot of training sessions to become a decent defenseman.

Luckily my size and weight (6'3'' for190 lbs) helped me on this : my poor teammates told me 100 times that I was going to injure someone someday :P

Always loved the physical aspect of hockey though B)

Awkward and involuntary physical aspect back then !!! :lol: :lol:

I still play for this club : it's one of the best of our country anyway : half of the national team's players come from our club !!! :)

I'm 31 and Hockey is all my life now.

[Kovy_Ribs_Fedo 3]

I started when I was 6, my father was making an outside rink behind our house. We were making games with my friends and my brother. My father always like the Russian style of hockey and taught me a lot of skills that Europeens tend to devellop. I've always like hockey but really felt in love with the sport at 16. Sure, during all the seasons, it was not always a bed of roses for me, but so many great memories.

So I'm anxious to be back on ice tomorrow and after tommorow. ;)

[biff44 0]

At 17 at college in upstate NY. Fraternity had 3 teams, and it was something to do between beer, chasing women, and studying. That was old school hockey, no facemasks, pads were pretty thin, top of the line bauers were $40 at Kmart, and half of our games were at an outdoor rink at 10 to -10 F. It was great.

[hitz14 0]

started at 5 years old in intro mites, first time on the ice i only had to use the chair for 5 min. played mite house travl after that then on travel teams since now which is a bantam major 1990 team that travels around New England.

[hockey_player_11 0]

I started skating at around age 3. Then, after watching Wendel Clark play, I decided I needed to play hockey. So I started playing at age 6 in the local house league.

[Eagles39 0]

I had my choice of karate or hockey. Needless to say I chose hockey.

[Chiefs18 0]

Like Reaper, I started skating at the tender age of 34.

My son took an interest in hockey as a 3 yr. old, when he was 4 and had worn down his Fisher Price plastic hockey sticks we went to sign him up for Learn to Skate. I saw they had an adult program as well. Since I could barely get around the ice during a public skate I decided to give skating a shot. One thing led to another and after realizing that I really enjoyed skating I found myself in an adult Learn to Play class.

Now I skate 3 times a week, my son's there twice. I need an apartment at the rink.

[ghoh 0]

I recently started at the age of 35. I have a very supportive wife who loves hockey as much as I do but neither of us had ever played. I decided to take some skating lessons and moved on to Learn to Play as well as doing stick and pucks. I know I'm making progress on a weekly basis and usually can get about 4-5 hours a week on the ice.

At 35 it is an escape for me and takes my mind off the office grind. Its nice to be able to do something that I enjoy without the pressure - other than what is self-imposed in wanting to improve. Great exercise and has given me a great appreciation for those who are able to play at a high level.

[notorious#29 0]

I started when I was 5. And got searious around 10 when I realized I sucked at everything else.

[awall 0]

I'm getting started because of a girl...

There is this girl in our office who plays hockey in one of the local I-leagues with her boyfriend. I spent all last year hearing how much fun they were having and what not. I had been to a Stars game a few years ago and thought it looked like a lot of fun so I had that bug and hearing her talk about how much fun it was just kinda got me really interested (in the game, not the girl). Anyway I skated quite a bit when I was young (way before in-line was invented) and had been on the ice a few times so I knew I needed to take a class or two before I took the plunge. My local rink has a series of classes that I have started taking and if all goes as planned I will be playing by summer.

[forsberg91 0]

I played soccer for like 1 year, and I got a soccer net/hockey net thingy for Christmas. I picked up the hockey stick that came with it, started shooting with a ball, and I was hooked. I did a Learn To Skate class, and after the class, they had a rec hockey game. I sat and watched it for like 2 hours, and begged my parents to let me play. I started competitive hockey and loved it. Every since that, I didn't care about any other sport but hockey.