Learn-to-Skate kids that want to play hockey....

[Skate@Delaware]

I have some kids that are learning to skate that will be switching over to hockey as soon as they pass through some more levels...that being said, I want to incorporate some hockey moves into their curriculum.

I know a few things (um from watching hockey since I was little) and I am going to ask for some instruction from a hockey dad. I want to cover Hockey 1 in the USFSA book.

Any other ideas? These are nice kids and I don't want them tossed into the mix without some basic hockey skills. We have some leeway in our teaching as long as we also cover the basics.

[slusher]

Most of my learn to skate kids will play hockey. About one out of 20 will continue in figureskating, ie take private lessons, learn a dance test maybe go to a competition. All of them at some time or another will fool around on ice somewhere with a stick in their hand. It's Canada, what can I say :lol:

I concentrate on a few things. #1 Being able to stop both ways. I don't care that they're sharp hockey stops, a sliding sideways snowplow is okay but they've got to do both sides.

Then, being able to turn both directions.

If we get into sticks, and my club doesn't do sticks on their learn to skate (that would be powerskating), then they have to be able to forehand and backhand. They're not allowed to stop and skate around to the side of the puck that they like. No pucks actually, that requires full equipment, so it's imaginary. We're actually not allowed to say "hockey" or "figure skating" in our learn to skate, it's all "skating".

Fast back skating - fast bubble, fast xcuts and then back snowplow stop.

Fast bubbles in or skating to the centre, sideways stop, fast back bubbles or wiggles out of the circle. Repeat endlessly. Stand in the middle and dare them to snow you.

Fast starts, fast sideways starts (a crosscut basically).

Keep your head up. Doing backwards red light green light is fun, use a sign and they have to watch the sign, don't yell out the change.

I teach different things in learn to skate than the hockey coaches teach in their skating drills. Hockey practice is boring crosscut drills around a circle, suicides, belly slides (okay they're fun) and Z-drill, back and forth on the blue lines and stop at the wall.

I find it funny because in an actual hockey game, no one does crosscuts around a circle, snows the wall, or stops on all the blue lines. Kids that don't skate well, put the puck on the stick and some of them will score every goal for the team and you wonder how they stand up. Although, kids that have figure skated are standing by the net waiting for the rebound. ;)

I really need to take the CanPower course but my hockey skating ability is miles behind my figure skating.

[Skate@Delaware]

thanks for the suggestions! We don't get to use sticks/pucks during lessons, that comes with hockey lessons. I will incorporate the games, the boys will love that as they are such high energy!

[kayskate]

I have taught some hockey classes as a sub. I am not a hockey skater and am wearing fig skates. However, these kids need to learn to skate w power. Encourage them to skate fast (chase them!). Have them make sharp 2-foot turns at the wall. I agree w the hockey stop suggestions you have already rec'd. Have them cut in and out b/w cones. This can be done as slalom or edges. Hockey players tend to do inside edges and drag the toe picks from what I have observed at hockey practices. They also should learn to jump. The hockey coach has them jump over a stick. He also has them do half and full rotations taking off and landing on 2 feet. He also does 1-foot jumps. These look like the hops taught in LtS, except they are over the stick. If you can't use sticks, draw on the ice. If you can't draw on the ice, use the blue line. Quick mohawks in all directions: CW, CCW forward to back and back to forward. I also have them do quick choppy xovers, back and forward.

When I teach hockey, my goal is to give them a good workout and make them sweat.

Kay

[Skate@Delaware]

These are more good suggestions! These boys are Basic 3/4 and I've been told that since they will be going to hockey...I might have them for the Hockey 1/2 then they are done.

I will do the races and the jumping with them-they will like that a lot! So far, they like to skate fast and spin.....and fall down and slide (um, Miss Terry does NOT do that!)

[CanAmSk8ter]

This might be a bit beyond their level, but you could try back c-cuts (alternating back swizzles, one foot swizzling and then the other). Getting the hang of alternating feet is hard when they're young and/or beginners, but they need to be able to do it, especially if they're going to play defense. If they can't do them alternating, more practice on back swizzles is probably the next best thing.

One-foot snowplow stops are a good intermediate step if they can't quite do hockey stops yet. Like someone else said, they need to be able to do it on both sides. Same with the skid turns (basically a hockey stop where they continue skidding until they're facing the other way.

Two things to emphasize with them in all of their skating: HEAD UP at all times, and feet together between pushes. You can't get speed starting with your feet apart any more than a figure skater can get speed from stroking by bringing her feet shoulder-width apart between pushes.

The Laura Stamm Power Skating book is really good as far as explaining the mechanics of good skating for hockey.