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Hockey Parenting Made Simple

Re: Hockey Parenting Made Simple

Well, to add on ... I have been director of hockey for our "house" 5-8 yr olds for 12+ years (ushockey - working on 30 as I just signed up for another year on the board). I have also in that time coached travel teams from Mites to Midgets (going to Nationals this year) for that same time period.

So this season after the first skating session we had a 5 yr old leave a NikeBauer One95 Composite stick at the rink. Just shook my head - a five year old house league player using a top of the line composite stick. What have I done wrong in educating parents?

lewsp1 - keep reading the books - hockey practice is great for that. What we, as coaches, are doing on the ice is really not that interesting. Although, my son plays HS hockey here, and a freshman parent attends and watches every single practice - please, let your child stand on his own two feet.

And lewsp1 - knowing you are here in New England - when it comes time for skates we have found that the annual Pure Hockey sale in Marlborough, MA is the best deal on skates. We have saved hundreds. Worth checking out.
 
Re: Hockey Parenting Made Simple

Hockey practice is either catch up on the book or social hour. I have never made a comment to a coach after one (stupid to do so) and rarely have anything to say to my kid other than did you have fun. When Lil was small it helped to decipher what the hell he was talking about if I had actually seen it.

In keeping with that- I have found my new niche- I stand where the glass is cleanest with my camera. I may not get to know people as well as if I was in the stands but it keeps me completely ignorant of the politics which is priceless. People make fun of me regularly but then in the next breath want to know when they can see pics of their kids.:rolleyes: My plan is to give each kid a disc of pics from the year.

Thanks for the Pure Hockey tip.
 
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Re: Hockey Parenting Made Simple

CarlS said:
So this season after the first skating session we had a 5 yr old leave a NikeBauer One95 Composite stick at the rink. Just shook my head - a five year old house league player using a top of the line composite stick. What have I done wrong in educating parents?
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You mean the average 5 year old in your house league doesn't have the upper body strength to maximize the effect on their slap and snap shots from the added flex and torque of a state of the art composite stick? What wimps! ;)
 
Re: Hockey Parenting Made Simple

D2D said:
I know EXACTLY what you are talking about. Yell "ice it" on the penalty kill when NO one is around you or in front of you and you can kill a lot more time and/or even create a short-handed opportunity by just skating it up? Yell "shoot" at soon as your player gets the puck on her stick, even when a teammate is wide open and in a much better position to score than she is? Tell the D to "step up" even when the opposing player has speed and will go right around her, in alone on your goalie, unless your D gets lucky with a pokecheck?

Been there - seen it - heard it all, many times over the years! :(
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The only time I yell (to shoot ) from the stands is if there is less than 5 seconds left in the period and our team has control of the puck in the neutral or offensive zone. People always turn to me when I do that as I'm normally quiet. At U14 and up in Tier 1, players should be aware how much time is left on the clock. You'd be surprised how many are not.

Other than than that, sit back and enjoy the game.
 
Re: Hockey Parenting Made Simple

I have a parenting question...being new to the recruiting process...my instinct is to stand back and let my kid handle the initial overtures and emails and wait until she or "they" want my input. Am I naive?
 
Re: Hockey Parenting Made Simple

IceisNice - yeah, our kids are wimps. I've got to get them on an off-season conditioning program :D

I actually had a parent several years ago ask me what their kid should do in the offseason to get ready for hockey - he's six what do you think a six year old should do?
 
Re: Hockey Parenting Made Simple

CarlS said:
IceisNice - yeah, our kids are wimps. I've got to get them on an off-season conditioning program :D

I actually had a parent several years ago ask me what their kid should do in the offseason to get ready for hockey - he's six what do you think a six year old should do?
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Hmmm...Let them go play in the sand on the beach and have him/her kick around a soccerball on the grassy field.

P.S....Our kids did not even start playing hockey until they were 7 to 9 years old.
 
Re: Hockey Parenting Made Simple

2inNet said:
I have a parenting question...being new to the recruiting process...my instinct is to stand back and let my kid handle the initial overtures and emails and wait until she or "they" want my input. Am I naive?
Click to expand...

Best thing you can do for her is to let her handle it, and answer/find the answers to the questions she might have.

I know of several instances where the parents totally turned off the coach/es. Be supportive, but be unobtrusive.
 
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