Thread: Learning To Play Hockey At 37 Blog - Inspired by seabass45

Nice I missed this thread when it first got posted. Good luck and hope to see you at an LGK pickup someday if I can ever get back down there for one.

Keep your head up and two hands on your stick! Good Luck!

let me know when you want to go out! i skate at iceoplex esco once a week!

Originally Posted by P. Diddy

let me know when you want to go out! i skate at iceoplex esco once a week!

I'm going to the open skate at SD Ice at 1pm tomorrow with a friend. Come on down if you're not busy!

Learning To Play Hockey At 37: First Skate. First Injury.

No biggie. Just a scratch and a bruise. Full story in the blog post above.

You'll progress faster if you put on all your pads and helmet during a freeskate and just go for it. Most people will get out of your way. Falling down is usually a good thing at the beginning. Don't be afraid to go to the middle and invade on the figure skaters space, they're probably good enough to skate around you with not much problem.

I have gloves and a helmet with a shield/cage combo, but I haven't bought the rest of my pads yet. Still recovering financially from buying SCF tickets and my quarter season tickets for next year. I should be able to get the rest of my gear in another pay check or two.

Figure skaters where everywhere. All four corners. In the middle. It was pretty chaotic. I was dodging them far more often than they had to dodge me.

My next step is to start a beginner/intermediate hockey skating class on Tues nights.

Originally Posted by RoyalSubject

I have gloves and a helmet with a shield/cage combo, but I haven't bought the rest of my pads yet. Still recovering financially from buying SCF tickets and my quarter season tickets for next year. I should be able to get the rest of my gear in another pay check or two.

Figure skaters where everywhere. All four corners. In the middle. It was pretty chaotic. I was dodging them far more often than they had to dodge me.

My next step is to start a beginner/intermediate hockey skating class on Tues nights.

Go to Harbor Freight or Home Depot and buy 2 sets of flooring knee pads. They will prob run you $2-$3 a pair.
Use those for Temporary knee and elbow pads for free skating. With those, a helmet and gloves, you are pretty
much covered. Just don't fall on your butt, no tail bone protection.

Do all your skating slow and progress from there. Especially for stopping. Make sure your skates are NOT super sharp.
(Remember when you used to skate board and hit a pebble in the road?) A sliding stop will help you learn to stop. much like snow plow
in skiing. Ask for advice from anyone who looks like they know what they are doing.

Stay away from the center of the ice or the figure skaters, they are too much drama. Plus you risk the possibility of a skate in the face.

Good luck and enjoy.

Originally Posted by PTDP

Go to Harbor Freight or Home Depot and buy 2 sets of flooring knee pads. They will prob run you $2-$3 a pair.
Use those for Temporary knee and elbow pads for free skating. With those, a helmet and gloves, you are pretty
much covered. Just don't fall on your butt, no tail bone protection.

Thanks for the awesome suggestion on the knee pads. It should only be a few more weeks before I get my pads though. I've been checking some out and I think I'm going to go with the Bauer Nexus 400 line. They are cheap and comfortable. I might even just take some cash out of my poker bankroll to buy them. I never spend my winnings, so I should probably treat myself to something.

I actually have the tailbone protection part covered. I have a pair Skeletools shorts that I use for snowboarding. I can't count the amount of times I've ended up on my butt, and felt little to no pain.

Originally Posted by PTDP

Do all your skating slow and progress from there. Especially for stopping. Make sure your skates are NOT super sharp. (Remember when you used to skate board and hit a pebble in the road?) A sliding stop will help you learn to stop. much like snow plow in skiing.

Could you elaborate on what you mean here? I definitely don't have the skills I need to play decent hockey yet, but I have no trouble getting around the ice or stopping.

By the way, thanks to everyone for their interest, encouragement, and advice. It is very much appreciated! I look forward to being able to play in an LGK game some day, and hopefully meet some of you in person.