YMCA Hockey Frequently Asked Questions
1.What is the required equipment to play roller hockey at the Y?
Each player is required to have a Helmet with a full face cage or shield, a mouth piece, elbow pads, hockey gloves, cup, shin pads, hockey stick, and hockey skates.
2.I don’t want to buy all the stuff for my kid to play only to have them decide that they don’t like the game. Is there equipment available for first time players?
Hockey is the greatest game that God ever gave man and it’s almost inconceivable that any child would not absolutely love this game. We do recognize though that there are some out there with brain damage I mean different tastes and may decide that hockey is not for them. We can supply any beginning player with everything he or she needs to play except for a hockey stick, mouthpiece and skates. We do have several pairs of hockey skates available to loan. If we have your size, you can use them as well.
3.Where can I go to find hockey equipment?
The mouthpiece and cup can be found at any Target or Wall mart. You can sometimes find street hockey sticks there as well. These sticks are fine for young beginning players 5-8 years old.
There are several sources to go to find hockey equipment. Here are a few:
Local:
Play-It-Again Sports-There is one in Daytona and one in Lake Mary that have gear available. The one in Lake Mary has a greater selection.
Sports Authority-The closest stores are in Sanford and Daytona. They carry gear that is very well suited to the younger player that is beginning to play Hockey.
Online Sources:
There are several good online retailers. If you have the time to shop around and compare, you can usually find some really good deals. Here are 8 of the top online retailers right now:
You can also find some real bargains on ebay.
4.My son or daughter hasn’t learned how to skate very well yet, will they spend time actually teaching the basics.
Absolutely…The first 3 weeks of the season is all practice and learning. When games start, we continue to have a practice every week during the season. Our practices stress fundamentals and skill development.
5.When are the practices and the games?
The practices are held every Saturday beginning at 10:00AM for league players,
9:00 AM for instructional players. The games are held on Monday and Friday evenings beginning at 6:00PM. The complete schedule is published at www.delandhockey.com just click on the “calendar”.
6.What are the practices like?
Our practices stress fundamentals and skill development. They are designed to meet the needs of all skill levels of players participating. A typical practice agenda would be:
30 minutes skating technique
20 minutes stick and puck
20 minutes game situation drills
20 minutes power skating
7.I don’t know anything about Hockey and I can’t skate…can I still coach?
Absolutely...If you have Character and are committed to building character in the kids that play…you can coach. Everything else is “details”.
8. What should I expect on opening day?
Complete and Total Chaos!....Just Kidding...Well, not really. It may seem a little unorganized as most opening days are. If you are signing up for the first time and need loaner equipment for the season, there will be a Y staffer on hand to help outfit your son or daughter.
We will be running a regular hockey practice according to the above agenda. Don't worry if you're running late and it doesn't seem like your son or daughter got very much practice time. We will be practicing for 2 weeks before we form teams then for another week before we play the first game.
9. How are the player divisions divided?
The players will be divided into divisions according to age and experience. The general divisions will be:
Instructional age 5 and under
Mite/Squirt age 6-9 and under
PeeWee age 10-12
Bamtam age 13-15
