In Canada, many of us are introduced to the game of hockey at a very young age. Whether it is watching our hometown team on Hockey Night in Canada or hitting the ice ourselves for the first time on wobbly skates, hockey is ingrained in our identity as Canadians from as early as we can remember. But what if someone did not have their childhood in Canada or just did not have the benefit of being able to play as a child? Have they missed out on priceless memories growing up? Of course not. Hockey is incredible because you can learn to fall in love with at any age no matter where you are from. Let’s discuss some of the benefits of being introduced to hockey at different ages:
Childhood
For many of us this is the most common time to be introduced to hockey, either through our parents or grandparents or even older siblings or friends. Some of our best memories include playing street hockey with our friends from morning to night with endless amounts of energy and not a care in the world other than ‘last goal wins!’. The benefits of starting hockey when you are a child are numerous including developing teamwork and friendships, as well as much required exercise for developing bodies.
Learning hockey early provides kids with a way to develop physical skills as well like skating, hand-eye coordination, and agility. Organized sports is one of the best ways for children to learn early social skills like leadership as well, and is something they can carry with them in all facets of life beyond the rink. With proper coaching and teaching, children can thrive when they hit the ice at an early age and we know more often than not, NHLers were lacing up their skates before they could tie their own shoes.
But there has to be some cons to this right? Yes, definitely. Starting children out in such an intense sport like hockey can lead to a higher chance of injuries and even improper muscle or joint development. Skating is a difficult task especially for young ones who are still learning to master the art of coordination and balance. We have discussed in previous articles about issues with long-term hockey-related injuries such as hip problems for goalies, so of course, logically speaking the earlier one starts out, the sooner they may see some of these injuries down the road.
Teenager – Young Adult
Hey not everyone is able to start playing hockey right from childhood so let’s talk about those of us who started playing when we were a little bit older. By the time we are teenagers we have mostly developed a foundation of athletic abilities that will help guide our fitness activities in the future. Learning hockey as a teenager or even as a young adult can be a little more challenging than learning the game as a child, since we may already be at the point in our lives where developing a new physical activity and mastering it may either be difficult or just simply not a life priority at the time.
Teenagers may find it a challenge to learn hockey as so many players they would be playing with and against have had such a long head start. Maybe you already know how to skate, and that is definitely more than half the battle. But coordinating skating with stickhandling and developing an overall hockey awareness on the fly is not an easy task. This is not to say it is impossible, but hockey is unique enough of a sport where prior experience in other sports may not even be of much assistance when you are on the ice.
There are still benefits though, as teamwork and social development are never bad skills to work on no matter what age you are. Fitness as teenagers is equally as important, especially at a time in our lives where things like hormones may have us otherwise distracted. A lack of sleep is often an issue with teenagers as well so morning practices can establish a strict schedule that provides more stability in their daily lives.
Adult – Senior
The real late-bloomers to hockey can love the sport just as much as someone who has played since they were a toddler. As we get older fitness and exercise are as important as ever in keeping our cardiovascular and respiratory systems as healthy as they can be. Hockey is a tremendous workout and sure, many of us will feel sore the next day, but just think of it as our bodies telling us we worked hard.
Hockey is a great social event as well. Many of us play in rec-leagues or beer-leagues with friends that we have had since high school or maybe even earlier! There are also adult-only leagues and even leagues specific adults who are beginners: no matter how you feel, you are not the only one who has started playing hockey well past their physical prime. What if you do not have a team of friends to play with? No sweat! Sign up as a single and the league will try their best to match you with a team so the opportunity to meet new friends is always a positive to playing team sports at any age.
By this age, our dreams of making it to the NHL may be over, but many of us love lacing up the skates and hitting the ice regardless of our skill levels. Whether you love playing at a high, competitive level, or you only play to have a post-game beer with your buddies, hockey is a wonderful opportunity to be social while getting some exercise and getting out of the house. To many Canadians, hockey has been a part of our lives from an early age, but whether you are a child dreaming of playing in the NHL or a grownup who has just dreamt of hitting the ice with their friends, there is definitely no wrong time to start loving the game.
