So You Want To Play Hockey?

Due to the growing participation of women and girls in ice hockey, some might decide they want to play but think it is too late. It is not, I have met some female hockey players who did not get started in the sport until they were grandmothers!

1. If you do not know how to skate, you need to learn skating before you dive head first into a game. This is where you need to google your local rink and call and find out what kind of options you have. Some rinks will not have a learn to skate for hockey. You might end have to take your first skating lessons in a figure skating class.

2. Finding equipment for females can be tricky. Most hockey gear is is designed for boys and men. If you start shopping for your gear during the later part of winter through the spring and off-season, you can get some good deals on last season models. One fortunate part of being a female player is you can get away with wearing junior sized gear which will save some money too. It would be a good idea to find your local pro-shop. You will need skates, shin guards, elbow pads, shoulderpads (some companies make shoulderpads for women but the selection is limited), hockey pants(some companies do make hockey pants fit for women); helmet with full face protection, jersey, hockey gloves, socks, bag, stick (a wood stick is a cheaper option that is ideal for the novice), and sock tape. You will also want a shirt that will wick moisture away for under your shoulder pads and a pair of socks that come up over the skates to wear as well.

3. Google your local rink or rinks in your area to find out what they have for adults who are just starting out in hockey. There are other resources to find games like SportsVite.com and Hockeycommunity.com(think of them as social networks for athletes, not paid to endorse) to find games as well. You could also searching Twitter as well.