Author Topic: A total noob to Ice Hockey - sore and loving it  (Read 24341 times)

Leif

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Re: A total noob to Ice Hockey - sore and loving it
« Reply #99 on: September 18, 2017, 10:40:21 pm »
You haven't fallen through the ice have you? By the way, I found out today that one lad I see regularly at hockey practice is 70 years old. You wouldn't think it.

AndyinSwindon

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Re: A total noob to Ice Hockey - sore and loving it
« Reply #100 on: September 19, 2017, 03:42:12 pm »
Hi Leif,

Not fallen through the ice...yet!  My work schedule as of late has been far less than hockey friendly though  >:(

I skated at East Kilbride rink for a bit last week - the smoothest ice I've yet had the pleasure to skate on.  Five of us on the ice, including the rink marshall, and in the middle of a shopping centre, so an interesting experience.

I've been working on my backwards skating, 3 turns, and one foot backwards edge glides, but not as vigorously as I'd like.  I'm making slow progress at the moment, my local rink was incredibly busy this weekend, to the point that practising anything was nigh on impossible.  My son and I stayed for about an hour then decided to call it a day each session, as it just wasn't a comfortable environment to do anything other than skate around and around the rink.

On the 'senior' subject, I was chatting to a chap in East Kilbride last week that started skating when he was 65.  Inspiring to see, and nice to find a sport that can be enjoyed for some years to come.

I'm hoping to play again in about 3 weeks time, but I have found that my general skating seems to suffer a little when I haven't played for a while.  As you can probably relate to, skating in the context of a hockey game is nothing like skating on a public session, and I find that my learn to skate lessons are great, but I need the quiet weekday sessions to really push myself and progress.  Trying to practice one foot backwards glides on churned up, busy weekend sessions with young rink rats tearing across the ice in random directions just isn't conducive to development.
Started skating 07.01.17
Currently working through NISA LTS Levels.
Currently wobbling through hockey LTP sessions.

Leif

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Re: A total noob to Ice Hockey - sore and loving it
« Reply #101 on: September 21, 2017, 11:25:59 pm »
Glad to hear you are still pushing on, albeit with limited time. I know what you mean about some public sessions, they can be useless. I daren't do all but basic stuff when it's busy for fear of hurting someone. Our local,rink is good on Tuesday evening, and at weekends after 2pm when it quietens down. Weekdays can be dead too. But at least it keeps the legs and heart moving.  :)

AndyinSwindon

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Re: A total noob to Ice Hockey - sore and loving it
« Reply #102 on: October 11, 2017, 05:01:34 pm »
Well that was hard work!

Last week I returned to the rink after a 6 week absence due to work committments, and boy did it show!

I was stiff, nervous, and not at all useful.  However, a few days of skating, and last night I returned a lot more confident, still not very useful, but I'm working on it.  Was a lot of fun.

Then today I had a 1 on 1 lesson with a local ex-pro player and hockey coach, and it was worth every penny.

Within minutes he had identified areas to improve with my posture, and then we moved on to drills.  We covered stops, pivots, fast starts, strides. and a whole host of other skills that are often either assumed or taken for granted that we have on the LTP sessions.

It was a tough hour, but excellent fun, and I learned a hell of a lot.

I just have lots of homework to do now to practice those skills!
Started skating 07.01.17
Currently working through NISA LTS Levels.
Currently wobbling through hockey LTP sessions.

AndyinSwindon

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Re: A total noob to Ice Hockey - sore and loving it
« Reply #103 on: November 01, 2017, 07:35:37 pm »
Well, after a considerable absence, I thought it was time to update my blog!

I've continued with the LTS lessons over the past few weeks, and am finding my coach, Peter, to be superbly helpful and a fun personality.  Laid back, technical, and good humoured, he's a great chap, and has also stepped 'off topic' once or twice to teach some skills not on the LTS syllabus, which has been greatly appreciated and a lot of fun.  Unfortunately, my heart just hasn't been in it on the public skates, and I've just kind of ambled around, not really 'feeling it'.

Having worked away the last few weeks I hadn't been able to get onto quiet ice to practice, and nor had I been able to attend the adult LTP hockey session until last night.  There were 12 of us, and it was a blast.  I actually felt involved in the game (4 on 4, with 2 rotating on the bench), and the pre-game drills were also a lot of fun.  I felt a lot more confident than I have done for weeks.  Sounds silly, but I tightened my laces whilst standing up, instead of sitting down, and seemed to achieve a much better heel lock, and my skates felt very positive as a result.

I went for a lunchtime skate today, and tried the same thing, and it had exactly the same result.  My feet felt more 'locked in', and I was close to achieving my backwards edges after a little practice.  The fun has started to return!

Onwards, and hopefully, upwards!
Started skating 07.01.17
Currently working through NISA LTS Levels.
Currently wobbling through hockey LTP sessions.

AndyinSwindon

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Re: A total noob to Ice Hockey - sore and loving it
« Reply #104 on: November 07, 2017, 02:59:30 pm »
...a bit of an aside here.

I went for a skate on Sunday afternoon, as opposed to our usual Sunday morning skate, and it was carnage, lots of falls, and lots of new skaters smacking their heads on the ice.

Last week, one of my hockey buddies was having his weekly LTS lesson with his wife, when she went over backwards and hit her head....hard.  This week she was wearing his helmet (as he had managed to break his leg playing football in the interim).

I rarely wear my helmet on the busy weekend sessions as I don't usually extend myself, but always wear it for lessons, quiet weekday sessions (where I tend to practice things beyond my comfort zone), and of course, for hockey.

So I was very surprised when I was asked at the weekend "why do you wear your helmet?.....I had to chuckle when I saw you wearing it in the week".

My response was probably a bit sharp "well.....it's my head to injure, and therefore my head to protect as I see fit.  I always wear it when I am pushing myself, and if you don't think I need it, I could always return it for a refund, along with the rest of my expensive hockey gear?....it would certainly help pay the mortgage for a couple of months, the mortgage that I wouldn't be able to pay if I lost my job through having a head injury".

It amazes me, given how many injuries I've seen recently, that the rink doesn't either make it compulsory, or make people sign an insurance waiver.  They could even make a bit of cash by hiring out helmets.  I have noticed that most people only fall and smack their heads once, and when they return they have a nice shiny helmet (stop sniggering Leif!).

Just a random thought.
Started skating 07.01.17
Currently working through NISA LTS Levels.
Currently wobbling through hockey LTP sessions.

Leif

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Re: A total noob to Ice Hockey - sore and loving it
« Reply #105 on: November 09, 2017, 03:19:17 pm »
I don't laugh at people using a helmet, it's very sensible. But I wouldn't wear my hockey helmet, I have an inline one. That said, I stopped wearing mine a month or two back, as I have not banged my head since getting my new skates. On my previous (much too big) skates I often fell backwards. I definitely need a helmet for hockey. I head butted the boards on one occasion. Ouch. And another time I had a puck in the face. First I knew about it was when I heard a loud clang as it bounced off the full face cage. :o Yikes.

I've only seen one head injury, apart from my own, and that was a woman who knocked herself out when falling. She was back on the ice within a quarter of an hour, not sensible. The steward advised her against it. I saw an Ice Halo at Guildford, one of the figure skaters was wearing it, it looked quite stylish on her, but I don't think it will catch on with male skaters. It looked very girly.

AndyinSwindon

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Re: A total noob to Ice Hockey - sore and loving it
« Reply #106 on: November 16, 2017, 07:23:18 pm »
I spent an hour and a half at the rink with a mate on Tuesday, and with his help and guidance, I was doing backwards crossovers by the end of the session (going CW).  They still need a lot of work, but they were recognisable and 500% better than I could do at the start of the session.
Then to the hockey LTP on Tuesday night, and we spent a little more time practising backwards Xovers in the little 'noob group' that broke off from the others, and with the guidance of the coach, managed to start doing them ACW too.
Funny thing is, I actually felt more comfortable doing backwards crossovers than I do skating backwards normally (in terms of physical fluidity, not confidence).
Rebaked my skates today to try and ease the foot pain I am getting along the outsides of my feet, and have some Bauer speedplates on order, so will see how they perform.
Started skating 07.01.17
Currently working through NISA LTS Levels.
Currently wobbling through hockey LTP sessions.

Leif

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Re: A total noob to Ice Hockey - sore and loving it
« Reply #107 on: November 16, 2017, 07:36:53 pm »
I love my Bauer Speed Plates. They are awesome.

Silopos pads help with pain. I wear one on each foot to avoid lace bite, it's not nice.

AndyinSwindon

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Re: A total noob to Ice Hockey - sore and loving it
« Reply #108 on: December 08, 2017, 06:22:22 am »
In defiance of my employers insistence to keep me working away the last few months (including an instance in which, after working several weeks in Edinburgh, I bought a ticket to watch an Edinburgh Capitals game, only to be sent to Manchester at short notice!), I decided to take my gear up to Manchester this week and join in the learn to play at Altrincham Ice Rink (home of The Manchester Storm).

I thought it'd be interesting to compare how another rink runs its learn to play program.  The Altrincham sessions are 2115hrs-2215hrs on a Wednesday, and so a lot earlier than the Swindon winter sessions (2315hrs-0015hrs).  They also run two sessions.  Wednesdays is for beginners, whilst intermediate players in search of a team play on Sunday evenings.  However, a lot of the intermediate players also play on the Wednesday for the ice time.

The last few weeks in Swindon have been a bit thin on the ground so I have been told (sometimes as few as 8-9 skaters), but Altrincham was buzzing with around 35-40 skaters, of a very wide range of skating ability.  We were split into 6 groups (of about 6) and things soon got confusing with the line changes, and at points nobody really knew whom was supposed to be on the ice.  We didn't do any drills, just a 10 minute free skating warm up, followed by about 45 minutes of scrimmage.

It was a lot of fun, apart from the confusion, but the team divisions would have been easier had it been divided more along the lines of shirt colour.  However, I got plenty of puck time.  I did find that with so many players on the ice it got a bit crowded at times.

However, it'd be unfair to judge it from one evening, and I did get to play after all.  It was a lot of fun, with some friendly fellow skaters.  Despite being a Southerner, I was made to feel welcome, and enjoyed it thoroughly.

Definitely well worth a try if you're in the area.

As a side note, the Bauer speedplates are a miracle.  My skates are still the most comfortable they have ever been.  I even managed some shuffly little fast crossovers the other night.  My weight now feels centred more evenly over the blades, and there is no negative space in my skates at all.  Well worth the money.

Started skating 07.01.17
Currently working through NISA LTS Levels.
Currently wobbling through hockey LTP sessions.

Leif

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Re: A total noob to Ice Hockey - sore and loving it
« Reply #109 on: December 19, 2017, 09:10:29 am »
Hi Andy. We should meet up if you can find time. How's it going? This lark is tough! There is so much to learn.



 

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