Another hockey beginner

[Leif]

Session six last night.

Learnt to fall over without being pushed by a fellow team member. This is all part of learning to stand on my own two feet.

Someone passed the puck to me during the scrimmage. Probably a case of mistaken identity.

Cleared the puck from a scrum by kicking it with my skate. This looks to be a viable alternative to using the stick. Must investigate further.

 

However, this is still great fun, but stick handling is really hard and I need on ice practice with a stick and a puck, and I'm not really getting enough. Onwards and upwards, albeit at a very gentle gradient ... 

[Leif]

Sessions 7 and 8 have passed, still good fun. If you're hesitating, go on, give it a go. 

I decided to opt for monthly membership of the local rink which gives me unlimited access to public sessions for £60 per month, or about £13 per week, which is good value. It doesn't include the hockey session, but the more time on the ice, the better.

I was on the rink last monday afternoon, and a friend observing my forwards crossovers pointed out that I was not bending my knees enough. Knees now bent and my forwards crossovers are much improved. Backwards crossovers ACW are decent, CW are okay (I could probably pass a grading test) but I don't feel at all confident, so lots more work is needed. Backwards hockey stops are now quite solid, forwards CW is okay, but forwards ACW has gone down hill since I bought some insoles to support my arches, clearly they have changed the balance and more work is required.  It's odd that I find backwards hockey stops much much easier than the forwards ones. Forwards and backwards snow ploughs, and backwards one foot stops are solid. I'm surprised many people find the snow ploughs very hard to learn, that is something that came easily. That said, I cannot really do Moharks, and as for the spread eagle, not a chance. My knackered old body lacks flexibility, but I'm working on that with stretching exercises.

Forwards slalom is okay on the right leg but needs a lot more work, generating enough power to keep going is the problem, the left leg is at the beginnning state. Backwards slalom on the right leg is at the basic stage, backwards slalom on the left leg is hopeless. Tight turns are much better, but doing it with a stick is the problem.

I continue to practice edge drills, such as forwards crossrolls, or scissors, which help a lot in improving balance. As ever, the problem is getting on ice time with a hockey stick and puck. Skating is one thing, skating while nurse maiding a puck is something else.

Looking at hockey drills on YouTube it's obvious I have a long long way to go, but onwards and upwards as they say.

[Leif]

Session 9 last night and I'm quite proud of how I did. We had 5-10 minutes of free style warm up, knocking a puck around, or shooting at a goal. I chose to simply knock a puck around, to get a feel for moving it around on the ice. Then we went onto a scrimmage where you came off when you felt exhausted. I only got 3 or maybe 4 goes on the ice, but I was able to get hold of the puck numerous times, and pass it to a team mate, or clear it from our area, which is a big improvement from previous sessions. I still failed to intercept the puck on a couple of critical occasions. I was pleased to see that my forward speed in a sprint was quite good, and I was able to move around quite comfortably. I am sure the orange cones were looking at me, eyes wide open, in admiration at the achievements of one of their number.  I had a head on collision with a member of the opposing team. We each asked the other if he was alright, and apologised.  I think we all enjoyed ourselves last night. I was dripping with sweat, so if nothing else it was a good workout.

My technique still leaves a lot to be desired. I need to remember to bend my knees more - not easy in hockey gear - and improve my transitions. And my stick work is basic.

I'm still working on the spread eagle. I have a feeling it will take a year to stretch my pelvic muscles to a point where I can do the spread eagle with ease. At the moment it is a complete no go. I've also been doing a lot of edges drills, especially outside edges, and they are paying off. Slowly slowly catchee monkey. 

[Leif]

I did a 2 hour Basingstoke Cougars training session this evening. I've never been so knackered in my life. My face was dripping with sweat and my nose was dripping with snot.  Seriously, my nose runs faster than Seb Coe, and with a helmet and full cage there's not much I can do about it other than dribble.

This is great fun. And this life is far too short, use it while you can. 

[Leif]

And another session last Thursday, with one coming up this evening. I got quite a few passes from team mates, including a nice one I intercepted cleanly while I was parked next to the goal just as the whistle went. Well, that's my excuse for not potting it. I've been working on forwards speed during recent public sessions and I do go very fast, but whether I am fast enough to keep up with the youngsters remains to be seen. I also managed to do forward one foot hockey stops on an outside edge (the trailing foot) both CW and ACW. I was messing around while one foot cornering on an outside edge and decided to have a go. A bit rough, but good enough for a first attempt. Outside edges are a nightmare, but they seem to be coming on gradually. I'm still nowhere near doing the 'monkey man' i.e. skating in a circle with the feet in a spread eagle position. And I can't even begin to do the teapot, not even forwards, never mind backwards.

[Leif]

This evening's session was not good. An East European was ordering me around and telling me off, saying I was doing it all wrong, and bragging about how good he was, and how he was not getting the support he needed from other team members. He also kept cutting across me, forcing me to turn. It's not the way to deal with someone learning.  I was so wound up and angry when I left, that I nearly crashed my car.  It was not good.

[Leif]

And on a positive note (assuming anyone cares  ) during the drills I was able to get two pucks past the goalie. I was as shocked as the squadron of picks flying overhead, who blinked in amazement. My trick was to approach so slowly that the goalie was overcome with boredom. Showing him my holiday snaps was the coup de grace. I also did some good hockey stops on my left foot although the right foot is still poor.

[AndyinSwindon]

Hi Leif,  did you break out the overhead projector at any point?  I find setting up a screen in centre ice, and donning my laser pointer is always a good diversion!

Shame about the Eastern Euro-Friend.  It's characters like that that spoil activities for everyone.  If he's that good, why the heck is he on a learn to play session?  Shouldn't he be celebrating his Stanley Cup victory with the rest of the Penguins?

One thing I have found as the sessions have gotten earlier, is that they have become much more inclusive, and a lot more fun.  They were inclusive and fun before, at the later slot, but there seems to be more of a 'fun' element to them now.  But one thing I never hear (or haven't heard so far) is anyone bleating like your chap.

People like that were precisely the reason I gave up flying R/C aircraft (bunch of old men, kicked out of the house by their wives, putting a hat on and insisting they were 'pilots'!).

[Leif]

Hi Leif,  did you break out the overhead projector at any point?  I find setting up a screen in centre ice, and donning my laser pointer is always a good diversion!

  You clearly are learning the advanced techniques.

Shame about the Eastern Euro-Friend.  It's characters like that that spoil activities for everyone.  If he's that good, why the heck is he on a learn to play session?  Shouldn't he be celebrating his Stanley Cup victory with the rest of the Penguins?

We are thinking along similar lines.

One thing I have found as the sessions have gotten earlier, is that they have become much more inclusive, and a lot more fun.  They were inclusive and fun before, at the later slot, but there seems to be more of a 'fun' element to them now.  But one thing I never hear (or haven't heard so far) is anyone bleating like your chap.

People like that were precisely the reason I gave up flying R/C aircraft (bunch of old men, kicked out of the house by their wives, putting a hat on and insisting they were 'pilots'!).

Well I never, I would not have thought model aircraft types were awkward.

The people at the rink during public sessions are with one exception really nice, and non competitive. I get a lot of good advice from them, as well as chatting of course. The hockey gang are very pleasant too, with one exception of course. The friendliness and helpfulness of people is one of the appeals of skating.

The only people I have a little trouble with is one or two figure skaters. The vast majority are fine. One at Basingstoke curses me. She thinks the central area is reserved for her, and not for hockey skaters. And she seems to think I am to get out of her way if she goes to the rink edge. There was one like that at Guildford too, who physically pushed me out of her way when she was doing her flying angel, and sweeping from side to side.  I ignore such people, lifes too short. They have the problem, not me.

[AndyinSwindon]

The only people I have a little trouble with is one or two figure skaters. The vast majority are fine. One at Basingstoke curses me. She thinks the central area is reserved for her, and not for hockey skaters. And she seems to think I am to get out of her way if she goes to the rink edge. There was one like that at Guildford too, who physically pushed me out of her way when she was doing her flying angel, and sweeping from side to side.  I ignore such people, lifes too short. They have the problem, not me.

Absolutely this.  There is a chap on my LTS course that harps on about the 'hockey types' and how they tear around the ice...funny thing is, I haven't seen him at any of the public sessions getting in any extra ice time, and he was gently 'advised' the other day for skating with his hands in his pockets....I can never understand people doing that!   

In general I find that I either have issues with :-

a) Young skaters (both figure and hockey) whom haven't yet matured enough to be that little bit more considerate around us less skilled skaters, and randomly change direction, stop suddenly in front of people, skate in the wrong direction, or across everyone's path towards their beloved parents that are blocking the rink doors, hanging out to video them.

b) The odd poseur, that skates well, has obviously skated well for about 20yrs, and likes to let everyone know how great he is, by cutting everyone up, invading everyone's space, or generally just being a total ar$e.  Funny how they rarely have the kahonas to try hockey though.....

c) A few (and I mean a rare few) figure skaters that believe the rink is theirs.  Funnily enough, I haven't seen this at all in Swindon, but skated in Altrincham this week.  (I gave the rink a second go after an appalling skate on an appalling surface the other week.....their re-surfacer had broken down last time, and I would have been better off skating across the car park, this time however, it was a big thumbs up.....not perfect, but still much improved).  At the Altrincham rink there were a handful of ice dance senior (in terms of age) pairs, and one of those pairs were weaving backwards and forwards up and down the rink, making it very difficult to judge passing respectfully and safely, and I got tutted at for squeezing between them and the boards....people, I am not Doris Stokes!  (Increasingly obscure reference there).

I can reflect your general comment though, that most people are nothing but courteous, gracious and welcoming, whether it be for public skating or ice hockey.  I have noticed that now the hockey has moved to an earlier time, a few cliques are beginning to form with regards to abilities, but not in a bad way, just people tending to stick with others that they are comfortable to skate with and against.

Now, time to get that overhead projector ready again.....

[Greycut]

What day did you skate at Altrincham?  I skate there regularly, so if your going there again post and I'll come and say hello.