It is never too late to try something new. If you have always considered playing ice hockey, but didn’t or if you recently discovered the sport, you should try to play it for yourself. Hockey can be started at any age.
While you might be deterred by looking at your age, just think of all of the benefits that you will get from playing hockey. If you truly love the sport, it is appropriate at any age. Hockey Pursuits recommends following the steps below.
Check with your Doctor
Before you even begin to consider looking at equipment or a league, you need to confirm with your doctor that you are in good shape to take on this new journey. Your doctor should give you a cardio exam as well as going over any physical injuries or limitations you might have before giving you clearance to play. You should also go over what your risk of injury is as well as any pre-existing injuries.
Practice Skating First
If you skated as a kid and maybe haven’t skated much since, you need to master skating before playing hockey. Otherwise you will not be able to focus on the sport because you will be too concerned with moving on the ice. Your local ice rink should have open skate available at certain times, giving you ample room and time to practice before moving to the next step.
Call the Rink
Check in with your local rink and find out when they have open practice times. These times are just for people who want to work on their hockey skills without playing a game. You can rent equipment to do this or buy it for yourself.
Practice, Practice, Practice
You should be practicing both in a rink and at home as much as you can before you can move onto the next step. At home it would not be ice hockey, obviously, but you should still be able to practice shooting into a goal to get the habit down.
Equipment
Safety is the most important thing you can do in any sport, especially hockey. You need to make sure that you have a well-fitted helmet to protect your head, as well as a reliable sick, good skates, and even gloves that fit you well.
Find a Team
Perhaps the most important thing to do to play ice hockey is to find some friends to play it with. There should be some established teams at your local rink, but you should ask the team the age groups, level of play, and what they are looking for in players.
Don’t Give Up
Even if you do not feel like a hockey master yet, the time is coming. The more you practice, the better hockey player that you will be. Injury is a risk at any age, but especially if you are older. Keep yourself agile on the ice, but remember what the risk is if you have any serious fall.
