Home Work - prior to the first skate:

1. JERSEY - please feel free to personalize it! Add a number or your player's name or add other embellishments.

2. SKATES - should have been sharpened at the Hockey Shop already. For any kids who need to or want to arrived fully dressed, you also will need purchase skate guards that your player can walk from the parking lot into the arena wearing. They can also be purchased where ice skates are sold.

Here's a video of tying skates: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PhYxVgvBaL8

You'll notice (although they don't mention this) that the bottom of the shin guard is pushed up out of the way so it's not under the tongue of the skate. You can either put the tongue of the skate under the shin guard or just push the shin guard up out of the way to help with this. We want those top 3-4 laces of the boot to be as tight as is comfortable for maximum support. Once the skate is tied, the shin guard can be readjusted. 

Also - please do not wrap extra lace around the ankle. This is bad for the skate and the ankles. Just tuck any extra lace under the sock. 

3. STICK - should be cut down to size if needed - hopefully this also already happened at the Hockey Shop. Not all kids will need their sticks cut down. If you don't have tools to do this - get it done at the same time as you get the skates sharpened. 

Measuring a stick: Have the player stand without skates. Then, place the toe of the stick on the ground between the player's feet, positioning the stick vertically. The general rule is that the end of a proper length stick should come to about the nose (if the player's skates are on when measuring, the stick should come up to the chin). 

You should also put stick tape on the stick to help with grip, as well as add a BUTT to the end of the stick with either tape or a rubber butt-end stopper. The butt-end should be big enough it cannot get through the hole of the player's cage.

Here's a video of how to tape a stick: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uhktIaf0UFI

4. WATER BOTTLE - please LABEL it with your player's name and/or add coloured tape or stickers to it so that your player can easily find their water bottle during the skates.

Younger kids usually prefer one with a spout/straw, and older kids usually prefer the spray spout style.

5. SOCKS - you may also want to purchase sock tape, although not all kids prefer to use sock tape. Sock tape is also available where ever hockey skates are sold.

6. GEAR - please have your player practice putting on all their gear. When you come to the skates your player will need to wear their full gear, so practicing this all ahead of time will be very helpful to make the first skate a more positive experience. Most kids wear either dry fit clothing or pajamas under their gear. Whatever is comfortable is fine.

Here is a video of how to put on the gear: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wyxRLSJ2Ymw

Hockey store shopping list:

• jock/jill shorts or pants (choose ones with velcro to attach the socks)
• bring skates to get sharpened
• water bottle
• stick tape
• bring stick to get cut down (if needed)
• sock tape (if desired)
• skate guards (if desired)
• stick butt-end plug (if desired)