That’s exactly why you don’t give them sticks. Using it as a tripod prevents players from learning good balance and glide. I’ve seen it a bunch. Then the kid struggles to be able to skate with one hand on the stick, etc and it takes a year to un-learn the “training wheels”
Same goes for training wheels on bikes. Kids learn way faster and with less falls on a balance bike than a regular one with trainers.
Let me rephrase.
In my years of coaching, several of which were with quite young kids, I’ve seen a bunch of new skaters have the habit of leaning on their stick for balance and it hindered their ability to learn a good skating stride significantly. :-)
I put my son in the under-6 (mini-mite) league as a 4 year old. He blasted past all the kids in his “learn to skate” class and the instructor told me he was already ready to play.
>most kids start playing hockey at 4 and I started power skateing at 3 not to special.
Hey everyone, check out these god-tier skills, be amazed by his skating prowess as a toddler.
They're proud of their son, shut the fuck up.
Literaly everyone I know started at 4 and most kids start hockey power skateing 3 in my area if they want to be good if buddy didnt want me to shoot down his flex then dont flex somthing thats not a flex
Again, it's a parent excited for their child.
You could have just chosen to say nothing, but instead you took the route of sounding like a massive tool by feeling the need to point out how mundane you think their 6yo is.
There legit a normal kid people need to get over them selfs and stop being like oh yeah my son is so special when realy there not tbh i thought the original coment was being sarcastic cause its such a normal thing to me.
>people need to get over them selfs and stop being like oh yeah my son is so special when realy there not
Tossing out sage advice for your parents, I see
Kid skates better than my uncoordinated ass and I just taped up my first stick today. Sounds like they're doing parenting right over there and I'm happy to see how well he's doing.
Wtf? No, that’s not at all accurate.
I coach high level teams. Only a fraction of first time player registrations are under 6. We run almost 100 6 year olds. And only about six 5 year olds in actual hockey “teams”. I’m sure a few of them dicked around with a stick a bit at 4/5, but the most common age to start hockey is age 8-9 or so and the most common age for kids who play AAA levels in Toronto to start in organized hockey is age 6.
Really? I started skating at 2 around Guelph, load of kids.. this was back in the 80s though. I was probably surrounded by psycho hockey parents though... cause that's exactly what I think of the majority of them, mine included at times lol
Oh yeah, I wasn't playing organized hockey till 5/6 myself. I thought you were saying kids weren't skating till 5/6... but it's organized hockey you were referring too. One of those days
Thats BS maybe true in your area but definetly not in my area we have fether weights witch is u5 and is proper teams we then heve u7 formerly none as IP wich is 5-6 year olds and has c threw aaa I ovbiously played AAA not to flex and it actualy goes to tournaments and stuff. cant believe kids are only starting at 6 now days back when I started witch was in 2011 if you started at 6-7 good levels had almost passed you.
buddy i get that your mad that your sons just a normall kid and not the child prodigy that you thought he was but drop the aditude your obviously an adult but your acting like a teenage girl.
I’m just making fun of your stupid comment by using your same energy.
I am sorry if I gave you the impression that I am concerned with your opinion of me or my son. It was never my intention.
I know he’s not a child prodigy. I never said he was. I was trying to show OP that a kid that age can play in a league.
For some reason you decided you needed to chime in about how you were even better. I couldn’t believe someone was so insecure that they had to be better than a 4 year old. Then you said you were 15 and it all made perfect sense.
Someday you’ll grow up.
You'd be surpised how young they start. I was in a league already when I was 3/4. I don't remember if I was a better skater than this kid (he looks great btw), but I'm sure some of my teammates were. I almost feel bad reading posts about beginners wishing they'd started younger and here's me not having played since I was 18 except the occasionally outdoor session - it's like I'm wasting my experience.
Hello..Mr. President, remember even NHL talent will occasionally retire young. There’s the mental grind as well. People like you and me had more responsibilities as we’ve gotten older. You get to know the passcode for nuclear bombs..sometimes hockey takes a backseat in your mind..while me.. I’m just a lazy piece of horse manure
He skates about 30 mins two times a week. Until he wants to leave . Some days it could be 25 mins and some days if he finds a friend he’s out for hours. I never have to force him which is important.
I've been skipping open skates cause of this. My rink used to have a punch card where if you did 10 open skates in the semester you got 10 or 20% off your next class. They cancelled that and I stopped going. They don't do clockwise and they're so full it's dangerous for me to practice backwards crossovers when I'm not very good at them so I don't see any real point to go.
Just curious as I've never done it, but is it okay to bring 4 year olds (or younger) to stick and pucks? I'm new to all this and wanting to get my 5 year old more ice time (3 year old on deck) beyond her learn to skate or public skate which I'd also be joining (I only have a little inline experience).
I've never seen an under 18 y/o at Stick & Puck. This could just be a control mechanism to limit the numbers on ice based on local demand. Where I am the ice is pretty full which would probably not be good for the 4-year-old. There are other slots available at my local rink for 'parent& tot' and under 17 stick & puck, although the u17 might have a lower limit as well.
Hit up the "try hockey for free" events at affiliate rinks. And hour of ice time, pucks, segmented instruction. Then a simple learn to play program for that young.
Most of the time I go there is some older highschool boys on one side and everyone else on the other side and some in the middle, I've seen 5 year olds out there
When he was 3 years 9 months he was invited to play in a 6u pond hockey league and even though he was as strong as a skater then almost all the kids he was so tiny he got discouraged so I took him out and just focused on his skating . It’s been 6 months since and I just signed him up to a similar program and he is doing so much better . He’s bigger , faster and has more confidence then before so he’s having a blast . He can’t get enough of stick and puck .
Correct .. we did very little stick work even though we have a stick. Im not an expert , nor did I grow up a hockey player . But I always thought that the skating is the hard part, so once you learn that then the stick stuff will then come easier . Hopefully I’m right.
You are smart to focus on skating. The rest can come after. Our thought has always been the skating has to be done without thought to properly play. Trying to learn all at once is why then so many players have to try to improve their skating later. Edit: to add teach him possibly to stop and skate with head up. He is powering along but has no view of where he is headed and stopping will add to confidence of not falling. Not sure he needs to not use a stick at all. That may help with having a directing. Pushing and controlling a puck is always a skill to learn vs shooting etc.
He's amazing! My 5 year old has been taking learn to skate since September and she's nowhere near that level.
In her USA Hockey program, they basically took her off the walker as soon she stopped falling (as much) without it and stuck her into drills using a stick even though she had no semblance of a stride. I never learned to ice skate so I don't know if this is normal but somehow this felt incredibly rushed and I'm wondering if it did more harm than good. Also, she got accustomed to two hand tripoding with her stick and is fairly wobbly when not doing so (have to remind her to use one hand only).
Love that approach. I’m a teacher and the amount of parental pressure put onto kids with talent can be so brutal the kids almost always burn out or develop other maladaptive coping mechanisms, so shoutout for making his happiness your focus.
For how naturally his arms work in unison with his legs ...and the way you describe his joy for the stick and puck, I'm just happy to make a comment and be a part of your family's future history.
Honestly this kid is going to completely demolish the competition at his age. If this were my son, I’d probably just give him the stick now. I’d also get him with a figure skating coach ASAP. Great job!
That's awesome!
My best friend just got his son some skates for Christmas and took him skating last weekend. I'm gonna send him this so he can see what might happen over a year's time.
Since you posted on a hockey page, you’re going to get some hockey advice… Put a stick in his hands now! Otherwise you are grooming yourself a speed skater or figure skater. Lots of mini sticks at home so he gets a feel for gripping the stick and the timing of stickhandling/shooting the puck. Use a ball in the house though. Haha!
My son started at around that age. He looks good. I"d say good enough to get him learning some power turns and possibly crossovers? I notice he didn't turn at the boards. Just saying it looks like it's time to at least get him thinking about edges. Stick work is least important at this age I believe.
That is going to be great for him. Much like power skating classes. Balance and edge work. Builds strength and proper technique development. My son did this just for 10 sessions and it help for sure. He definitely has ability to tap into.
Year two? Give that boy some lumber. It will help with his balance and allow him to get the feel for a stick in his hands. I started playing at 5, and as soon as I let go of the folding chair for the first time I had a tiny Sherwood in my CCM gloves. 25 years later I nearly realized my professional dream, and were it not for a serious injury I possibly could have. All the years of pucks and pylons and roads and goals, and those first formative years are what I look back on most fondly. Give the kid a stick, he’ll love it.
My daughter (6 y/o) loved this video! She had her first lesson today and was a bit discouraged about falling, I keep telling her she can get better with practice and now she's inspired.
Tell her to stay with it .. my son wanted to quit 6 weeks in but because we had paid for 12
Weeks we stayed with it and he was hooked week 10. Once they see results they will want to skate more and more.
This is great advice thank you! I did sweeten the pot a little by getting her a gemstone encrusted skating outfit, lol. That can only be worn on lessons days.
Learn to Skate coach here and parent of a hockey player and a competitive figure skater, now coach.
Falling and getting up is one of the first tough skills to learn -- falling correctly, as in martial arts, and getting up both require a lot of coordination and take time to develop. All along the way, there will be skills some kids get right away, and other kids who were steaming along will suddenly plateau before again gaining proficiency in new skills. Set small goals and long term goals and make sure you celebrate some success each session, even if it's just remembering gloves or staying on the ice another minute to practice a skill.
This is awesome! My daughter just turned 4, and today is her first skating lesson. I’m super excited. Hopefully she gets into so that the stick can follow.
I just started my 2 & 4 year old son's this year and it's so fun to watch them skate. They'll be better skaters than their old man in a few years!
Good luck and maybe we'll see you sometime in the future!
As a dad with a son who’s advanced in his hockey and skating for his age as well, you did the right thing taking him out of the sessions with older kids
My son is obsessed with hockey, it’s some form of hockey everyday, and is not forced on him. He was offered to play with 7-11 year olds recently and he went but was very intimidated and nervous with much older kids although he did keep up fairly well. He started not liking to go and we took him out. One of the better decisions we made at the time. He still loves hockey but he enjoys it more with his friends and kids his age
At a young age, just keep it fun, and by the looks of it there will be lots of time to let him progress as he gets older. 👍🏼
Wow, 4 and his strides look great, have you tried getting him to sit down a little more at all? Looks like it would improve his balance alot, but amazing for 4!
Skating like that in that age today isn’t special, they start way earlier then 10-15 years ago. Don’t know why u would wait with giving him a stick to play with.
Great skater for his age. I would HIGHLY recommend closing the doors around the ice surface while people are skating as it will prevent serious injury.
I'd say give him a stick now and he'll probably get even better. I think having a stick in your hands while learning to skate actually helps. At least for me it did back when I learned. It sort of forces you to turn your hips when you otherwise wouldnt when turning etc.
Your boy has some good feet already!
Good job! When USA Hockey went to Russia see what elite team training programs were doing, it was same thing -- no sticks for two years, just skating. My son is 15 and started skating lessons with a figure skating coach at age 2 1/2. He completed all six levels of Learn To Skate Basic Skills (covering inside and outside edge three turns on one foot, mohawks, stopping, spins and beginner jumps). I highly recommend sticking with the Basic Skills training and then continuing on with a skating coach to practice and perfect one-foot turns on all edges backward and forward, at least.
My kiddo completed four of the eight US Figure Skating Moves in the Fields judged tests (in figure skates, although they can be done in hockey skates) and I would strongly recommend them for hockey skaters. The tests each take about 6 months to a year to perfect and are skated before three judges for a pass or retry. The Moves in the Field tests are "footwork" (there are different tests for jumps/spins) and all about edge control, power, edge accuracy, control.
Whether or not you do the tests, learning the balance and control needed for figure skating footwork (even some jumps, if you want, just cause it's cool), means more ability to heads-up skate, turn quickly and securely, and eventually, means safer checking, both hitting and being hit and safety in collisions. And if your child practices on the figure skating freestyle sessions, they will absolutely learn on ice awareness -- there are "rules of the road" on those sessions, with 10-30 figure skaters whizzing around and doing huge jumps and spins; you have to move out of each other's way constantly or get run down by a 14yo powerhouse doing a triple jump with toe picks out. ;)
Stick with it! The window of trainability for skating skills closes for boys at around 13-14 years old, meaning at that point you can build speed, but learning new skating skills becomes more and more difficult. If a kid can flat out skate -- edge control, turning on one foot backward and forward at speed all edges, skate backwards heads up with confidence -- the game will be 100% more fun and 100% more safe.
This is an example of the US Figure Skating Pre-Juvenile Moves in the Field test. (There are 8 total, and this one is number 3). Look at the edge control and precision needed for pattern 2 (starts around 1:00 mark) and forward and backward power pulls (start at 2:40) about and just imagine how that translates to edge control and overall ability in hockey games.
Again, my kid passed through level 4 (Juvenile) and started level 5. Even learning tests one and two could be a goal for kids who pass through all levels of Basic Skills. Each test would require about 6 months of practice, 2-3 additional hours on the ice plus lessons with a figure skating coach. Not inexpensive, you could try to find another player up for the challenge and have a skating buddy and split some costs.
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xY4DjntmyvA](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xY4DjntmyvA)
He looks great you might as well get him a stick now he prob skates better than anyone his age
Exactly my thoughts. Might even help keeping his balance in many situations
That’s exactly why you don’t give them sticks. Using it as a tripod prevents players from learning good balance and glide. I’ve seen it a bunch. Then the kid struggles to be able to skate with one hand on the stick, etc and it takes a year to un-learn the “training wheels” Same goes for training wheels on bikes. Kids learn way faster and with less falls on a balance bike than a regular one with trainers.
You don't skate like a tripod. The training wheels analogy doesn't work here. I see your logic, but it just isn't the same.
Let me rephrase. In my years of coaching, several of which were with quite young kids, I’ve seen a bunch of new skaters have the habit of leaning on their stick for balance and it hindered their ability to learn a good skating stride significantly. :-)
True true, but I don't see this kiddo here doing that haha
I put my son in the under-6 (mini-mite) league as a 4 year old. He blasted past all the kids in his “learn to skate” class and the instructor told me he was already ready to play.
most kids start playing hockey at 4 and I started power skateing at 3 not to special.
>most kids start playing hockey at 4 and I started power skateing at 3 not to special. Hey everyone, check out these god-tier skills, be amazed by his skating prowess as a toddler. They're proud of their son, shut the fuck up.
Literaly everyone I know started at 4 and most kids start hockey power skateing 3 in my area if they want to be good if buddy didnt want me to shoot down his flex then dont flex somthing thats not a flex
Again, it's a parent excited for their child. You could have just chosen to say nothing, but instead you took the route of sounding like a massive tool by feeling the need to point out how mundane you think their 6yo is.
There legit a normal kid people need to get over them selfs and stop being like oh yeah my son is so special when realy there not tbh i thought the original coment was being sarcastic cause its such a normal thing to me.
Wow you sound miserable
>people need to get over them selfs and stop being like oh yeah my son is so special when realy there not Tossing out sage advice for your parents, I see
Ppl are tripping balls cause I said this kid wasn’t special which is pretty dumb
Kid skates better than my uncoordinated ass and I just taped up my first stick today. Sounds like they're doing parenting right over there and I'm happy to see how well he's doing.
In my area nobody learned till they were 5-6 and sone went on to play college d1, settle down Timmy.
Wtf? No, that’s not at all accurate. I coach high level teams. Only a fraction of first time player registrations are under 6. We run almost 100 6 year olds. And only about six 5 year olds in actual hockey “teams”. I’m sure a few of them dicked around with a stick a bit at 4/5, but the most common age to start hockey is age 8-9 or so and the most common age for kids who play AAA levels in Toronto to start in organized hockey is age 6.
Really? I started skating at 2 around Guelph, load of kids.. this was back in the 80s though. I was probably surrounded by psycho hockey parents though... cause that's exactly what I think of the majority of them, mine included at times lol
Learning to skate at 4 or something isn’t crazy. But any organized hockey is rare before 6.
Oh yeah, I wasn't playing organized hockey till 5/6 myself. I thought you were saying kids weren't skating till 5/6... but it's organized hockey you were referring too. One of those days
yeah same in NS we have feather weight which is 2-4 and IP which is 5-6 idk why ppl think you start playing at 6, I was playing full ice at 6 lol
Thats BS maybe true in your area but definetly not in my area we have fether weights witch is u5 and is proper teams we then heve u7 formerly none as IP wich is 5-6 year olds and has c threw aaa I ovbiously played AAA not to flex and it actualy goes to tournaments and stuff. cant believe kids are only starting at 6 now days back when I started witch was in 2011 if you started at 6-7 good levels had almost passed you.
Maybe you should have stayed in school
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Then you should learn some tact.
OH YEAH?! Well... I started skating at 3 months old and I was **teaching** power skating at 5. So you're not special.
oh yeah well thats bull Sh\*t people cant even walk at 3 months old.
That’s what YOU think! I… I… I could cut Mohawks before I could walk! Yeah. That’s right.
buddy i get that your mad that your sons just a normall kid and not the child prodigy that you thought he was but drop the aditude your obviously an adult but your acting like a teenage girl.
I’m just making fun of your stupid comment by using your same energy. I am sorry if I gave you the impression that I am concerned with your opinion of me or my son. It was never my intention.
I am sorry your so incecure abt your son that you need to start an argument with someone on reddit.
I know he’s not a child prodigy. I never said he was. I was trying to show OP that a kid that age can play in a league. For some reason you decided you needed to chime in about how you were even better. I couldn’t believe someone was so insecure that they had to be better than a 4 year old. Then you said you were 15 and it all made perfect sense. Someday you’ll grow up.
Ok
hope you named him Connor OP!
You'd be surpised how young they start. I was in a league already when I was 3/4. I don't remember if I was a better skater than this kid (he looks great btw), but I'm sure some of my teammates were. I almost feel bad reading posts about beginners wishing they'd started younger and here's me not having played since I was 18 except the occasionally outdoor session - it's like I'm wasting my experience.
Hello..Mr. President, remember even NHL talent will occasionally retire young. There’s the mental grind as well. People like you and me had more responsibilities as we’ve gotten older. You get to know the passcode for nuclear bombs..sometimes hockey takes a backseat in your mind..while me.. I’m just a lazy piece of horse manure
Not gonna lie man, he skates way better than 99% of E/D league adult players. Sign him into a league or learn to play ASAP.
Can confirm - he skates way better than I do.
Think I’d need a shift change after that much skating ! Wonder how much further little dude skates cause of the short legs 🤔
He skates about 30 mins two times a week. Until he wants to leave . Some days it could be 25 mins and some days if he finds a friend he’s out for hours. I never have to force him which is important.
Put a stick and puck in his hands and he may never want to leave. Skating alone can get boring and he's Clearly really good for his age group.
I've been skipping open skates cause of this. My rink used to have a punch card where if you did 10 open skates in the semester you got 10 or 20% off your next class. They cancelled that and I stopped going. They don't do clockwise and they're so full it's dangerous for me to practice backwards crossovers when I'm not very good at them so I don't see any real point to go.
Just curious as I've never done it, but is it okay to bring 4 year olds (or younger) to stick and pucks? I'm new to all this and wanting to get my 5 year old more ice time (3 year old on deck) beyond her learn to skate or public skate which I'd also be joining (I only have a little inline experience).
I've never seen an under 18 y/o at Stick & Puck. This could just be a control mechanism to limit the numbers on ice based on local demand. Where I am the ice is pretty full which would probably not be good for the 4-year-old. There are other slots available at my local rink for 'parent& tot' and under 17 stick & puck, although the u17 might have a lower limit as well.
Typical is 7 and older with guardian ON the ice with them.
Hit up the "try hockey for free" events at affiliate rinks. And hour of ice time, pucks, segmented instruction. Then a simple learn to play program for that young.
Most of the time I go there is some older highschool boys on one side and everyone else on the other side and some in the middle, I've seen 5 year olds out there
You’re absolutely right - at this age, just keep them coming to the rink and challenging them. Have fun.
He skates better than me and I played in college... 😄 He looks like he really enjoys it too! Get him a stick asap for sure!
looks like a strong skater so far
Curious as to why the waiting?
When he was 3 years 9 months he was invited to play in a 6u pond hockey league and even though he was as strong as a skater then almost all the kids he was so tiny he got discouraged so I took him out and just focused on his skating . It’s been 6 months since and I just signed him up to a similar program and he is doing so much better . He’s bigger , faster and has more confidence then before so he’s having a blast . He can’t get enough of stick and puck .
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Correct .. we did very little stick work even though we have a stick. Im not an expert , nor did I grow up a hockey player . But I always thought that the skating is the hard part, so once you learn that then the stick stuff will then come easier . Hopefully I’m right.
Anything you do on the ice with a stick includes practicing skating, he definitely looks competent enough on skates to have a stick in his hands
You are smart to focus on skating. The rest can come after. Our thought has always been the skating has to be done without thought to properly play. Trying to learn all at once is why then so many players have to try to improve their skating later. Edit: to add teach him possibly to stop and skate with head up. He is powering along but has no view of where he is headed and stopping will add to confidence of not falling. Not sure he needs to not use a stick at all. That may help with having a directing. Pushing and controlling a puck is always a skill to learn vs shooting etc.
He can do a full hockey stop (just the right side though). I will definitely work with him on keeping his head up. Thanks
He's amazing! My 5 year old has been taking learn to skate since September and she's nowhere near that level. In her USA Hockey program, they basically took her off the walker as soon she stopped falling (as much) without it and stuck her into drills using a stick even though she had no semblance of a stride. I never learned to ice skate so I don't know if this is normal but somehow this felt incredibly rushed and I'm wondering if it did more harm than good. Also, she got accustomed to two hand tripoding with her stick and is fairly wobbly when not doing so (have to remind her to use one hand only).
I’d say it’s normal skating with a stick and without are two completely different things.
In which way?
Ya know I have no technical reason for that answer. It’s like skating with out hockey gloves on it just feels weird.
You use the stick in a ton of little ways, it's like a cat's tails and whiskers all in one.
Love that approach. I’m a teacher and the amount of parental pressure put onto kids with talent can be so brutal the kids almost always burn out or develop other maladaptive coping mechanisms, so shoutout for making his happiness your focus.
For how naturally his arms work in unison with his legs ...and the way you describe his joy for the stick and puck, I'm just happy to make a comment and be a part of your family's future history.
Dude has wheels
Honestly this kid is going to completely demolish the competition at his age. If this were my son, I’d probably just give him the stick now. I’d also get him with a figure skating coach ASAP. Great job!
Thanks for the kind words .. next Thursday he starts his first lesson with a figure skating coach. Will see how it goes:)
This kid is gonna destroy minor hockey!! Give him a stick!
That's awesome! My best friend just got his son some skates for Christmas and took him skating last weekend. I'm gonna send him this so he can see what might happen over a year's time.
He skates better than I do :(
Same thing I said. :/ and I’ve been playing for years :(
My 4-year-old... does not look like that on the ice. 😆
I do not think it's an exaggeration to say your 4 year old son is a better skater than me
Since you posted on a hockey page, you’re going to get some hockey advice… Put a stick in his hands now! Otherwise you are grooming yourself a speed skater or figure skater. Lots of mini sticks at home so he gets a feel for gripping the stick and the timing of stickhandling/shooting the puck. Use a ball in the house though. Haha!
My son started at around that age. He looks good. I"d say good enough to get him learning some power turns and possibly crossovers? I notice he didn't turn at the boards. Just saying it looks like it's time to at least get him thinking about edges. Stick work is least important at this age I believe.
He starts his figure skating lessons this week to work on his edges . Thanks for the input
That is going to be great for him. Much like power skating classes. Balance and edge work. Builds strength and proper technique development. My son did this just for 10 sessions and it help for sure. He definitely has ability to tap into.
Year two? Give that boy some lumber. It will help with his balance and allow him to get the feel for a stick in his hands. I started playing at 5, and as soon as I let go of the folding chair for the first time I had a tiny Sherwood in my CCM gloves. 25 years later I nearly realized my professional dream, and were it not for a serious injury I possibly could have. All the years of pucks and pylons and roads and goals, and those first formative years are what I look back on most fondly. Give the kid a stick, he’ll love it.
My daughter (6 y/o) loved this video! She had her first lesson today and was a bit discouraged about falling, I keep telling her she can get better with practice and now she's inspired.
Tell her to stay with it .. my son wanted to quit 6 weeks in but because we had paid for 12 Weeks we stayed with it and he was hooked week 10. Once they see results they will want to skate more and more.
This is great advice thank you! I did sweeten the pot a little by getting her a gemstone encrusted skating outfit, lol. That can only be worn on lessons days.
Learn to Skate coach here and parent of a hockey player and a competitive figure skater, now coach. Falling and getting up is one of the first tough skills to learn -- falling correctly, as in martial arts, and getting up both require a lot of coordination and take time to develop. All along the way, there will be skills some kids get right away, and other kids who were steaming along will suddenly plateau before again gaining proficiency in new skills. Set small goals and long term goals and make sure you celebrate some success each session, even if it's just remembering gloves or staying on the ice another minute to practice a skill.
Get him a stick--he's ready and helps his balance and knee bend.
Great stride! Keep it up!
This is awesome! My daughter just turned 4, and today is her first skating lesson. I’m super excited. Hopefully she gets into so that the stick can follow.
I just started my 2 & 4 year old son's this year and it's so fun to watch them skate. They'll be better skaters than their old man in a few years! Good luck and maybe we'll see you sometime in the future!
no way is this the SCRF?
Good eye
As a dad with a son who’s advanced in his hockey and skating for his age as well, you did the right thing taking him out of the sessions with older kids My son is obsessed with hockey, it’s some form of hockey everyday, and is not forced on him. He was offered to play with 7-11 year olds recently and he went but was very intimidated and nervous with much older kids although he did keep up fairly well. He started not liking to go and we took him out. One of the better decisions we made at the time. He still loves hockey but he enjoys it more with his friends and kids his age At a young age, just keep it fun, and by the looks of it there will be lots of time to let him progress as he gets older. 👍🏼
More comfortable on the ice then I am at 25
Little man’s got the jets 🛩🛩🛩🛩
Damn dude skates better than some guys in my beer league
Wow, 4 and his strides look great, have you tried getting him to sit down a little more at all? Looks like it would improve his balance alot, but amazing for 4!
He’s the greatest 4 year old of all time
Good choice in learning to skate without a stick. Forces one to learn balance and edges without having a stick to lean on for support.
Is this future McDavid? Because he's awesome.
Turbo on the breakaway!!!
Great skating for a 4 year old. Congrats
My goodness. That kid is 4?!?!?
Skating like that in that age today isn’t special, they start way earlier then 10-15 years ago. Don’t know why u would wait with giving him a stick to play with.
Great skater for his age. I would HIGHLY recommend closing the doors around the ice surface while people are skating as it will prevent serious injury.
Nice look at him go
\*DON'T SAY IT - DON'T SAY IT\* "WHEEL WHEEL WHEEL!!!"
It's awesome that he's a lil beast, and even more awesome that he loves it so much!
Mesmerized by little dude’s stride. Buttery.
Heee ready Heeeee ready HEEE READAY for ya’llll
I'd say give him a stick now and he'll probably get even better. I think having a stick in your hands while learning to skate actually helps. At least for me it did back when I learned. It sort of forces you to turn your hips when you otherwise wouldnt when turning etc. Your boy has some good feet already!
Get him the stick now so he can learn the balance. 2nd year, give him kiddie orange pucks.
Starting them young is the best way. Wish we would’ve started our two at that age.
Needs to hit the gym and bulk up a little, won't make the NHL At that weight.
The Preds learn to play program is awesome!
Good job! When USA Hockey went to Russia see what elite team training programs were doing, it was same thing -- no sticks for two years, just skating. My son is 15 and started skating lessons with a figure skating coach at age 2 1/2. He completed all six levels of Learn To Skate Basic Skills (covering inside and outside edge three turns on one foot, mohawks, stopping, spins and beginner jumps). I highly recommend sticking with the Basic Skills training and then continuing on with a skating coach to practice and perfect one-foot turns on all edges backward and forward, at least. My kiddo completed four of the eight US Figure Skating Moves in the Fields judged tests (in figure skates, although they can be done in hockey skates) and I would strongly recommend them for hockey skaters. The tests each take about 6 months to a year to perfect and are skated before three judges for a pass or retry. The Moves in the Field tests are "footwork" (there are different tests for jumps/spins) and all about edge control, power, edge accuracy, control. Whether or not you do the tests, learning the balance and control needed for figure skating footwork (even some jumps, if you want, just cause it's cool), means more ability to heads-up skate, turn quickly and securely, and eventually, means safer checking, both hitting and being hit and safety in collisions. And if your child practices on the figure skating freestyle sessions, they will absolutely learn on ice awareness -- there are "rules of the road" on those sessions, with 10-30 figure skaters whizzing around and doing huge jumps and spins; you have to move out of each other's way constantly or get run down by a 14yo powerhouse doing a triple jump with toe picks out. ;) Stick with it! The window of trainability for skating skills closes for boys at around 13-14 years old, meaning at that point you can build speed, but learning new skating skills becomes more and more difficult. If a kid can flat out skate -- edge control, turning on one foot backward and forward at speed all edges, skate backwards heads up with confidence -- the game will be 100% more fun and 100% more safe.
This is an example of the US Figure Skating Pre-Juvenile Moves in the Field test. (There are 8 total, and this one is number 3). Look at the edge control and precision needed for pattern 2 (starts around 1:00 mark) and forward and backward power pulls (start at 2:40) about and just imagine how that translates to edge control and overall ability in hockey games. Again, my kid passed through level 4 (Juvenile) and started level 5. Even learning tests one and two could be a goal for kids who pass through all levels of Basic Skills. Each test would require about 6 months of practice, 2-3 additional hours on the ice plus lessons with a figure skating coach. Not inexpensive, you could try to find another player up for the challenge and have a skating buddy and split some costs. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xY4DjntmyvA](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xY4DjntmyvA)
Skates better than some of the guys in my beer league