As the new year begins, I am left with the task of figuring
out what extracurricular activity my son will do for the new school year. This
past year, we have done bowling, which he loves and we will continue, but he
needed something else. We have tried soccer (had to retire from) and
for us, football is out of the question, for now. I was talking to a friend and
was brain storming some other activities that we thought might be fun and I
remembered Hockey!
I found The Dallas Stars Little Rookies: The Free HockeyTrial Camp for Kids (designed by Mike Modano) at The Parks at Arlington – Ice at the Parks. How cool is that? Let me back up a second. I
actually made contact with the manager to ask about the “regular” hockey
lessons and if my son needed to know how to skate. Within minutes he contacted
me back and told me that unfortunately, he would need to know how to skate for
the hockey lessons, but suggested the Little Rookies, and explained that it was
a FREE 4 week course that taught the kids some basic skills and prior skating
skills was not required. (YAY!). He said that the class was starting the
following Saturday and he would sign us up, and of course I said yes.
actually made contact with the manager to ask about the “regular” hockey
lessons and if my son needed to know how to skate. Within minutes he contacted
me back and told me that unfortunately, he would need to know how to skate for
the hockey lessons, but suggested the Little Rookies, and explained that it was
a FREE 4 week course that taught the kids some basic skills and prior skating
skills was not required. (YAY!). He said that the class was starting the
following Saturday and he would sign us up, and of course I said yes.
That Saturday arrived and we let the cashier know that we were
there for the Hockey lessons, and she proceeded to let us know where to go.
There was a table set up, so it was easy to find. Once we were checked in, we
were given a big bag with all of the gear and a hockey shirt. As we sat down to
prepare him, we had to read the instructions. Oh me-oh my, let me tell you I
had NO idea that there were so many layers to the hockey uniform. I was
impressed, because all of the equipment was brand new (with tags still on
them), and as the layers went on, I saw our little Dude light up. The cashier
came over to help us get the hockey skates on, which according to our
instructions, must be at least a size or two smaller to ensure that the skates
fit properly and there were no wibble wobbles going on.
When the time came, we got his hockey stick, which should measure about the height of his eyes. Sounds easy enough. Then the time came for him to get on the ice. He was a trooper, and fell about every second or two, but he got back up. The instructor was teaching and while he continued to fall, he was still able to get two pucks in the goal (Awesome!). As the class ended, the instructor asked him if he wanted to hold on to him to get back to the entrance of the rink. He told him, no and that he could do it by himself, and guess what – he did it (even though he fell every few steps). He got off the ice, and the first thing he said was, I LOVE IT! That was a great feeling for me that he enjoyed something that is so different for us. One word of caution for those that have not experienced it yet, and I had no idea – The kids are super sweaty and after the first lesson we have learned our lesson and brought clothes for him to change into. Oh and I almost forgot, you will take the equipment home for the duration of the lessons, but you must bring everything back in proper condition once the class is complete.
there for the Hockey lessons, and she proceeded to let us know where to go.
There was a table set up, so it was easy to find. Once we were checked in, we
were given a big bag with all of the gear and a hockey shirt. As we sat down to
prepare him, we had to read the instructions. Oh me-oh my, let me tell you I
had NO idea that there were so many layers to the hockey uniform. I was
impressed, because all of the equipment was brand new (with tags still on
them), and as the layers went on, I saw our little Dude light up. The cashier
came over to help us get the hockey skates on, which according to our
instructions, must be at least a size or two smaller to ensure that the skates
fit properly and there were no wibble wobbles going on.
When the time came, we got his hockey stick, which should measure about the height of his eyes. Sounds easy enough. Then the time came for him to get on the ice. He was a trooper, and fell about every second or two, but he got back up. The instructor was teaching and while he continued to fall, he was still able to get two pucks in the goal (Awesome!). As the class ended, the instructor asked him if he wanted to hold on to him to get back to the entrance of the rink. He told him, no and that he could do it by himself, and guess what – he did it (even though he fell every few steps). He got off the ice, and the first thing he said was, I LOVE IT! That was a great feeling for me that he enjoyed something that is so different for us. One word of caution for those that have not experienced it yet, and I had no idea – The kids are super sweaty and after the first lesson we have learned our lesson and brought clothes for him to change into. Oh and I almost forgot, you will take the equipment home for the duration of the lessons, but you must bring everything back in proper condition once the class is complete.
We have completed all four lessons, and he still loves it. We have now taken steps to enroll him in the Pre-Alpha skating classes because he wants to continue to learn even when the four weeks are up. The rest of the lessons were much better and he did not fall nearly as much as he did the first time. Once he has completed the skating lessons, we will get him signed up for the actual hockey classes. Oh, also, we got a really cool discount to sign him up for the ice skating and hockey lessons, which was a true blessing. Will this last? Who knows… I just know that for now, he loves it and I will support that as long as he is willing.
Until Next Time!
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