Youth Hockey
From U12 to top Juniors
Youth Hockey is a wide term. However from hockey-site.com stand point, we divide it into two major age groups:
Ice Hockey, like every top level sport, requires big commitment and since certain age becomes to be a first youth player priority. There are many different opinions and discussions about, when is that "certain age".
However the most of current top professional hockey players say, that it was just natural development. They mean, that hockey was naturally priority number 1 since their very beginnings.
From coach's standpoint and by this related practice structure, is good time to start with "more serious" approach with already U11.
The term "more serious" we've used, has certainly own specifics regarding physiological attributes related to each age group.
Generally every youngster need an ice time. A lot of ice time. Some "hockey" people say something about rate between number of practices and games...and so on. But ask the best how many hours they spent on the ice.
Of course, it is necessary to mix up with other kinds of sport activity, which is even very beneficial for right player's development, but nothing to compare with an ice time.
Let me just remind, we are talking about youth hockey players, which desire to play top level hockey, to play in NHL, in National team, to win the Olympics or World Cup. Their dream is to become professional player.
Again, some people say, that it's too early to think and speak about playing top level hockey. Well..., wrong! Because if you will decide at your 15 that you would like to play top hockey and you're not a super talent, than it's too late. Take a look at interviews with some top level players and coaches to hear their experience.
ICE TIME ! Youth hockey player want and need to be on the ice very often. He wish to be there every single day and long hours. He wants to PLAY HOCKEY! Unfortunately it is not as easy for a lot of them.
There is a major reason why canadians have still majority of players in top level hockey. There is biggest number of ice rinks as well as a natural ice. However in these days in many hockey countries is possible play hockey all around year.
Other great thing happened to be more and more popular - inline hockey. It is by skills, very related to ice hockey, even it has some advantages from practice purpose point of view.
Especially during the off season months, there are many hockey camps. Those hockey camps are great opportunity to learn a lot of hockey skills and to compare your-self with players from other hockey clubs. Very often hockey camps are provided by great coaches, which are too busy during regular season with their teams.
While we talk about great coaches, we must mention how important is to have a good coaching. Many youth hockey players as well as professional players use some kind of personal coaching and/or hockey evaluation of his skills and performance.
We can recognize youth hockey age as kind of preparation for future professional career, but wait a minute..., it is not the same for youngsters. For them is a professional hockey too far future and they try their best every single game even on a pond.
Together with player's passion for hockey, the most important people for youth hockey players are a parents and a coach. They both affect youth player development significantly. If we are looking the hockey skills and habits as one complex, then most of it hockey player learns in his youth hockey age.
By crossing the 11 years age, many players make a decision about what sport or hobby will get priority. Until this time it was possible to do more activities together along with hockey as well.
In this moment it would be good for players and for especially parents to review "Hockey Keys" to be aware of commitment required to make dreams come truth.
who's got that gift from God to be healthy,
CAN achieve a TOP level.
Today we can see very talented youth hockey players at, in past, very unusual hockey spots. Beside of traditional hockey countries as Canada, Czech, Sweden, Russia, Finland, Slovakia, USA, we can see now great players coming from Germany, Swiss, Denmark, Norway, Japan, France, Italy, UK but even from Hungary, Australia and New Zealand, South Africa.
Nevertheless there are some hockey clubs, which produce more top players then others, even in the same geographical and social environments.