Any Hockey moms here? Question about ice vs. rollerblades

[Biscuits & Gravy]

Our almost 5yo DS has become a hockey fanatic. He is interested in learning to play, but needs to learn to skate first. We have a couple of options for classes, one being roller blades and the other being ice skating. In your opinion/experience, is one or the other a better way to learn? Or do you think they'd both have pretty equal results?

[CrazyCatLady]

I would do ice.  Especially if you live in a place where it snows and the boys will be playing outside when they are older.  Really though ice and roller skates are almost two completely different things/skill sets.  I know many people that can do one but not the other.  I am not a hockey mom, but my daughter and I figure skate and I have many friends with hard core hockey kids/lifestyles.  It's all done on the ice.  I can't even think of any local classes or roller hockey opportunities honestly.  So I think the ice hockey skills would be more beneficial in the long run and provide you with more opportunities in the future if he likes it and sticks with it.  Plus the sooner he starts on the ice the better.  Here, the boys are training (and good at it!) by three years old.  Five would be considered starting kind of late.  But people here are kind of nuts about hockey so ymmv.  Good luck. :) 

[Biscuits & Gravy]

It does not snow much here in NC.

[HollyBearsMom]

My son is hockey nut and has been playing since age 4.5.  I say ice, especially if he will be focused on ice hockey not street hockey. The basic skill set is not dramatically different but the expertise is. 

Like CCL said don't be surpassed when you see 2 and 3 year olds skating rings around your son.  We put are son in skates at age 4 and there were 2 year olds skating like experts and the mites hockey team had kids as young as 3 out there.   We are crazy about hockey here in New England!

[Biscuits & Gravy]

So maybe we should get the 2 year old in lessons, too?? He'd love that.

[MusicianDad]

If he's interested in ice hockey, he should learn ice skating. The feel of roller-blading is different than ice skating and while some skills transfer over, there are some that don't.

[LynnS6]

Definitely ice. I learned to skate at 2, so your 2 year old could too!

Stopping is particularly different in ice skating vs. rollerblading, and if he really wants to play hockey, he needs to learn the ice skating method. Once he learns to ice skate, it'll transfer nicely to rolling blading so he can work on similar muscles, but if he's going to do hockey, start with ice skating.

[SomedayMom]

Definitely do ice skating lessons.  My son took the Snowplow Sam classes.  They had him start on figure skates and move to hockey skates.  Hockey skates are a little harder.  Then he started taking Learn To Play hockey classes.  He had no problem with rollerblades when he already knew how to ice skate.  He is obsessed.  He goes in our garage to rollerblade with his stick when it's too cold outside :) 

[Biscuits & Gravy]

Thanks so much for the advice! We will be enrolling him in the next session for ice skating. He'll be thrilled. It looks like they don't start until 3 though, so I think my younger guy will have to wait a year.

[KempsMama]

I giggled when you said they don't start until 3.   I live in north central MN, and in the brochure, the only requirement is that they can walk well. 

[Super~Single~Mama]

Originally Posted by KempsMama 

I giggled when you said they don't start until 3.   I live in north central MN, and in the brochure, the only requirement is that they can walk well. 

OMG I would be terrified to put my 2yo in ice skates!!!

[KempsMama]

My oldest started skating at 18 months.  I have a girlfriend who started her boy at 13 months on the lake outside their home. 

[Super~Single~Mama]

Originally Posted by KempsMama 

My oldest started skating at 18 months.  I have a girlfriend who started her boy at 13 months on the lake outside their home. 

Oh no, don't get the wrong idea!  I think its AWESOME - but I would be terrified!  LOL.  I think thats b/c the skating rinks near me are insanely crowded though, and I would be afraid of ds getting trampled.  If it wasn't crowded, I think ds would LOVE it.

[KempsMama]

Oh!  I didn't mean to come across at defensive!  :)

[galincognito]

i agree with the ice skating plan.  i can rollerblade very well; was my main mode of transportation for years but i can't ice skate to save my life!!  i'm an embarrassment to my community with my ice skating lack of skills!

[mambera]

Hm, I'd choose based on which setup is more convenient and more likely to keep him interested. 

E.g., if he has a good friend or two in one of the programs; or if one of them is significantly closer to your home; or if other moms you know have had good experiences with one or the other of the coaches.

One good thing about roller hockey is you can play pickup on any quiet piece of blacktop.  It doesn't require mom to drive you to the ice rink (not to mention pay your membership or entry fee). ;)

Also rollerblades can be useful for tooling around town (depending on the hill factor and the quality of the asphalt in your neighborhood).  Overall they're a lot more versatile than ice skates IME - especially if you live in a warm area.

[ollyoxenfree]

I say start with ice skating too, but I think rollerblading can help too. I know there are differences between them, but we noticed an improvement in DS's ice skating skills after a summer of rollerblading. He already had basic skills on ice though. 

He started skating for fun when he was 2 and had basic figure skating lessons the winter when he was 4 and started hockey at age 5. I recall one summer around that age when he did a lot of rollerblading. That winter, he was more confident and stronger on the ice. It may have been partly due to a growth spurt and some maturation in development, but I think the rollerblading helped. 

You may want to let him try rollerblades next summer.  Street hockey on rollerblades is a lot of fun, too, and it will help his stick work too. 

Good luck to him. I think hockey is one of the toughest sports to learn to play because the kids have to master skating as well as stick-handling and puck skills. There's so much going on with motor function and neurocognitive skills. That's why they start so young. 

[busymama77]

Originally Posted by MusicianDad 

If he's interested in ice hockey, he should learn ice skating. The feel of roller-blading is different than ice skating and while some skills transfer over, there are some that don't.

I agree. We're doing the same for our 5 year old.  Where we live, there is an indoor ice rink that DH is taking him on.  He had his first lesson a couple of weeks ago and really enjoyed it!