Dear Learn to Skate Parents,

Welcome to the Greater New Haven Learn to Skate Program!  How a player gets that first taste of hockey is crucial.  If a beginner has fun, developing some basic skills and building confidence, there is a good chance that the player will go on to enjoy hockey for many years.  But if a beginner has an unhappy, unrewarding experience, the chances are that he or she will quit at an early age and never discover the real joy of our great game.  We are sincerely looking forward to working with you and your child to make this an enjoyable experience for all involved.

We have put together this section of our website to help you understand what our unique program is like, to provide you with important information and some things to expect when enrolling your child in hockey for the first time.

Hockey is a great game because it requires so many specialized skills to be played properly.  It takes strength, endurance and coordination to handle a puck on the blade of a stick, to pass quickly and accurately to moving teammates and to shoot and score goals.

However, in order to be able to play hockey, players must be able to skate.  We believe that skating is the most important skill that hockey players can possess.  If you can skate, you can play hockey.  Skating is 95% of hockey.

In the Learn to Skate Program we wills tress the fundamentals of skating.  The sooner a young hockey player acquires basic skating skills the sooner other skills, like stickhandling and passing, can then be mastered.

We call our program the "Winter Carnival Station Method".  The basis of the method is to divide the ice up into small "stations" where there are smaller groups of children.  Each station has a "drill" that is designed to teach a specific skill.  The "drill" is actually a game or "Carnival Event" disguised as a drill.  So as the child participates in the event, his/her hockey skills improve while having fun at a Winter Carnival.

We will keep it simple at first, and stress exercises that will keep keep them interested while improving their basic skills.

At the beginning of each session all of the stations will be doing the same balance drills, then the players will cycle through the "Stations".  At the end of the session there will be a free skate time for all players.

After the Learn to Skate Program, we will have an Instructional Clinic Program.  In the Instructional Clinic Program we gradually move to more difficult drills as skills develop.  In general, drills should be hard enough to present a challenge to the players on any level and the practices should be more demanding than the game itself.  This is also the time to encourage good habits and an understanding of rules, discipline, team spirit and above all, "SPORTSMANSHIP".

We feel that by using a fundamental approach to the game, it insures that subsequent coaches will be assured that each player has achieved the minimal skills needed to play this fast and exciting game.

We look forward to this hockey season with high expectations and hope to make it a learning as well as a FUN EXPERIENCE!!!

All of us here at Greater New Haven take seriously the privilege of working with your most precious posessions, your children.  If all of us work together, hockey will be an experience that will give them and you a lifetime of great memories.

Sincerely,
The Greater New Haven Warriors Board of Directors &
The Learn to Skate/Clinic Coaching Staff and Committee