Is Hockey REALLY For Everyone ?
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 26 ก.ย. 2024
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Hands down your best, and likely most impactful video and narrative. Well done
I'm a First Generation Nigerian American that started playing hockey in 7th Grade after my parents moved us out of Philadelphia, PA to the suburbs. This was before the Ed Snider Youth Foundation came to existence (which has made a huge impact in giving city kids a chance to play the game). The message you're sharing was long overdue. Don't stop talking about this.
Thank you for actually saying it. This was the NHL‘s attempt to virtue signal with the inclusion bandwagoneers.
“Hockey is for anyone” should be the actual slogan.
Anyone who wants to give it a try and see if they like it, whether they do or not is completely OK, because everyone has different preferences. Hockey is not for everyone the same as football or baseball is not for me but hockey is. If hockey was for everyone, everyone would love it and play but not everybody likes it because they just don’t care for it.
On the access front Hockey has a higher barrier of entry and that’s just how it is. I think one of the reasons Soccer is the most popular sport in the world is because anybody can get a ball or something that resembles a ball and kick it around an open field; literally no barrier to entry.
Basketball grew and is growing like it is because of the same thing. There's a slightly higher cost to getting started but not by much.
I grew up in a suburb of Minneapolis Minnesota and while hockey was very big my single mom couldn't really afford to get me the gear and registration fees to play, luckily my machine pitch baseball coach who was also the varsity hockey coach of my town and my older siblings teacher was aware of my situation and my desire to be a hockey player, he gave me the opportunity to play by not only getting me my first set of equipment but signing me up for mites. I'm extremely grateful of his generosity. I know I would have never gotten that opportunity if it wasn't for him. they're we're also countless times when I got older that my mom would be working late and couldn't bring me to games and practices and actually had teammates parents switch off picking me up and bring me home, I am beyond lucky to have the hockey community in my home town go to great lengths just to help out a kid who would have never gotten involved and also would have never found the love that I did for the game. even at 26 I still play in recreation league and plan to continue to do so for the rest of my life as my body allows so, hopefully one day I will be able to coach and hopefully be able to bless some kid just like me get an opportunity to play the game of hockey.
I started playing hockey at age 63. While I felt like I was in my 30s, my body quickly reminded me that I’m not. The younger people have more strength, speed, and stamina. Also, I believe subconsciously the fear of getting hurt holds me back. At my age, it’s easier to get injured, and it takes longer to recover from an injury, so I feel that I hold myself back from trying to be too aggressive on the ice. Therefore, I stick to the learn to play programs and I enjoy them. It’s great exercise and a lot of fun. I enjoy your videos!
Great to hear that you’re into it even at your age. It’ll keep you feeling young. Have you tried looking for club for your age bracket? I ask because I do play with some guys in their 50’s and later. It can be competitive but non aggressive because everyone thinking the same thing about injuries.
Thank you for sharing this and also for watching.
Keep grinding!
I grew up in MN on ponds and playground rinks. My parents couldn’t come close to affording any kind of formal play. My mom was already working herself to death being effectively a single mom with a boat anchor of a husband dragging her down; she couldn’t have put us in hockey even if it was her fondest dream.
I really wish hockey was for everyone. I wish there weren’t so many barriers to entry; financial and otherwise. Hockey needs to find ways to make itself more accessible. It’s a wonderful game and those who want to be part of it deserve the chance to play.
The easiest barrier might be cost IMO. I wish brands would find ways to promote cheaper lines and/or remove the stigma of entry-level or second hand gear.
Skating is everything. If everyone knows how to skate, getting into hockey is so much easier.
@@kftc1980 THIS.
Before I bought most of my gear, I made sure to learn skating fundamentals.
It is for everyone. We played in the road when there was no ice.
I grew up in the suburbs of St. Paul, Minnesota where there most towns in the area have an indoor rink, and also several outdoor rinks. My town also had a loaner program for goalie equipment for my first 4 years of playing. Without those things in place, I probably would've done something else in the winter time.
When? Costs now vs then.
@@MrGamman3yt First year of squirts was in 92. Just looked up my home town (Eagan) and fees are $1,040-$1575 between squirts and bantams. Mites is $405. Goalies are half price. Adjusted for inflation, the prices seem about the same since the dollar was twice as valuable 30 years ago. So, obviously still expensive, but compared to places in non-traditional hockey markets where to advance you have to play AA and AAA and travel a ton, those guys pay $10k+ for pee wees and bantams.
So maybe instead of having the loaner program, the tradeoff for goalie parents is they save $500-$700/yr in fees
sounds like Canada, loaner program and all.
@@MrGamman3yt I live in Cottage Grove, also a suburb of St Paul. There are at least 10 hockey rinks with in 15-20 min drive and CG has 10 outdoor rinks that are free. Our association, like many will provide all the equipment but sticks for players and goalies from U4 through U8. The cost to play at CG is progressive. U4- $100, U5- $275, U6- $325, U8- $550, U10/Squirts (big jump) -$1,500, U12/PeeWee- $1,650, U14/Bantams- $1,900. Goalies get free gear if they want it through Bantams and a $100 discount on sign up, I believe. There is also financial aid available to those that need it. Then HS is "free" there are various school activity fees and what not. This is pretty comparable across most of the metro associations. I've been told that the northern towns are cheaper than this. Some associations don't even charge players until they are squirts and I have heard that the last few years that Edina kids haven't paid anything because of rich boosters AKA MN wild players paying the entire tab. So long story short, hockey is for everyone or at least anyone that wants to do it if you live in the right state.
As a Latino first gen hockey player - you’re spot on brother. 💪
I’m used to playing in non traditional markets, so I think at least in those places that has lead to a universally welcoming attitude (especially for goalies!)
@kftc1980 Can confirm. I see a bunch of Asian, Black, and Latino hockey players here in the Bay Area. I'm actually Asian myself haha.
Thank you bud!
The game is ridiculously expensive. League fees in Florida and equipment are insane. I have only one kid playing and can barely afford it. It is a shame that a lot of talented kids don't have access to the game because of the cost.
When I was first introduced to hockey, I was 10, we just arrived in Canada and after playing 2 years in house league, my parents said it was too expensive as I started to outgrow equipment. I picked it up again in my late 20s and with a full time job, I was able to play consistently, paying for equipment that worked and continue to work for me. There is a lot of access to hockey for a late 50s rec player in the Toronto area, so I consider myself very lucky. I also found a gig recently that holds organized shinny for strictly rec players of lower levels, so hockey has been very enjoyable. Hockey has always been costly, no doubt, and can be extremely costly if we get sucked into drinking the new equipment Koolaid. In the Toronto area, I also see more and more players of different cultural backgrounds, which is great. Thank you for this video.
Some of the stuff that has kept me interested in the sport has been your channel. I live in a place that doesn’t have ice at all so I’ve been practicing with roller hockey on my own and your videos about smaller brands with quality performance got me out of looking at just the two top brands. I love all the videos about the mid range stuff as it helps showcase other stuff aside from the top of the line equipment. I also really like your narrative here, you do a god job of understanding hockey culture of the past while promoting a better culture for the future. Keep up the good work
Love this ! Thank you so much for sharing bud! Keep at it yourself ! Thank you for the kind words 💪🏾🙏🏾
As an old man who grew up in Philadelphia (who unfortunately now no longer lives in a part of the country where hockey is accessible at all), the Ed Snider Youth Hockey Foundation would be another one to take a close look at. Does great things for the community.
From someone who played at Lasker and saw Hockey In Harlem operate first hand - they deserve all the support they receive and some. Thank you for bringing their work to your audience.
I hate to say it, but it does take a good amount of money to have kids playing hockey. Especially if they are playing tier hockey (travel). There are financial barriers to playing the game, which is unfortunate. Even if you play house leagues and then high school, the parents still have to cover all gear costs and probably some of the ice and travel costs (I could be wrong about that, but I don't think high schools supply the gear outside of socks and jerseys). Compare that to football, the schools do supply the equipment.
Yeah as much as I love hockey, I wouldn't let my kids play it UNLESS they show the determination and skill needed.
The gear is pricey, and I won't waste money on it if my kids don't enjoy the sport or have the right attitude.
I've heard that tag line in my Hockey Canada coaching materials. I live in the Greater Toronto Area and we have a massive influx of immigrants from countries who don't necessarily ever had access to hockey let alone experienced the game. So sports like Soccer, basketball etc are more their go-to when deciding sports programs for their kids. I myself grew up with Chinese parents, and luckily for me they enrolled me into house league hockey in the 1980s. I'm now coaching my kid's teams and when I do think about it, the teams are very diverse with kids from new immigrants from Pakistan, India and China as well as black players from Africa and the Caribbean. I think with the Raptors winning an NBA championship and a neighboring town of Brampton producing world cup soccer players, there are now solid development leagues around the city to take a youngster to the global stage. We decided to go all into Hockey during the long winter months, but statistics show that multi sport athletes do well in the sport of Hockey. Hockey is indeed expensive, but it's all relative, my kids also race motocross in the Spring/Summer while racing BMX and mountain bikes (our town has a BMX track and is a mecca for mountain biking). Motocross is mega expensive but a popular sport amongst rural families...who also play hockey 😂 🏒
Keep making these videos. I'm an aspiring hockey player who is older and your videos have done more to help me learn to skate and how to conduct myself on the ice. It all starts with a positive community and Hockey Tutorial has been the anchor for me in regards to this. Thanks so much!
I really appreciate comments like this Michael. Makes a massive difference. I was a little worried about sharing this video but I'm glad it's been well received.
As a black ice hockey fan, I deeply appreciate your honesty and transparency on issues of accessibility and inclusion in hockey. Great video!
In most cities in Canada, we have a program called First Shift. It's a great program that provides all the gear from head to toe and 10 coached sessions to learn some of the basics, all for the cost of a entry level pair of skates. As a volunteer coach with the program in Calgary, I've seen a wide variety of kids from all different backgrounds take part and learn a love for the game.
I wish there was something like that in the SF Bay Area. Maybe the Sharks can help fund it.
@Pokemonmaster150b that's actually how it works here. In Calgary, the Flames help fund it, the Oilers in Edmonton, etc.
@@Coachjeffw That's amazing 🔥
Thanks for the info! its nice to hear that there are programs like this. I wish the big teams and organisations would promote and grow these programs more.
@@HockeyTutorialOfficialfeels like there's an opportunity to throw your YT might behind something like this here? There are so many authentic people who've lived/breathed hockey from an underepresented group in the sport but none with the platform you have. Surely some clubs/sponsors would get behind such a push? Hockey has never been so high profile in the UK as it has now
It's growing for sure girls hockey in our area has gotten bigger the past few years and the coed D leauge has grown from 4 teams to 6
I really want hockey to be for everyone but there’s still a long ways to go. I started learning last year at 37, and definitely had a few situations where I almost decided to give up and sell all the gear. Fortunately I’ve been able to find a good community and it’s been a ton of fun to learn the game, but I want to do what I can to make the game more welcoming to beginners (especially adults).
I totally agree!
Hey HockeyTutorial, thank you for another worthwhile video. I think I've been following your channel for over ten years now. You've been one of the biggest influences on my adult hockey development. I've watched the OG dance videos, to your skating lessons, and of course your more recent stuff. Good luck with the documentaries. The last doc inspired me to get Grafs for my next pair.
Much much love bud! Can’t believe you’ve been watching almost as long as I’ve been making these videos. Thanks for the continued support and kind words! 💪🏾💪🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾
Trying to get into it in the UK is quite difficult compared to other sports. Thrifting kit is difficult, not just due to cost, but to scarcity of the kit. The rinks are few and far between, and need a hefty commute to get too and the limited teams fill up quite quickly. The training times are usually very late at night. It’s not a pick up sport, as the rinks don’t run free/low cost sessions with a stick and puck. It all makes ice hockey relatively inaccessible.
Do what we did in Canada when the ice is gone as kids.. play in the road, empty lot ect. All you need is a cheap stick and a ball. Set a couple of rocks to signify goal posts. goalie uses his ball cap as a trapper. It's more shinny, but still gets the job done.
Excellent job. I'm a 66yo black hockey player that has been playing for only a couple years. I've had nothing but good times and good teammates. I've been a hockey fan all my life and just decided to get on the ice for the first time at the age of 64. I absolutely love it. I took skating and hockey lessons for a while but since moving to a new town, I have problems accessing rinks and lessons. Then I got hurt resulting in shoulder surgery and at my age that is no small thing. I still want to play but I have to question if it is worth it due to the injury concerns. Diversity when it is natural is a good think but diversity for diversity's sake is bad for everybody. The problem is people are trying to force diversity down everyone else's throats and that does nothing but create strife and division. If people would just stop trying to force things and let them evolve naturally, they may see the diversity they seek but a true or real diversity not one brought on by forced compliance.
I heard this as an ad during an nhl game. I think ice skating in the uk is definitely a middle class sport. I decided to start learning to skate this year at 22 (as I couldn't afford to when I was younger) and its £55 a month for lessons at the national ice center which is a lot for a hobby not including buying the skates and travelling to the rink. I really want to do recreational hockey in the next year or so, but its going to cost over £500 to get to the skating level to play hockey (not including purchasing the game equipment)
I’m 43 and I started playing hockey in 2017. Always watched hockey since I was a kid. But it came down to the cost. Love it and gives me time to myself away from family to reset every weekend.
We're in the PNW. My five year old is already an accomplished skater, does mohawk figure 8s, transitions, backwards crossovers, easily skates in the top 20% of 8u players, maybe better. He's on the ice everyday, as the rink is only 5 minutes away from our house.
He's going into learn to play, but we're hesitant about investing any more time or money, if our local youth hockey program fails to produce top players and honestly we're probably not going to spend $1k+/month on travel expenses and tournaments to participate in a mediocre program, so he can go nowhere.
Let's face it, most top players are from Canada and Europe and top US players are coming out of MN, IL, MI, NY...
On another note, there's a surprising number of East Asians, Indians and some Hispanic kids (few black kids) playing here in the Seattle area. The common denominator seems to be $$$, driving Teslas, private lessons, disposable income.
The USAHockey program caters to people that have money, not necessarily natural abilty, which is why they don't produce more top players.
Why not just have fun in an in house league?
its not so much USAHockey's fault or anyone's fault really. USA hockey might be able to do a better job investing and finding sponsors and advocating to municipalities but so could the NHL. Like MLB baseball did when they went around the country building baseball fields and donating equipment. the reason that those states you listed are successful at producing players is because of accessibility. In MN 90% of all the indoor arenas are municipal owned and operated. That drives the cost way down for usage. The associations are non-profit and able to offer hockey at a much more affordable rate. With all that said, just let your kid have fun and don't worry about if he's going to get a college scholarship or not. Or if you are, I hear Marvin Windows in Warroad is always hiring and Polaris in Roseau. They love out of state move ins, honestly they thrive on it and have two of the best programs around.
Playing ice hockey isn't for everyone, especially in Britain. It's expensive, usually entails lots of travelling and quickly becomes a big time priority in your life. That's a reflection of having very few hockey rinks, the scarcity and high cost of ice time and the cost of equipment.
Being a hockey team supporter IS for everone though (since you asked, I first saw that phrase in EIHL social media). It's a sport that you can follow on TH-cam and other online platforms for free. Tickets are affordable and even if you live nowhere near a team, a hockey game is a fun road trip to do occasionally. The fan base is diverse and the atmosphere is family friendly. It's my favourite sport to watch.
As a new player, I bought all my equipment second-hand and only play stick and puck to work on my own skills. However, as someone who lives in a very multicultural province, I'm fortunate to play with people from many different backgrounds and we all have fun and chat without judgement of any kind. I feel for those who don't get the same treatment; diversity belongs in ALL sports and no one should be judged based on their ethnic background or what type of equipment they have. Great video on this topic!
Well said !
My first bag of gear was hand me downs from friends that played. Couldn’t afford to play league so went and embarrassed myself at pick up games until things sort of came together. The cost for even beer league is pretty nuts, but definitely worth it.
Roller hockey in warm climates is the route, sticks, skates, shin guards, and helmets are required, donations of gear are available
You should really try to get with the Washington Capitals. They do a great job with the Ft. DuPont hockey team to bring hockey to low income households.
I got an idea. Make roller hockey big again. More places to rollerblade then skate. More equipment gets sold able to bring the price down on equipment and will make people wanna play ice hockey.
Your last talking point about finding a new pick up game or beer league is something I still feel to this day and I’ve been playing hockey for over 20 years
I'm happy I found hockey later in life because there is no way in hell I would have been able to afford it as a kid.
What a refreshing, non-inflammatory, and solutions driven approach to the subject. Great video.
Found hockey late in life for the reasons this video was created. I've followed you for a long while now, and IMO feel like this is the cause YOU truly can make an international impact with. I wish you great success and will continue to follow this progress and contribute where I can.
I grew up poor, ive always played basketball. You could afford that. Hockey grew on me this last year. As an adult 36, I bought skates a stick etc and started playing pick up learning to skate and play at the same time. The difference nownis that I have the capital to buy gear. I just dont have the age to become great at it. However I thoroughly enjoy it. Amazing sport.
It starts with interest.
This is a very smart take. Glad I started following this channel.
Thank you!
19 and started taking skating lessons a few months ago, hopefully going to start a learn to play this fall. I just got all of the equipment and it’s quite expensive. It’s something I always wanted to do but didn’t have the opportunity so I’m going to do it regardless of the cost, it just sucks that it’s one of the most expensive sports. Ik I won’t be making the NHL and it does suck that I never got to try this when I was younger but it’s better late than never. As a side note, when I go the rink, the parking lot is full of nice cars lol (I take the metro).
This is a great video!
As someone from Western Nebraska the closest ice to me is 150 miles away, I was limited to a rec league experience and then only when weather permitted. On top of that, beyond the cost of equipment, each session not only cost me the $10-15 for the hour of ice time but it also cost me 300 miles worth of gas and 4 hours of driving. Beyond that there would be weeks where I couldn't make that drive due to weather and I had to find a team that understood and was okay with that.
If one of my kids wanted to play organized hockey it just wouldn't be possible. Football, baseball, basketball ... none of those sports have those challenges so availability and cost are 100% serious factors that limit availability to the sport...
to any adults out there thinking they don't want to play because all they can swing is some ancient shitty used gear: the gnarliest, baddest MFer on the ice usually has the oldest shittiest looking gear... and that's just a fact. sweat pants, old laces tied around their shins, an old jofa helmet and leather gloves. that dude will eat anyone alive.
Well put ! ADD in being a parent of a UK player where kids are often bench Warming rather than being developed. The Finnish model of costs Per year and borrowing of kit etc works Well . Community rink ownership too !
In my area, northeast US, I have no problem with access, but the cost it's definitely prohibitive. With "town" youth hockey now over 2k for a season i can see why a lot of families turn away from the sport.
I think the hashtag could mean hockey at all different levels, for some just a spectator, others maybe sneakers and sticks and balls, roller, or maybe ice. I grew up in a military family my first exposure to hockey was age 6-7 in Michigan and there it was a lifestyle especially in a winning era for the Redwings. I only played up to roller there based on monetary constraints and available slots to even play. Then moving to the midwest I had an opportunity to play ice hockey. No one in my neighborhood or highschool played, you still had to seek hockey out in that region. Made for an odd split life in that era for me. As an adult I also continued travelling across the US in military service. I would find myself in places where there would be zero opportunity to play without weekend road trips, others i would have to "beg" to skate a practice with local youth AA AAA kids, but regardless always have had a stick few pucks and balls to play with my self lol... Ive found Reddit and randon community posts on nextdoor or craigslist to be great places to find other players. Great video
Heard it a few years back from the NHL, and it’s a great sentiment for a fandom. Hockey is for everyone that wants to watch and support the sport. But it does have a high cost of entry to play it at any age.
You also usually need support from both parents to get you to practices and away games that are a good distance. Thanks Mom and Dad for giving up sleeping in on the weekends taking me to those 5:30am practices for all of those years in my youth. Good video, Mate. Yes, hockey players are hockey players, regardless of the usual identifiers that the world is currently obsessed with.
i always wanted to play hockey but here in france i don’t have a local team in my city, so i played initiation and with friends on other town but hockey wasn’t accessible in my region.
There's a podcast I listen to (Hockey Mountain High; they cover the Colorado Avalanche). They changed the phrase from "Hockey is for everyone" to "Make hockey for everyone". That change was important especially for one of them because he's an Arab guy who reports on hockey and he has experienced negativity because of his race in the hockey world
With regards to the cost/access etc.
When I started playing ice hockey I was about 13 and living in South Africa back in the 90's. it was a privileged sport and my parents did not have much money but they tried to get me as much as they could. I had to most of the time have second or even third had or DIY just so I could play. I used some roller blading elbow pads, DIY chest/shoulder (actually made by my dad), home sewn practice jersey. I was also fortunate enough to be able to save up and buy some kit but South Africa in the 90's wasn't very good for kit and access to the internet was limited.
We did have some who always had the latest and greatest kit and others like myself, it was hard as you always saw the coaches spend more time with them and they could afford extra practice time, etc.
Now living in the UK some 20+ years later and it still feels like a very elite sport. with the lack of ice rinks (my 2 closest being 30+ mins away) and practices being very late at night as well as having to fully commit to the team (which life does not always allow) plus session fees etc, it is very out of reach for most common folk. Comparing it to Football (Soccer), rugby, etc which to start would probably only cost like £100 for brand new where that wouldn't even buy you a pair of gloves new in ice hockey.
I recently started Inline Hockey and buying a mix of new and used and already owned from when I played ice hockey it still cost me close to £500 overall, but taking an injury my first practice I am considering not carrying on again but still don't want to give up so quick.
I do fully understand and totally agree with you.
OYHL in Ontario, California is a excellent youth hockey program for everyone
I don’t play these days but started out growing up in Edinburgh just public skating at Murrayfield and being a massive Racers fan. I didn’t play hockey until my mates and I started playing street hockey in the school playground. It was the early 90s Mighty Ducks just came out and we all wanted to play. We got some old sticks from the rink and made up our own goalie leg guards with chicken wire and cardboard. Everyone else played without any pads just skates and either a tennis ball or a street hockey ball.
I started playing recce hockey at Murrayfield when I was about 14/15. Practice was after the disco session on a Friday night so it was from 22:00 - midnight if I remember correctly. But I got old shoulder pads from one of the pros, I got a new helmet and new cheap shins and gloves (all Cooper). It took a few weeks until I had enough for shorts and elbows. I got the shorts in London at a place in Kentish Town when I was down for a family holiday. I remember the first time in the dressing room trying to get my jersey on with shoulder pads for the first time. It was all men and I was a youth so felt proper stupid trying to get it on without getting all caught up.
I went to sea at 16 so I dropped in and out of hockey until my late 20s by which time kids, mortgages and life kind of got in the way. I was always on a budget until I splashed a fortune (at the time) on some new CCM Vetcor Pros (the chainmail ones) which I imported from the US. Unfortunately I hadn’t gotten around to telling the wife before a customs bill landed on the door mat for the import duty 😂.
Basically without waffling too long. If you want to play you can find a way at some level to play. In my day there was a lot of roller stuff going on which was arguably more accessible and cheaper.
One thing that wasn't put out is the struggle of the local rinks. An example is the rink in the town we live in, is the only one within two hours drive. Because of that overuse is a problem. And if something breaks then that coat is passed on to the players and parents of players. It adds up quickly in small towns that dont have access big cities do.
I was born in the Philippines, and then I moved to America and became a naturalized citizen. I would have to say that I might not have gotten into hockey had I not moved to the US. While my family could afford the gear, there's hardly any ice rinks in The Philippines, and hockey's not that big of a sport there. Moreover, I got lucky that I ended up in California, specifically the Bay Area, where there's an underrated recreational hockey scene thanks to the popularity of the San Jose Sharks. Had I moved to, say, Alabama or Arkansas, I might not have gotten into the sport.
I would have to say that the most fixable aspect to make hockey more accessible would be the cost. I wish that Bauer, CCM, etc. were able to promote their cheaper lines more or start programs that encouraged people to donate their used (but still usable) gear for less privileged hockey players. Moreover, there needs to be less stigma with second-hand or lower-end gear. I splurged a bit more on my skates, gloves, shins, and helmet, but I got second-hand Pro stock pants and basic elbow and shoulder pads since I only play non-checking hockey. I also use only discounted or second-hand sticks: I don't need a Proto R or an FT Ghost since I'm not playing against McDavid or Matthews 😂.
As for culture, I believe that ANYONE with the skills, gear, and attitude can play hockey. Any race, ethnicity, gender identity, orientation etc. can play hockey, and it is up for us hockey players of all levels to ensure that everyone feels welcomed. That being said, it may take time for some to feel accepted, and there's some darker parts of Hockey Culture that need to be addressed. That takes TIME and COOPERATION. But I believe it's possible.
If you wear used gear and are getting ribbed about it .. just work harder on the ice. Nothing closes a popinjay's mouth faster. They will be the best equipped player on the 3rd line .. promise. ;)
@@Deploracle AMEN
It comes down to common decency relating to acceptance of hockey players from various backgrounds. I still play after 55 seasons in order to meet people and surround myself with people who enjoy the game...and also to be around people younger than myself...thanks for your observations...i will do my part to keep improving the game and acceptance of everyone who wants to play.
Excellent video. Let’s just treat people according to their character. I was bullied a lot because I started hockey in my fifties. Incidentally, it’s easier in some countries to learn, such as Eastern Canada where ponds freeze over in winter, and summers are warm and ideal for roller hockey.
one point to mention, medical bills are significantly more expensive than equipment, and buying new/up-to-date reduces the probability of the injury, it will not eliminate that, but will reduce it.
This really brings you to the last 2 options.
In my opinion as a pro inline hockey player i think that is one of the reason why inline hockey has grown that much on the past years beeing a bit cheaper on equipment and being able to do it on warm wethers like spain (my contry) or many others and also the rink maintenance is much much cheaper and it’s open all the year not just a few months
I started watching Hockey because I was a fan of soccer. They literally have similar rules. The NHL is expanding their teams to new markets. There is active discussions to create a premier league for Hockey. You dont have to play hockey to be a fan of hockey. You have to remember that in this sport you have a good chance of getting seriously injured.
I wanted to play when I was a kid & my parents just couldn't afford it. I was able to afford it in my 20's, but was so far behind on the ice & there wasn't very many, if any beginner friendly programs. I ended up playing roller & had fun with that at least, & it was far more affordable than playing on ice. From my experience hockey came across as a rich kid sport, & that was the biggest cultural difference to me.
Back in the 90s there was a big push to support inline hockey and I feel like that, floorball, and some sort of buyback/starter equip program that involves local teams and retailers could jumpstart a grassroots interest in the sport.
Another issue in my mind is how hockey in Canada is so tied up with taking young players away from their homes and families and putting them with billet families and prep schools when they're so young. These aren't Jedi, there should be better paths that don't require so much cost and loss. There's a lot wrong with the sports system in the USA, but at least until you get into college it's based around local high schools and families
It is for everyone… there’s a level of involvement for everyone who wants to play. Haters are gonna hate… deal with it and just play if you really want to.
We live in CT, and have 3 kids that play. Recently, I've spoken to several other parents about some programs in our area that offer free or inexpensive programs to introduce hockey to inner-city kids. We love the idea of exposing children to things they may not typically be able to have access to, but what happens when they fall in love with the sport?? It's like dangling this amazing thing in front of them and then taking it away. I'm not sure what's the right or wrong thing to do. It's certainly not accessible for everyone.
If Everyone had your attitude to the enjoyment of just being able to play it would be for everyone. But you have the guy that takes it to serious and personal. ❤your stuff.
when i was playing at 5-6 years old, the indian and pakistani kids in Canada were insanely talented it's ridiculous. But unfortunately their parents couldn't even afford a new pair of skates for them. It is what it is.
If people want to enjoy hockey , but can't afford ice hockey , well , street hockey is just as fun. You don't need to know how to skate , you don't need a ton of equipment (except for the goalie) , and you don't have to take part in dishing out crazy money to rent an ice rink. All you need are sticks (even wooden) , a ball and a couple of nets. Maybe you should do a parallel street hockey channel also.
This is an incredibly important video, thank you for making it. I grew up playing hockey from the 70’s through to today in Western Canada and honestly never had race issues show up, no one cared where someone was from or what the colour or their skin was. As you said, we were hockey players, period. I believe this recent campaign is driven by an agenda of some sort and it really makes no sense. Videos like this go a long way of bringing the issue to light.
I'm in Southeast Texas and the nearest ice rink to me is at least an hour and a half away. There are closer roller nkating ritks but roller hockey is only about 20 minutes closer. Gas prices alone, not to mention time considerations, it's just impossible for me to even think about playing. I think if we want ice hockey to grow, get roller hockey growing, get the culture growing, get some of the gear out there without having to invest fully into the huge costs of ice rinks and over time ice hockey will follow
What stops me from getting on the ice is sizing.. I'm on the heavier side but built like a tank. I wear clothing a few sizes bigger cause I hate feeling restricted always have even as a kid before thyroid issues went haywire. I have done so much digging for gear and since it's no longer made I'm sometimes paying way over the price of brand new gear. I know the sport has evolved into speed, and agility now but for just a typical beer leaguer have gear accessible.
I feel ya. I'm built like a Running Back (short but extremely muscular), which has...rather interesting implications regarding the gear I use.
On one hand, I can use smaller skates and save money...but I had to get a upper-medium-level skate to start out (I picked the Bauer Supreme M4's) as I feared that entry-level skates wouldn't support my body. And while I'm able to get away with having intermediate-sized shins and junior sticks because of my height, I had to get senior-size shoulder pads and elbow pads because of my muscular torso and arms. The biggest issue IMO was the jersey: I often find myself buying larger jerseys since putting on my jersey can be HELL thanks to my build.
If I save up, I might buy the Supreme Mach or Supreme Shadow as it might be able to hold my weight better.
There may be some vintage gear that could work. There are a few guys in my league that are very large, but they are out there with all of the gear. Sometimes you can find those sizes on clearance actually.
@kftc1980 I might consider that, especially for shoulder pads and elbow pads since I have broad shoulders and large biceps.
@@kftc1980 I'm sure I could stumble across some if I traveled to a different state..
I just want to say a huge thank you for posting this. I also feel that one reason is some people may not know or understand the sport very well. I am from Iowa and There are actually a good amount of rinks around me in the City Areas. But i feel as though not many people know about these rinks and know about the opportunity to play. its too the point where i was recently at an Iowa Wild game and they were showing an adults men team play during intermission because the organization needed new players that badly. so i feel like there might not be enough advertising for leagues in some areas.
I totally agree with everything you said in this video. I grew up in Pennsylvania. In our area we where lucky we had at one point a bunch of leagues for kids of all walks of life and cultures to get introduced to the sport or forms of the sport such as dek hockey , roller and ice. The local minor league team used to help fund them. Unfortunately that's not exactly the case anymore. Although the have been working hard over last couple seasons to introduce the game by offering free learn to play programs with free gear.
Compared to other major sports, hockey has the lowest tv rating, yet its equipment cost is skyrocketing each year and the limited availability of ice rink makes things even worse. It's too bad the league is only focused on moving teams around to find regions with higher viewership but aren't doing much fundamentally to grow organic fan base. Hockey is clearly dying while soccer and basketball are thriving.
I float between all three of those shopping categories. I have a stock of sticks from the swapmeet and some of my favorite gear growing up were also from the swapmeet, my first set of gear and when i need something in a pinch its typically something more mid level, and when I just want to replace something I'll pick up last seasons top spec since I'll have it for years now that I'm not growing anymore and I'm spending my own money on it. I had just started playing in net before covid hit for about $800-900 and most of that was in my chesty. I was playing roller so I didn't want to wear another layer under it to help with heat mitigation so I bought a new one instead of wearing an old one I got for free and having years of other people's sweat against my body like that.
Lmao I'm the same haha.
I cheaped out on the sticks, shoulders, elbows, gloves, and pants since I play amateur non-checking hockey.
I spent a bit more on my skates, shins, and helmet. I need upper mid-level skates and above (currently using Supreme M4's) since I'm a rather muscular fellow and I don't think entry-level skates could handle someone who deadlifts 400+ lbs regularly. I block shots quite a bit, so I got Bauer M5 Pro shins instead of the entry level Bauer X shins. I made sure to get a good helmet (IIRC I got a ReAkt helmet that cost around 100), since head protection is important.
My son (18 now) started about a year again. New equipment (entry-mid range) without skates costs 900€ and registration/practice/game about 800€ for 1 year. The rink is luckily nearby but sharpening is around 30 minutes driving. (they do sharpen at the rink as well but badly done). Besides costly it is very time consuming as well. Count easily 2-3h for practice and 4-6 hours for a game, depending where the game is. If you search for a club, check practicing hours as well (22-23h here, twice a week).
Oh, and I tried it as well at my 50y and I underestimated hockey. As inline skater and sometimes on the ice, I thought it could be something for me as well. Well... it is absolutely difficult and is asking a lot of your body physically.
I’m 60, I play twice a wek in a casual morning scrimmage. I started at 53 and I could barely skate. It is worth it but it takes a lot of effort. I recommend you get a Sparx sharpener, you can sharpen your son’s friends skates to help pay it off. I’ve had one for 5 years, incredible.
@@StillAliveAndKicking_ Probably the team will buy a Sparx for next season so everyone in the team is able to sharpen their skates.
For myself, considering to start again next season but probably I need to loose some weight and practice a bit before season.
Growing up in South east London I got really lucky, I got the opportunity to play from an inline roller hockey team the London street warriors. They actually brought kit out and let us try it and if not for them and all the support and loaned kit i would have never managed to get into hockey at all let alone Ice hockey just because of the sheer cost of it. Now I am white so I cant speak to the extra barrier of being black but the majority of the team / coaching staff was black so i saw first hand how they had more to overcome getting into the sport especially with some of the areas we had to travel to for regionals, this was back in the early 2000s people were shocked to see a single black player let alone half a team with black people, I saw first hand my team mates spat at, racially abused, physically abused you name it. I haven't played now for years but i would imagine not much has changed for black players in the sport unfortunately.
I am eternally grateful to them for giving me and many others the chance to play this wonderful sport and i hope one day it truly is for everyone.
That’s shocking, I’ve never seen such behaviour thank goodness. 😊
When I was growing up and growing out of gear annually, the local rinks let the parents has a gear sale. Sell off the small gear, buy bigger gear. It works well for the younger players. Young kids don't wear out gear, they out grow it. As an adult, I bought higher end sticks, gloves, and skates. The rest just average stuff. You just don't need the high end pads for no checking adult leagues. Just an opinion of course.
100% agree with the adult part. Although I have to add that you should try and get a good helmet, since head protection is important even in non-checking leagues. Moreover, players who block a lot of shots (like myself) would benefit from having higher-end shin pads (got the Supreme M5 pads) since taking a puck to the legs while wearing cheaper pads...ain't fun.
Also...don't forget slash guards and neck guards.
Edit: I would also advice recreational players to steer clear from visors and use a full shield (either a cage, a bubble, or a hybrid). NHLers can afford to lose teeth since they're paid millions and have access to skilled team dentists. The average beer leaguer would be SCREWED if he or she lost a few chiclets. I know visors look cooler, but functionality is more important than coolness.
@@Pokemonmaster150b Agree! A good helmet and cage is necessary. I use an Itech titanium cage. It's so light! (Now part of Bauer). Call me a pussy, but I don't go to work missing teeth or with a broken nose! 🙂All your points are quality!
I'm at 28 year old mum from the UK. It's always been a dream to start ice hockey...but it feels crazy to think of a sport as a "bucket list" activity. I've recently reached out to Guildford Lightning to see how someone like me with no experience or kit would get into it and they sent me a few links to places in the London area. All of which train after 10.30pm. I need full kit to be able to even step foot on the ice and no venues have loan kit. So for me to even try, I'd need to buy a full kit. I totally get it, why would they have loan kit? But it's daunting to splash out hundreds just to give a sport a go. Really hoping I can muster the courage to thrift and give it a shot
Also, side note...never imagined I'd be watching you almost 9 years on from watching your skating tutorial videos as a teenager!
I’ve lived and played hockey for 30 years in England, so I’ve seen it at various popularity stages since the 90s.
The age old issue with the UK is probably not so much affordability, even though that does play a big part, the issue is British culture in my opinion, if you ask any 10 year old kid what sportsman he would like to be when he’s older, 99.9% of them will say a football player, for obvious reasons, the wages, the investment at grass roots, the fact that no other sport comes close in terms of televised events, the UK sports fans eat, sleep and breathe football, even most hockey players I know still highly regard football as one of their favourite sports, even if we do think they’re a bit soft.
In countries where hockey was deeply ingrained before big TV money made football so much more popular, so like Sweden, Finland etc in Europe, these countries have much better access to hockey, better coaching at youth level, more televised events on tv, more people talking about the games because the game itself is more widely followed, the increased popularity at parent level leads to much more youth coming through the game, which in turn will fuel competition and better players. I’ve heard of a number of UK rinks that struggle to put together U10s, 12s etc, this just doesn’t happen in these other countries where hockey is so much more a part of the culture.
The thing is, it’s been like this since I started playing hockey, if anything, I think it’s got worse at youth level with less kids taking up the sport, so where do we go from here? Who knows? I guess the only thing I could think of would be money, but time has shown that little investment will come from the UK, but why would it, sponsorship and advertising will generally go where the most exposure is (ie not hockey), so I think what the UK scene needs is foreign investment, from people with money to burn (so maybe Russian or American billionaire franchise owners sort of thing).
There’s a reason why almost no British player has ever been successful in the NHL, but I think with big investment in the game, particularly at youth level, we could start to produce stars that play at the very top level of the game, certainly such as the NHL for instance
Thank you for making this and spreading awareness ❤
I remember telling my Guatemalan mother i wanted to play hockey. Lol i had to settle for pickup roller hockey ahaha
Because you play in England, I can definitely see how playing the sport and accessing it would be difficult. I can see that being the case for lots of Europe (especially southern Europe) and warm climate countries where hockey isn't so common as well as the southern US. I'm from Edmonton, Canada, where we have 6 months of winter (real winter) every year. Where in warmer climates you have neighbourhood basketball courts and soccer fields that you could just go to and play some pickup, get involved in a casual level with the sport, here we have outdoor rinks. You could get a second hand pair of skates for $40, a second hand stick and go play every night. They are always packed with vast different age groups, skill levels and even ethnicities. Here the south asian kids, native kids, black kids, white kids (and adults for that manner) all just want to go have fun outside with their friends, everyone just plays and has fun with the people in their communities all sporting jerseys of their favourite teams and players. Any night of the week there will be various pickup games starting, sticks in the middle style where everyone is welcome and games end and start up again as people come and go. When it's not busy, you can go at any time, lace up your skates and practice shooting and skating drills for hours on end, until your legs are too dead to stand up, or your toes start freezing up if the temps really start to dip in the evenings. Because of where we are geographically hockey is very accessible to us. My neighbour is originally from Nepal, and I took his kids out to the ODRs a few times to learn how to skate and have fun, now their youngest is playing his first year of organized hockey and start pretty comfortably because of what he was able to learn on the ODR. I feel that is likely the case in a lot of Northern climate countries.
As far as the race question, I agree with you. When it goes from not a lot of representation to every ad and commercial being about inclusion it comes off feeling forced. Because I grew up in Edmonton we had a ton of black players on our teams over the years, like Grant Fuhr, Mike Greer, George Laraque, Anson Carter, Joaquin Gage, Sean Brown and currently with Evander Kane and Darnell Nurse. If you let these guys flourish and become integral parts of the team like Edmonton tends to, it takes care of the inclusion conversation in a less heavy handed way. The city loves these players and minority kids can see people like themselves filling valuable roles on the team. Having said that I still feel that doing something for international womens day, black history month, and doing segments on our aboriginal communities is still an important and classy way to bring the community together.
Good video with lots of good points. The price of gear I 100% agree with you on, I stopped using mainstream brand name sticks because they're on glue if they think I'll spend $430 on one stick when I can get something pretty close to equivalent for $120 online.
Go Oilers!
Your talk about having black players on the Oilers reminded me of the Thrashers' somewhat tone-deaf attempt to use their black players (e.g. Kane, Byfuglien) as marketing tools for their floundering hockey team. It just felt...inauthentic. Like they were tokenizing them.
Conversely, my team (the Sharks) doesn't try to use black players (and other minorities) as marketing tools, despite the fact that San Jose is very diverse. I've seen Jamal Mayers, Mike Grier, Derek Joslin, Joel Ward (who was one of my favorite players in our 2016 Cup Finals Run), Evander Kane, CJ Suess, Anthony Duclair, Justin Bailey, and Givani Smith wear the teal jersey with pride. And while the Sharks have acknowledged their race, they don't try and use them as a marketing gimmick to attract minority fans. They're Sharks players, and they BELONG. Heck, Grier even became our GM.
The same applies for other minorities who have played for San Jose. As an Asian-American, I'm happy to have seen Manny Malhotra and Devin Setoguchi put on the Teal sweater. I've seen Native American/First Nations Sharks like Jonathan Cheechoo and Calen Addison. We've also had Latino representation in Bill Guerin, Scott Gomez, Raffi Torres, and Matt Nieto. And much like the black players, we don't tokenize them or use them as marketing gimmicks. We acknowledge their ethnicity AND make them feel like they belong on the team.
Really good video! I like ur stuff because you are trying to be neutral and honest. I am from southern germany. Here hockey is getting very famous since the last 3,4 years - I started 25 years ago. Here we are a very open hockey community. Everybody is welcome to try. Sometimes old gear is collected to enable someones tryout.
But besides the gear, a hour ice time costs about 15€. This gets expensive during the weeks 3 or 4 times ice a week... not everybody can afford this. And then there are not many good times. Public skating, juniors and pros - as hobby players we get very early or very late ice times.not everyone can manage these in addition to family and work... so good to be a hockey addicted 😊
Very well done. Insightful and I agree. Thank you for sharing.
Thank you !
Great video. This is the most frustrating thing about hockey, it’s turned into a rich kid sport. I personally think the best players aren’t playing at the highest level due to these restrictions.
Please come check out the Baltimore Banners!!! Those kids love the game and the way the sport has brought them together through so much is beautiful.
Great video on the barriers to entry in hockey. As a long term lover of the game that didn’t get the chance to start as a kid I completely agree with you on the cost and accessibility issues of the sport. It’s not like most others where you can just pick up a ball and go. But man if it isn’t a life changing game. More people deserve to have the opportunity to enjoy it.
Great suggestion. If we can find a way to make that happen, we will.
My 13yo goalie has been playing travel for 6 years, it's insane how much $ it costs but also the most fun sport to watch in my opinion.
As a lifelong hockey (and football aka soccer) player, hockey will never have the traction that soccer has. It's too expensive. The equipment is too expensive, the ice time is too expensive, and training it too expensive. It will only have real traction in places like scandanavia, russia, and the northern US states where weather allows free outdoor play.
Not to mention league fees vary greatly depending on location
1 yr and ~$750 into hockey: 80% new gear. I have a very well known rink(snoopy’s home ice) 2 min from my house. My daughter started figure skating and I started lessons 1yr ago.
I’ve found everyone I play with (sticktime/scrimmages) to be some of the warmest and most helpful. League players can be hit or miss and there’s a lot of guys who view it as if you didn’t grow up playing it; you’re not a hockey player. That said, all the people I surround myself are like minded: If you put the time in and play your best, be it sticktime or game, you’re a hockey player. And it’s a cool club to be in. If I see you in the locker room just as sweaty as me, I don’t care what color you are, we are brothers that play the game.
I owe part of my three yrs sobriety to hockey and even riddled with arthritis at 40, I’ll never stop trying to play better. See you on the ice:)
Thank you for sharing this! Fantastic that hockey is able to help you be focused.
Great job and great video, I think someone like you needs to work/consult for the NHL to make improvements to access and the message. I think you nailed the parameters and have a sense on how to move forward in a better direction. I hope you are able to find a way to do it, the future of hockey depends on it.
Please keep posting videos like this to enlighten those in the sport so we can collectively be better fans and players.
Nothing wrong with 2nd hand gear or buying new stuff thats a couple gen old that are on sale. But as a goalie there are 3 things that I would only get at pro level, the catching glove , chesty and the mask, the rest is not so important.
Make a video for the super novium
NZ we have very limited access to gear and its sooexpensive to import and i drive 225km each way every sunday to play in a league i can only do that cause of carpool
Great video!!
Glad you enjoyed it
Its prety acurate start playing last years bought new gears but asked the saleman good gears but good mixt of price/quality cost me around 1100$ without skate.
And i was at the start of the off season got alot more for the price that something you can do to.
This is the hottest take I’ve seen on not only hockey, but social climate in general, in a very long time.
I’m partial Asian ancestry and I grew up in a white sport roller hockey to ice
I have found that the confidence to ask, is the most important way to get in a game. From when I was a kid… “hey, can I play with you?” Will get you in a game. After that, it’s sports; so your ability to compete and how enjoyable you are as a person are going to determine your future with that group. My local rink has an adult beginner program. There are at least forty grownups who are completely novice. They have a built in group. However, if one of them wanted to hop on with one of the high pace games, with the former college and pro players, it’s not going to work. Statistically, NO ONE makes the NHL. (rounding included). So, if it’s not fun, find the thing you enjoy. I feel like this video is way overthinking it.
Lovely video. You definitely excelled at the unfortunately necessary skill of 'threading the needle', lol. Would definitely look forward to a part 2.
Thank you!
Phenomenal video, Chris. I'm lucky enough to live in Minnesota, where there are more rinks than I can count, and there are certainly tons of opportunities for people to play at pretty much whatever level they're comfortable with (from ultra-competitive travel teams to just skating outside at the parks in winter time... well, aside from this year, alas...). But your point about cost being a hindrance to "growing the game" is something that's bothered me for years. I'd like to think we'd all love it if more people from all walks of life could play our game, but the cold fact is (as you suggest in the video) you simply can't just pick up the game on a whim and start playing if you or your family don't have enough disposable income. I couldn't play organized hockey for this reason when I was a kid, and that was like 100 years ago; it's way worse now.
All of this is also why it bothers me so much when the NHL continually pats itself on the back for "growing the game" by expanding into "non-traditional markets" in the US. They'll go on and on about how many youth teams there are now in places where it doesn't snow in the winter, but what they don't tell you in their self-congratulatory messaging is those teams are populated largely by rich people. There are certainly exceptions, but as a rule, if there's only one ice rink within an hour or two of where you live, ice time will be at a premium and that cost is passed down to the players. Not to mention, spending a million hours in the car with mom/dad seems like this hockey culture "rite of passage" that everyone gets misty eyed about, but no one ever seems to think about how much of a privilege it is to simply *be able* to do; if your mom works third shift at a gas station and dad's working overtime at the factory to make sure everyone can eat, hockey's probably just not going to work.
Thank you for the kind words bud! Minnesota is unreal! I last time I was there, we worked out that within a 10miles radius, there more 4x more rinks than the entire UK... Think about how sad that is for us in the land of Fish and Chips.. MN is an awesome place to be if you love hockey.
Well said on the other points!
I appreciate this thinking but why is it “not”. I think it’s more about the how can we make it for everyone. Are you talking about kids here or adults? Because the two are wildly different.
Open hockey is always accessible and not sure why you would say feeling uncomfortable at a new skate. That is how life is in jobs, new stores, new neighbors
Also as a coach in NYC I can see the problems with ice hockey in Harlem …. A fancy site seems like they are doing something but… they don’t have a home rink. Riverbank is state run and helps make this more affordable and accessible. 43 Oak Foundation is interesting.
Also Jason McCrimmon with Detroit Ice is making a true adjustment to accessibility. They even welcomed IHIH to a tourney in Detroit.