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Ilinois Parent Comments on Full Ice

By AHAI, 01/26/16, 1:30PM EST

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Facebook Comments from Illinois Hockey Parents on Playing Full Ice Outside USA Hockey

Kipley W: My daughter is playing on a U8 team that is not part of the cross ice program and while she enjoys the practices, the games are full ice and she often seems overwhelmed and exhausted. She is the youngest one on her team and sometimes goes entire games without touching the puck. She would definitely have benefited from cross ice games this season.
Kyle Y:  cross ice is the best way for them to play. He would be real bored if he was playing full ice. Far less touches of the puck and contact with other players.
Bill F:  I think the person asking might want to ask if there are other issues at hand. My son, who is also U8, grew bored as the season wore on last year. We made a point of having him play no summer hockey, and he came back in the fall raring to go. Some kids can play one sport 12 months a year, but it’s only natural to put the skates (or bat, or cleats, or whatever) away for a while.
Tina W:  The issue I see in my son is the desire to play other kids/teams. It doesn’t have to do with full vs cross ice. He does get bored of playing the same 5-10 kids in his adm. Anytime there is a jamboree or something there is a different attitude and smile.
Jim P:  I have yet to find an 8U player not like half-ice games ~unless~ a parent or parents are upset that their child is not playing “real hockey” (full-ice). I often wonder if these same parents feel the same about other sports that play one age-appropriate playing surfaces (smaller baseball diamonds, smaller football fields, smaller soccer fields, shorter basketball hoops on smaller courts, etc).
Matt H:  Two things about hockey, you can never have enough skill development, and if you can’t make quick decisions in traffic you’re going nowhere. Cross ice teaches these things. Give the child time and let them develop.
Brad M:  When you think about it, it’s funny that it has taken this long to adopt to appropriately sized playing surfaces. Can you imagine an 8U little league game with 90 foot bases, the mound 60′ 6″ away from the play, and a home run fence 375 feet away?
Liz E: Great answer. I think it’s the parents who are bored….but it’s not about them.