INLINE OR ROLLER HOCKEY

GENERAL BENEFITS

•    Easier to learn than ice hockey while matching its fast-paced action.

•    Provides an intensive cardiovascular workout

•    Develops strong leg muscles, coordination, and balance.

•    Improves conditioning, hand-eye coordination, strength

•    Teaches teamwork

KIDS WHO TEND TO EXCEL

•    The kids who excel most at inline hockey are hard working, determined, and willing to experiment with new skills.

•    Some kids have previous ice hockey experience, but many learn roller hockey without ever having played ice hockey before.

BEST AGE TO START

•    While children can begin inline skating at age 3 and learn to play programs start for 4 and 5 year olds, many kids pick up the sport much later.

•    Between ages 8 and 10, most children move beyond basic skills into understanding strategy and how the game should be played. Because the skill level becomes fairly sophisticated during this period, it is more difficult for a newcomer to join a league.

WHAT TO LOOK FOR WHEN GETTING STARTED

•    In lessons, children are first taught individual skills of skating, stick handling, puck control, passing, receiving, shooting, and scoring. Next, they learn position-based skills for playing forward, defense, and goaltender. After this, team skills become the central focus, including offensive attacks, fore-checking, and face-offs.

•    Look for a league that promotes equal playing time for all players in the starting years regardless of skill level. Coaches should ideally have national certification, such as NYSCA’s Youth Coaching Certification, and additional sports-specific training from organizations such as USA Hockey Inline.

•    There are extensive opportunities for competition for youth inline hockey, with local, regional, and national tournaments, many of which are sanctioned by USA Hockey. Youth competition divisions start at 10 and under. There are 500 inline hockey leagues across the country. Kids can play in house league or select traveling leagues, with competition up to the junior world teams. The highest level of competition that an in-line hockey player can achieve is playing on team USA at the Pan American games.

SAFETY & INJURY CONCERNS

•    Roller hockey is a relatively safe sport if players wear safety equipment, but kids do sometimes get hit by a puck or another player’s stick.

•    Unlike ice hockey, body checking is not allowed, further reducing the threat of serious injury.

•    The most common injuries are minor cuts and scrapes to the arms and legs—areas not protected by pads and exposed when players fall. Players also receive bruises if struck in an unprotected area by a roller hockey ball or roller puck.

•    Other typical injuries are bruises, particularly to the knee, shoulder, or wrist. Occasionally a child will have a torn ACL, other knee injuries, sprains, or fractures.

COST CONSIDERATIONS

•    Equipment for inline hockey can be fairly costly, easily amounting to about $300 or more for good equipment. Inline hockey skates cost between $100 and $200. Make sure not to buy them too large in the hopes your child can get an extra season out of them, as it can both interfere with his skating ability and cause physical damage to his feet.

•    A helmet with full-face shield or cage costs about $75. The helmet should fit your child’s head snugly, but not tightly. A mouth guard that straps to the helmet is recommended.

•    A hockey stick costs between $25 and $175. In terms of stick length, measure it when your child is in his skates. The butt-end of the stick should be between your child’s chin and nose when standing on its blade tip. Hockey gloves cost around $60. Make sure that they fit well; if they’re too big your child will have difficulty controlling the stick.

•    Shin guards, knee and elbow pads cost around $45 total. In addition, your child will most likely need an athletic or pelvic protector, padded hockey shorts, lightweight shoulder pads (optional), specially designed for roller hockey, and pants and jerseys.

•    Maintenance costs include replacement sticks, as sticks easily break, stick tape, and a few sets of roller wheels and bearings.

•    Most leagues require you to pay a league fee, usually around $100 to $150. Plus, all players participating in inline hockey will have to pay an inline hockey insurance fee in case of injury, which usually costs about $20.

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