How Did a Simple Game Become So Complicated?

Okay, you need a sheet of ice, a puck, something for a goal, a stick, and hopefully some skates.

I am amazed (and a little depressed) about how complicated we like to make things. I recently bought my son another pair of new skates because his feet keep growing. I couldn’t believe how many different skates are on the market. Compared to my first pair of skates, there was more technology in my son’s new skates than existed on the first manned space rocket.

I currently sit on two hockey related board of directors…not one, but two.

The Board for Davis County Youth Hockey Association is concerned about developing new players, and whether we have enough coaches and players to roster both a house and a travel team at each division. (And how to appease a few very vocal parents no matter which decision we have to make.)

I just got back from another board meeting  tonight for the Wasatch Ice Hockey Officials Association where we dug into details about scheduling tools, fees, and late balances from uncooperative programs.

Is it just human nature to complicate things or has the litigious nature of our society forced us to become hyper-sensitive to incorporating, meeting minutes, insurance, lawsuits, injuries, fines, etc. that we are driven towards an increasingly complicated system?

And if there are a variety of systems pushing us towards a helpless state of unnecessary complication, what can be done about trying to simplify the game and just let fun be enough?

Learn To Love Hockey Program

Like many other amateur hockey associations out there, our organization offers both a “Learn to Skate” program and a “Learn to Play Hockey” program. They are timed so that the “skate” program ends just before the “play” hockey begins and that “play” program ends just as the regular season begins…aren’t we clever.

We are using the “Learn to Play” hockey program provided by USA Hockey and it does a good job of covering the basics in an appropriate timeframe and with good skill progression. My problem is that I have never seen a “Learn to Love Hockey” program and it bothers me a little that we spend too much time practicing cross-overs and not enough time playing and having fun.

I should say that we do incorporate a fair amount of playing in our sessions but I would love to hear suggestions on what we can do to instill a love of the game. What drills / games do your beginning players love? What can we do off the ice to help them gain a better understanding of the game and most importantly, what can we do to help all players appreciate the game, the rules, the volunteers, their team mates, their opponents, and even the officials?

I am a strong believer that this game continues well beyond the typical “regular season” and playoffs. What can we do to help the next generation of players love the game?