I had a much needed hockey lesson at Hockey Alley in Newbury Park. I was a bit apprehensive at first, since it was quite a commitment in both time and money. A 90 minute drive is far for me, considering there are several ice rinks within a 10-mile radius of my house. And this lesson was double the cost of the skills & drills at my local rink. The place is appropriately named, as the ice is small and clausterphobic.
I came away satisfied. My lesson involved 4 other skaters. We were a group of vastly different skill level and the instructors handled us well despite that. Our weakest skater had noticably improved in just 60 minutes. I felt that I struggled on the small sheet of ice. You have little time or room to really do anything. But that's the point. You have only a few strides to get your edges right, or not. The instructors are right on top of you.
My biggest revelation came with some shooting tips. For the first time in my life, I responded to some backhand shooting technique. That alone was worth the drive & money. But I also took away some skating excercises that I can take to the rink. Probably the biggest point that was stressed is skating in hockey. That seems obvious, but is really one of the last things I want to work on. I was inspired to be a better skater and to work on my skating. While I haven't been to any public skate sessions yet, the desire is there.
I will return to Hockey Alley, it's just a matter of when.
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