It has been an interesting experience exposing my 6-year-old son to different sports and extracurricular activities. I don't believe in pushing a sport or activity on him, rather I like to learn about the things that he loves and excels at, and take it further from there. And we can only really do this by trying new things right? This is why I was so excited to see that our community hosts the Try Hockey For Free program here in Stockton. The Stockton Jr Colts, a non-profit organization and Ice Hockey Club, hosts this amazing program every year at the Oak Park Ice Arena.
Children that are new to Ice Hockey, ages 10 and under, have an opportunity to learn basic skating and hockey skills for free, for a whole month, and with all the proper gear provided to each child. Of course, when I saw this opportunity I registered right away! And I am so glad I did because it turns out, my son LOVES hockey. It is the only sport where he can fall time and time again and still get back up with a smile. The experience was not an easy one, he had to first learn to skate (which this is going to sound terrible but I could not stop giggling at all the slipping and falling on that ice, they are super padded so that's ok right?), and he had to learn other basic hockey skills all while trying to balance himself on his skates. Because my son enjoys hockey, all of the falling and making mistakes along the way were worthwhile to him. This had not been the case with other sports we had tried. And so, my family decided that this is the sport where we will invest our time in so that our son can nurture his love of Hockey while gaining all of the benefits we know children get from team sports.
This experience would not have been possible to our family without the Try Hockey For Free Program. We are so grateful to the volunteer parents that helped us gear up our children every Saturday morning and to the AMAZING coaches and youth mentors on the ice with our children encouraging them to get back up and try again. Everyone involved in organizing this event really created a wonderful community in that arena.
So, are you interested in seeing if Hockey is a good fit for your family? Or maybe you are like so many of us Stockton parents who want to give our children new and positive experiences. Then you should know that registration for the next season of Try Hockey for Free is already up. The event starts up again in November and it fills up fast! So don't miss your chance, register here. Additionally, keep an eye out for upcoming articles on other fabulous programs offered by the Stockton Jr Colts.
And again a BIG THANK YOU to the Stockton Jr Colts for this wonderful opportunity you give to children and families.
