By Debbie Adams
Saturday mornings, fall to spring, finds the Lancerlot ice rink in Vinton packed with dozens of
skaters, ages 5-18, learning the basics of ice hockey. They have signed up for “Learn to Play”
classes, sponsored by the Valley Youth Hockey Association and affiliated with the Junior
Dawgs. Misty Amos is the program director; Steve Brandtner is the on-ice coordinator. They are
assisted by numerous USA Hockey-trained instructors and assistants.
Ice hockey has a long history in the Roanoke Valley and in Vinton and continues to grow with an
ever-increasing fan base for the Rail Yard Dawgs.
The Learn to Play classes are specifically for children with little or no ice hockey experience
who are interested in learning the fundamentals, or whose parents might want to get them away
from screens, off the couch, and participating in a group sport. In addition to learning hockey
skills of skating forward, skating backward, hockey stop, and stick handling, they also learn
teamwork, cooperation, sportsmanship, and fair play.
“Our daughter, age 5, is obsessed with the Disney/Pixar movies ‘Inside Out’ and ‘Inside Out 2’,”
says Jess Curtin. “The main character in the film, Riley, is a young girl who plays hockey. My
daughter loved seeing a strong female main character playing a traditionally male-dominated
sport, so when we explored options for ice skating and hockey, we were thrilled to learn about
the Lancerlot Sports Complex’s Learn to Skate and Learn to Play programs.
“We first enrolled our daughter in a few sessions of Learn to Skate, led by Megan Noga, to help
her get comfortable on the ice. She really excelled with the personalized instruction and quickly
fell in love with figure skating. When you ask our daughter, she’ll tell you that she does both –
figure skating and hockey!
“Our daughter says she loves that she gets ‘to do fun stuff’ at Learn to Play and is gaining
confidence in her skills, like puck handling. As parents, it’s really exciting for us to see her try
something challenging and new, while having incredible support from the numerous coaches and
assistants on the ice.
“The youth hockey program in this area is an incredibly active and supportive group of
volunteers, staff, and parents/guardians. We’re excited to see our girl climb through the levels of
Learn to Play and join the Junior Dawgs/Lady Dawgs team in a few years!”
Once they master the basics of hockey, children are able to advance to local (house) programs
for Mini-Mites to age 18U or to try out for travel hockey.
Students can take eight weekly sessions with 60 minutes of on-ice experience (usually 9:30 to
10:30 a.m.), four times a year (Sept.-Oct.), (Nov.-Dec.), (Jan.-Feb.) and (March-April). They
learn to skate, handle the puck, play small area games, skate backwards, and hockey stop.
They are evaluated twice during each eight-week session by the director, on-ice coordinator, and
trained evaluators to see which skills they have mastered and receive “Dawg bones” for their
helmets which indicates competency in each skill.
They also learn independence (carry your own equipment), punctuality (be on time to practice),
to give 100% each and every time, and to pay attention to coaches.
Most new players complete more than one Learn to Play session, but some advance after just one
full session.
Some of the perks of Learn to Play include skating laps around the ice at Rail Yard Dawg games
and free tickets to certain Dawg events.
Amos says their students are a mix ranging from those who have grown up in hockey families to
those who have never played.
As for the best age to start hockey, “Most children are able to learn basic hockey skills at the age
of 4 or 5. It depends on the maturity level of the child. Some children are just not emotionally or
physically ready until later. Anyone can become a good hockey player/ice skater. It takes a lot of
discipline and practice. Some grasp it sooner than others.
“Hockey players have amazing hand/eye coordination which can help in many other sports. They
also have great balance and endurance.”
Other benefits of ice hockey for children include learning respect, how to overcome difficulties,
working toward long-term goals, perseverance, and self-confidence. The sport helps skaters learn
concentration and mental agility, improves motor coordination, increases joint flexibility, builds
muscles, increases cardio health, and improves reflexes and reaction time.
All of the Learn to Play coaches are volunteers. Most have children who play hockey, but
according to Amos, “We have a lot of coaches who have children who no longer play or play in
college who love the sport so much, they volunteer their time to keep hockey alive in the
Roanoke Valley.”
The initial investment to play hockey can be a little pricey with USA Hockey rules for required
equipment, but you can buy used equipment and gear, especially as players mature. Some
families purchase used equipment at the beginning to ensure their children are going to enjoy hockey and stay with it. Used equipment can be purchased at all age levels. Travel teams add expense.
Some parents worry about injuries in hockey. Amos says, “Hockey is a contact sport and, as with
any sport, there is the potential for injuries. Hockey players are equipped with equipment to help
keep them safe.”
If you are interested in signing up your child for Learn to Play, the next session begins in March
and you can register at hockey@vyhroanoke.com or www.roanokeyouthhockey.com/. Skaters
must have USA Hockey Membership to take Learn to Play classes and participate in the Valley
Youth Hockey Association.
The Lancerlot also offers basic “Learn to Skate” classes, which teach the fundamentals of figure
skating, hockey, and speed skating, throughout the year.
