Andy Young
I'm 18 and I'm really interested in ice hockey. I've always loved it since I saw my first game but it wasn't really ever available to me. I'd like to play in an IM league in college. I don't skate that well. This is Texas, most people don't. How can I get started? What am I looking at cost wise? What should my focus be as a beginner? Thanks!
Answer
You should focus on good skates and a really good helmet, your head is the most important. the rest of your gear get beginner adult stuff and upgrade as you get better. or just buy pro stock and go from there. If you plan on playing college you're gonna have to get on a fitness and learning regimen that should put you in the gym a few times a week and the ice at least three times a week.
Focus on going to adult learning skills classes. and try to learn to play with people who are better than you. I used to teach adult beginner classes and my theory still is "you play with people better than you, you develop faster" Make sure that you also go to power skating classes, your skating will improve so much with all the work they have you do.
After a few months you'll notice a difference.
FOR work outs If you ride a bike ride it even more. At my peak i would ride my bike for about 20 miles just to kick back and get some leg work in. Use the gym to your advantage, do core and arms and legs. Try to remember, that hockey players aren't Mr. Universe, but its all in the legs and thighs and butt. Look up Martin St. Louis, the photo from ESPN of him wearing just tight shorts and a shirt and you can see the muscle definition players work on. Work on balance as well, lateral movement, etc. Eat less junk food but treat yourself every now and then. No purpose in cutting off yourself from a good burger with your pals or your old lady.
Work on your skating, inside edges, and outside, and strengthen your ankles, nothing pisses me off than seeing players tie up their skates tight at the ankles not allowing the freedom players of old had with their skating ability. Even players now in the leagues who use super stiff skates, skip the top one or two laces for that ankle mobility. The stronger your ankles are, the better your turning, skating and stopping will become. when you get a pair of skates btw, make sure you get fitted and they feel good, then get them baked. You can bake skates up to two times before you break them down quickly. Make sure you do it the smart way.
Remember, you dont need Popeye arms to shoot the puck, shooting motion is using the flex of your stick and a shot begins at the skates and works up to the loading of the shaft to the blade face and letting the puck explode.
For accuracy work on playing post, grab a bucket of pucks lay them in piles on the ice and move from one pile to the other and take shots, cross bar, side bar other side bar cross bar, and so forth, lay out targets if you need, or a tutor shooter.
For gear that i use for example.
Helmet - Bauer 5100 with an Oakley modified aviator visor
when i wear shoulder pads i use Graf GS shoulder pads with the shoulder caps removed (its beer league, you're not hitting)
Elbow pads i lucked out and got Easton Synergy 700 pros
Pants i use Bauer Supreme two piece pro stocks from the Oilers
Shin pads i got some EQ Synergy Easton pros from a ECHL team sale brand new,
Skates are Graf G35 (graf is probably one of the best skates out there, dont listen to the lighter is better crap you read, Graf is top notch quality)
Make sure you buy a cup.
But most of all have fun, if you dont love it, ease up, you dont need to get to play college hockey, just play and have fun. If you have any questions join PHEW on facebook and we'll help you out, or i will, i'm the admin, i also have a youtube channel named Thinkingjack.
All the best, you'll do great! Welcome to hockey
You should focus on good skates and a really good helmet, your head is the most important. the rest of your gear get beginner adult stuff and upgrade as you get better. or just buy pro stock and go from there. If you plan on playing college you're gonna have to get on a fitness and learning regimen that should put you in the gym a few times a week and the ice at least three times a week.
Focus on going to adult learning skills classes. and try to learn to play with people who are better than you. I used to teach adult beginner classes and my theory still is "you play with people better than you, you develop faster" Make sure that you also go to power skating classes, your skating will improve so much with all the work they have you do.
After a few months you'll notice a difference.
FOR work outs If you ride a bike ride it even more. At my peak i would ride my bike for about 20 miles just to kick back and get some leg work in. Use the gym to your advantage, do core and arms and legs. Try to remember, that hockey players aren't Mr. Universe, but its all in the legs and thighs and butt. Look up Martin St. Louis, the photo from ESPN of him wearing just tight shorts and a shirt and you can see the muscle definition players work on. Work on balance as well, lateral movement, etc. Eat less junk food but treat yourself every now and then. No purpose in cutting off yourself from a good burger with your pals or your old lady.
Work on your skating, inside edges, and outside, and strengthen your ankles, nothing pisses me off than seeing players tie up their skates tight at the ankles not allowing the freedom players of old had with their skating ability. Even players now in the leagues who use super stiff skates, skip the top one or two laces for that ankle mobility. The stronger your ankles are, the better your turning, skating and stopping will become. when you get a pair of skates btw, make sure you get fitted and they feel good, then get them baked. You can bake skates up to two times before you break them down quickly. Make sure you do it the smart way.
Remember, you dont need Popeye arms to shoot the puck, shooting motion is using the flex of your stick and a shot begins at the skates and works up to the loading of the shaft to the blade face and letting the puck explode.
For accuracy work on playing post, grab a bucket of pucks lay them in piles on the ice and move from one pile to the other and take shots, cross bar, side bar other side bar cross bar, and so forth, lay out targets if you need, or a tutor shooter.
For gear that i use for example.
Helmet - Bauer 5100 with an Oakley modified aviator visor
when i wear shoulder pads i use Graf GS shoulder pads with the shoulder caps removed (its beer league, you're not hitting)
Elbow pads i lucked out and got Easton Synergy 700 pros
Pants i use Bauer Supreme two piece pro stocks from the Oilers
Shin pads i got some EQ Synergy Easton pros from a ECHL team sale brand new,
Skates are Graf G35 (graf is probably one of the best skates out there, dont listen to the lighter is better crap you read, Graf is top notch quality)
Make sure you buy a cup.
But most of all have fun, if you dont love it, ease up, you dont need to get to play college hockey, just play and have fun. If you have any questions join PHEW on facebook and we'll help you out, or i will, i'm the admin, i also have a youtube channel named Thinkingjack.
All the best, you'll do great! Welcome to hockey
Yamaha R6 for starter bike?
messedup
Here is the thing. I'm a 15 year old kid and I'm thinking about getting a motorcycle when I am 16. I was thinking about a Yamaha R6. Now I know I'm going to get bashed by this. The thing is, I'm not so "rich" as other people. If I were to buy a Ninja 250r, I wouldn't have enough money to buy a r6 when I'm "ready" for it. I know the R6 can send you into an object in a matter of seconds and stuff like that. I'm planning to take a Motorcycle Safety Course before getting the bike. I heard 50/50 so far. Trust me, I'm not those immature teens looking for trouble. I know when to respect things. So my question is, if I respect the bike the way it need be, then can I perhaps start out on one?
So I'm guessing I should get a ninja...would the 650r work out? Or is it the same story as with the r6? I understand the problems with starting out on such a big bike. One more question for the sake of wondering, how would a r6 or cbr600rr work out with someone was afraid to use all the power on the bike and took it super slow?
P.S. As I am talking about buying "the bike" I mean as in buying a used one, not a brand new one. And I don't mean I'm that poor to not afford the insurance and gear but I need to work with the money more efficiently.
Answer
Here is the thing bud, you are looking ahead too far.
If you cannot afford 1800-3000 for a used Ninja 250R on top of the cost of the 11,000 dollar R6 then you dont need an R6 to begin with.
And anyways, you have to go one step at a time and be logical. You need around about 1000 dollars for full gear + helmet and the 300 dollar msf course. And if you are not one of those teens that will inevitably pull the throttle, then you will surely be prepared to buy all the gear.
The cool thing is that a 250r has more acceleration and way more fun than a mustang GT. And if you think that as a 17-18 year old (see below) you cannot honestly think that you will grow out of your mustang GT in a couple months to move up to a ferrari enzo of an R6, then you are sorely mistaken.
Even if you grew out of the 250r after 2 riding seasons and you bought it used, then you would not lose any money
Additionally, it is my firm belief that as a new driver then you need more road experience than the one year of a permit before you take the plunge going around on a motorcycle. You need to make it to your full non-provisional licence before it is good for you to to get out there on a motorcycle. On a motorcycle, everybody is out there to kill you, so it is important to learn to drive defensively and look out for morons on the road without your parents with you.
Now, this is disregarding the benifits of a 250r totally.
I know you think, as the 15 year old you are, that the 250r is slow. You would be mistaken. It is fast enough to out accelerate and out turn a mustang gt like i said, and it is 100% capable on the highways. It is capable to pop a wheelie if you try, but not too powerful that you can flip it out if you accidentally slip too much throttle in 3rd gear.
Additionally, the cost is much more realistic for WHEN you drop the bike. You will drop it, frame sliders and farings are a whole lot cheaper on a 250r.
And the 250r still looks boss, so only wankers who wouldnt ride a bike would make fun of it or anything.
Oh, and the 250r is cheaper to service, gets 60+ mpg, lasts longer without expensive repairs, and is easier to upgrade and personalize to fit you best, which is better than starting expensive and not being able to afford any upgrades (or gas)
All and all, it makes more sense to get the 250r, regardless of when you think you might 'grow out of it.'
Play things as they go, there is no reason you cannot start with a 250r. period.
Good luck, be smart.
not even good intent can make you better at juggling chainsaws, so you had better start with the pins. You cant just be careful, they are still freaking chain saws.
Hope this helps you make a smart decision
EDIT: No, a 650r would not really be any better, but it is a better next step from the 250r before an all out race-style bike like the R6
A 650r has the more upright seating position, which is good, but it still has more than enough power than people should start with because it still can flip out with a sudden jerk. It is harder to find these used anyways.
In response to the wondering question, if you are even a little nervous about one aspect of a vehicle, then your driving gets worse and you are more likely to make a different mistake, or even a throttle mistake because you are more twitchy and less controlled on it.
That is another reason you should get a 250, you dont want to be totally afraid of your bike, you want the fun factor for a learning environment. And, when you get used to the ninja, then you can push it, even on regular roads. Making it EVEN more fun to ride. You can never push an r6 or cbr600rr or 650r on the road. You want to earn the knee down and other terrifyingly fun things on something that will not kill you while you try to learn because you made a 1 degree change in the throttle.
You dont or simply cant lose money on a used 250r, because they are worth 2-3000 dollars all year round with all mileage. So, you have no reason to say you want to be 'more efficient'. Unless somebody talks you out of your money, you cannot go wrong.
Hope this helps again and some more.
Here is the thing bud, you are looking ahead too far.
If you cannot afford 1800-3000 for a used Ninja 250R on top of the cost of the 11,000 dollar R6 then you dont need an R6 to begin with.
And anyways, you have to go one step at a time and be logical. You need around about 1000 dollars for full gear + helmet and the 300 dollar msf course. And if you are not one of those teens that will inevitably pull the throttle, then you will surely be prepared to buy all the gear.
The cool thing is that a 250r has more acceleration and way more fun than a mustang GT. And if you think that as a 17-18 year old (see below) you cannot honestly think that you will grow out of your mustang GT in a couple months to move up to a ferrari enzo of an R6, then you are sorely mistaken.
Even if you grew out of the 250r after 2 riding seasons and you bought it used, then you would not lose any money
Additionally, it is my firm belief that as a new driver then you need more road experience than the one year of a permit before you take the plunge going around on a motorcycle. You need to make it to your full non-provisional licence before it is good for you to to get out there on a motorcycle. On a motorcycle, everybody is out there to kill you, so it is important to learn to drive defensively and look out for morons on the road without your parents with you.
Now, this is disregarding the benifits of a 250r totally.
I know you think, as the 15 year old you are, that the 250r is slow. You would be mistaken. It is fast enough to out accelerate and out turn a mustang gt like i said, and it is 100% capable on the highways. It is capable to pop a wheelie if you try, but not too powerful that you can flip it out if you accidentally slip too much throttle in 3rd gear.
Additionally, the cost is much more realistic for WHEN you drop the bike. You will drop it, frame sliders and farings are a whole lot cheaper on a 250r.
And the 250r still looks boss, so only wankers who wouldnt ride a bike would make fun of it or anything.
Oh, and the 250r is cheaper to service, gets 60+ mpg, lasts longer without expensive repairs, and is easier to upgrade and personalize to fit you best, which is better than starting expensive and not being able to afford any upgrades (or gas)
All and all, it makes more sense to get the 250r, regardless of when you think you might 'grow out of it.'
Play things as they go, there is no reason you cannot start with a 250r. period.
Good luck, be smart.
not even good intent can make you better at juggling chainsaws, so you had better start with the pins. You cant just be careful, they are still freaking chain saws.
Hope this helps you make a smart decision
EDIT: No, a 650r would not really be any better, but it is a better next step from the 250r before an all out race-style bike like the R6
A 650r has the more upright seating position, which is good, but it still has more than enough power than people should start with because it still can flip out with a sudden jerk. It is harder to find these used anyways.
In response to the wondering question, if you are even a little nervous about one aspect of a vehicle, then your driving gets worse and you are more likely to make a different mistake, or even a throttle mistake because you are more twitchy and less controlled on it.
That is another reason you should get a 250, you dont want to be totally afraid of your bike, you want the fun factor for a learning environment. And, when you get used to the ninja, then you can push it, even on regular roads. Making it EVEN more fun to ride. You can never push an r6 or cbr600rr or 650r on the road. You want to earn the knee down and other terrifyingly fun things on something that will not kill you while you try to learn because you made a 1 degree change in the throttle.
You dont or simply cant lose money on a used 250r, because they are worth 2-3000 dollars all year round with all mileage. So, you have no reason to say you want to be 'more efficient'. Unless somebody talks you out of your money, you cannot go wrong.
Hope this helps again and some more.
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