The one week camp at TSC is a great idea.
Also, testing your son's committment in roller hockey is not a bad idea. I can't really say the cost is that much less than ice hockey though. Kids go through roller pants pretty quickly. You can only duct tape them so many times. Skates are comparable in price, sticks get worn out way faster than on ice. But the league fees are going to run about $200 - 300 less per season...that is if you can find a roller league.
Start up costs aren't as bad as you'd expect. Go to Hockey Giant and let one of the guys there know you want to suit your kid up for a good price. They are really good about not trying to sell you higher end gear that a kid starting out doesn't really need. You don't need high end anything to start out. At your sons age, he doesn't need a real stiff boot on his skate because you'll be lacing them up for him and dads get them nice and tight. All the gear meets USA Hockey safety requirements, so don't be convinced to spend $80 on pants when you can get them for $30.
For an 8 year old, skating lessons are a good idea, but if hockey tryouts are before there's a skating class available, I wouldn't turn your son away. Unless you put him on the ice and he just can't move, he'll probably pick it up on his own. If you get him in your local in house league, he won't be the only Squirt who hasn't mastered skating. IMO, if you take him to free skate, or gear him up and take him to stick time to skate around, he'll be ready for Squirt.
In house leagues run anywhere from $500 to $800 depending on the rink. Someone mentioned using a wood stick instead of composite. I haven't found there'd be much cost benefit to getting a wood stick. You can get composite sticks that are not that much more than a wood stick. They're much lighter for the little guys. There's no reason to spend hundreds of dollars on a stick for in house hockey. Save that for club/travel hockey later. Then be prepared to give up your weekends, wake up before the sun comes up, freeze your butt of in ice rinks at all hours of the morning and kiss your money goodbye. But its all totally worth it and an amazing experience to share with your kid. |