The Caps have won the Stanley Cup and the thrill over hockey in our area continues to grow at unabated levels. Kids, and even adults, want to learn to play this exciting sport, and local programs and rinks are working to provide opportunities to accommodate the demand. The Navy Youth Hockey/Washington Capitals “Learn to Play” program offers an excellent chance for any youth to give hockey a try and take it to the next level.
Fostering local young talent in the sports community provides the impetus for the “Learn to Play” Navy Youth Hockey/Washington Capitals program. Started on the principle of trying to grow youth sports by exposing different groups to hockey, the Washington Capitals, NHL, and USA Hockey have teamed up with local youth organizations to introduce young players to the sport. “The costs of playing hockey have often been a barrier to so many kids and families,” Head Coach of Navy Youth Hockey John Camden says.
The program is open for kids ages 5–11 and is available on a first come, first served basis. The participants will be completely outfitted with all of their equipment, including skates, for free, and will get to keep that equipment at the end of the eight-week program, so that they can use it to continue with the sport. They will only have to pay the regular registration fee. “This saves families hundreds of dollars,” Camden says. “And really allows kids from all backgrounds and situations the opportunity to explore playing hockey.”
And the word is getting out. This past season, the second in the program's history, 75 kids participated, which is up from 50 during the first season. It is expected to continue to grow.
Coaches and trainers are often parent volunteers, but the affiliation with the Naval Academy has created an even larger supportive community. Midshipmen help teach the kids, along with former Navy Youth Hockey players in the area. There is also a student-coaching program, which adds to the volunteers from Under-18 and high school teams. “This program is outstanding for a number of reasons. One is especially the coaches,” says Scott Buttz, father of nine-year-old Mason, a participant in the program. “There are a large number of coaches, so the ratio per player is very low. They make it so much fun for the kids and are very patient in helping new players learn. The coaches make the joy and learning happen.”
Camden adds: “The program consists of one hour a week with a really good practice plan. The kids are put into age specific groups and we hold small area game stations. And while ice time is precious and expensive, we encourage the kids to practice at home playing street hockey or hitting public skate sessions.”
Kids are encouraged to take a learn to skate session before joining the “Learn to Play” program, but all levels are accepted, no matter the skating experience. “Week over week, you can see the improvement,” Camden says. “Parents are often puzzled and amazed at how quickly the kids develop. I am pleased with the progress the kids show, and also at the more diverse groups showing up. We have more girls signed up than ever before. And after the program ends, kids are sticking with it and joining the more traditional hockey programs. We've seen kids climb the rank and play at the highest levels.”
Daniel Johnson is a big fan of the program and his seven-year-old son has made great strides as a player. “Our son had no prior hockey experience going into this program, and since completing it, has signed up for an additional clinic and is currently practicing on inline skates with the hope of pursuing hockey this fall,” Johnson says. “We appreciated the opportunity to allow our child to experience this sport in such a positive and encouraging environment. I would suggest any child that has a slight interest in hockey to try this program.”
Buttz likes the fact that the coaches don't put any pressure on the skaters. They can grow and learn at their own pace.
“If kids are and new to hockey, or even have a little experience, the program allows them to learn at their appropriate pace, which really helps each individual player develop confidence and have a fun experience,” Buttz says. “My son was new to hockey and it's now his favorite sport to play because of this program.”
Due to the partnership with the Washington Capitals, former Capitals players and commentators have been known to show up for support or to help out, which offers a unique and exciting experience for the kids, adding to the fun.
“My favorite part of the program is that I enjoy seeing the smiles,” Camden says. “Hockey is a different type of sport. It becomes a family where you develop a unique bond with others. Once the kids graduate into a traditional program, the seasons are a longer commitment, but at that point, if they have the fire, it's an amazing experience. Kids come back the next season and say, ‘Thanks' and joke around. It's very rewarding to watch them grow. And after this program, at least 75 percent want to stay and continue in hockey.”
The programs have become so popular, in fact, that ice time has been difficult to find. Between various hockey and figure skating programs, teams, private lessons, and public skate times, available ice is at a premium. The local hockey community has made a push to build more ice rinks, and both the Piney Orchard Ice Arena and Bowie Ice Arena have submitted plans to their counties.
The Bowie Ice Arena has submitted plans to open in 2021 on Church Road in Bowie, and will replace the old rink at Allen Pond Park, where space is tight. The 77,400-square foot building will include two ice rinks with spectator seating, plus multiple team locker rooms, women's locker rooms, and official changing rooms. There will also be a more spacious skate changing area and skate rental. Construction is expected to begin in 2019.
Piney Orchard Ice Arena has plans to build a second sheet of ice at their current location, in order to meet the demand for ice time. The new second ice rink will be built in a prefab building and will not have extra bleachers. “I have been here for 15 years and the current ice sheet has been completely full that entire time,” Piney Orchard Hockey Director Gary Cremen says. “The only time we ever seem to have free is between midnight and 6 a.m.”
Two new junior professional teams of the North American Hockey League are expected to play at Piney Orchard in the coming year.
“All the area high schools and middle schools are dying to find a place to play and most of them have had to play out of the county,” Cremen says. “For youth hockey, even when they are able to play locally, ice time is at such a premium that these young kids are not finishing up until 10 or 11 p.m. By the time they get home, it is extremely late and makes it hard for them to do homework and get sleep. The new ice sheet should allow youth hockey to finish a little earlier. Hockey programs have been growing steadily around here, but now that the Caps have won the Stanley Cup, we anticipate an even bigger spike in interest. But without ice, the programs have no room
to grow. This new sheet of ice has been a long time coming.”
Piney Orchard projects that the second sheet of ice will open in 2019, and they anticipate that both sheets will have full schedules.
The building of new ice rinks comes at a great time, as more adults are eager to play hockey, as well. Nelson Burton, a former NHL left wing, who played for the Washington Capitals started Nelson Hockey at Piney Orchard, which also offers a Learn to Play program, a Fundamentals program as a next step, and clinics for youth. Nelson additionally offers adult clinics and women's-only weekly pick-up hockey; a program Nelson intends to grow.
“I am extremely excited [about the second sheet of ice],” Nelson says. “We have been wanting that for a while. Our programs will grow. It will increase our adult and kid's programs. We have been held back by a single sheet.
“With the Caps winning the Cup, we will see growth for a number of years,” he adds.
