in-house programs:  Learn to Play,  mosquito,  and Intramural Hockey

Welcome back to another season of Learn to Play and Mosquitos action!  For those of you old and new to the program, skating and the fundamentals of hockey will be our focus beginning in mid-October, when WYHA begins its program with two sessions most weekends until March.  Thanks to the dedication of our Board of Directors, the parents, and our coaches, the In House program has continued to improve, and the results can be seen in the tremendous progress the players have made.  Each season, approximately three full Mite travel team rosters are filled with alumni from the In House Programs!

The focus of the Learn to Play and Mosquito programs is skill development and fun in preparation for future success in WYHA’s extensive array of travel teams.  These two In-House programs have dedicated, regularly scheduled ice time at Babson Skating Center on both Saturdays and Sundays.  The Intramural Program is structured in a "house league" format.  It allows players of different ages and abilities to participate in skill development and supervised recreational hockey games.  It bridges the gap between skill development and travel hockey.   The sessions will consist of a full practice and a game.  Players should have at least 2 years skating experience to be eligible for this program.  Please contact the Natick Comets In House League for more information. This program is held at the Natick Chase/West Suburban Ice Arena.  

We are always recruiting new coaches for this program.  The low players-to-coaches ratio in the Learn to Play program is one of it’s the hallmarks.  Parents will see their children playing soccer, tag, cops and robbers, and sharks and minnows on the ice to engage them in competition and skill development that encourages them to try new things.  The coaches will continue to develop skating, puck handling, and passing skills through drills, mixed with games and relay races, including an introduction to the game of hockey.

For the more experienced young skaters who become Mosquitoes, they will also begin their season in mid-October.  Once these players have been reintroduced to skating and hockey fundamentals in practice sessions through November, the Mosquitoes will be assembled into the four traditional teams: the Ducks, the Stars, the Kings, and the Sharks beginning in mid-December.  Each team holds a practice on Saturday and games are played on Sundays in accordance with the Mosquitoes Rules of Play, approved by the Board of Directors in March 1999.  The Mosquito season ends in early March with a much anticipated tournament weekend that is attended by many WYHA parents and travel team players.  Please come out and support these budding players!

As you get oriented or reoriented to the Babson Skating Center, please remember:

(i)         to dress your player in the locker rooms and not in the stands;

(ii)        to stay out of the team benches and scorekeeper box; and

(iii)       to contact the program directors, see contacts tab on the website homepage, before you step on the ice with your child so that you can sign up to be a coach.  We can use your help!

Your child needs your help to get as much enjoyment as possible from the Learn to Play and Mosquito programs.  Here are some helpful hints for parents:

(i)         Have your child at the rink and ready to skate when the Zamboni is still on the ice.  Being on time and prepared avoids any anxiousness the child may have by entering the rink on his or her own.  It also ensures that the child gets in the right group and the benefit of the full 50 minutes of ice time. 

(ii)        If your child skates with a hockey stick, make sure it is the right length.  Many players have sticks that are too long.  Long sticks cause improper balance and make puck handling difficult.  To be sure your child has the right length stick, turn the stick upside down and stand it on its end.  With the child standing tall on skates, the stick should come up to about the chin.  If the stick is too long, cut the stick to its proper length and tape the butt end to avoid injuries.

(iii)       Some players have difficulty because their skates do not have adequate lateral support.  This makes certain fundamental skills extremely hard and causes the player to use more effort while making little progress.  If you observe that your child is ankle skating, consider different skates with more lateral support.

(iv)       If your child is having difficulty or is unhappy, please talk to your child’s coach.

Remember that skating makes the hockey player and with that there are many possibilities for your player and the Wellesley Youth Hockey Program.  See you at the rink if not sooner on the ice!