The ABYHA Learn to Play Hockey Program is open to Boys and Girls of all ages, and is designed for a child to learn how to skate and develop the basic fundamental skills of hockey. USA Hockey recommends the use of age and skill appropriate drills to teach the players how to skate and play hockey. Players will participate in various fun games and drills utilizing USA Hockey’s Learn to Skate Level 1 and 2 programs, and the Learn to Play Hockey program.
The ABYHA Learn to Play (formerly called Mosquito) Program is open to Boys and Girls age 5 - 9, and is designed as the next step in development for players who have progressed through a Learn to Skate program. USA Hockey recommends the use of age and skill appropriate drills to teach the players how to skate and play hockey. In our program, players will participate in various fun games and drills utilizing USA Hockey’s 6U program, and will also play games on Sundays (starting in early January).
All sessions will be at Nashoba Valley Olympia in Boxborough.
To ensure we can help usher in a new group of strong skaters into the game of hockey and hopefully our ABYHA program, we’ve decided to partner with our friends at the Nashoba Skating school for Learn to Skate lessons. Since 2019 we’ve had great success with the skating school instructors teaching our youngest ABYHA community how to skate.
While many of the Nashoba skating instructors come from a figure skating background, they have expertise in all the required hockey skating skills. The Nashoba LTS program follows the national “Learn to Skate USA” curriculum, which is endorsed by USA Hockey for those who want to eventually become hockey players.
For these reasons, we refer our “future hockey players” to the Nashoba skating school's hockey LTS program. Those interested can get more information and register on the Nashoba Skating school's website.
LTS / LTP coordinator
For many, this program is their first introduction to skating and hockey. As our program is geared toward teaching skating for hockey, we recommend skaters have full hockey equipment. This includes skates, a helmet, shin pads, elbow pads, shoulder pads, hockey pants, and hockey gloves. A stick will be needed as well. We recommend that you visit Hit the Net Sports in Acton to get all the gear.
All this gear is primarily to keep kids safe and protected. Even just falling down on the ice can be very uncomfortable, and we don't want anyone getting discouraged because of a fall. If you are just trying our program, skates and a helmet, shin pads and elbow pads are absolutely required as a minimum.