new hockey season, new hockey gear!

The first time Jadon stepped on the ice, you could see the uncertainty, the fear of falling and the moments where he just wanted to give up because he just couldn't quite get it.  Pretty much normal feelings for anyone when they're trying something new, but am I ever glad he didn't give up (those pep talks come in handy!).  His first on-ice experience was at a local community centre for a learn-to-skate class.  In about 8-10 classes, the only thing he learned was how to shuffle himself across the ice.  Luckily, I bumped into another mom who recommended a learn-to-skate hockey class at a premier skating rink close to our house.  Supposedly, the instructors from this hockey class had their young skaters skating by themselves by the second or third class.   This I had to see!

So off to the new skating rink we went for Jadon's first hockey class.  It wasn't anything spectacular - he didn't learn how to skate backwards let alone forwards.  He basically stood in one spot while the rest of the 3-4 year olds in his class skated professionally around him.  I felt bad.  So bad.  You see, Jadon is a perfectionist.  And I could see him just standing on the ice in pure fear.  Thankfully, the coaches recognized this and got him a walker so he could learn to move around the ice.  No such luck.  Jadon just didn't want to fall down.  Of course, the coaches were right on top of it, sat him down on the back of the net and took him for a ride around the rink.

The rest is history.

Now that the new hockey season is gearing up, its time for some new hockey gear!  We teamed up with our favourite sporting goods store, Sport Chek, to get Jadon ready for his Fall hockey season.  He's not playing on a team right now, but he is perfecting his hockey techniques in a skills class.  I took the kids to our local Sport Chek so Jadon could get fitted for his new hockey gear and ended up debating spending close to three hours to make sure everything fit properly.  Trust me, hockey gear is no joke!  Thankfully, I had a very patient and knowledgable hockey shop expert helping me pick out the right sizes and making sure the gear fit properly.  Here's a look at what Jadon ended up with (or equivalent).  He already had the hockey bag, but we love it so much, we had to add it to our must-have list:

1. Bauer Supreme S160 Junior Hockey Skates | 2. Bauer Lil Sport Youth Hockey Helmet Combo | 3. Bauer Vapour X700 Elbow Pads | 4. CCM QuickLite 230 Hockey Gloves | 5.  Bauer NLP7 Core Neck Guard | 6. CCM QuickLite 230 Hockey Pants | 7. CCM Ultra Tacks 2.0 Shoulder Pads | 8. CCM Tacks 4052 Shin Guards | 9. CCM Mesh Jock Short | 10. GRIT HTSE Hockey Tower | 11. Bauer Supreme 170 Composite Stick

Next Summer, we'll be putting Jadon in a 3-on-3 hockey team so that he can get some practice playing in a team environment.  After that, it looks like early morning practices and lots of coffee will be a normal part of our schedule for years to come!

Once you have all your hockey gear, don't forget to take advantage of Sport Chek's free skate sharpening and stick cutting services.  Don't worry - if you didn't buy your gear from Sport Chek, you can still access these services for a small fee.  Plus, save up to 25% off mix and match protective equipment (see in-store for more details) - we took advantage of this promotion and it made a huge difference!


Junior Hockey Skate Exchange Program

Since young hockey players are constantly growing, Sport Chek wants to ensure that their skates fit properly for optimal comfort and performance each season.  That's why they offer their Junior Hockey Skate Exchange Program!  Here's how the program works:

1. Buy any new junior hockey skates at Sport Chek.
2. Bring back your junior skates in good condition within 12 months of purchasing, accompanied with the original receipt and receive 50% credit of original purchase towards your next junior hockey purchase at Sport Chek; or
3. Bring back your junior skates in good condition within 24 months of purchasing, accompanied with the original receipt and receive 24% credit of original purchase towards your next junior hockey purchase at Sport Chek.

It's that easy!  For more information on the Junior Hockey Skate Exchange Program, visit your nearest Sport Chek location.

xo,

kristina

Disclosure:  This post is sponsored by Sport Chek.  All opinions in this post remain my own and do not reflect the opinions or views of Sport Chek, and/or their affiliates.  We received a form of compensation in order to complete this post.