I am 14 years old and currently play ice hockey. With a limited budget, ice hockey is not the way to go. It is very expensive. I am only playing because i got a full scholarship. In Florida where I live, the in house rec league is i think $250 for the spring season. But you have to buy your own equipment and everything. I think i would start my kid off in both Basketball and Soccer. They are both a lot cheaper and more popular than hockey. Roller skating and ice skating are totally different. I played roller hockey when i lived in New Jersey. It is very difficult to switch from roller skating to ice skating. Because the ways you propel yourself, and stop. Although if you do both, it isnt as hard.

I play travel ice hockey, and it is a lot more expensive. Here, it is around $1800 for one season. 16 games. Plus playoffs if you make it. But since i got the scholarship my parents only have to pay for gas, food, and hotel rooms. Which adds up very quickly. About $2500 without the tuition.

So i would suggest that you start your son off in roller hockey, basketball, soccer, or a combination of those three. Just because of my personal experience. I used to play soccer, basketball, roller hockey, ice hockey, and baseball. I have to admit that ice hockey is deffinatly the most fun.

But it is also dangerous. I have gotten 5 concussions. 4 from ice hockey and 1 from soccer. Once you get one concussion, it is easier for you to get more. After my first concussion i had to stay off the ice for 3 months. And i hated it.

But in the end, it is totally up to you. No one can tell you what you have to do. But i hope you take what I said into consideration.

Goodluck.

If finances are a problem maybe you can check with the YMCA if you have one near you. While they may not have the sport you want all sports help with improvement in others and here is why.

All sports require physical conditioning and it will help him in the others. Plus it will help with his coordination and agility and allow him to begin to understand the concept of team and working with others to accomplish a goal. Even if you have to put him in a sport he doesn't prefer it will gain him an advantage when it is feasible to pursue hockey.

Even though he is young and you may not think much of a child his age needing conditioning, physical that is, a person has what we call "muscle memory" and it makes future conditioning easier. I myself played football and ran track. It has been a while since I have done serious work outs but I build faster and stay in better shape at 30 since I had the discipline earlier in life.

The memories of the experiences were all good. I cherish them and I am a much better person for having been part of those teams. Sometimes he may need a lot of encouragement not to quit because it does get hard from time to time but if he sticks with it he will have a lot to show for it.

One more suggestion is that you may find a local gymnastics academy and they have open gym nights and also teach tumbling. My niece is a gymnast and I go sometimes. He will love the tumbling and the trampolines.

My son started playing soccer when he was 4. I think it's one of the least expensive sports because the equipment needs are minimal. Outside of the registration fee (which included uniform), I had to purchase a soccer ball, cleats, and shin pads, both of which the costs were minimal.

Are there any floor hockey / deck hockey leagues in your area? This is hockey played on a floor, but otherwise the rules are similar. This type of activity will allow your son to learn the rules of hockey without learning to skate at the same time. Ice hockey is probably the most expensive sports, between the costs for equipment and the costs for ice time. Many time hockey practices have to be held at odd times of the day to accommodate the needs of all of the groups that want to use the ice.

If you have any friends whose kids have played a sport, you may be able to get hand-me-down equipment, which would help reduce your overall costs.

My son was in sports from the time he started basketball at five at the local YMCA. He played soccer (indoor and outdoor), baseball, football, and basketball. He also participated in track and field and cross country when he got to high school. Starting young is fine, don't worry about it, so long as it's what the kid wants. Soccer and baseball at the same time is too hard. We played both for a couple of years then told him to make a choice. He chose baseball. Soccer is a good starter sport, and the cheapest. Baseball was a nice team sport, and many of the boys play until the end of little league, which is 12 years old (6th grade). Football has junior leagues for young kids that can be very helpful in later years. Hockey will be most expensive and impossible to participate in at the same time as another sport, most likely. Floor or roller hockey is an option as an activity that may help determine if he will like the real thing or if he has aptitude for it. The team may have scholarship money, especially if you kid shows promise

Personally, I suggest Soccer as a starter sport, although baseball is nice. I would put hockey and football on the back burner. Don't be afraid to make some of these decisions for him, even if it is not what he wants most at the time.

Another idea, one that we wish we had done with our son, is to consider one team sport and one individual sport (like tennis or golf). Team and Individual sports teach different life lessons and also take different personality types to be successful. Several different sports is good while kids are young, but at some point, probably in High school, many kids want to concentrate on one sport that they like best. That's normal. Our son is now competing in his third year of college basketball. We just got our tax statement from the university and he earned $30K in scholarship money last year. In order to begin considering that sort of possibility, your son will have to be very very good, meaning obviously the best on every team he plays on, most likely. In our case, it was obvious very early that sports would become his area of excellence for awhile. I suppose my wife and I have as much relevant real life experience as anyone, on this question. If you want, send me any private questions you might have, and we will be glad to share our experience. "The Boy" is also a good student, making honor roll in business classes.

Absolutely, roller hockey is an excellent way to train for ice hockey. The skating mechanics are nearly identical, although he'll find that the blades on ice skates allow him to make a sharper turn without loosing his edge (being able to lean at a sharper angle before the skates slide out from under him). You can also get more power from ice skates in a stride, since the blade is able to dig into the ice. The one big difference is stopping. It's very difficult to learn to stop, as you would on ice skates, with rollerblades. He can also just play with a hockey stick and a ball, to learn to shoot, stick-handle, and practice his aim.
If money is an issue, you should also look into the National Hockey League Players’ Association’s (NHLPA) Goals & Dreams fund (http://www.nhlpa.com/Giving-Back/Goals-And-Dreams/). Their mandate is to help kids who can't afford to get into hockey.
As for playing sports, I've been a hockey player since I was five. I highly recommend young boys get involved in sports. Boys need outlets for their energy, and in my experience, staying active helps keep boys stay out of trouble. You can also tell him that you'll sign him up for one sport a year, until he knows which one he likes the most.

Good luck!

I know how to roller-blade, and I've ice skated a few times. I do believe the basics of blading helped me in the ice rink, but i don't believe they are exactly the same. It's a good start though.

Along the same thought, roller hockey would be good for him though. Skating is the easiest part of hockey. Hand and eye coordination, stick control, striking, passing, all the important skills can be learned while playing roller hockey and will translate directly to ice hockey.

with just a little bit of gear (roller-blades, stuck and puck) he can practice virtually all year long, for a small price. Just set up a trash can on it's side and he can practice shots by himself all day long. Other team sports like football, baseball, etc. are virtually impossible to practice alone. Soccer is an exception, and soccer gear is fairly cheap.

It is pretty simple with my family. It is hockey in the winter and soccer in the summer. I find the two sports compliment each other. I know that may not help you that much but they are really two great sports and if you could find some way for your son to do those I'm sure he would be eternally grateful to you.

You should research this online and consult with your pediatrician. Most doctors seem to feel that organized sports are not a good idea when so young. Certainly it is too young to be worrying about which sport from among those played professionally. His wanting to play hockey, of all things, and in Kentucky yet, is probably a passing fancy from something he saw on TV and shouldn't be taken very seriously. Kickball or similar sports for the young are more relevant. When he goes to school he will become more interested in the sports favored by his schoolmates and offered by the schools.

Personally, I would not encourage organized sports at all. Stick to learning to read and basic outdoor activities. But research it yourself. Here is one source to begin with: