My husband is a hockey fanatic. He grew up playing hockey and continued in high school and college, and much to my dismay, as an over 40-year-old. In addition, he is actively involved in U.S.A. Hockey at the national, state and local levels and he also coaches, working with the youngest players at the “initiation” level.

Growing up in Virginia, I never had the opportunity to experience the “thrill” of hockey. Of course, once we were married and living in Philadelphia, I was quickly introduced to the Philadelphia Flyers; known then as the “Broad Street Bullies.” Imagine my surprise (or should I say “my horror”) when I went to my first game and gloves were dropped and punches were thrown! My husband was mortified when I compared the sport to professional wrestling. I wasn't sure how this marriage would survive; my sweet, loving husband turned into a screaming maniac when watching the Flyers.

Well, the years went by and I became a somewhat reluctant fan; we watched the games on TV (I really didn't want to experience watching a game in the stands again) and I went to watch my husband as he played in the local men's league (he was actually sort of cute in his hockey gear). And then we had children; our daughter, Kate, became a figure skater (thankfully) and our son, Patrick, became - yes, you guessed it, a hockey player. He started when he was 4 years old; he started using a “walker” on the ice and soon progressed to skating on his own. We went to practices each week at the crack of dawn and in the freezing cold; we played games every weekend from central New York to Massachusetts to Canada. I had become a hockey mom! Patrick played throughout elementary school, middle school and high school and I proudly wore my “hockey mom” sweatshirt as I cheered him on.

The game of hockey has remained pretty much the same over the years, but the philosophy about teaching kids the game has changed. Years ago, many hockey coaches focused more on strategies than skills, even with the youngest players, and some coaches put together game schedules that rivaled a NHL team. Today, good hockey coaches coach differently. They follow a new program, the “Skill Development / Cross-ice Program.” U.S.A. Hockey, following in the footsteps of the leading hockey nations of the world (Russia, Canada, Sweden, etc.), has adopted this new philosophy for teaching young children (3- to 8-year-olds) the game of hockey.

The program is based on the belief that beginning hockey players need to spend more time learning how to skate and develop skills before playing games. In addition, when they do start playing games, the games take place across the width of the rink - which is shorter in distance than the traditional full length of the ice. In addition, the children use lighter pucks and smaller nets to better meet their developmental levels and abilities. In the end, the children get more experience skating, handling the puck, passing the puck, being more involved in the game, and most importantly, having fun.

So, if your son or daughter wants to play hockey, be sure to find a program that uses the “Skill Development / Cross-Ice Program.” If you want to learn more about hockey for young children, U.S.A .Hockey is sponsoring a “Hockey Across America” celebration from today to Sunday. During that weekend, many hockey organizations are providing free events to promote the game. You might consider traveling to Skaneateles on Saturday, Feb. 16, and participate in their “Back to the Pond” event at the Allyn Arena Rink on Jordan Road. The highlight of the event is a pond (that is being built outside in the parking lot) and will be used for hockey games throughout the day. Come and watch “kids” from 3 to 80 play hockey the old-fashioned way.

Patricia Gridley, Ph.D., is an associate professor and the coordinator of the Early Childhood program at Cayuga Community College.