The hockey season is upon us, and it's time to think about what our hockey player needs as the season approaches, as well as our own needs. Often times the season is starting in conjunction with the school year, so the more prepared we are, the better! 

Equipment 

Make sure your son or daughter has properly fitting equipment. She or he may have had a growth spurt over the summer. Take the insole of the skate out of the skate and size it up to your child's foot. Also, have your child try it on and see how it feels. Check all gear for correct fit. Pants too short? Chest protector too short? It's important to have a quality chest protector, especially as your child starts bantams and checking. We are including a handy bag checklist below that can be laminated and put in your child’s bag for a simple, quick check that your child has all the needed equipment before you leave for the rink. It's no fun to run back home because the helmet is left lying on the garage floor!

Download your FREE equipment checklist!

Calendar

Enter all games and practices into your calendar as soon as you know the dates, times, and locations.  Some leagues have synchronization with your Google or Apple calendars. Don't know how to sync your calendars up? Get help from a techy friend - it saves you so much time and eliminates chaos!

Tournaments

Start planning as soon as you have your tournament schedule.  Plan your time off work, book plane tickets, and put money away for more costly weekends. The more you have done ahead of time, the better! I personally like to put the hotel name, address, and confirmation number in the calendar event for that particular tournament as soon as it is booked. If something is in the calendar, it is taken care of.  Do the same with rental cars and plane tickets. Sometimes trying to figure out which places you booked for which weekend can get confusing, so gathering all your information in one place will help you beat the confusion and stay organized.

Carpool

Send out an email and look for carpooling options on your team. You never know who lives near you, and carpooling can cut down on half the practice travel. You can also cut costs by taking turns going on away trips with another family if money gets tight. This is especially helpful for families that have multiple children playing. 

Meals

It's great to have a few crockpot meals made up in the freezer for busy nights. It cuts down on the stress of cooking while shuttling your kids between school, practice, and tournaments. There are some great ideas on Pinterest - some even have multiple meals you can make all at one time. Go to your local wholesale club and stock up on snacks for before and after practices and travel weekends. Get a case of sports drink too, so you don't have to buy the pricey ones at the rink. 

Skates

Has your child taken some time off this summer? Has he or she purchased new skates? Get them out on the ice for some stick and pucks so they can feel the ice again and get comfortable. Your kids will be glad they did when they aren’t rusty and dusty on the ice! 

Bag

Pack your Hockey Mommy Bag with all your warm equipment for the season and leave it in your car. It really stinks when you forget your Hockey Mommy Blanket! Don't have yours yet? Check out some of our Hockey Mommy bags and stay warm this season!

We hope you have a wonderful season this year bonding with your child and making new friends with other parents on the team. The days are long but the years are short! Enjoy them while they last!

Check out our new items for this season!