Starting Again: Roller Version

[ch1co]

Thanks to everyone who participates in this wonderful forum. I've lurked for a while and learned a lot.

I was especially intrigued by the Starting Again thread. I saw a lot of myself in the posts: I was an avid street hockey player I was about 22 years old. Then marriage, moving, work, fatherhood, and other family commitments all took over. I don't regret any of it, but my lifestyle pushed goaltending off my plate for more than 15 years.

Lately I've come to realize I need an activity of my own. My passion for the game still runs high, and one day I discovered several roller rinks in my area with leagues and open hockey. I've already been advised to attend some open sessions so I can get noticed by team captains, but I want to be sure I'll make a halfway decent showing because the only shots I've faced recently are off my 8-year-old. Unfortunately he's the best I can get outside a rink: My passion for the game isn't shared by any of my current friends, and my old playing buddies have all moved far away or fallen out of touch.

So now I come hoping for advice. The Starting Again thread was nice for my psyche but it's three years old and didn't cover every base. I'd also like to know:

--Are there any workout tips that would help a rec league goalie? I'm a bit overweight but have been losing recently and I've turned into a pretty avid bike rider. I tend to tire early but usually work up a good second wind.

--I'm torn between starting to play now so I can get in better shape, or waiting to get into better shape for the sake of my game. Any advice?

--I'd be thrilled to be asked to join a team, but don't know what to ask for and expect if the offer is made. Can any league players share their experience?

--Anyone else have stories of making a comeback after a long layoff?

I've also seen lots of people posting about their equipment, and thought it would be a hoot to share what my pre-layoff gear was like. (Kids, don't try this at home):

Pads: Brown Coopers. At the end they were patched with canvas and had shoelaces where most of the straps used to be, and I usually wore a regular pair of shin guards underneath.
Pants: Blue Winnwells, secondhand from an older kid who used them for ice.
Chest protector: Homemade, from my old junior high school book bag and other canvas parts. Stuffed it with rags and used shoelaces to tie it on. Wore elbow pads but didn't need no stinkin' arm protection (ah, to be young and foolish again!)
Blocker: A brown "waffle" pattern. At the end it was held together by an Ace bandage.
Trapper: Originally a tiny brown Cooper; after it tore up I used a softball glove.
Mask: My pride and joy. A blue helmet with a cateye cage that I put together myself. No chin padding. Just like Billy Smith!
Stick: Originally a Sher-Wood (I think) that looked like it came from the 1950s. When it cracked (probably aided by dry rot) I got my other pride and joy: A black Koho just like the kind Smitty used.
I used to cram all this stuff into a surplus Army duffle bag, then I'd cram the bag into my mother's shopping cart and push it about a mile to the tennis courts (er, I mean rink!)

[fitzman]

ch1co,

Good for you. I too have just recently started over after a 10 year lapse, and my body has gone to hell too. Overweight, low energy, the first time I played I thought for sure I was going to give myself a heart attack. But you know what?

It felt great!

After that pickup game I realized I hadn't regressed much at all, and I suspect that you may find the same thing.

Currently I'm not playing in a league, so I don't think I could help you there, but my advice on whether to wait until you lose those extra pounds is...don't. I'm not a doctor and don't even play one on TV, but as long as you pace yourself there's no reason to wait. Your game may suffer a little, but the added activity will definitely help you burn the calories, and before you know it you'll be back in a groove and not even notice the extra weight as you lose it. You probably will tire out easily at first, but by playing on a pretty regular basis, you'll get that endurance back. Maybe not the same as a 20 year old kid, but it'll be there. Good enough for a rec league at the very least. Just start out slow and you'll do fine. Give it a shot, and if you feel totally uncomfortable after the first couple of skates, you can always take a little time to train, but my guess is you'll surprise yourself.

One important thing though. Stretching. I would definitely make sure I did some stretching. I've kind of slacked off my routine lately, but when I first went back to playing I made sure to stretch well before each session. If you don't you could really hurt yourself, especially after not playing for so long. There are tons of good books out there with good stretching exercises in them.

One other thing you might notice (especially after having played with your 8 year old) is just how much harder people seem to shoot today. I was shocked at the power some of these kids have even when they're just fooling around. The guys I used to play with shot hard, but it just seems that the ones I face now are so much heavier. It may just be that after all these years I've forgotten what a hard shot feels like, but they seem much faster and sting more than I remember.

I learned very fast that it was time to retire my old equipment (shockingly similar to what you were using, definitely have to have arm protection now. Hard to believe there was a time when I didn't even wear a chest pad at all! :-) ) and invest in some quality stuff. No more "street hockey" equipment for me. I picked up most of my new stuff used on ebay (Bauer Reactor 6 leg pads for 200 bucks) or the classifieds on this board (Battram C/A for about 150) but I splurged and went for brand new gloves. One of the advantages of being an older dude with a real job I guess, never could have afforded this stuff in the old days. :-) Bruises and welts for me used to be like yelling "hey look at me I'm a tough guy!" but now they're just painful and annoying, like yelling "Hey I'm a moron and let people hurt me for fun!". So get some good equipment that will keep those things to a minimum.

Basically though I say just go out there and have a good time. For now I'd play with anyone who you can find. You'll be surprised how good you feel and how quickly your reflexes and instincts come back!

[soulpatch]

I must back up what was said in the last thread about the gear. You will be injured using that gear and some leagues even regulate the type of gear you can play in. You need new(er) gear that can give you the protection you need I have only played at Penn State but this past summer I chose to try to get on a team at home for a summer league to stay in shape. I went to the rink for open hockey. I was there for one day and I was asked to be a team's goalie. I think the most important thing is to say you will have to get back to that person. Ask around the rink and find out about the teams. Talk to the players and learn how they like to play. It is important to find a team that plays the same way you do. Above all else go out there and have fun. You will not be up to where you think you should be but you should learn fast and it will all come back to you.

[ch1co]

Thanks fitzman; good to know there are others like me out there! And thanks for your reply and concern, soulpatch. Not to worry: the gear I listed is what I used 15 years ago. Last seen on the curb as I stepped from bachelorhood to marriage. Now if I can get rid of this stiff neck I developed a couple days ago (think I slept funny), I can break in my new stuff right!

[guest1]

I just started playing goal 2 years ago at 35! I played pickup for about a year before I assumed CONTROL of a teams destiny by being thier goalie. Wanted to make sure I was prepared.

Working out? Stretch every day. Every day. I ride Mountain bikes and lift weights for reps every other day.

I would suggest pickup hockey for a while. Just get fundamentally sound. Have fun.

When you feel like you are starting to do well with pickup, then look for league. Chances are you will get noticed as you start dominating.

I think jumping into league play right away could cause trouble for you. Frustration if not playing well and what not could damper your enthusiasm.

Playing net is the best.

rlm55

[Huntster]

Originally posted by motoGoalie
I just started playing goal 2 years ago at 35!

Really. Your teammates could swear you have never played a day in your life.

[kevinsane]

Hunster switched to ice. The debris he's pelted with is easier to clean up.

[guest1]

Kev said:

Hunster switched to ice.

Counting him as 'switching to ice" really loses its meaning if you take into account he is one of those ice capades "fluffers".

rlm55

[Rex50+]

Great that you are making a comeback. I started very late as a goalie. Like you, I also am a cyclist, less so since I took up hockey. I was a three times a week cyclist (15 to 50 miles each ride). The conditioning was not a problem for me at all when I started hockey. You already got good advice about equipment, but I will second the idea of good, safe equipment to start. I made a mistake in this regard. I bought very inexpensive equipment to start because I wasn't sure I would stick with it. I paid dearly with welts and bruises - confidence, and fun, went way up with the better equipment.

Since you have already played the position, you're way ahead of where I was at the start. I had a lot of baseball catching experience so I was comfortable with the gear and stuff flying at me. I suspect you aren't giving yourself as much credit as you should. You'll do fine. Start with a lot of pick-up and you will rapidly improve. You might pick up a good goaltending book, read the many helpful technique threads here, and/or pick up an instructional video. Do a search here to get advice on which books, etc. might be beneficial. Techniques have changed somewhat since you last played and these instructional aides may benefit you.

Have fun.