Learn To Play Program
Our Learn to Play program, presented by Donovan Heat, Air & Electric, is designed to help your hockey player learn skills that will improve and strengthen their game. With three different levels, they have plenty of opportunities to continuing growing in this sport!
Become the Next Jacksonville Icemen Player!
The Learn to Play hockey program is an exciting step in your player’s hockey journey. Following the graduation of the Learn To Skate program, players will move into the Learn to Play Class.
Learn to Play (LTP) is the introductory hockey class with three levels of progression.
The primary focus of the LTP class is to create a fun, positive learning environment for children to allow them to grow and love the game of hockey! The LTP program will focus on creating high activity sessions with lots of action and challenge. For the best learning conditions the program is designed for lots of opportunities for kids to learn by “doing”. By making hockey class super active and fun, kids will be fully engaged and gain the necessary physical and cognitive skills to excel and fall in love with the game of hockey.
IN LEARN TO PLAY 1 - The primary focus is on Skating and Puck Control with the goal of merging these two skills together so the player gains more comfortability moving around the ice with the puck.
IN LEARN TO PLAY 2 - The primary focus is on Puck Possession and Puck Pursuit. Puck possession is the ability to carry the puck and make good decisions with the puck. Puck Pursuit is the ability to pursue the puck and get it back while utilizing change of speed skills of skating, turning and stopping.
IN LEARN TO PLAY 3 - The primary focus is on overall game play with the introduction of teamwork, passing and shooting. Players will still engage in all the above skill sets of LTP 1,2 but will now work towards game ready play and work on the physical and cognitive decision making skills that help in game play
Why Hockey?
IT'S MORE THAN A GAME
- Hockey develops life skills that build a foundation for a child's confidence, pride, focus and responsibility.
LIFE-LONG FRIENDSHIPS
- Starting with the bonds created in the locker room to the relationships formed on the ice, hockey creates friendships that last a lifetime.
SET UP FOR SUCCESS
- Hockey's unique structure ensures that your child learns to love the game while promoting a healthy lifestyle, social wellness and mental well-being.
HOCKEY IS FUN
- The encouraging environment hockey provides helps kids grow as both hockey players and people.
Ready to start your Hockey Journey?
![Hockey Progression Update[6] (3)](/media/r5rnpbwc/hockey_progression_update-6.jpg?width=1500&rnd=133304328045600000)
Frequently Asked Questions
A player with No experience in skating should attend the Learn to Skate program (Hockey 1 and Hockey 2) to start their hockey journey. Players that have some skating experience will be evaluated by our Hockey Staff and can move right to Learn to Play.
Yes, all players should be wearing full protective equipment. Learn more about hockey gear options.
Participants can be in each LTP level anywhere from 2 - 6 weeks depending on the starting point and experience. The more the child gets on the ice the faster they will pick it up. Development is not a straight line, so having patience to focus on the health and happiness of the child ultimately will pay off in the long term.
All programming is based on sport science and the Windows of Trainability. Focusing on age appropriate training and motor skill acquisition. It’s proven the more players are “doing” the more they will learn the physical and cognitive parts of the game. All practices are USA Hockey approved and focus on the five fundamentals of a good practice: Fun, High Activity, Decision Making, Game Like, Challenging/Competitive.
Great questions, we have “mapped” it out for you with the “Player Pathway”.
