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8U Q-and-A: Equipped for Success

11/27/2015, 5:00pm MST
By Ken Martel, ADM Technical Director

Q: Hockey equipment is a bit different than other sports’ equipment. What should I look for to help my 8U child succeed?

A: The most important aspects a parent should consider are proper sizing and use of the equipment. That begins with skates and hockey sticks.

Even though these young players’ feet are growing quickly, it’s important to use skates that fit properly, rather than buying skates with “room to grow.” Skates should fit and be laced and tied sufficiently tight so that the skates are secure and snug to the foot. While ankle flexion is important (and a good reason to avoid looping extra-long laces around the ankle bone), having a sufficiently tightened skate is key to stability and transferring force from the foot into the ice.

For the hockey stick, it’s important to have a stick that is sized properly and fits a young player’s hands. Junior-sized sticks have a narrowed shaft and are lighter than the adult versions. Stick height is also very important. Sticks that are too long limit a player’s range of motion and inhibit good stickhandling technique. A good general rule is that the player’s stick shouldn’t rise above his or her mouth when the player is standing bare-footed on the floor.

How a player holds his or her stick is also important, especially with the top hand (which, ideally, should be the player’s dominant hand). The top hand should hold the stick like a hammer, with the “V” between the thumb and forefinger on the top of the stick shaft. A common mistake is for beginning players to roll their wrist over and hold the stick from the side. This will hamper stickhandling and shooting technique as the player matures.

As parents, you can monitor this basic equipment use to ensure that your 8U player is set up properly – and that will make a significant difference in your child’s on-ice performance and development.


The author, Ken Martel, coached collegiately at Air Force and Michigan Tech while also helping guide numerous U.S. National Teams. As a player, he skated four seasons at Lake Superior State, winning an NCAA championship in 1988.

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