A HOCKEY RINK FOR ALL SEASONS: Practicing Year-Round Has Never Been Easier!
Have you ever watched professional hockey? Don’t they make it look so easy– skating while chasing a small puck with a stick, dodging five opposing players?
Hockey is an incredible sport that is also very fun to play. If you or your child love hockey and want to improve your game without paying for ice time, then you’ve come to the right place. C&C Courts has been building home ice rinks and multi-use sports courts for over 30 years.
Here’s how you can improve your skating and hockey skills all year round, right in your own backyard!
Floor Hockey For Summer
Floor hockey is a warm-weather alternative to ice hockey but allows you to keep your skills sharp during the summer. Floor hockey is played on a surface the size of a basketball court, and you’d either wear tennis shoes or inline skates.
If you already have an outdoor basketball court in your backyard, it can easily be converted into a playable surface for floor hockey. Just add two nets on either end. Just don’t forget your padding to keep your limbs and joints safe if you fall!
Pond Hockey in Your Backyard
Once the weather gets cold again, you can build your own pond in your backyard for playing hockey. You can flood your basketball court to create your own ice rink!
Because our sports courts are designed for the weather changes in Wisconsin, they’re already able to handle ice in the winter. You can use your sets, lace up your ice skates, and start fine-tuning your hockey skills.
Techniques to Practice Year-Round
There are several ways to keep your hockey skills fresh during the summer and winter months. If you take some time every day to follow these practice tips, you’ll see your skills improve, and you’ll be ready for the next hockey season:
Stickhandling
Stickhandling is an important part of hockey. When you can’t practice on ice, you can practice on any flat surface with your stick and rubber or wooden ball. Wood is preferred because it moves faster than a puck on ice, which means your reflexes will be even sharper.
Playing around on your sport court can help you improve your stickhandling and help create muscle memory for when it's time for your next game. You’ll also increase your ability not to lose the puck as much as you practice more.
Stickhandling in Uncomfortable Positions
Hockey often requires you to catch and maneuver the puck in uncomfortable positions. You need to learn how to approach the puck from all angles. Using the wooden ball, learn to manipulate the ball from different angles. Keep the ball closer to your body and on your backhand and forehand sides.
You can also reach wide from side to side, cupping the stick blade over with forehand and backhand skills. Then you can learn to bring the ball to the forehand side, reaching wide from front to back. These drills will have you prepared for any situation in your next hockey game.
Corner Cut
To practice your corner cut, set up a target to shoot at, whether it’s an actual net, hockey tarp, or piece of tape. Set up a large obstacle, like a tire, about ten feet away and at an angle from your goal.
The intent is to move as if you are coming from behind the goal, running past the obstacle, and turning back around to shoot. You’ll have to cut around the tire in order to shoot the puck. Practice this over and over will help you increase your speed, agility, and positions to make plays in front of the net.
Turn to C&C Courts for Your Year-Round Sport Court Needs
If you don’t already have an outdoor basketball court in your backyard, consider building one! It’s a great way to get lots of exercise, plus it has multiple uses, such as a surface for summer hockey and winter hockey.
We also have a dedicated multi-sport court that can convert into so many games that you’ll never get bored. Give us a call today at 414-377-5294 or send us a message on our website. We would love to build you the sports court of your dreams!
