Beer League Bender
Registered User
- Feb 28, 2023
- 10
- 2
I’m 29, got a baby on the way (due in about 30 days), and am starting back up playing beer league hockey with some friends. Great time to get back in it, right?
My parents didn’t have the money for me to play when I was younger, but I’ve always been obsessed with it. I played a couple beer league seasons in college, had no idea what I was really getting myself into when I played with some friends who had me joined their team in the advanced league our local rink had. I put up a couple goals in each of the few seasons I played. My friends said I was pretty solid for never playing so that gave me some confidence. Well, life got busy and I had to work full time after college and also had shoulder surgery for a torn labrum (partially torn from high school football, fully torn after I laid the guy out) after I checked a guy pretty hard for following me around and slashing me nonstop for a couple shifts on the ice.
That’s my backstory and extent of my time playing hockey. Now I’m getting back into it and am pushing 30. I’m playing on one of my friend’s teams he put together and it’s the more competitive of the two beginner leagues. I’ve gone to a couple stick and puck sessions, but I feel like my stick handling and shot both need work. I’m going to pick up the Hockey Shot 8x16 tarp this week (pregnant wife doesn’t know, might be in some trouble lol) and I’m going to hang it in the garage. Now to my main question: should I get synthetic ice tiles, or just a shooting board? I know both will work. I probably won’t be on skates much in the garage if I’m being honest. I know some tiles allow you to use skates and others do not. Also, if I did end up going the synthetic ice route, how hard are they to put together/tear down after every use? I know my wife won’t want them out 24/7 and I don’t want them getting trampled on when I’m not using them. Sorry for the long winded post, just really excited to pursue hockey now that I’m financially stable and can play again. I figure the more I can practice my shot and stick handling the better I’ll get with time. Thanks for any and all help!
My parents didn’t have the money for me to play when I was younger, but I’ve always been obsessed with it. I played a couple beer league seasons in college, had no idea what I was really getting myself into when I played with some friends who had me joined their team in the advanced league our local rink had. I put up a couple goals in each of the few seasons I played. My friends said I was pretty solid for never playing so that gave me some confidence. Well, life got busy and I had to work full time after college and also had shoulder surgery for a torn labrum (partially torn from high school football, fully torn after I laid the guy out) after I checked a guy pretty hard for following me around and slashing me nonstop for a couple shifts on the ice.
That’s my backstory and extent of my time playing hockey. Now I’m getting back into it and am pushing 30. I’m playing on one of my friend’s teams he put together and it’s the more competitive of the two beginner leagues. I’ve gone to a couple stick and puck sessions, but I feel like my stick handling and shot both need work. I’m going to pick up the Hockey Shot 8x16 tarp this week (pregnant wife doesn’t know, might be in some trouble lol) and I’m going to hang it in the garage. Now to my main question: should I get synthetic ice tiles, or just a shooting board? I know both will work. I probably won’t be on skates much in the garage if I’m being honest. I know some tiles allow you to use skates and others do not. Also, if I did end up going the synthetic ice route, how hard are they to put together/tear down after every use? I know my wife won’t want them out 24/7 and I don’t want them getting trampled on when I’m not using them. Sorry for the long winded post, just really excited to pursue hockey now that I’m financially stable and can play again. I figure the more I can practice my shot and stick handling the better I’ll get with time. Thanks for any and all help!