Western Maine Youth Hockey

Its no secret that hockey is a contact sport. Whether your child is a bantam and is checking or just starting, bumps are going to happen. The equipment your skater wears is going to protect them. Walking into a sporting goods store to buy hockey equipment can be overwhelming, but with a little knowledge it doesn't have to be. 

First know what you're going in for. Hockey has one of the most equipment requirements of any sport. Knowing the pieces you need will go a long way. You probably won't be an expert so don't be afraid to ask questions. Below is a diagram of what you child needs.  

Buy used equipment. This is the best advise you can get. Like their clothes, they will grow out of their equipment quickly, so used equipment is the way to go. It will save you a lot of money in the long run. The best place to buy equipment is Play It Again Sports, they have the biggest selection of used gear in the area and a very helpful staff. There are a vew things you want to buy new. A mouthgaurd, neckguard, protective shorts, practice socks and a stick. I urge all parents of new skaters to buy a straight blade stick. Your child could be a left or a right handed shooter, and each of those have a specific curve to the blade. So until your child knows which way they shoot there is no reason to buy a curved blade. One last thing you may need to buy new is a bag. While you could get lucky and find a used bag chances are you will need to buy new. You don't need to buy the expencive fancy bag, just find one that the equipment will fit in.

Be perpared to spend some money. All of that gear is going to add up quickly, but if you buy used that will bring your total down dramatically.

Youth hockey teams are broken up into different age levels. Those levels, which are mandated my USA Hockey, are based on birth year and not skill level. So even if your child is the next Sidney Crosby he will be on a team that has kids born in the same year. So what exactly are the age levels? We'll start from youngest and work our way up. All birth years apply to the 2013-2014 season.

Mites-ages 6-8 b.y. 2005-2007
You will generally see kids who have been skating atleast a year in Mites. They will usually scrimmage each other at the end of December then play other teams starting in January. Games are played cross ice. 

Squirts-ages 9-10 b.y. 2003-2004
From mites to squirts, players make the transition to full ice. They play a full 20 games, can quailify for the state tournament and take part in the end of season tournament.

Peewees-ages 11-12 b.y. 2001-2002
Peewees continue to enhance their skills and the game gets a little faster. A 20 game schedule is played. End of year tournament and can quilify for the state tournament.

Bantams-ages 13-14 b.y. 1999-2000
Checking comes into play at this level. Final level where a 20 game schedule will be played. State tournament and end of year tournament come into play here also.

Midgets-ages 15-18 b.y.1995-1998
Our Midget program runs from September to November and is meant to get kids ready for high school hockey programs in the area. They play 10-12 games and have a few practices.

We offer a few other programs that run a little differently from the reagular age groups.

Learn To Play Program-ages 4+
Our LTP program, unlike others in the area, is a free program. Its designed for kids who never skated before or still need some time on the ice to get comfortable. It lasts four weeks and is on saturday mornings. You can check our LTP page for more information.

House-ages 4+
Our House program starts where and when the LTP program ends. If your child is ready to continue with hockey and wants to keep playing after LTP then house is where they will go. They practice twice a week, saturday morning and monday evening. This is not a free program. See the House page for more information.

Girls-ages 9-14 b.y. 1999-2004
The girls program is a combination of LTP and a reagular season. This is a girls only program made for girls who have never skated and want to learn the game of hockey. It starts with an eight week free LTP program, the only requirement is to register with USA Hockey which has a small cost. If the girl wishes to continue playing, games come into play with other girls teams in the area. There is a fee that comes with that. See the Girls' page for more information.