Finding the Right Size

Is your athlete growing like a weed! Rest assured you’re not alone! With some prime holiday shopping opportunities right around the corner, here’s some simple, helpful reminders when sizing up replacement equipment.

• Sticks
  • Once you’ve determined your preferred brand/pattern. Prioritize a stick’s flex. When your athlete leans on it, make sure it bends. When cutting it down to size think “chin to nose” in skates as a rough measuring stick! I always think top lip is a good guide.
• Skates
  • As painful as this big expense can be… Skates are the most important part of the equation. You don’t need to buy top of the line… BUT, whatever skates you do select for your all-star they need to fit appropriately otherwise agility and stride quality are greatly compromised. Your athlete should be able to wiggle their toes in their skate, and very gently feel the inside tip of the toe cap with their big toe. Remove the insole and have them stand up in their socks. You should see about a half inch of space at the end of the insole.
• Protective Gear
  • Pants – should be right about knee cap to the top of the knee.
  • Shoulder pads – should be form fitting, but avoid going too large as this will greatly hinder stick control and limit upper body movement.
  • Elbow pads – should fully cover the elbow and go to mid upper arm and mid forearm. Often times you’ll find better luck looking for an elbow pad that’s a 2-part construction along the under arm, versus a 3-part construction with a moving cap just on the elbow.
  • Shin pads – Be sure there’s no major space from the bottom of the shin guard to the top cuff of the skate. 

Best of luck in the equipment search! Remember, especially for the younger athletes out there, saving a few dollars here and there with recycling gently used gear is always a great play!