Welcome to Lakeville Hockey Association (LHA).  
We are here to guide you through getting started in the great sport of hockey!  

Here are some resources for anyone getting started....

Review the parents meeting presentation first!

If you have a younger skater and this is their first year playing hockey the mite prep program is the place to start.  The mite prep group is our youngest skaters and are generally K and younger.  Practices are once a week on Sundays from November through March. 

The Mite Prep program is a great introduction to hockey and will help them learn the hockey basics before moving up to the Mite/U8 levels.

Mites: The mite program is the traditional youth hockey program for youth players born June 1, 2014 or later (for 2023-24) season. The exception to this is that if a player is in 4th grade they can skate up with their classmates.  (i.e. a 4th grader born July 2014). 

U8: Is a girls only option that parallels the mite program. The majority of girls participate in the U8 program however girls may choose to play mites if they wish.

Each level requires a full set of hockey equipment to participate (see checklist).  Some sporting goods stores offer previously used gear that can make the hockey experience more affordable.

For new skaters there is no need to buy expensive gear, more important is that the gear fits well and is appropriately sized for the player.  This is most important with Skates! Hockey skate sizes will usually be 1-2 sizes lower than shoe size.  (i.e. if they wear a size 13 youth shoe, they will need a size 11 skate) 

The association provides Jersey and Socks

Water bottle and Tape (for your stick) is also recommended.

Here's a helpful video to show you just how to get dressed...be sure to include your neck guard!

An official NHL (National Hockey League) rink is 200 feet long and 85 feet wide; an international competition rink is longer by 15 feet. The rink is divided by the red line, has two blue lines, five face-off circles, the goals and the creases. Check out this hockey rink diagram:

An ice hockey team is made up of six players, each with a specific position and job. The job of offense is to score goals, and the defense is there to protect the goal. The following list describes each of the hockey positions:

·  Goalie: Perhaps the toughest position in all of sports, the goalie is the one player who can control a team’s confidence. His/Her job is to keep the puck out of the net, and if he’s good, he can take his team a long way. Good goalies win championships.

·  Defensemen: A team at full strength has two — one on the left side and another on the right. Nowadays, there are three primary kinds of defensemen. One is creative and offensive-minded; he/she likes to handle the puck and lead the team up ice, but is not too physical. Another is defensive-minded, a stay-at-home bruiser who plays a physical game and doesn’t often venture out of his zone with the puck. And there are those rare athletes who are a combination of the two.

·  Right wing: He/She works the right side of the ice for the most part. She/He needs to be a physical player who is good along the boards and in the corner. She/He is responsible for the opposition’s left defenseman in the defensive zone.

·  Left wing: Traditionally a left-handed shot, but the NHL is seeing more right-handers playing this position now, a practice picked up from the Europeans. A right-hander has a better angle to shoot from when he’s coming in on his wing. Like the right wing, he needs to be able to dig out the puck from the corners and battle in front of the net.

·  Center: He/She quarterbacks his club at both ends of the ice. Must be good at face-offs and passing, and it doesn’t hurt if he's/she's a good shot as well. Coaches want a lot of creativity in this position — and a lot of hockey smarts.

Browse around the website, get familiar with the different pages especially the links/docs page and our handbook.  Follow the steps to get your child ready, get your skates sharpened, and get ready to play hockey!