Benefits of Cross-Ice

GENERAL SPIRIT OF PARTICIPATION AND FUN

  • More children get a chance to play ice hockey.
  • More children will experience a feeling of success when playing hockey.
  • The same exciting and fun environment as in a "real" game is created.
  •  More and less gifted children will benefit from close/tight action on the ice.
  • Children are excited and motivated to continue playing hockey.

Hockey will be more appealing and rewarding to a wider range of children and their parents.

THE SMALLER THE ICE, THE BIGGER THE COMPETITION.

When the ice is sectioned, the better players get better because they’re working in tighter spaces and are forced to make quicker decisions. Instead of capitalizing on a breakaway, they’re practicing their stickhandling and decision making. And the players who need a little more help get better because they’re touching the puck more. They get to see the better players up close and learn from them and, not only that, they get more individualized instruction from coaches. 

Since the ice is smaller, coaches have more time and ability to work with players who need their help the most. Cross-ice games and practices are crucial to a player’s development. There are surely people out there who insist their kids need to learn offsides and positioning. But at a young age, the focus should be on skill development and long-term benefits for the kids, whereas the specific details of the game can come later. One step at a time. We need to focus our resources on using our ice time efficiently, and Red, White and Blue Hockey does that. It helps every kid get better by providing them with increased competition — not just with other players, but with themselves.

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