Lowering hockey's costs: Start with equipment

Last Updated: November 6, 2008 8:17 PM  

Ron Kuipers The Equipment Guy

During the past week or so, I've come across the following items, two of which are featured right here on the 'Our Game' website:

• An average minor hockey season in Canada can cost one young player and his or her family more than $3,000;
  
• More and more Canadian families are opting out of minor hockey because they can no longer afford it;
• A 48-year old minor Peewee tournament in Ontario folds thanks to the bad economy.
  

There's no doubt these are tough economic times for hockey families and it doesn't look like it's going to get better in the near future. So, is there anything we can do to make our favourite winter pastime more affordable? There's really only one place we have total control over and that's our kids' equipment. 

With that in mind, I think it's time Canadian hockey parents developed an 'old' attitude when it comes to some 'new' equipment.

Inspiration from the road

Just before I explain why I think we should go back to wood sticks and long-john underwear, I want to share an observation I've made recently while watching some street hockey in front of my house.

Most Canadian kids will play street hockey for hours with a grungy, deflated tennis ball.  The net they're using can be full of holes and leaning dramatically to one side and they'll keep playing. 

The stick can be a foot too big or small and the blade can be completely frayed with no tape and they'll keep playing. The road can be full of leaves, gravel, bumps and cracks and the kids just keep on playing. 

When they come inside, they don't complain about the nets, the sticks, the balls or the road conditions.  They talk about the goal they scored, the one they almost scored and the goal that should have been disallowed.

In other words, they play hockey because they love it and they don't care how heavy the stick is or if the t-shirt they're wearing is doing a proper job of soaking up their sweat! 

Back to basics

So, taking inspiration from that great Canadian tradition of street hockey, I say we all start buying wood sticks for our kids again next season. When you're 10, 11 or 12 years old, scoring a goal or making a great pass probably feels just as exhilarating with a wood stick as it does with a composite stick. 

For my two kids, I'll save about $150. 

While we're at it, why don't we just go with the regular underwear again and leave the high-tech, body-hugging undergarments for the professionals?  When you're 10, 11 or 12 years old, you don't really notice (or care) about how your shirt is absorbing your sweat during your 1 hour of ice-time.

For my two kids, it means I'll save at least $100. 

Just like that, I'll knock about $250 dollars off next season's hockey budget. I know it probably won't make enough of a difference to families who are more concerned about making ends meet, but at least it's a place to start. 

Then we'll go with even more used equipment and then we'll ease-up on the extra ice and we'll go with one less tournament and we'll skip the juice after every game.

We'll do whatever it takes to make hockey affordable again so Canadian kids can get back on the ice where they belong, even during tough economic times.


 

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