Learn to Play Ice Hockey! 

If you're under 18 and want to play the world's fastest team sport
Manchester Phoenix can help.

If you want to play ice hockey let the Phoenix help you get it right.

• Firstly, you need to be able to skate well enough to play.
• Secondly, you need the basic skills and co-ordination to handle a stick and puck
• Thirdly, you need to gain experience of playing as part of a team.

So, let's start at the beginning. Our seasons start in August and the club is for players under 19 years old. If you're old enough to stand up, then you're probably old enough to learn how to skate! The youngest team the club can run is Under 10, and children as young as six can be considered for this age group. At the other end of the scale you must not reach the age of nineteen in the year a season starts.

Learning the basics

If you're a complete beginner or not yet confident of your skating and stick handling skills the best place to start is with a 'Hockey Basics' course run by the rink. It's an eight week English Ice Hockey Association Course covering grades 1 to 6. The course includes basic skating, puck control, balance, shooting, and In-house games. You'll soon be ready to make your move to the Phoenix Juniors. Follow this link for more information: www.silver-blades.co.uk/altrincham

Stick and Puck sessions

Welcome to ice hockey! Once your skating is up to speed you're ready for Stick and Puck. You're going to need a bit of kit. The minimum you'll need is skates, stick, helmet and gloves, although we'd also recommend leg guards and pelvic protector.

Coming along to a junior club 'Stick & Puck' session is where your time with Manchester Phoenix really starts. You don't need to have passed any grades, but our coaches will soon tell you if they think you should go back to basics. Stick and Puck sessions are a great opportunity to develop and practice hockey skills in an informal environment. If you need help and advice, just ask a coach on the ice. That's what they're there for!

Stick & Puck costs £5 per session for non club members. Find session times on our current ice time schedule.

Who's in charge?

Stick and puck sessions are supervised by fully qualified Phoenix ice hockey coaches registered with the English Ice Hockey Association. They also have child protection clearance and have playing experience up to Elite league level. They will normally be junior league team coaches and will know exactly what level of skill you require to progress to 'in house' hockey or one of the Manchester Phoenix squads.

'In House' – The next step

Now you're really playing. As your confidence grows you can move up to 'in-house' hockey. Not sure if you're ready? Ask a coach at Stick and Puck. They will tell you.

'In-house' is simply a name for an informal scrimmage game. Just turn up to a session and coaches will divide players in to age groups and ability levels. They'll run a scrimmage game in which abilities are matched as far as possible. Nobody is under any pressure to 'perform' and it's an excellent way to put the skills you've practised into action and get used to team-play. You will need to wear full kit. Come and try a session out. If you want to play ice hockey, you'll want to play 'in-house'!

In-house sessions will usually be held on Saturdays, whenever our league schedule allows. Dates and times will be published on our home page, so keep a look out.

In-house sessions cost £5 each and club members skate for free.

Full kit

When you play in scrimmages and games you will need full kit. For insurance reasons there can be no exceptions. The club has a limited, but ever growing, amount of loan kit, so we may be able to help you out in the first few weeks. Just ask. Otherwise, you'll need to buy some kit yourself . The Altrincham Ice Dome will have its own kit shop where Club members will be able to buy equipment at discounted prices. Until the shop is fully operational, we suggest you check our 'links' page for other suppliers.

Full kit consists of:

• Helmet (with face guard)
• Neck guard
• Body Armour
• Elbow Pads
• Hockey Gloves
• Pants
• Box/Pelvic Protector
• Leg Pads
• Socks
• Skates
• Stick

For more details about how to trial for a Phoenix junior team, click here.

*Please note that sessions may be subject to cancellation or alteration during public holiday periods or as a result of circumstances beyond our control. The club also has a summer break between mid July and mid August. Check the training schedule or the home page of the junior website for the latest info and changes.