Benefits of Playing Youth Hockey

You might come out to watch the Wilkes-Barre Scranton Penguins play regularly and be familiar with seeing professionals play the sport. However, everyone has to get their start somewhere. Our team might be filled with great talent from all over, but every great player was a child learning to play hockey for the first time at some point. Youth hockey programs are an essential part of getting kids of all ages involved in the sport and teaching some valuable lessons and skills along the way.

Are you interested in getting your child involved in playing youth hockey? Find out what some of the benefits are.

Stay Healthy

Of course, one of the biggest benefits of getting kids involved in sports is to help them stay healthy and active. Sports provide a fun way of getting kids physically active, and hockey is a great option. Hockey is a great form of exercise that provides many benefits. This is a cardiovascular exercise that helps build muscle and improve balance and coordination.

Improve Mental Agility

Not only is hockey good for your physical health, but it can help benefit your mental agility. If you’ve attended a game in the past, you know how fast-paced things can be. Even at beginner’s levels, hockey requires you to always be alert and pay attention. When you’re in the middle of a game, you need to be ready to act at any moment. Kids can learn how to think quickly and make decisions under pressure.

Learn to Be Part of a Team

Team sports can be fun when you’re spending time around friends, but it also teaches important lessons. When a child is part of a sports team, they learn how to be there for and support their teammates. Being part of a team also means that you know other people are depending on you, so you have to do your part. Communication is an essential part of playing hockey, which children will pick up by being on a team.

Meet New Friends

Sports are one important way that kids can meet new people and make friends, which is an important part of their development and in life in general. Kids might have the opportunity to make friends at school or in their neighborhood, but they can socialize with their peers even more on a sports team. Signing your child up for hockey can help introduce them to other kids they might not have had the chance to meet otherwise.

Enhance Confidence and Self Esteem

Of course, sports aren’t always easy, and kids will lose from time to time and struggle to learn new skills. However, this doesn’t mean that playing a sport like hockey will hurt their confidence. Like anything, this is a part of learning, and it won’t be like this all the time. Kids can experience the joy of picking up new skills and reaching goals they have set for themselves. Hockey can help teach the value of hard work and not giving up when things get difficult. Even when it’s small accomplishments, sports can help kids feel great about themselves and boost their confidence and self-esteem.

Learn More About Signing Your Child Up for Youth Hockey

Hockey teaches valuable lessons that can be used both on and off the ice. If you’re interested in signing your child up for youth hockey, there are opportunities available in NEPA. The Toyota SportsPlex, where the WBS Penguins practice, has camps, clinics, and youth teams for children. Help your child develop their skills and become a part of the Wilkes-Barre Junior Penguins!

There are also still home games left in the season for hockey enthusiasts of all ages to come out and support. Order your tickets today!