Kentwood Hockey & Skating Association: Cross Ice Program
For more information please contact Becky Wood at 616-698-0100 x4 or email: becky.wood@kentwoodps.org or visit Kentwood Ice Arena for more information
Click Here for to read about Kentwood Cross Ice Recognition by USA Hockey
The Kentwood Cross Ice Program began in 2002 and is currently under the direction of Brett Baker of Kentwood Ice Arena. The program is focused on skill development and fun for younger boys and girls between 4 & 9 years old. Players are given an opportunity to develop their skills without the interuptions of face-offs, offsides and can do it at an affordable price.
The Kentwood Cross Ice Program is a 2 day / week commitment and gives the parents an opportunity to know when their kids will practice, and once games begin a set schedule for their game times. Practices begin in September twice a week and then in December the practice is once per week and the games generally are held on Saturday mornings at 9:00 a.m.
The program is foundational for the skills necessary to become a hockey player. Skating, stick handling, passing and shooting skills are honed on the ice in a smaller area for the younger kids. This is the concept that has been utilized in Europe for many years. Make it affordable, make it fun and the results will speak for themselves. Kids and parents will want to return for many years to come and their love of the game will be born.
In the Spring of 2006 Kentwood hosted the first ever Cross Ice Jamboree with the Walker Cross Ice Program. This program was a hit with the kids and parents from both associations. A few weeks later Walker hosted both Kentwood and East Grand Rapids at the Walker Ice & Fitness Center. Congratulations to everyone involved with this great program. The cooperation between the Associations has been tremendous. The Cross Ice Jamboree was a huge success and a bigger and better event is in the works for the 2007-08 Season.
The Cross Ice concept is now being utilized at the older age groups at Kentwood with the First Annual Spring 3 on 3 that has over 150 participants from Mite to Bantam playing and having fun. The creativity and passing has been tremendous. The kids are working without coaches and have a volunteer running the clock and sounding the horn every 90 seconds for a line change. No score is kept and the kids are having a blast. The significant benefit is the skating, passing, shooting and creativity have returned without the strict enforcement of a coach. This has been a huge success for the Spring 2006 season. The players are improving their skills and working hard. They will get more puck touches in a 40 minute Cross Ice game than they would during a 5-8 game stretch on a 200 foot sheet of ice.
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| 2006 Kentwood Cross Ice Jamboree |
