Instructional Programs Fall, Winter, and Spring

How big are your class sizes ?

There will never be more than 20 students in any of our classes and in which case, there will be 3 instructors on the ice with them. We pride ourselves in never having more than a 7 to 1 student to teacher ratio In fact, in most cases it is usually less

Is this class advanced enough for him or too advanced ?

One of the luxuries we have here at Excellent Ice is the number of classes we have at each age group and ability level. If your youngsters find themselves in a class that is far too easy or far too difficult we can usually transfer them to a more appropriate one quite easily. Another feature at Excellent Ice is that we break down most of our classes into 3 sub-groups by ability so that within each class your youngster is doing their exercises beside players of similar ability and being "challenged" appropriately. This usually gets sorted out to everyone's satisfaction by the second or third class, or your money is gladly refunded.

Should I put my child in Power Skating or Total Hockey Development ?

The first twenty minutes of every Total Hockey session consists of serious power skating conducted done by the same instructors giving the Power Skating classes and featuring most of the same drills. What you get with the Power Skating classes is repetition of fundamental techniques and exercises within each class and throughout the course. Skating games are incorporated at the end of each session to make it fun, but it can get boring over a 10 or 12 week period if the child isn't totally committed to hockey. So unless your child's other skills are very good relative to his skating, or your child has a particular problem with his skating, or your child is only starting to play at an advanced age, I would suggest the child go into a Total Hockey class. Your child is still going to get serious skating instruction, but generally will have more fun and be more apt to keep loving the game.

What comprises the Defensemen Techniques course ?

The Power Skating part of every session is on backward skating skills; backward skating speed, power, agility, and mobility. The skill part of the sessions involve the kind of passing, stickhandling. and shooting that defensemen are called upon to do in a game. The techniques part of the classes involve instruction on how the defenseman should be thinking in all the common situations arising in a game and techniques your child might use to solve the problems he or she faces each game.