Thrice the ice: a new ice rink program called cross-ice allows kids more play with the puck.

Across the nation a revolutionary grass-roots program is slowly turning hockey traditionalists into cross-ice converts. From the association level to public park and recreation programs, the concept of cross-ice hockey has been making strides in membership and participation each year.

The cross-ice program was developed in 2000 by USA Hockey's Youth Council and was designed to bring about a fundamental change in the way in which youth programs and their coaches introduce players 10 years old-and-under to hockey.

The concept of cross-ice hockey is surprisingly simple. The ice surface is cut into thirds using rink dividers, giving more beginning players an opportunity to play the game on a sheet of ice better suited to their size.

In addition to cutting down the size of the ice, teams scrimmage four-on-four (or sometimes three-on-three in some park and recreation programs) without a goalie. There is no scoreboard, icing or offsides. Penalties are only assessed for deliberate acts to injure, but the team does not play shorthanded. By putting kids in a noncompetitive environment, it allows them to focus on their skills without an overemphasis on winning.

Special nets, approximately one-third the size of regulation goals, and light-weight pucks are also used to make the game more enjoyable for the younger player.

Jim Koppleman is a volunteer hockey parent and cross-ice advocate who helps organize a park and recreation cross-ice program for children in grades one through five in Merrill, Wisc. The second-year program, which is co-operated by the Merrill Parks and Recreation Department and Merrill Youth Hockey, has already experienced its share of success.

"The response we received in the program's first year was really positive" says Koppleman. "I was a little surprised that some of the kids preferred to play three-on-three cross-ice hockey. They got their hands on the puck more and I think they had a lot of fun."

The cross-ice program helps young players improve their puck handling and playmaking skills because there are more opportunities to touch the puck, and encourages them to make quicker decisions because they're playing in a smaller space.

In addition to preaching skill development, the idea is to get away from the "win at all cost" attitude and let the kids have fun and be creative. That focus is the main reason cross-ice hockey has worked so well in park and recreation programs across the country.

"On Friday nights we give the kids about 20 minutes of instruction and then let them play on-ice games like 'tag' just for fun. Then on Saturday they play a series of cross-ice games," explains Koppelman. "If we can get the kids to the point where they're playing because they want to and are having fun, that's where we want to be."

While the program has been a resounding success overall, it went through some typical resistance in its infancy, as most pilot programs do. During the program's initial test run, some parents rejected the concept because they wanted to see their kid skate 200 feet to have a scoring chance.

"People were marketing against it. They wanted to play 'real hockey' and 'play hockey the way it was meant to be played,'" says Kevin McLaughlin, USA Hockey's director of youth hockey. "I think there are still people out there who feel that way, but there is less resistance now that people have been able to see the program and participate in it."

Many parents soon came to realize that the idea of catering the game to their children's size not only made the overall experience more enjoyable for the players, but also cut down on the price of ice times since more kids can be on the ice at one time.

"Some of the biggest benefits are that it keeps cost down and the playing environment is age appropriate. A kid that's four feet tall doesn't have to skate 200 feet like Mike Modano does," says McLaughlin. "We don't ask kids in baseball, soccer and football to play in the same playing environments as professionals do."

In truth, the cross-ice program is about giving the game back to the kids and making it fun again. Letting the kids touch the puck and getting them more involved in the game has ultimately resulted in an increase in the enjoyment of the game for both the parents and the players. Even on the smaller ice surface, players have to skate more, think faster and react quicker. They spend more time with the puck on their stick rather than chasing it the length of the ice and also improve their basic skills because they spend more time on the ice and less on the bench.

"This to me is the future of youth hockey, particularly from the fifth grade level down. If you have a rink, this is what you should be doing," says Koppleman.

Web extra: Find out how to teach good sportsmanship on and off the ice.

www.nrpa.org/p&r

Photos courtesy of USA Hockey