Try Hockey for Free Event Fills Fast in Huntsville, Alabama
Liz Aaron didn’t have to work hard to fill USA Hockey’s Try Hockey for Free, presented by Discover, event in Huntsville, Alabama.
Aaron, the program and operations coordinator for the North Alabama Hockey Association (NAHA), said the Try Hockey for Free event on Saturday at Huntsville Ice Sports Center filled by the beginning of the year.
“It was crazy because I first advertised in December and it was full by the first week of January,” Aaron said. “We’re booming at the youngest levels right now and that’s great. We don’t have to do the work that we had to do 8 to 10 years ago.”
A Try Hockey for Free event is designed to provide kids ages 4 to 9 — with any or no hockey experience — the opportunity to try hockey in a fun, safe environment at no cost with a trained coaching staff.
When NAHA first started participating in the program about a decade ago, it included close to 100 players, but the struggle was finding coaches and equipment to support that many players. Now, Aaron said the organization supports 50 to 60 players on the ice at a time during the Try Hockey for Free events, which are typically held every year in February and November.
“These are brand new families for us at this level, which is so much fun,” Aaron said. “I’m not sure how to attribute our success for this program, but we’re rolling with it.”
Aaron said that she typically has to pass out flyers for the Try Hockey for Free program or include information in Valentine’s Day hearts or Halloween cards for the November event, but the February session filled fast.
“It’s never been like this before,” Aaron said. “We have a bunch of coaches and 16 and 18U players coming out. We love that the youth hockey players come out and help the younger kids. Even the 10U travel kids help us out.”
Once players participate in USA Hockey’s Try Hockey for Free event, they can start in NAHA’s Learn to Skate sessions that begin in May and August. The organization’s Little Predators Learn to Skate program begins in May and in that program, the NHL provides equipment the players can keep.
“We generally have about 45 to 60 kids on the ice,” Aaron said. “People email and tell me they did Try Hockey for Free and now they’re coming out to the Learn to Play program, which is great.”
Players can also progress into NAHA’s Learn to Play hockey program, which splits the ice into three sections. There’s a learn to skate section, hockey skills and drills followed by games.
“Even in that program, skaters see themselves improve,” Aaron said. “They’re evaluated in six weeks and sent a report card of recommendations and other things they might need to work on.”
In NAHA’s in-house program, 6U players work on skills for the first part of practice and learn to play the game for the last half hour. Aaron added that there were about 70 kids in the 6U program and 110 in the 8U in-house league. She said there were also about 80 girls in the youth in-house league.
“Last year, we had enough to go to girls tournaments,” Aaron said.
NAHA earned a retention award from USA Hockey about a decade ago for its work at the youth level, Aaron said.
“We had 70 or 80 kids participate and then, based on how many people joined USA Hockey the following year, said we retained more than a certain percentage in our region,” Aaron said. “We received 60 sets of gear, which was really cool … elbow pads, shin guards, sticks and everything you would need to play.”
NAHA has achieved success despite its lack of proximity to an NHL franchise. The Nashville Predators are about two hours away and the University of Alabama-Huntsville’s Division I hockey program was discontinued in 2021.
NAHA does have a positive relationship with the Huntsville Havoc, a Southern Professional Hockey League (SPHL) franchise.
“The Havoc are really doing their part to raise awareness for hockey, so people know that hockey is here,” Aaron said. “When I first started, there were people who didn’t know there was a rink in Huntsville, but people here are gaining a better awareness of hockey in the area.”
Story from Red Line Editorial, Inc.
Source: usahockey.com