How far do you drive each way for Hockey practice?

[#4BobbyOrr]

4.6 miles.  10 minutes, 7 if all the lights are green.  Comes in handy when my kid forgets a glove or an elbow pad.

[5lap5hot]

2 kids 3 days a week 140 each way with 2.5 to 3.5 hours.  1 at 100 miles with 3 days per week.  You're all amateurs.  Wish there was talented players and coaching locally, but there isn't.  Looking at 1,000 miles each week in travel.  Kids love it so what can I do?

[Pistonkev]

2 kids 3 days a week 140 each way with 2.5 to 3.5 hours.  1 at 100 miles with 3 days per week.  You're all amateurs.  Wish there was talented players and coaching locally, but there isn't.  Looking at 1,000 miles each week in travel.  Kids love it so what can I do?

You have my vote for Hockey parent of the year.

[5lap5hot]

I'll let you know how I feel at the end of the season.  You'll be able to spot my car.  No tread on the tires with dents everywhere, most of my hair manually removed, and a permanent coffee IV drip. Probably won't have seen my wife for more than 2 waking hours/week.  That's just hockey in California.  It would be nice to live in metro LA area, but I see it was only 8 more years of this 

[Pistonkev]

I'll let you know how I feel at the end of the season.  You'll be able to spot my car.  No tread on the tires with dents everywhere, most of my hair manually removed, and a permanent coffee IV drip. Probably won't have seen my wife for more than 2 waking hours/week.  That's just hockey in California.  It would be nice to live in metro LA area, but I see it was only 8 more years of this 

You should just wrap your car in advertisement, I bet they would pay you well with that amount of miles you log.

[HockeyDadx3]

When we lived in Anchorage, AK we had kids on our team that would fly down 3x a week for games and practices from Fairbanks, AK. That's an 8 to 10 hr drive when flights weren't available.

Beat that

However, my boys only played hockey in California for a year and I commend you parents that have to drive all over that state for games year in and year out. 3 hrs to San Diego for a single 36 minute Squirt game or a single 45 minute peewee game at 7:15 am on Sunday morning or 4:30 pm on a Sunday evening, yeah, that's a HARD PASS for us!

The farthest we drive in Colorado is an hour and a half to Ft. Collins once a season.

[HockeyPop2297]

This thread has made my day so much better! I've been driving 95 to 115 miles one way for three years, 3-4x a week, and thought I was the craziest hockey parent out here. So great to know I'm in such great company. Imagine when we reach the end? May have to become an Uber driver, or just drive my wife crazy and stay home!

[BigDuke6]

10-15 minutes depending on traffic.  I know families that drive over an hour, passing rinks on the way, to play A/B hockey.  I don't get it, never understood it, and would never do it.


I understand when a family drives because their kid is playing tier and their closest rink doesn't have a team, etc.  Driving an hour to play A/B, when you could drive 20 minutes is asinine.  Only other reason I could see is if my kid got cut from the team at our closest rink, and we had to drive just so he could play.


The things families do for youth hockey is ridiculous.  Our family has instituted a no holiday tournament policy as well.  Too many Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays have been wiped out by meaningless tournaments.  This is the second year of that policy.  We respectfully tell the coach we won't be there and don't really apologize for it.  The team survived, my son survived, life went on.  Some of the other parents were flabbergasted, like they couldn't process or understand what we were telling them, "What do you mean you won't be there, but, but, we have a game at 700AM the day after Christmas."

[Kalishock]

LOL. I keep hearing about kids who live in Vegas and fly in to play for the Jr. Ducks. That has me beat by a long shot! Unless it is an urban legend or something. Then yeah, I'm still in first place

There were a couple of kids that their parents drove them from Vegas to KHS for a season.. (they were on my son's team) ..    and one kid driving in from central cal somewhere...   Im central to all of the SoCal rinks.  With the exception of maybe Bakersfield or Oxnard...       My son's practice is about 19 miles.

[orangecone]

10-15 minutes depending on traffic.  I know families that drive over an hour, passing rinks on the way, to play A/B hockey.  I don't get it, never understood it, and would never do it.


I understand when a family drives because their kid is playing tier and their closest rink doesn't have a team, etc.  Driving an hour to play A/B, when you could drive 20 minutes is asinine.  Only other reason I could see is if my kid got cut from the team at our closest rink, and we had to drive just so he could play.


The things families do for youth hockey is ridiculous.  Our family has instituted a no holiday tournament policy as well.  Too many Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays have been wiped out by meaningless tournaments.  This is the second year of that policy.  We respectfully tell the coach we won't be there and don't really apologize for it.  The team survived, my son survived, life went on.  Some of the other parents were flabbergasted, like they couldn't process or understand what we were telling them, "What do you mean you won't be there, but, but, we have a game at 700AM the day after Christmas."

Love this. What would so cal hockey look like if we all HAD to play at the closest rink? If there were district lines drawn? I get it when you're in tier hockey at the bantam level.... but mite through pee wee??? no need to pass 4 rinks on the way to your practice

[Teemu8]

10-15 minutes depending on traffic.  I know families that drive over an hour, passing rinks on the way, to play A/B hockey.  I don't get it, never understood it, and would never do it.


I understand when a family drives because their kid is playing tier and their closest rink doesn't have a team, etc.  Driving an hour to play A/B, when you could drive 20 minutes is asinine.  Only other reason I could see is if my kid got cut from the team at our closest rink, and we had to drive just so he could play.


The things families do for youth hockey is ridiculous.  Our family has instituted a no holiday tournament policy as well.  Too many Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays have been wiped out by meaningless tournaments.  This is the second year of that policy.  We respectfully tell the coach we won't be there and don't really apologize for it.  The team survived, my son survived, life went on.  Some of the other parents were flabbergasted, like they couldn't process or understand what we were telling them, "What do you mean you won't be there, but, but, we have a game at 700AM the day after Christmas."

Kindly make sure you are never playing on my kids team!  We all signed up for this knowing damn well what is expected... and tournaments are just a part of it.  We had kids bail on us last Xmas tourney and we had to play bantam hockey with 9 players.  You sign up to be part of the team.. that means all team events, not just the ones that are convenient.   

[Puck Yeah]

10-15 minutes depending on traffic.  I know families that drive over an hour, passing rinks on the way, to play A/B hockey.  I don't get it, never understood it, and would never do it.


I understand when a family drives because their kid is playing tier and their closest rink doesn't have a team, etc.  Driving an hour to play A/B, when you could drive 20 minutes is asinine.  Only other reason I could see is if my kid got cut from the team at our closest rink, and we had to drive just so he could play.


The things families do for youth hockey is ridiculous.  Our family has instituted a no holiday tournament policy as well.  Too many Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays have been wiped out by meaningless tournaments.  This is the second year of that policy.  We respectfully tell the coach we won't be there and don't really apologize for it.  The team survived, my son survived, life went on.  Some of the other parents were flabbergasted, like they couldn't process or understand what we were telling them, "What do you mean you won't be there, but, but, we have a game at 700AM the day after Christmas."

That is why there is in-house leagues.  You never have to miss a slice of pie because to made a commitment to a team. 


I would never tell another how to raise their children but I am certain that is not the ethic I want to instill in my son.  "You are committed to this obligation unless it is inconvenient or something better comes along"

[Teemu8]

Well said

[The Hun]

My team has a family that drives 220 miles each way. Close to 4 hours one way, when you stop for gas and a snack.

[area51]

10-15 minutes depending on traffic.  I know families that drive over an hour, passing rinks on the way, to play A/B hockey.  I don't get it, never understood it, and would never do it.


I understand when a family drives because their kid is playing tier and their closest rink doesn't have a team, etc.  Driving an hour to play A/B, when you could drive 20 minutes is asinine.  Only other reason I could see is if my kid got cut from the team at our closest rink, and we had to drive just so he could play.


The things families do for youth hockey is ridiculous.  Our family has instituted a no holiday tournament policy as well.  Too many Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays have been wiped out by meaningless tournaments.  This is the second year of that policy.  We respectfully tell the coach we won't be there and don't really apologize for it.  The team survived, my son survived, life went on.  Some of the other parents were flabbergasted, like they couldn't process or understand what we were telling them, "What do you mean you won't be there, but, but, we have a game at 700AM the day after Christmas."

in house might be best option for your family