# @huhockey on Instagram

- **Type:** Video
- **Original URL:** https://www.instagram.com/p/DUOWNm4EUZ4
- **Gondola URL:** https://gondola.cc/posts/54952001-huhockey-instagram
- **Thumbnail:** https://img.gondola.cc/tr:w-,h-,fo-auto/postThumbnails/e9d572e563.jpg
- **Posted:** 2026-02-01T17:55:27.000+00:00
- **Account Owner:** Jonny Suporn (@HUHockey) — https://gondola.cc/HUHockey

## Caption

Developing Young Hockey Players: Skating is Everything

In my opinion, you don’t even need a hockey stick until you’re 6 years old

Looking back, I wish I knew this when I was a kid. I actually didn’t start skating until I was 8 (which is late back then and really late these days) 

I have kids coming to me now who are 3, 4 & 5.

Looking back, I wish someone told my parents to sign me up with a skating coach. Had I done more sessions working on just my skating I think I would have had a completely different trajectory in my career. Somehow, I was able to get to the AAA level when I was 14. Doing my own at-home training: shooting pucks in the driveway + roller blading 

In my day, there weren’t a ton of guys like myself - offering the additional skills. During my youth hockey career, I think I attended ONE additional skills practice and I was already like 15 years old. And I remember it being a lousy private session with a coach who didn’t really care about me and my brother (at SoNo Ice House in Norwalk, CT). Can’t even remember the coach’s name, that’s how much of an impact he had. 

Find the right coach. Invest in your skating. I start every HUH session with 15-20 minutes of skating, no pucks. Sometimes, no stick either. 

Getting the skating piece down when you’re young can DRASTICALLY impact your career as a hockey player.

If you can’t skate, you can’t play. 

Work on the stickhandling and shooting off ice (basement, driveway, synthetic) - make the most of your “ice-time” and work on your skating 

Player in video:
Roman Cosgrove (born in 2020)
*remember this kid’s name*

#huhockey #headsuphockey

## Stats

- **Views:** 13,582
- **Likes:** 1,024
- **Shares:** 0
- **Comments:** 38

## Tags

headsuphockey, huhockey

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