The Most Significant Key for any Hockey Player's Performance on the Ice are the Fit and Maintenance of their Ice Hockey Skates

Ice hockey skates are a vital piece of equipment for the game. The proper fitting of hockey skates is dependent of the quality of your child's performance on the ice.

Hockey skates are made of three basic parts.

1. The interior boot - inside padded boot

2. The exterior hold - the stiff outer boot

3. The attachable blade

Generally ice skate sizes are 1/2 to 1 size smaller than your regular shoe size to provide a glove like fit. Do not buy skates for your child to grow into. Their toes should wiggle freely and the heel should fit comfortably in the pocket. The ice skate should be wide enough so the front side of the feet and toes do not rub against the inside of the skate. While wearing only one thin 100% breathable cotton sock that will be worn when skating, slip your foot into the skate and gently let you toes touch the front of the skate. For a proper fit, you should be able to place one finger between the inside of the boot and your child's heel. If your child has a wide foot, I recommend that you take the sole out from the inside of the ice skate and have your child place his foot on top so you can see precisely the fit of the skate. Sometimes it may seem like the skate is too small, but in fact, the ice hockey skate may be too thin requiring a wider hockey skate. I personally did this mistake with my son, not knowing his ice hockey skate was one and 1/2 sizes too big for him. He was a good hockey skater and now with proper fitting he is one of the best skater's in his league.

Have your child walk 10-15 minutes in the skates checking for comfort. Note that the most important feature in a skate is ankle stability. If your child is unstable in their ice skates, they may not be able to stand, much less skate. Choose a ice skate that has extra features to support your child's ankles. However, the ankle support must be malleable enough for your child to maneuver so the skate can mould to the shape of your child's foot allowing a glove like fit.

As for lacing the ice hockey skates, the criss-cross or "X" method of lacing is considered the most comfortable. Before tying the skate, be sure to pull the tongue of the ice hockey skate out fully and wrap it around your child's ankle. This allows for the laces to tie properly ensuring a snug and comfortable fit. Best to put the shin pad over the tongue for maximum protection of your child's ankle. The bottom 3 eyelets should be semi-loose to allow blood to circulate to your toes; this will prevent them from freezing. The middle 3 eyelets should be semi-tight, not really tight, in order to allow the up and down movement of the top part of the foot allowing it to expand and contract when starting and stopping to skate. The top 3 eyelets must be tight to keep the ankle in an upright postition and to prevent it from bending either inside or outside. Do not wrap the extra length of laces around the ankle as this hinders the forward flex of the foot and ankle and will impair your child's skating speed and turning ability. Just tie them in a regular bowknot at the front of the skate like you tie regular street running shoes. If the laces are too long tuck them in under the hockey sock. The more comfortable and stable your child feels in their skates the more confidence they have skating and playing the game of hockey.

The attachable blades MUST be kept in optimal condition. Never walk with the blades exposed on any surface other than ice, rubber or wood. I cannot believe the number of parents who do not sharpen their child's skate and yet expect them to perform the game. Ice skates must be skarp in order to stop, start and turn without falling. If they are dull, your child will slip and slide all over the ice and have a hard time standing up because there is no grip or skating edge cutting in to the ice. It is like driving a car with flat tires. Have your blades sharpened regularly, preferably after seven hours of skating. This allows your child a fair chance to skate and enjoy the game of hockey. Any place that offers skate sharpening should also have small grindstones that are used to get burrs off the blades after they have been sharpened. If you can get a grindstone (most places will not sell them), use it every once in a while. Go to a specialized skate shop that prides themselves to sharpen skates properly. Even better, have them balance the skate to your child's foot. The depth of the cut should be based on your child's height and weight. When the ice skate blades are even and sharpened correctly, your child will skate 1000 times better!!! Proper skate sharpening is the difference between playing a great hockey game with grace or experiencing a frustrating, poorly played hockey performance. PROPER SKATE SHARPENING IS KEY TO YOUR CHILD'S PERFORMANCE ON THE ICE.

Be sure to flick off accumulated snow and then dry the blades thoroughly every time you come off the ice. This prevents the blades from rusting. Keep an old rag or hockey sock in your bag for this purpose.

ICE SKATES GIVE YOUR CHILD THE FREEDOM TO GLIDE ON THE ICE, ENHANCE THEIR CONFIDENCE AMD TRULY ENJOY A MEMORABLE GAME OF HOCKEY!!!