I'm coaching hockey for the first time this year. It's a gang of tiny tots, including a few who are immigrants or children of recent immigrants. Kids for whom French and English are Language 3 and 4.

Noha's observation about learning the difference between poke check and back check struck me. There are so many hockey codes I take for granted I've had to relearn this year.
And have had to learn to translate them with two languages and hand signals. https://twitter.com/hockeyhijabi/status/1194079590714658816?s=20

It started from Day 1 when some of the new parents showed up with hockey equipment still with tags and in boxes. If hockey is strange to you, where do you even start with all that crap?

Hockey has to be one of the least accessible sports there is. I was born with hockey, my kids only slightly less so, and the ease with which we could just drop it all is striking.

Hockey has many attributes you've heard a million times. It's technically very hard to learn, so it teaches persistence. The satisfaction when you get good at some small part of it is immense. The wind on your face when you can really skate is amazing.

You learn to overcome fear from Day 1. Even if you never play full contact hockey, you fall on your ass a million times from the day you start to the day you retire. It hurts.

Hockey needs to be better than most sports at opening doors if it's going to survive. Those of us who love the sport and try to teach it need to be the best ambassadors. We're not there yet.

With that, please allow me to share some key statistics:

Kids using a support to skate at Practice 1: 6.
Kids using it at Practice 18: 0.

Kids crying in mini-match 1 because they couldn't score/couldn't get puck / had puck stolen: 5
Kids crying in last mini-match: 0.

Oh yes! I didn't even address cost. It's expensive. Ice time is probably unavoidably so, but on equipment I have one vital tip to share: Do not buy anything new. Finding used is a bit of work but it's way more comfortable anyway. https://twitter.com/ParcExCosta/status/1194741918997110784?s=20

I've now got three kids in hockey, for a total of about 9 seasons now. I've purchased 2 helmets, one pair of skates an a few small things I got on deep discount new. Used kids equipment is all over the internet.

And I wasn't kidding about comfort. Equipment is all so stiff now. I bought my eldest a new pair of elbow pads. They were a bit too big. Bought some used on the internet, he was much happier because they were way less pinchy.