It is 99 degrees in the shade today. And while many people are sitting out beside the pool enduring the heat, you are taking on the challenge of planning for your son’s hockey camp schedule. And while other parents spend long days in the sun watching soccer and tennis matches, you are spending long days and weekends sitting on cold metal bleachers at hockey rinks both near and far. And while other people have large backyards that they have to mow week after week in the summer, you are a little giddy about the fact that the backyard skating rink that you installed last winter has eliminated a significant portion of your mowing chores.
If you have a son or a daughter who is addicted to the sport of hockey or figure skating you likely know the challenge of finding ice time, especially in the winter when everyone is scrambling to get in some extra practice. Families who put in a backyard skating rink, however, know that the time they spend adjusting ice rink liners and replacing ice rink brackets is an investment that pays off in the long run.
Backyard Skating Rinks Provide the Convenience of Easy Ice Access During the Most Busy Part of the Season
Some kids just love to skate. In fact, some kids like it so much that if they had the chance they would be skating the first thing in the morning and the last thing a t night. With the convenience of having your own rink, your kids do not have to pay expensive ice fees and wait for you to give them a ride. They can simply head to the backyard, strap on their skates, and practice their craft.
With access to a backyard skating rink there is also an opportunity for your son or daughter to make some extra money giving lessons to beginning skaters. In fact, by teaching introductory skating lessons to two or three students at once, your son or daughter can create their own little business while doing something that they like.
Backyard Skating Rinks Encourage Your Teens and Their Friends to Hang at Your House
Another major advantage to having a backyard rink is that when the cold winter months roll around you will know where your own kids are. Instead of having to worry about your teenagers hanging out at someone else’s house, you can enjoy the excitement of having your teens and their friends at your house. After school during the week and on weekends, backyard ice rinks can serve as a great gathering spot for not only your teens, but their friends as well. Busy and active teens are safe and healthy teens. Teens who spend time with their parents are more likely to stay out of trouble.
Hockey and figure skating ice time can be difficult to find as indicated by the increasing popularity of these sports and other activities:
- 10.65 million is the number of participants, six years and older, who participated in ice skating in the year 2014.
- 65% of youth sports participants say they participate in sports to be with friends.
- 71% of youth sports participants say they do not care if score is kept in their games.
- 36 million is the number of kids who play organized sports each year.
- According to the Centers for Disease Control, participating in sports improves cardiovascular endurance. Increased cardiovascular health decreases the risk for heart disease, the number one killer disease claiming 800,000 lives in the year 2011 alone.
- 519,417 people registered as hockey players in the 2013-2014 season. This means that there were more people playing hockey in the U.S. that year than ever before, according to USA Hockey.
- 60% of teens in America actually say they want to spend more time with their parents.
- The U.S. has 500 outdoor ice hockey rinks and 1,900 indoor ice hockey rinks.
- Pew Research surveys indicate that since the middle of the1970s the time that fathers spend on child care has almost tripled. Mothers, on the other hand, have increased the time they spend with their children has gone up 57%. This is in spite of the fact that 71% of mothers are now working outside the home.