Zero-Travel (House) Hockey

Zero-travel hockey, also known as house hockey, is offered at Bird Ice Arena for our region's youngest youth players. The emphasis is on teaching the basics of skating, hockey, and sportsmanship, while emphasizing fun on the ice. In this age division, you can expect to see a wide variety of skill development among the children as some have been skating for several years, while others are stepping on the ice for the first time.

Parents are responsible for the cost of their youth player's equipment and transportation to Bird Ice Arena. Additional weekend games beyond those allotted by AYHA and Ohio University that are scheduled by the team may have additional fees for ice time and referees; families can expect team managers to collect funds from each family on those occasions.

The children are falling down quite a bit... is it safe?

Yes, 8U players fall down constantly. At this age division, all youth players are just beginning to learn to be steady on their skates, turn, stop, start, and all while trying to push a puck with their stick - there will be lots of tumbles on the ice and players colliding into each other while they build their skating skills over the season. Fortunately, the children are bundled in protective gear and infrequently notice when they do fall down.

My child doesn't seem to be progressing as quickly as other children. Is that normal?

Yes, this age division includes 7- & 8-year olds (called Mites) and 5- & 6-year olds (called Mini-Mites), and all of these children, even those of the same age, are all progressing at different rates when it comes to learning all these new skills to become hockey players. There is no correlation between how slowly or quickly any child picks up a skill and what that same child's skills will look like when they are older. Development just takes time and practice.

Does my child need specialized coaching at this age in Columbus?

Not at all. At the 8U level, youth players primarily need ice time to learn to skate, develop basic skills, and most importantly have fun, all of which can be achieved with the AYHA. If you have an opportunity to participate in additional recreational skates or clinics at Bird Ice Arena or in Columbus, that's great! Any ice time is good ice time, but it isn't a requirement.

I have a child who is 9-years-old, but new to hockey. Can my child be on the 8U team?

No. USA Hockey and Mid American Hockey have strict rules the generally prohibit playing down to a lower age division, and the AYHA has policies that reflect these rules. Please refer to the AYHA handbook for more information.