Please check your child's skates and make sure that he/she has the best fit possible...not too big and not to small.  Tie your child's skates as tightly as you possible can until you think your fingers will fall off.  Don't worry...they won't.  By the time your skater is a Squirt-level hockey player, he/she should be tying their own skates.

Remember to have your skates sharpened several times or more during the season. Five hours use is a good rule of thumb, possibly more often if pond skating.  It is always a good idea to carry an extra towel and wipe your blades after each use.  Why?  Blades get dull and will eventually rust, especially when you don’t wipe them.

Please buy the highest quality, name brand helments made specifically for ice hockey.  Lacrosse helmets are not permitted for use in ice hockey; they do not provide sufficient protection at the back of the head in the event of backward falls.  Bauer and some others make helmets that are easy to adjust.  These are particularly useful in very cold weather, as you can put a thin lycra ski cap on your player and put the helmet on top, with easy helmet adjustment.  There are usually spare parts for hockey helmets located in a bin, to your left as you enter the NCWC office. 

Kids hate putting on wet clothes.  Please make sure your skater's equipment is spread out to dry after use.  If stuffed in to a hockey bag and left there, they will not dry!  "Wet Gear" drying racks work really well.