Our first ever fixture list really threw us. Under 10s kids playing at a rink almost 100 miles away?! 200 mile round trip for a hobby?!?!?! Of course, we quickly learned that 100 miles is a local game. That’s there-and-back-in-a-day territory. As our children aged up we collected more and more rinks for our must travel to list, and they got further and further away.
I won’t lie, some of these trips are daunting on paper. Especially when you realise that some of them are going to demand a night away to have any chance of working. But don’t panic. Deep breaths, thinking it through well in advance, and this handy guide are all you need to get through it. You’ve got this!
Plan
Whether you’re naturally an Overthinking Omar or Last-mInute Larry, trust me on this one – you NEED to plan weekends away. It’’s one thing to be a bit late, or to realise you’ve left the skates behind when you’re only 20 minutes away from the safety of home, but away weekends snatch that luxury away.
So, here’s what you do… first off, the team coach or manager will tell you when you need to meet. That is your One Key Truth for the weekend – everything else will follow. Seriously – don’t ever aim to be that parent that shows up half an hour after everyone else (that said, if the logistics just aren’t going to work speak to the team manager before the weekend. They’ll understand, so long as they know).
Start with your One Key Truth and work backwards.
- Where am I going to park? How long will it take me to walk to the meeting spot from there?
- How long does Google say it’s going to take to drive over there? …and how does my driving style and speed compare to google? Can I do it in one go or do I need to think about… loo stops? Snack stops? Petrol/EV charging stops?
- If I tell the kids it’s time to leave, will they be straight out of the door or will it land for them as “your half an hour dither about countdown has just begun?”
Map all of this out a good day or two in advance – this will tell you when you actually need to leave. There’s a good chance, depending on how far you’re going, that it’ll still be dark outside. Good job we all love coffee eh?
The Kit Situation (It’s Always More Than You Think)
Planning and packing go hand in hand. If you’re missing kit but the rink has a hockey shop, it’s an expensive error. If you’re missing kit and there is not shop-in-shining-armour to save you… well, you’d better hope someone has spares because if not you’ll have travelled halfway across the country so that your kid can sit in the stands and watch everyone else play.
I’ll create separate posts to build out each of these, but your essential travel list is
- The Kit Bag. With all kit in, obviously.
- Sticks. If your kid’s bag doesn’t have a stick holder make sure you don’t forget them. Always bring at least two just in case a slapshot goes horribly wrong.
- Small bag suitcase with pyjamas, essential toiletries and spare clothes for you and everyone you’re travelling with.
- Snacks, snacks and a few snacks.
- Rink Essentials – small pouch with everything you might need
- Game/tournament fees in cash if needed, plus a bit of change if you want a go on the 50/50 or raffle.
- Books, pack of cards, tablets… whatever gets your family through the car journey/downtime (more below)
- Powerbanks. The days are long folks!
Choosing Where to Stay
For long journeys, or “unhelpful” face-off times, hitting the road after the game just isn’t always practical or something you can quite face. This is one of the things that really sets ice-hockey apart from other sports – don’t you just love that for us? Anyway – this is what elevates roads games to weekends away and why nights away become a thing.
If you’re lucky, you might have family or good friends living fairly close to the game location so don’t be afraid to ask if you can stay over – it’s a good excuse for a catch up, and will save you a bit of money. If not, it’s time for a hotel booking. Things to consider:
- How close is it to the rink? What’s your appetite for onward travel?
- Realistically, how long will you spend there? An off motorway hotel can often be cheaper and if you’re literally just crashing for the night then beautiful grounds aren’t a necessity.
- Check for flexible bookings. Reality check time – fixtures can and do get rearranged all the time. Booking at the start of the season is GREAT for availability and lowest prices, but only if you can cancel rooms with no penalty.
- Is parking included or will you have to fork out for the not-even-that-snazzy privately owned multistory over the road?
- When is check in and check out? Does that work with your game and travel times?
- What food options are there onsite or nearby? Can you get a post game meal? Will breakfast be served before you have to hit the road again?
- Don’t overlook cheap and cheerful chains – if you’re doing this multiple times per season, chains where you know exactly what you’re getting wherever you are can be very helpful. And we’ve yet to find a rink that doesn’t have a Premier Inn near enough to be a viable option
Managing the In-Between Hours
One thing that can really set long road trips and tournaments apart is the time spent kicking around not really knowing what to do with yourself. Chances are your coach/manager is going to ask you to meet good and early – secretly this will be to make sure that even if the M6 is an absolute nightmare there’s still enough of you there by face-off to actually ice a team rather than forfeit cause you’re all stuck going nowhere in queues. In reality, nine time out of ten it’ll mean a lot of waiting around. If you’re somewhere with lots to do right outside the rink door (Telford, I’m looking at you) then great but… well, not all UK rinks have massive parks right on the doorstep!
You could just spend that time sitting in stands, not doing much more than feeling cold, or…
- Take a few activities with you – a pack of cards, or games like top trumps, dobble etc. These won’t take up lots of space but can nicely pass a bit of time.
- Devices are also lifesavers – tablets, kindles etc. These can be especially useful for siblings – just remember to download some bits to watch in advance because you really can’t be relying on having a good wifi connection at a rink.
- This might be your time to eat, especially if you’ve not had a pit stop in your journey. Rink picnics can be just the trick!
- Don’t underestimate the value of your hockey family here. Sorry for the cliched term, but you spend a lot of time with these people, and unless you’re very unlucky, chances are they’ll be good folks. Chat, laugh, joke, speculate about result… these are some of the moments you’ll remember for a looooong time.
- …and speaking of hockey family, ALL of the team siblings are part of this too. They’ll have a great knack of keeping each other amused. And I absolutely didn’t tell you this but if you pack mini-sticks and a ball you’ll rarely find them bored.
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The Emotional Bit
You might be excited about weekends away; you might dread it. You might find yourself wondering, once in while, how the heck you’re supposed to feed your life admin in between work and weekends gobbled up by hockey. All normal so don’t sweat it.
But also – don’t sleep on how much you’ll get from these weekends too. Seeing your kid do something they absolutely love. With a bunch of friends they’ve made in a team, in a team that would most likely do anything for each other. Seeing them laugh together, celebrate together, and lift each other up if they’re feeling down. Sharing the wins and losses with them and the other parents. The pride of knowing that whatever happens, everyone has given it their all. It can be hard to explain to non hockey parents but trust me – it’s worth it.
Measured.
Quick Summary: The Survival Rules
- Plan the weekend around your meet time
- Book hotels early (with flexible rates)
- Pack the night before
- Label everything
- Plan for yourself, not just your player
- Bring coffee