October Tip of the Month -LACE EM UP TIGHT

By Jules Jardine - Technical Director TNC Hockey

One of the most common mistakes I see on a daily basis is loose skates.

We have all heard stories of how Pros don't do up the top eyelets on their skates. If that is true at all, it is an overwhelming minority and Pros are strong enough to get away with it. At the minor hockey level, (even up to 14 years old), players should always tie the top two eyelets up tight. The lower eyelets don't have to be as tight, they can be snug, but you should have trouble putting one finger under the bowtie of a correctly tightened skate.

The skate boot is similar to a ski boot in the sense that it is there for support. You most certainly wouldn't go down a steep ski hill with loose bindings. I watch kids day after day skating around with their ankles wobbling in their skates. More than half the time that they fall down is not because of their balance, it is because they have no support. At times I have literally been able to fit my entire fist through the laces of an improperly tied skate. If I had a nickel for every time I sent one of my instructors to tighten a kid’s loose skates, well I would be........

Parents, don't fall for the excuses of, 'it hurts my ankles' or 'I can't bend forward', lace them up tight. I know that these newer generation skates are very stiff and this gives a false sense that you have good support, but that stiffness is just the outer shell of the boot. The laces still need to be tight so the inside of the boot is snug around the ankle. If you don’t tie a pair of skates tight enough, the player will probably outgrow the skates before they are even broken in properly. Even if they are baked in the oven for fitting, every new pair of skates will hurt somewhat for the first few weeks, especially in the arch of the foot. Don’t worry, they will get used to it and once broken in properly they will skate much better. When they are making millions they can do what they want, until then do it right, LACE EM UP TIGHT.

Moms, if you can't get them tight enough ask one of the dads to do it. Also, don’t tie laces that are too long around the ankle. The laces will naturally find the smallest circumference around the ankle and will loosen up a bit. This also breaks down the back of the skate reducing support and breaking down the skate faster. If your laces are too long double knot them instead.

Here is a tip to help your child if they are tying their own skates. When you are pulling the laces to tighten, push your toe down to the floor. This will create leverage with a pushing and pulling motion to help get the skate tight. It takes some practice but it works. More than half of the boys on my 2003 AAA team can tie their own skates and they get them more than tight enough.

With the support of:

The Ontario Trillium Foundation is an agency of the Government of Ontario
www.trilliumfoundation.org

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