Youngsters Hone Hockey Skills at Local Rink

The weather outside couldn't be more perfect for spending time at the rink — and that's where dozens of kids are spending their February break.

Bill Baylis Jr., of Merrick, brought his twin boys, Nicolas and Brady, to the Erik Nates Euro hockey clinic taking place this week at the Port Washington Skating Center to help his boys work on their individual skills.

"All of these kids want to get better," Baylis said. "My kids' goal is to play on Chaminade, St. Mary's or St. Anthony's."

For $225, children ages 6-14 are able to work on their power skating and shooting during three two-hour sessions.

"It's worth every cent if they're not playing a video game," Baylis said. "Ice time is so precious on Long Island."

Nearly 30 youth skaters turned out Tuesday evening to receive instruction from Erik Nates, a former Iona College hockey player, and five other coaches.

"We focus on individual skills that they don't work on in [team] practices," Nates said after the session. "On top of it all, they're having fun."

For the kids, the real fun didn't start until 90 minutes into the night when Nates threw out buckets of pucks onto the ice. The lead instructor's Euro hockey clinic mainly focuses on power skating, which the kids tried to perfect for the first hour-and-a-half.

Once the kids hit the ice with pucks at their disposal, they spent the rest of the evening working on their forehand wrist shots and backhanders.

"It's always the prize at the end of the rainbow," Baylis said of the kids getting to shoot on net.

The clinic will accept walk-ins for Wednesday and Thursday evening — provided the classes aren't filled, Nates said. 

Nates runs several clinics on Long Island throughout the year. The next one will be during the April school break at Iceland, a rink in New Hyde Park. Nates said, following this week's clinic, that his next one at the Port Washington Skating Center will be held over the summer.

"Skating is the most important part of the game," Nates said. "It is the foundation for everything players do. We help students improve their skating stride, agility, edge control and backwards skating. ... Students first develop their techniques in a stationary, controlled environment, then incorporate movement and speed to take their game to the next level."

In addition to Erik Nates Euro hockey, which is geared for more advanced players, local kids can take part in the hockey mini-camp at the skating center this week. The camp, for beginner and intermediate players, began Monday and will run through Friday from 10:15 a.m. to 12:45 p.m. Extended general skating times are also available from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. through Sunday. Admission is $7 and skate rental is $4.