April Newsletter

PLEASE NOTE THAT OUR WEBSITE HAS CHANGED TO WWW.LAJOLLAICETOWN.COM

MisMatch Night

It’s time to get funky with this month’s themed night.  On Friday, April 27th from 8:30pm-11:00pm, La Jolla Ice Town will be host to Mismatch Night!  It’s a night for you to express how colorful, crazy and fun you can be in your best mismatched attire.  Hosted by our very own DJ to provide you with today’s hottest music hits and your requests…and of course there will be a prize for the best Mismatched individual.  Don’t miss out! 

Click here for a coupon for $2.00 admission to Mismatch Night

Also, if you’re new to skating and want to ensure some quality fun without fear of old, rusted skates, no worries here!  Ice Town is proud to inform you of our new Rental Skates!  You can’t get a good skating experience without the proper equipment, that is why La Jolla Ice Town is dedicated to ensure that you enjoy your time with us by providing your feet with the comfort and quality they deserve. 

Summer Camps!

Summer is near, which means so are our Summer Camp Sessions!  Whether you have a new tot that wants to learn skating fundamentals or an advanced skater that needs to perfect that double axel, La Jolla Ice Town is the place to be.  We offer 2 camps to choose from, Beginner (Starter-Gamma) and Advanced (Delta-Landing Lutz). 

Click here to be directed to our online forms or simply go to the box office to sign up today!

Operation Hours Update

Just a quick note about our Friday skate sessions; our new Friday’s public session are from 10:30am-4:50pm and 8:30pm-11:00pm. 
If you didn’t know, we used to close this session at 4pm, but now you get an extra 50 minutes of quality ice time.  We hope you like this news and will take advantage of the extra time!

Construction Update

In case you haven’t been by our facility lately, the food court is currently undergoing renovations.  Don’t let this stop you from having a good time on the ice as we will be OPEN!  Just follow the posted signs that are up directing you around the back of the food court, down the outside walkway and then through the sliding doors to the rink.  Our daily hours and operations will not be effected…we’ll see you at the rink!
This construction is due to conclude on Friday, May 18th.
Shortly proceeding this date, La Jolla Ice Town will be closed from May 21-May 29 due to ice maintenance.  Please click here to see our online calendar for schedule updates

Skating Academy Corner

Brittney Olson
Skating Academy Director
Phone: 858.452.910 ext. 5
bolson@lajollaicetown.com 

Skating Academy

As it reads above, I, Brittney Olson, am your new Skating Academy Director and am both honored and very excited to take on this role.  I have been a coach at La Jolla Ice Town for the past 6 years and I am also the Synchronized Skating Director.  As our Academy program expands and attendees increase, I will be working hard to ensure that each skater maintains a quality experience with us.  We are looking forward to making our skating academy and our rink perform at the highest standards possible for you, our loyal customers!

Rehearsals for our Broadway On Ice Show are under way and going great. Tickets for this highly ancticipated show will be on sale shortly.  Check online and in our box office for updates.

Epic Edge

Epic Edge will be having tryouts on May 1st for our Pre-Juvenile, Juvenile, and Intermediate teams. If you
are interested please contact Coach Brittney at brittney.olson@epic-edge.org .

We will be starting a tot beginner team so look for info on this new team soon!

Additionally, if there are any college students interested in skating on a synchro team please contact Coach Brittney as we are in the process of creating a collegiate team.

Epic Edge is very excited for a great new season!!!

Youth Hockey Corner

Matt Smith
Youth Hockey Director / GM
msmith@lajollaicetown.com
(858) 452-9110 ext. 4

New Youth Hockey Director

La Jolla Ice Town is excited to announce our New Youth Hockey Director, Matt Smith. Matt hails from Toronto, Ontario Canada. Matt began playing hockey recreationally at 4 years old and later competitively in Toronto. At the age of 8 Matt took up figure skating to help his hockey skills and was told all the best hockey players like Gretzky and Orr did the same to improve their speed, balance and strength. Soon he became very successful in his skating career and eventually made it on to Canada’s National Figure Skating Team. Even with all the training involved in his career, Matt still found the time to teach Power Skating to hockey teams from youth players (ages 5) to Junior “A” (ages 18+) and pre NHL players.
His goal at La Jolla Ice Town is to make a strong and complete hockey program. Matt has made it his mission for all kids who play hockey here to learn the fundamentals of the game, find their strengths and become skilled in the sport...all the while having a good time.

Jr. Gulls

This Travel Hockey season is going to be awesome in San Diego! The Junior Gulls, headed by Gull’s Travel
Director Tevia Arlidge, are expanding their program to include games and practices here in La Jolla. The
Gulls' prestigious hockey club is the organization for the serious hockey player in San Diego. Over the
next few years the Gulls' program promises to be a commanding force of youth hockey in California.

Check out our Summer Hockey Programs at La Jolla Ice Town

Hockey Academy, Saturday 10:45am
Metro League
All Star Select League, Friday nights, Mites 6:10pm, Squirt/Peewee 7:20pm
Goalie Gauntlet, Saturday 4:10pm
Travel Skills, Saturday 4:10pm
Adult Skills, Tuesday 6:20pm

In the Crease

Matt Hsu

Staying on the level

Are you quick and efficient in the crease? To be quick and efficient in the crease means that you get exactly where you want to go and waste no energy with movements that are not absolutely necessary. A lot of goalies waste a lot of energy and slow themselves down by moving in inefficient ways. The most common way goalies are inefficient with their movements is with constant bobbing up and down with their chests and hands when the puck is being played in their zone.

An example of this is moving from one post to the other when the puck is being played behind the net.  Let’s say the puck is behind the net on the stick side.  You’re crouched and hugging the post and watching the play. The puck gets quickly passed behind the net to the other side. Do you stand up straight and push your way over to the other side while standing straight?  Hopefully not! The most efficient way to get over to the other side is to stay in your crouch, keeping your hands and chest at the same exact level, and push yourself over to the other post.

This is a key point in all movements when the puck is in your end. When the other team is setting up in ways that could result in a shot very quickly, the threat level is high. If the threat level is high, you must be ready to move in any direction while still in your crouch with your hands and chest at the same height throughout the movement.

Why is this important? If you keep your chest and hands locked in the ready position and at the ready height, once you arrive at the spot you want to be at, you only need to stop with your feet. Everything else is already set for the shot. In addition, staying in that low position actually helps you recruit more muscles to help you get there in the first place, so you’ll be able to push off harder to get around the ice.

If you stand up tall every time you want to move, you aren’t able to use your legs and hips to push your body -- which makes you slower -- and when you do get to where you want to be, you still have to crouch back down and get your hands back in the ready position. By that time, the shot has already been released, and you’re still trying to get ready!

So while tracking the puck in high threat level situations, remember to keep your chest and hands at the same level while you move. They don’t need to change at all from the way you hold them in your ready stance. In the short term, it means your lower body will have to work harder. In the long term, it means that the shooters will have to work even harder to score on you.

http://hockeygoaliegearguide.com

Adult Hockey Corner

Mike Duffey
Adult Hockey Director
mduffey@lajollaicetown.com
858.452.9110 ext. 6

Adult Hockey Skills, Drills & Scrimmage

Finally, our new adult hockey clinic is upon us.  For those of you that are looking for more ice time to practice and learn new moves and ways to improve your game, Mike Duffey is bringing you his Skills, Drills and Scrimmage clinic.  Instructed by Mike Duffey and his team of assistants.

Schedule:
Every Tuesday from April 3 - August 14
(Days off due to ice maintenance: 5/22 & 5/29)

Price:
$20

Levels of Play Offered:
Ages 14 years & up

Clinic Focus:
Improve your:
Skating
Shooting
Passing
Teamwork

This clinic will conclude with a short scrimmage

Gear Required:
Full ice hockey H.E.C.C. approved gear

Adult Hockey Fall/Winter Champs!

Congratulations are in order for our Adult Hockey Fall/Winter Season Champions. 
Follow the link below to see the winning team photos for each division.
2011/2012 Adult Hockey Champs

If you want to catch a game at the rink, the new Adult Hockey Season is in full swing and games run Sunday-Thursday evenings starting between 6-7pm and run late. 

If you are a player and think it's too late to sign up for this season, think again.  There is always a spot for a sub or more players wanted on teams for the season; just contact our Adult Hockey Director, Mike Duffey for more details.