Participating in sports is a positive activity on multiple levels. In addition to increasing cardiovascular endurance, overall health, and coordination, sports can also provide an opportunity to learn how to be a team player. Sports are also fun, especially when played with friends and family.
Every year, there are roughly 36 million children and youth that participate in different types of sports. Many children and teens, approximately 65%, choose to play sports so they spend more time with their friends. Sports are definitely a way to bond and create life-long friendships.
One popular sport with the 6 and older crowd is ice skating. In 2014 alone, there were around 10.65 million people of all ages that enjoyed being out on the ice.
A recent poll showed that nearly 67% of teenagers are interested in spending more time with their parents. One way parents and their children can experience more quality time together is to go ice skating. While there may be an indoor or outdoor ice skating rink close to where you live, just imagine if you had your own backyard skating rink!
You can learn how to build a backyard ice rink yourself, or you can also have one installed for you. If you’re thinking about building your own backyard skating rink, however, then you’ll need ice rink brackets to outline the area, an ice rink liner to contain the ice, and a tarp to protect it once completed.
It goes without saying that you’ll want to follow the detailed instructions for creating and maintaining your ice rink. In this way, you’ll be able to experience hours of family fun in the convenience of your own backyard.
As you and your family become more proficient ice skaters, you may want to consider playing ice hockey, which continues to be a popular sport for players and spectators alike. USA Hockey reports that more people are playing hockey than ever before. During the 2013 to 2014 season, for example, there were 519,417 registered players.
If your children take to ice hockey, they may want to try out for a school team or the junior league. Currently, there are close to 1,900 indoor and 500 outdoor ice hockey rinks in the United States. This is where players develop and practice their skills to prepare for official games.
Whether you’re looking for a sports-oriented activity for your young children and teenagers, or for the entire family to enjoy together, ice skating is a great choice. When you have your own backyard skating rink, you can invite your children’s friends or neighbors to join in the fun.
