KSHB 41 News anchor Caitlin Knute is interested in hearing from you. Send her an e-mail.
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The hockey tournament is well underway at the Winter Olympics in Milan Cortina.
As Team USA goes for gold, KSHB 41 anchors Kevin Holmes and Caitlin Knute decided to strap on their skates and try out the sport for themselves.
They enlisted the help of some professionals: players from the KC Mavericks and their head coach, Tad O'Had.
"Hockey is one of those games that the more you watch it, the more you pick up," O'Had said. "It’s a very exciting game. I will say one thing, it’s fun to watch on TV, but if you ever see a game live, that’s where you’re really going to fall in love with the game."
Most of the players said they started learning hockey as early as 2 years old, but they emphasized that it's never too late to start.
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The lesson started with some basic puck-handling skills.
Then, the focus turned to shooting.
Kevin even got to experience a rite of passage in hockey. He got checked into the boards, despite his protests of, "I'm 45!!"
All in all, Coach O'Had said he would give Kevin and Caitlin a B+ for their first hockey lesson.
"Not once have you guys fallen down. You guys scored several goals," O'Had said. "Hockey is a difficult sport. Most of the players on our team, they started skating when they were 2 years old, and so honestly, I think you guys did rather well."
The Mavericks currently sit atop the ECHL standings. You can find their schedule and a link to buy tickets on their website.
If you would like to try out hockey for yourself, the Independence Community Ice Rink offers both youth and adult hockey lessons, as well as youth and adult hockey leagues. Find out more on their website.
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