Learn-to-Play (LTP, previously known as "Initiation") hockey is an introductory on-ice program for young kids that have little to no skating experience. New players are instructed on basic skating fundamentals and introduced to the game of hockey with fun and engaging practices. To provide families flexibility, we offer three short sessions of Learn to Play each winter:

Session 1 - Back-to-School

Session 2 - Early Winter

Session 3 - Late Winter

We recommend that kids are between ages 3 and 8 years old. Some families, particularly with skaters on the older end of this range, might prefer skipping this step and going up to Cross-Ice hockey.

We want kids to try hockey so the first session your new skater participates in, including rental hockey gear, is completely free!

1) Register your player with USA Hockey. This is required annually.

2) Log into (or create) your family MYH CrossBar account.

3) Register your player for the season with MYH in CrossBar.

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Each of our hockey age levels has a volunteer director.

To contact Learn to Play's Age Level Director (ALD), please email:

LTP@middletonyouthhockey.com

To provide families flexibility, we offer three short sessions of Learn to Play each winter:

Session 1 - Back-to-School

Session 2 - Early Winter

Session 3 - Late Winter

We offer 3 different 7-week-long sessions beginning in the autumn and ending in late winter. Saturday morning practices. Skaters are on the ice one session per week with nothing scheduled for holiday weekends.

Each session is $50 per skater. Rental gear requires a deposit that is entirely returned to you upon returning the gear at the end of your session or season. Brand-new skaters are offered their first session for free!

To request your new skater discount code, please email our Learn-to-Play ALD, introduce yourself, and we'll assist with your first registration.

Practices are held at Bob Suter's Legacy20 Arena in Middleton (aka Capitol Ice Arena) with the possibility of a practice at another local rink as needed (rarely).

Learn-to-Play hockey doesn't feature competitive hockey games against other local clubs. When your little hockey player is ready for that next step - we offer 6U Cross-Ice hockey. We've built our Learn-to-Play and Cross-Ice schedules to provide an opportunity to move up into Cross-Ice at the December holiday break to join the second half of the Cross-Ice season. Fear not - this is a common next step and other local clubs provide the same opportunity.

Do you have young athletes interested in playing ice hockey but don't want to commit to buying all the expensive gear? Take advantage of our gear rental program aimed at our youngest skaters!

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We're proud to offer the first session for free but your skater will need to register with USA Hockey to skate. These costs are generally pretty low for the youngest skaters.

After the first session, additional sessions are $50 each.

The Middleton Youth Hockey club only functions due to the hard work and energy of our volunteers. Our parents, coaches, managers, board members, and other unpaid volunteers are what keep quality ice hockey happening for Middleton kids.

All of our programs, from Learn to Play to high-school-aged kids, need volunteer hockey coaches. If you've played hockey or skated before - Learn-to-Play provides a great opportunity to get started as a Middleton Youth Hockey coach. If you haven't skated much or played hockey - it's a fantastic low-pressure opportunity to get onto the ice with your little hockey player and see if coaching could be a fit for you as you both improve your skills.

Coaching isn't for everyone, though. That doesn't mean we don't want your help or that we don't have a great volunteering opportunity for you!

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How many sessions should we register for?

We offer three sessions to provide flexible options. While many kids skate all three sessions - it isn't required or anything. If your new skater is four to seven-years-old and feels really comfortable after the first or second session, we like to encourage kids to try the next step up with Cross-Ice for the remainder of that season.