Jock shorts and jill shorts are cut differently so they fit differently. Make sure you get the kind you need. Jock shorts are for the guys and jill shorts are for the ladies. Make sure the cup stays in place between your leg. If it feels loose, it will probably chafe your legs or fall out of place while you’re playing. Stay safe by getting the right fit! You do not have to wear anything underneath a good pair of jock shorts. If you want to, you could wear normal underwear or a tight pair of shorts such as track shorts. It depends on how comfortable you feel and how well the jock shorts fit.
Women use a piece of equipment called a pelvic protector. It works the same way as a cup for men except you put it on underneath your shorts. Compression shorts are like bicycle shorts. They are meant to fit tightly against your body while absorbing sweat as you play.
This is one of the simplest pieces of equipment to put on, and you don’t even need it if you’re using jock shorts. Most hockey jock shorts have built-in velcro hooks for your socks.
Goalies have special leg pads. If you’re a goalie, put on your shin guards and your hockey socks, then tie the pads to your legs. The pads have bands that tie around your legs and skates.
If you’re wearing a garter belt, use the clips to hold the socks up. You have 2 clips for the front of your thighs and 2 for the back. Press the open ends of the clips to clamp them to the socks. If the socks feel loose while you’re wearing them, hold them in place with clear hockey tape. Wrap the tape around your leg right underneath your kneecaps. This will also pin down loose shin guards. You could wear regular socks underneath hockey socks to cover your feet. Use whatever socks you wore to the dressing room. Some players like doing this to keep their skates free of sweat, but others find it uncomfortable.
In particular, pay attention to the tailbone pad on the back side of your pants. It needs to pad the area right over your butt. Tailbone injuries are more painful than you expect and you don’t have any other padding there. Like a lot of other equipment, hockey pants come in many different sizes. Getting the correct size is important for your safety. The pants need to fit well over your waist while being short enough to avoid covering your knees.
While you can wait to put on your skates, it’s best to do it now unless someone else is going to tie the laces for you. The upper pads used in hockey make bending over tricky. Plus, putting them on now gives you plenty of time to test out the fit. Well-tied skates support your ankles, which is why the top laces are so important, especially for younger players. You can adjust the other laces. Some players prefer tight skates while others do better with looser fits. Check where your toes are at in the skates. Rest your heels on the heel pads so your toes barely touch the front of the skate. If you aren’t able to do this, your skates are the wrong size for your feet. Get up and walk around on your skates for about 15 minutes to see how they feel. Give them a thorough testing and make any adjustments needed before you go out on the ice.
If you’re familiar with compression shorts, then you have an idea of what a compression shirt is like. These shirts are a little costly, but they handle sweat better than most T-shirts if you can afford them. Choose a T-shirt that adheres tightly to your body and ends at about your waste. If it’s a little long, you can tuck the excess length into your pants. Use hockey tape if needed to keep it pinned down.
The shoulder pad caps are similar to the knee caps on your shin guards. Center them on your shoulders. If they feel loose or uncomfortable, adjust them before moving on to the next piece of equipment. Test the pads by lifting your hands above your head. Make sure you’re able to move freely without the pads digging into your skin. Goalies have extra-thick padding that is put on the same way as regular shoulder pads. Many goalie shoulder and chest pads have elbow pads and neck protectors built in so you don’t need to put on separate ones.
Keep in mind that there is such a thing as left and right elbow pads. Tell them apart by determining which pad protects the outside edge of your arm. If the pad faces away from your body, it is on the correct arm. Test the fit by flexing your arm a few times. If you can’t move your arm very well, loosen the pads a little. Oversized pads can also limit your movement.
Some types of compression shirts and athletic underwear have built-in neck guards. It’s no different than a collar on a dress shirt. If you have a built-in neck guard, you don’t need to wear a separate one. Neck guards are becoming more and more common in hockey. Consider getting one even if your league doesn’t require you to. Don’t risk taking a skate to your neck.
If the jersey is too small, it will feel tight and confining against your pads. If it’s too big, it’s like a curtain caught in the wind. It gets in the way and serves as a target for some sneaky defenders to grab onto when the ref isn’t looking.
A good fit comes from buying the right size of helmet. When you shop for equipment, try on different models. Have someone hold a tape measure around your forehead to determine the circumference. Most modern helmets are somewhat adjustable, but don’t let your helmet get too loose. If your head rattles around in there when you move, it’s going to rattle around when you get hit. The protection doesn’t do you any good then. Keep a screwdriver and spare screws in your gear bag. Helmets have small screws all over them that pop out sometimes. Tighten them to tighten the helmet’s fit and replace them as you lose them.
Choose gloves with extra padding around the thumb to protect yourself from slashes and sprains. If you’re a forward, you might choose gloves with shorter cuffs. This will expose your forearms a little bit, but some people prefer it for flexibility when shooting a puck. Keep in mind that goalies have a catching mitt and a blocking pad instead of regular gloves. There isn’t anything special to keep in mind when putting them on besides that you put on the catching glove first. Slide your opposite wrist through the blocker’s strap to keep the blocking pad on the back of your hand.
Custom mouthguards are much more expensive since the dentist needs to shape it to fit your mouth. Getting one is a good idea if you have braces or other things that could prevent you from holding a regular mouthguard in place.
You won’t have time to get a good hockey stick before a game, so size it when you buy it. When a stick is the right size for you, it spans from your chin to the ice while you’re standing in your skates.
