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Junior or new hockey players don't necessarily benefit from having the most professional/expensive field hockey sticks.
Elite style field hockey sticks can often be quite unforgiving as they are generally stiffer and tend to have larger arcs.
Young players often benefit from a shock absorbing stick, which generally means more fiberglass or wood as the primary building material.
This makes catching the ball easier and developing dribbling skills more achievable when using good junior hockey sticks.
So below we have made it simple for you and presented what we think are the best field hockey sticks for kids and juniors.
Also read: the best field hockey sticks for women and men game
Especially when your child starts playing, a long training session or even a competition can be quite demanding on the hands.
My favorite stick is therefore a light, this Grays GR 5000 Ultrabow Junior.
But there are more and in this article I go into more detail.
| Youth hockey stick | Images |
|---|---|
| Best light hockey stick for kids: Grays GR 5000 Ultrabow Junior |
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| Best composite kid hockey stick: Dita Carbotec C75 Junior |
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| Best for Attacking Kids: TK SCX 2. Junior Hockey Stick |
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| Best cheap youth stick: DITA FX R10 Junior |
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| Best fiberglass hockey stick for kids: Reese ASM rev3rse junior |
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What we discuss in this comprehensive post:
5 Best Hockey Sticks For Kids Reviewed
Best Kids' Light Hockey Stick: Grays GR 5000 Ultrabow Junior
The Grays GR 5000 Hockey Stick is an excellent choice for young players. Users say it is easy to maneuver and it brings new energy and enthusiasm to the playing field.
It's light as air, but enough to push the ball wherever you want.
This junior field hockey stick is a real asset for players who have just started playing and want to develop their technique, as well as for the intermediates.
Also, many club members insist on using this great hockey stick as it gives them great control, balance and feel.
The maxi-shaped head allows for greater surface area and players say it is elastic and provides a soft feel and comfort during the game.
Features
- Size/Length: 34 inches, 35 inches
- Brand: Grays
- Color: Yellow, Black
- Year: 2018
- Material: Composite
- Player type: Junior
- Curvature: 25
- Weight: Light
Check it out here at hockeygear.eu
Best Composite Child Hockey Stick: Dita Carbotec C75 Junior
The Carbotec Junior stick has a unique and high-tech combination of carbon fiber, fiberglass and aramid fibers.
Those materials create a perfect combination of strength and flexibility. With the Dita Carbotec Junior hockey stick, your child will quickly go from the beginner level to the intermediate level.
This is because these hockey sticks allow the players to have full control of the ball when they strike.
Features
- Size/Length: 33 inch, 34 inch, 35 inch, 36 inch
- Brand: Dita
- Color: Black, Dark Blue
- Year: 2018
- Material: Composite
- Player type: Junior
- field hockey
Check it out here at hockeygear.eu
Best for Attacking Kids: TK SCX 2. Junior Hockey Stick
A professional stick for beginners is the best way to describe the TK SCX. If you are new to hockey and you need a good quality stick and no toys, this one is definitely for you.
Made from premium materials such as 40% fiberglass and 50% carbon, it will provide the stiffness and flexibility you need to get into the game and perform at the best level.
It is primarily designed for attacking players and gives them great control with its 25mm curvature. The weight of the stick is about 530 grams, making it lightweight and easy to handle.
All in all, the TK SCX is one of the best kids field hockey sticks out there with advanced features and ball control at a very affordable price.
Check the lowest price here at Amazon
Best Cheap Youth Stick: DITA FX R10 Junior
Dita brand's FXR series is very popular among the beginners in hockey who want to improve their technique and feel confident during the game.
Dita FXR10 Junior Hockey Stick is a high quality stick made from the finest wood with the fiberglass reinforced shaft.
This stick has a great design, is perfectly balanced, lightweight and has a natural feel. The Dita FXR 10 hockey stick has a large surface area, due to the Midi head shape, so the players say it is impossible to miss the ball.
In addition, the 'Midi' shape is good for players to be strong on their backside.
Finally, it's a good way to learn the first ins and outs of hockey. And the price is great – the wood is always cheaper than composite materials.
Features
- Materials: Wood with fiberglass reinforced shaft
- Colors: Orange/Pink, Black/Pink and White/Silver/Black
- Power Index: 3.90
- Size: from 24 to 31 inches
- Head Shape: Midi
Best fiberglass hockey stick for kids: Reese ASM rev3rse junior
You don't have to spend hundreds of dollars just to enjoy field hockey or to introduce it to a child. With its light and slim shape, beginners can learn to play and get used to using a stick with ease.
Made from fiberglass, it is an easy to use yet powerful junior hockey stick. It has a midi toe making it ideal for all positions on the court, without the need for multiple sticks.
But it is mainly intended to train the juniors on their left hand. Especially in that young phase it is important to get as much training as possible and the Rev3rse lends a (left) hand.
With this mirrored stick that you use left-handed, the convex and flat sides are reversed. Because you use this training stick differently than a normal stick, you improve your adaptability and technique.
And your ball handling with the right benefits from that!
Training with the Rev3rse stick is not only great fun, the variety it offers really makes you a better player.
The younger you start with this, the better. The stick is lightweight and has an extra long grip and anti-vibration end cap. The stick has been developed from the vision of the Athletic Skills Model.
The sleek design of the Reese makes it attractive for children who have been involved in this fun sport for a while. Introduce your kids to hockey and buy a good training stick at an affordable price.
It is the cheapest here at bol.com
Some frequently asked questions about junior hockey
Here are a few fun exercises for beginning youth players:
Is hockey safe for children?
Since field hockey is a non-contact sport, it is much safer than many sports such as rugby or american football which are not. But with twenty players, two goalkeepers, hockey sticks and a hard plastic ball on the field, collisions and accidents are bound to happen.
Most accidents in hockey are minor, such as ankle sprains, knee sprains, muscle twitches, muscle tears and ligaments.
Nevertheless, from time to time accidents can result in broken bones and possibly concussions.
Many accidents can be prevented by getting the right protective gear for children who play hockey. Equipment includes cleats (shoes), shin guards, goggles, mouth guards, gloves and masks for general players.
Goal keepers need more safety equipment such as padded head, leg, foot, upper body and arm armor.
Before playing, the playing field should be inspected to ensure there are no debris, hazards or holes in it. Players should also warm up by stretching to reduce the risk of muscle strains and so on.
Correct playing techniques and the rules should also be learned and applied in every game and practice session
Are the rules of junior hockey different for kids than for adults?
In general, the rules for hockey are the same for juniors as they are for adults. Juniors are still made to abide by rules about foot fouls, air balls, penalty corners, penalty kicks, free kicks and obstruction.
They are also subject to the card system – green for a warning, yellow for a temporary suspension and red for a permanent ban from play.
However, where Junior hockey can vary from adult hockey is when it comes to the length of the games and protective equipment. Junior matches can last from ten minutes per half to about twenty-five minutes.
In general, adult games are thirty-five minutes per half hour. From a protective equipment standpoint, it may be a requirement for juniors to wear mouth and shin guards as well as eye protection. The rules vary from school to school and from club to club.
How much does it cost to play field hockey?
The cost of the junior hockey field varies, but you can expect to pay around 40-65 per hour for lessons in small groups of three or four children.
Once a child has learned how to play and join a club, the sessions are usually around $5 at a time.
If a child proves to be exceptional, they and their team can enter national, state, or global competitions.
If the parents are expected to pay or contribute, it can be expensive depending on where the event is.
Safety equipment and hockey sticks vary in price depending on the quality you need. You can expect to pay around 25 for shin guards, 20 – 60 euros for eye protection, 80 for cleats and 90 for a hockey stick.
Mouthguards can be bought for as little as 2 euros, but if the child in question needs a special fit, they will have to go to an orthodontist and the cost will increase significantly.
Target custodians who need more equipment require more financial resources. Gloves cost about 80, cushions 600-700 and a helmet 200-300.
How do junior hockey sticks differ from senior sticks?
Junior hockey sticks are usually carefully designed to maintain a good balance between the shaft and the main weight. They are also usually shorter and lighter in weight than their adult counterparts.
A junior hockey stick is usually designed to be level up to the age of about fifteen. Adult hockey stick length can be the same but is more about personal choices and what suits them. In length, a junior hockey stick will usually be between 26 and 35,5 inches.
Junior hockey sticks are usually designed with ease of use in mind, which helps them develop their skills and make the game easier to play.
Designed with children in mind, they are more decorative, brighter and more attractive to young people.
Is hockey popular among children in the Netherlands?
Field hockey is a very popular sport in the Netherlands in general. However, it is generally more popular with girls than boys, there are usually twice as many girls' clubs at a club as boys.
This could be because hockey is a contactless sport and therefore more attractive to girls.
Hockey in the past was seen as a sport available only to the upper classes of society.
However, this is not the case as more and more schools have made it part of their PE curriculum and clubs have sprung up all over the place.
Field hockey can depend on the state as it is more popular in some of them than others.
However, it is feasible that you can find a hockey club or course in your area. Most of these have at least one junior team, if not more.
