Youth Travel (Competitive) Hockey vs. House (Recreational) Hockey
Travel (competitive) hockey offers experienced players the opportunity to play hockey at a higher competitive level that generally requires a deeper commitment to the game.
Travel hockey leagues are divided by age and into divisional groups. Players are required to tryout for travel hockey teams to test their strengths, skills, and agility. Travel hockey allows players the opportunity of traveling to their divisions different teams, thus offering chances of learning new skills, meeting new people and developing themselves in the game of hockey.
The cost of joining a travel hockey team can be extravagant. Cost is determined by the age group, number of practices, tournaments, warm ups and jackets. Additional costs are jersey fees, home and away, teams will decide if they will require specific colors of pants and helmets as well.
The house hockey division is, in general, designed to develop, organize, and control team completion. House hockey introduces competitive play and development level hockey for players of all ages. There is some travel involved in house hockey but typically not as much as would be in travel hockey.
House hockey teams play only other house hockey teams. The general goal for house hockey is to progress skills of individual players. They focus on skating, stick handling, passing/shooting, and team play.
House hockey costs are significantly less than travel hockey as there are fewer requirements. Typically only one jersey is required and your youth player is allowed to where their choice of protective gear.
The decision between house and travel hockey should be that of your youth hockey player, the parents and their coaches. Travel hockey is generally available for more experience players and is highly competitive. House hockey is for players who are learning and being introduced to competitive play.
