Playing Clean

It has been a rough 18 months for everyone. Through all the downsides of the pandemic, there have been some very valuable lessons learned. Hygiene and increased conscience of oneself and one’s surroundings have helped remind kids that cleanliness is a major piece of preparing themselves for hockey. There are a lot of ever-changing policies out there, but we would like to help every athlete out there stay safe and give some friendly tips on how to prevent catching and spreading the virus while starting a new school year and enjoying the greatest sport in the world.

One major way to avoid multiple different illnesses is to take good care of your gear. We have all smelled the kid’s hockey bags, especially once they start getting older, and it stinks. We’ve seen people who leave the car top carrier on the family car, so they do not have to deal with the smell in the car. That smell is bacteria. Allowing your gear to air out after each use does not allow the bacteria to sit in the fabric and spread to other parts of their bag. Using disinfectant wipes or spray while airing out the protective equipment will kill much of the bacteria that the wipe or solution comes in contact with, and even give the gear a fresh smell as well. It is also a good practice to wash jerseys weekly and gear in the bag at least once a month, even if other measures are taken to prevent bacteria from accumulating.

Wearing masks is a hot topic, with many different studies and opinions out there. All we at Elite Amateur Sports ask is if you are attending one of our Michigan Hockey Tournaments, is that you follow the protocol of the local rink and governing bodies to make sure that the day runs smooth. Tournament play provides enough highs and lows in a short period of time, there is no need to add any negativity that can take away from the kid’s positive experience.