A HOCKEY RINK FOR ALL SEASONS: Practicing Year-Round in Wisconsin Has Never Been Easier!

Have you ever watched professional hockey? Don’t they make it look so easy– skating while chasing a small puck with a stick, dodging five opposing players?

Hockey is an incredible sport that is also a lot of fun to play. If you or your child loves hockey and wants to improve your game without paying for ice time, then you’ve come to the right place. C&C Courts has been building home ice rinks and multi-use sports courts for over 30 years.

Here’s how you can improve your skating and hockey skills all year round, right in your own backyard!

Floor Hockey for Summer

Floor hockey is a warm-weather alternative to ice hockey, but allows you to keep your skills sharp during the summer. Floor hockey is played on a surface the size of a basketball court, and you’d either wear tennis shoes or inline skates.

If you already have an outdoor basketball court in your backyard, it can easily be converted into a playable surface for floor hockey. Just add two nets on either end. Just don’t forget your padding to keep your limbs and joints safe if you fall!

Pond Hockey in Your Backyard

Once the weather gets cold again, you can build your own pond in your backyard for playing hockey. You can flood your basketball court to create your own ice rink!

Because our sports courts are designed for Wisconsin's weather, they’re already able to handle ice in the winter. You can use your sets, lace up your ice skates, and start fine-tuning your hockey skills.

Build a Backyard Hockey Rink

If flooding your basketball court sounds like too much work, you can always build a dedicated backyard hockey rink. There are many reasons to build a backyard sports court, plus they are known to increase your home’s value, too. Whether you want a full rink or a half rink, C&C Courts can make it happen. While you can DIY a hockey rink, we highly recommend leaving this job to the professionals for exceptional results.

We can help you upgrade your skating and practice experience by including fencing, lighting fixtures, and other accessories to build your rink. You can even customize your rink with your favorite colors or logos.

Techniques to Practice Year-Round

There are several ways to keep your hockey skills fresh during the summer and winter months. If you take some time every day to follow these practice tips, you’ll see your skills improve, and you’ll be ready for the next hockey season:

Stickhandling

Stickhandling is an important part of hockey. When you can’t practice on ice, you can practice on any flat surface with your stick and a rubber or wooden ball. Wood is preferred because it moves faster than a puck on ice, making your reflexes even sharper.

Playing around on your sports court can help you improve your stickhandling and help create muscle memory for when it's time for your next game. You’ll also increase your ability not to lose the puck as much as you practice more.

Around the World Drill

This drill improves your reach and puck control in all three zones (forehand, center, and backhand).

Setup by placing five pucks or cones in a semi-circle around you, roughly at the edge of your reach.
Staring at one end, toe-drag a ball or weighted puck to the center, then push it back out to the next one. Continue until you’ve touched every cone, then reverse.
Keep your top hand firm while your bottom hand stays loose. Keep your head up, too! Don’t look at the ball!

Stickhandling in Uncomfortable Positions

Hockey often requires you to catch and maneuver the puck in uncomfortable positions. You need to learn how to approach the puck from all angles. Using the wooden ball, learn to manipulate the ball from different angles. Keep the ball closer to your body and on your backhand and forehand sides.

You can also reach wide from side to side, cupping the stick blade over with forehand and backhand skills. Then you can learn to bring the ball to the forehand side, reaching wide from front to back. These drills will have you prepared for any situation in your next hockey game.

Corner Cut

To practice your corner cut, set up a target to shoot at, whether it’s an actual net, a hockey tarp, or a piece of tape. Set up a large obstacle, like a tire, about ten feet away and at an angle from your goal.

The intent is to move as if you are coming from behind the goal, running past the obstacle, and turning back around to shoot. You’ll have to cut around the tire to shoot the puck. Practice this over and over will help you increase your speed, agility, and positioning to make plays in front of the net.

Shooting

You can practice your shooting with a target-accuracy circuit. If you have a net and a backstop (or heavy-duty tarp), you can focus on the release rather than the raw power.

Corner Hunting: Hang four targets (plastic plates or specialized shooting targets) in the four corners of the net.
Drill: Take 10 shots at each corner. If you miss, you must take an extra five shots at that specific corner.
Variation: Practice shooting off your wrong foot. In-game, you rarely get a perfect setup, so learning to snap the puck while moving or off-balance is vital.

Year-Round Gear Essentials for Hockey

To make backyard practice more effective, consider these off-ice substitutes:

Green Biscuit: A specialized puck designed to glide on concrete without flipping over.
Weighted Balls: Great for building forearm and wrist strength.
Synthetic Ice Tiles: If the budget allows, these provide a feel closest to real ice for skate work.

Turn to C&C Courts for Your Year-Round Sport Court Needs

If you don’t already have an outdoor basketball court in your backyard, consider building one! It’s a great way to get lots of exercise, plus it has multiple uses, such as a surface for summer hockey and winter hockey.

We also have a dedicated multi-sport court that can convert into so many games that you’ll never get bored.

Give us a call today at 414-377-5294 or send us a message on our website. We would love to build you the sports court of your dreams!