The Most Effective Way to Use the Rink Rats Workbook: Do It Twice!
- Gerald Cote
- Jul 6
- 3 min read
Updated: 6 days ago
Why Doing the Workbook Twice Boosts Learning
When it comes to teaching hockey concepts to young players, the right tools can make all the difference. One standout resource gaining traction with hockey parents and coaches is The Rink Rats Workbook, a first-of-its-kind hockey activity book that teaches real hockey concepts in a fun, engaging way for kids aged 4–12.
And while the book is effective on its own, one of the most powerful ways to use it is by completing it twice: once with help from parents using the answer pages, and a second time independently, without the answers. This two-pass method builds understanding, retention, and real hockey IQ.
The Power of Repetition in Off-Ice Hockey Learning
Repetition is one of the most effective ways for children to retain new information. Completing The Rink Rats Workbook twice allows kids to encounter key hockey concepts multiple times, from offside and icing to player positioning and passing lanes.
First pass: Guided learning with parents and the answer page.
Second pass: Independent review without the answer key.
This layered approach not only boosts retention but also encourages decision-making and problem-solving, two vital components of hockey IQ.
Engaging, Hands-On Activities
What sets the Rink Rats Workbook apart is its blend of interactive, hands-on learning activities tailored to how young kids learn best. Pages include:
Matching and coloring equipment correctly
Identifying positioning in breakout and defensive plays
Simple hockey diagrams with visual cues
Fun fill-ins, questions, and puzzles
These activities go far beyond typical coloring books, each page is crafted to reinforce real hockey knowledge in a visual, tactile, and memorable way.
Visual Learning Matters
Approximately 65% of kids are visual learners. That’s why Rink Rats is filled with diagrams, labeled gear illustrations, and simple rink layouts, helping young players build mental models of the game.
Repeating the workbook strengthens visual memory. Kids start recognizing concepts like the neutral zone, passing lanes, and “defending the house” during real games or practices.
Confidence Through Mastery
The workbook also helps develop confidence through mastery. As kids go from needing support to completing pages on their own, they feel a sense of pride and independence. That confidence often translates directly onto the ice, making them more assertive, aware, and enthusiastic.
Parents as Coaches
Rink Rats is also designed to empower hockey parents, even those without coaching experience. By going through the book with their kids the first time, parents can explain rules and strategies in everyday language, then step back during the second round to observe growth.
This creates a unique bonding moment, and transforms the parent into a learning partner, not just a spectator.
Conversation-Driven Learning
One hidden benefit of using the workbook is the dialogue it sparks between parents and kids. Whether it’s discussing offside, decoding a diagram together, or role-playing positions, Rink Rats creates chances for meaningful hockey conversations.
By the second pass, these talks go deeper, and often help clarify what kids didn’t fully grasp the first time.
Off-Ice to On-Ice Connection
Most importantly, Rink Rats bridges the gap between off-ice learning and on-ice performance. When children complete activities that mirror real-game situations, they begin recognizing patterns and strategies more quickly during play.
A child who’s practiced defensive zone setups in the workbook is more likely to anticipate puck movement or hold their position during real-time pressure.
Peer Learning and Group Work
Using the workbook with teammates or siblings is a fantastic way to promote peer learning. Kids naturally teach one another, compare answers, and explain concepts in their own language, which deepens understanding and builds teamwork skills.
Doing the workbook twice, especially in a group, fosters collaboration and a shared hockey language early on.
Encouraging a Lifelong Learning Mindset
By framing hockey as something fun to learn, not just something to play, Rink Rats helps children develop a lifelong learning mindset. They learn that mastering a game starts with curiosity, observation, and understanding.
That mindset serves them well far beyond hockey.
Final Thoughts
The Rink Rats Workbook isn’t just a fun off-ice activity, it’s a real tool for building hockey intelligence, confidence, and connection between kids, coaches, and parents.
Using it twice, with support first, and independently the second time, is one of the most effective ways to help your child absorb, apply, and enjoy the game.
So grab your copy, sit down with your young player, and start building the foundation for a smarter, more confident hockey future.
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