What Is the Difference Between RSG Learn To Skate and Learn To Play Hockey?

Updated

RSG Learn To Skate and Learn To Play Hockey are two separate programs listed on the Rockets Sports Group site. Learn To Skate is the entry point for basic skating skills, while Learn To Play Hockey introduces hockey-specific skills. If you or your child has never skated, Learn To Skate is the logical starting point; Learn To Play Hockey is the better fit once basic skating ability is in place. The site also lists Advanced LTS Classes, which suggests Learn To Skate is structured as a progression rather than a single session.

Learn To Skate: building the foundation

Learn To Skate is the general skating program. Its focus is the mechanics of moving on ice — balance, gliding, stopping, and turning — rather than stickhandling or game play. The site lists it as RSG Learn To Skate 2026 - 2027, indicating it runs as a season-long program rather than a drop-in activity.

This program suits:

  • Complete beginners, including young children and adults
  • Anyone who wants to skate for recreation rather than competition
  • Skaters who want a structured path before adding a puck and stick

The presence of Advanced LTS Classes in the site's navigation is the clearest signal of how the program is organized: skaters move up through levels as their skills develop, rather than repeating the same introductory class.

Learn To Play Hockey: adding the hockey layer

Learn To Play Hockey is the hockey-specific program. It assumes the skater can already move on the ice and shifts the focus to hockey skills — this is where skating becomes a tool for playing the sport rather than the goal itself.

Choose this program when:

  • Basic skating is already comfortable
  • The skater wants to move toward team play, open hockey, or clinics
  • You are looking for a bridge between general skating and organized hockey

The site's navigation supports this reading: Learn To Play Hockey sits alongside Open Hockey, Freestyle, and Hockey Camps & Clinics, all of which are hockey-oriented activities. Learn To Skate, by contrast, sits next to Public Skating, which is open recreational skating.

Side-by-side comparison

Learn To Skate Learn To Play Hockey
Primary focus Basic skating skills Hockey-specific skills
Best for Beginners, recreational skaters Skaters with basic skating ability
Progression listed on site Advanced LTS Classes Open Hockey, Freestyle, Camps & Clinics
Related activity on site Public Skating Open Hockey

How to decide

  1. Assess current skating ability. If the skater cannot yet move, stop, and turn independently, start with Learn To Skate.
  2. Check the progression. If Learn To Skate feels too basic, the site's Advanced LTS Classes are the next step before hockey-specific training.
  3. Match the goal. Recreational skating points to Learn To Skate; team play or hockey skills point to Learn To Play Hockey.
  4. Confirm session times. The site's Daily Schedule page is where session times are listed — check it before committing, since program availability and timing are not stated in the site's main headings.

Common sticking points

  • Skipping the foundation. Learn To Play Hockey is not a beginner skating class; entering it without basic skating ability usually means struggling with the hockey content.
  • Assuming the two programs are interchangeable. They are listed as separate items in the site navigation, which indicates distinct curricula rather than one program under two names.
  • Overlooking the middle step. Advanced LTS Classes exist for a reason — they are the bridge for skaters who have outgrown introductory Learn To Skate but are not yet ready for hockey-specific work.

For exact session times, age groupings, and registration details, the Daily Schedule page on rocketssportsgroup.com is the place to check, since those specifics are not covered in the site's program headings.