JMS Hockey

I'm looking to sign up for one of the up coming leagues, and the form asks what position I would prefer to play. I really enjoy playing defense, but how tied into that position are you after the season starts? Is it really a matter of individual teams and how they mesh/evolve? I'm comfortable playing as a forward, but I worry about how skilled/in shape I am...

It's just gonna depend on your team and what their needs are. I'm assuming you're not the only one who feels that way so you should be fine ;)

I play in the Roseville league right now and my team is pretty loose as far as what you are labeled as and what you play. I captain battle star goalactica and one of the first questions I asked the team was what position and hand you are. Some people were direct in saying they wanted to be say, a right wing or defense. Others didn't mind as much where they played. We had people move around as the season went on. I played all season at D and the last game I played center in the third period. I'm starting at center in the next game now too. I think most captains will work with you and the rest of the line up as you move along. If you do sign up, which you and everybody should too, you should make it a point to your captain that there may be a game or two you'd like to try a spot up front. League play is a great way to really focus on positional play and how to really work as a team. It's competitive, but, not so much that it's serious. Also, adding faceoffs to the game also makes a huge difference in learning something fundamental to hockey that you don't learn in pickup games. Just communicate as a team and to your captain and I think anything is possible.