What a hockey class in Dubai actually looks like
Most families searching for hockey classes in Dubai have never seen a rink up close. So here is the plain version. A class at Galaxy is a scheduled group session: one age group, one coach, the same 60-minute ice slot every week, from September to June. Kids change in the locker room, warm up off the ice, then work through skating, puck handling and small games. Parents watch from the stands or the cafe.
That regularity is the whole point. Skating is a motor skill, and motor skills come from repetition on a schedule. A child who skates with the same group every week for a term will move differently by December. A child who books a one-off session in July will not.
Classes for kids from 4 years old
We start children at 4 in the U6 group. At that age a class is balance, gliding, falling safely and standing back up, with a stick added once the feet are steady. From U8 the sessions add edges, crossovers and puck control, and small-area games teach kids to decide while moving. By U12 the group works on systems and reads the game, and off-ice conditioning runs from November to April. U14 and U16 train like a team, with fixtures and skills assessments through the season.
Nobody is turned away for starting late. We have kids who put on skates for the first time at 11 and now play in tournament rosters. Age sets the group, level sets the pace inside it.
Where the classes run
Classes take place at Sport Society Mall in Mirdif, Dubai, on real indoor ice kept at competition temperature all year. Parking is easy, there are cafes on site, and the pro shop for skates and helmets sits on the first floor. Our own Galaxy Arena, the first dual-ice venue in the UAE, is opening soon. Galaxy is a partner of the UAE Winter Sports Federation, and the country hosts the IIHF World Championship Division II Group A in Al Ain in 2027, so there is a competitive calendar for kids to grow into.
What classes cost
Group classes are paid by term. Term 1 runs 1 September to 31 December and costs 6 900 AED. Term 2 runs 1 January to 31 March at 5 900 AED. Term 3 runs 1 April to 30 June at 5 600 AED. The full season is 17 500 AED and adds two game jerseys, light and dark. Add 5% VAT to every figure. The fee covers ice on the group schedule, coaches, off-ice work from November to April and skills assessments. Full detail sits on the prices page.
Classes or private lessons?
A class gives your child a team, a timetable and a season plan. A private hockey lesson gives one coach to one player for an hour, which is the faster way to fix a specific problem: a weak backwards stride, a shot that never leaves the ice, goalie positioning. The two work together. Families usually start with classes, then add private lessons once a coach names something worth drilling alone. If your child has never skated at all, start with learn to skate and move into a hockey group from there.
For the full picture of the children's programme, including the season calendar and what a week looks like, see the Kids Academy. To try a class, book the free session and come see the ice.