Yes, the whiteboard helped me a lot.
Also -- when at Goodwill look for some cheap blankets that you can use as batting....just for the first practices.
I've had mine since last Fall.....I just gave my GF 5 of the practice pieces. She bound them, gave 2 to her sons and the rest went to the humane society. I have 2 more to give her and that's not counting the ones I tossed!!!!!!