Log in

View Full Version : teaching daughter to skate


jebnolte
10-04-2005, 12:34 PM
My 4 year old daughter really wants to figure skate. She has watched it on TV and is determined to do it. I used to be a skater myself but haven't skated in 11 years (except for this past week). I took her to the rink twice and the first time we rented a pair of skates and I tried showing her to march on the ice and she was sliding everywhere. When my brother in law found out she loved skating, he decided to buy her a pair of skates (Riedell). I wasn't going to get her a pair until I knew she was for sure going to stick to it. Anyway, with the new skates, she can run in them off the ice and on the ice she can march but doesn't move forward on the ice very much. These skates have a lot more ankle support, but she is definately not gliding at all with these. I am hoping it is because the blades haven't been sharpened. The Pro Shop wasn't open when we went so I left them overnight to be sharpened. Does this make a huge differnce with new skates?

My main question is, how do you teach a 4 year old to skate? I taught the marching and tried to teach swivels. But all she does is pretty much stand in one spot and march in place. Is this normal for a child at first? And she is terrified of falling. I try and tell her that is is okay to fall and that is doesn't hurt and showed her other kids that were falling but she still has that fear.

Any pointers will be helpful. I am probably going to put her in the Learn to Skate program that starts in a few weeks, but wanted to make sure she liked it first.

Thanks,
Julie

phoenix
10-04-2005, 12:50 PM
To get her to move forward while marching show her how to turn her toes out a little. That will get her moving.

Re. the fear of falling:

First teach her how to fall & get up *off* the ice. Tuck your head, bend your knees way down & "hug" yourself, then just kind of roll to the side until you're lying on the ground. To get up, go to hands & knees (puppy dog--wag your tail!), then keep hands ON the ice while you put one foot then the other under you & stand.

Then do all that on the ice--just from standing there.

THEN:

1. put a helmet on her. (she should be in one anyway--tots have a habit of going straight over backwards. Bike helmets work fine)

2. put her in a snow suit

3. take her to a public session & tell her you're going sliding! March across the ice, glide on two feet, fall & slide! Make it a big game, with big cheers every time she falls. Have contests to see who can slide the farthest.

At this age, it's all about making it fun, fun, fun! I bring bubbles when I teach tots, & blow them all over--they love to chase them, & forget about being scared. If they land on the ice, have them stomp them or run over them.

There are several other threads from the past that talk about games to play with tots--if you do a search you'll probably find lots of good info. Good luck!

Isk8NYC
10-04-2005, 04:35 PM
Check the skates to make sure they fit. If they're loose, put an extra insole in to make them fit a bit better. Don't lace the top hook for a couple of weeks - the new boots are probably stiff. Have the blades been sharpened? She may not be able to control them if they're dull.

Practice standing on one foot while wearing the skates, off-ice. Balance is very important. Make it a warmup move, so to speak.

PUT A HELMET ON HER! (I'm sure you already know this, it's for the lurkers.)

Just have some fun with her. There are tons of threads in this section related to teaching little ones. Play some of the games we've already discussed with her.

Make sure to complement her after you get off. You could even put a sticker on her helmet for each session.

Practice the same four things each time for a couple of weeks:
∙ Sitting/falling down onto her tush (not the knees)
∙ Getting back up.
∙ Marching forward.
∙ Two-foot glide.
Obviously, that's what most of the techniques in these threads teach.

Tell her that everyone falls sometimes. In beginners, it's a sign of learning.
Good luck!

singerskates
10-04-2005, 04:57 PM
To get her to move forward while marching show her how to turn her toes out a little. That will get her moving.

Re. the fear of falling:

First teach her how to fall & get up *off* the ice. Tuck your head, bend your knees way down & "hug" yourself, then just kind of roll to the side until you're lying on the ground. To get up, go to hands & knees (puppy dog--wag your tail!), then keep hands ON the ice while you put one foot then the other under you & stand.

Then do all that on the ice--just from standing there.

THEN:

1. put a helmet on her. (she should be in one anyway--tots have a habit of going straight over backwards. Bike helmets work fine)

2. put her in a snow suit

3. take her to a public session & tell her you're going sliding! March across the ice, glide on two feet, fall & slide! Make it a big game, with big cheers every time she falls. Have contests to see who can slide the farthest.

At this age, it's all about making it fun, fun, fun! I bring bubbles when I teach tots, & blow them all over--they love to chase them, & forget about being scared. If they land on the ice, have them stomp them or run over them.

There are several other threads from the past that talk about games to play with tots--if you do a search you'll probably find lots of good info. Good luck!

As someone who has taught Preschool CanSkate and CAnSkate, I can not stress enough to not use bike helmets. Why? Bike helmets move too easily off of the head and don't cover the neck area. Too many kids have gotten bad injuries from using them on the ice. Use a hockey helmet without the guard infront. Buy one at a hockey shop and have them fit her for the correct size and let them make the adjustments for her.

IT's great that she can march around but learning from sitting on the ice first and then learning to get up is best at this age. Then play a game with her to see who can get up first (let her win at first). See if you can find a preschool program for her. If she progresses quickly, have her moved to a regular Learn To Skate (CanSkate in Canada).

Do get her skates sharpened at the local figure skating proshop and not at the rink. AT the rinks, they either are only set up to sharpen hockey skates and/or they sharpen (dull) figure skating skates and recreational skates so we don't cut into the ice.

See if your old coach is still coaching if you live in the same town as where you skated as a kid and talk with her for more advice.

singerskate