Poll: Toddler Safety on Ice

[lovepairs]

This Poll is designed to gain an "objective" view about children, six (6) years old and younger, who skate on Open Freestyle Sessions (where there are a number of upper-level single skaters, dance, and, or pair teams on the session) and designated High Freestyle Sessions.

(This does not apply to Learn-to-Skate, or designated Low Freestyle Sessions.)

POLL QUESTION:

Do you feel that children, six (6) years old and under should be allowed to skate on an Open Freestyle Session, or High Freestyle session, as described above?

YOU MUST BE LOGGED ON IN ORDER TO VOTE.

[TashaKat]

No I don't. No matter how skilled they are at skating they just don't have the spatial awareness and put themselves and others in danger. Another factor is that because they're lower than most older kids/adults they can easily be 'missed' because you're just not expecting someone to be that low down.

[icedancer2]

You don't give the option for "Yes" with no objection, so this really isn't an objective poll.

[Sonic]

If you mean real toddler - i.e 4 or under then I would say under no circumstances (apart from mother and toddler sessions)

If we're talking about 5-6 year olds I would say only if they've got their basic skills and are 'recommended' by a qualified coach.

S xxx

[Isk8NYC]

I voted "No" because that's my opinion. Only time I would agree to it is if the session was empty.

[NCSkater02]

No, because if I'm looking up like my coach always tells me to do, I don't see them.

[lovepairs]

Hi Icedancer,

"Yes" would be the last one, because mostly all toddlers that are put on these upper level sessions have been introduced to skating through the Learn-to-Skate Program.

Sonic,

Pairman2 and I discussed the cut off age, and thought that 5, or 6 would be splitting hairs...we tried to determine where
"awareness" kicks in and thought it might just begin around age 6. Still 6 and under are little people in terms of size, and size is a big factor in this question about safety.

Isk8NYC,

I agree with you that's why I discribed the "Open Freestyle" as a session that was full of upper level skaters (of course if no one else is on the ice it is not a dangerous situation.)

Icedancer,

To make a really objective Poll, I would have to be a professional Pollster. Just did the best I could considering all that was discussed on the other thread. Sorry, it is not air tight, but I've never created a Poll before...this is my first one...please forgive it's imperfection. Thanks. Lovepairs

[beachbabe]

i said yes with a coach's undivided attention, because i would trust a coach to be aware of whats going on and keep the child moving and teaching the child about the rules.

On its own- I probably would say no unless the child is a relatively fast skater and has had lots of experience on the ice accompanied by a coach

[icedancer2]

Okay, but you still have a qualifier which specifies that they go through a Learn to Skate program, which doesn't make it objective IMO.

I really can't comment since we don't have high or low freestyle and everyone in my area seems to generally get along. We have some rude ones here and there, but mostly the better skaters watch for the more inexperiences ones and there are very few true collisions as far as I can tell. (Although I was involved in one once, none of the people involved were younger than 6, or an inexperienced skater, so that doesn't count).