Hello, all! I'm 33 and just getting ready to sign up for my first lessons. I've skated recreationally since I was a kid, but only once or twice each year. Skating forward is fairly good for me--I have good balance and speed, I can stroke, cross over, and glide on one foot. However, I'm very weak skating backwards, as I only learned how a few years ago. I can do a 3 turn, but then I can only go backwards for about ten feet or so, and very slowly. It gets slightly better after I practice a bit, but it's still not great. My local rink lists the following adult classes, and I'm not certain where I belong:

Pre-Alpha
For those who have not had organized instruction in skating. Students will work on gliding, forward and backward swizzles, backward wiggles and one-foot glides.

Alpha
Forward stroking, forward crossovers and one-foot snowplow stop. Prerequisite: Pre-Alpha skills

Even though I already have some of the skills, should I begin in pre-Alpha? I'm not oppsed to starting at the beginning, but I wonder if it will still be worthwhile if it turns out the most of the other classmembers have really never been on skates before. At the same time, I want to build a strong foundation, so I don't want to short myself on the basics. I have about a month before the next round of classes starts (which is good, because I need to break in my new boots), so I will be practicing a few times per week until then. Any advice from those of you who either teach or have taken adult classes would be much appreciated. Thanks--

Danielle

While it's always good to practice your basics, you may find yourself bored in a lower level class.

One way to decide would be to talk or "audition" for the head coach of the classes. Then the coach can place you accordingly.

Another would be to eliminate the classes that cover elements you already know how to do unless you plan to test those levels.

From the skating abilities you list, I would suggest Alpha. The Pre-Alpha would be a waste of your time and money.

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Many go fishing all their lives without knowing that it is not fish they are after. - Henry David Thoreau

I agree with Gary...at least Alpha. In fact I might have put you one level higher (but I'm not familiar with those levels). An adult like you who is relatively comfortable will advance quickly with enough practice. But it's good to have a coach check and see that your basics so far are correct in form and technique.

I suggest talking to the person in charge of the group lessons. At my rink you can tell them the moves you know how to do and they tell you which level to sign up for. Also ask if you can move up at any time. Some learn to skate programs a person is moved from one level to another when they are ready. When I first started taking group lessons I was in Alpha for only two weeks.

Thanks for the advice, everyone! I'll have to talk to someone at the rink tomorrow.

Danielle

You sound a lot like me when I started. I was 34. They put me in the Alpha class and that worked out well for me. My forward cross-overs did need some work as mine were self taught and we did work on the beginning of back crossovers in that same class.

PattyP

Gee, Patty, you had me fooled for so long. I've seen you skate plenty of times, and I never would have guessed you hadn't skated as a kid!

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This space has been put on hiatus for retuning....

WOW, thanks! That is a huge complement! I worked very hard on fixing the "look" of my skating after a judge told me in a critique that in my basic skating it was obvious that I had learned to skate as an adult. Scratchy toe picks, choppy cross-overs etc. I worked with a dance coach for one year on just stroking skills and it helped alot. I can still tell the difference in my skating and those who skated as kids when I watch myself on video tape, but it has improved.

Thanks again!

I will be seeing you at AN this year, wont I?

PattyP