Found it today in my inbox:

"Hi
I keep asking my mom if i can start ice skating because i have watched my friend a few times and it seems like fun but the answer is always no. Is there anything that you recomend that i can say/do that might persuade my parents to let me take the lessons. Thanx for trying to help."

I suppose I should give a "wise, mature & balanced" answer but at the moment my mind is blank. What would you say?

P.S. I'm a rink manager and a LTS coach - the e-mail was sent to our rink customer service box

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My other car is a Zamboni

What would you say to a parent who asked the same question? That question is posted online all the time by young, wanna-be skaters. Usually the advice is to have the kid try to earn the money, arrange transportation with friends, and/or give up another activity.

Skating can be expensive and time-consuming, but families can manage both money and time. Assuming the hire skates are good, tell the parents that they can rent skates instead of making the investment. Good skates are required and now's a good time to pick up a pre-owned pair of skates.

Group lesson programs are reasonably priced and include practice time as well. Practicing makes each lesson more productive, and therefore, more effective at learning. Buying multiple sessions at a time affords a discount.

Time - well, a full-day of saturday skating is good for the skater and the transporting parents. After-school or early-evening sessions are useful for people with busy weekend lives.

Did you get a mailing address with the email? If you did, mail them a group lesson/public skating brochure.

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I'd say that it's a good physical activity and, when skating for recreation the costs can be kept at a minimum. Outline the costs of hire skates, or how much a used pair is and what a program of group lessons and ice time would be.

If that was me, and I used to run LTS, I'd tell a parent that skates are around $100 (used), a season (sept-march) program for a teenager is around $400 to skate twice a week with two group lessons and there is a testing program so kids can earn badges and crests and will learn things that they can show off to their friends. So, $500 a year, no competitions but a fun activity for fitness. Parents like to have a firm number.

Some parents don't have $500 or even the $250 for childrens learn to skate, but at least they get an idea of what it is. The parent could be saying no for a lot of reasons that you have no idea of, but at least you can present a reasonable outline of costs.

You could suggest that maybe she gets her parents to talk to the parents of the friend who skates?

It seems unusual for a child to be allowed to watch her friend skate but not participate.

I'd explain all your LTS group beginner classes in detail with the timings. Your rink probably runs some Saturday morning or evening courses which might fit in well with a family schedule. Explain that these are a fun activity that are done in groups, where the children can make friends, gain confidence, keep fit and challenge themselves to learn a new skill. It gets them away from the TV and computer. Explain that skating does not have to be expensive, but can be done as a recreational hobby on a weekly basis and rental skates are fine for the first few months, while secondhand skates can be bought cheaply thereafter. Give a typical cost breakdown for a once-a-week LTS skater per week/month/year.