I just scheduled a private lesson for Friday. This is my first private lesson, my first lesson since I was 8, and only my second time skating in the past 7 years or so.

The reason for the lesson is to be evaluated for the Basic 1-2 skills so I can start in the Basic 3-4 class. When I went skating last Friday I could do every Basic 1-2 skill as I remembered them, or looked them up on the internet. Now I’m scared I wasn’t doing them right.

Actually, I’m downright terrified about this lesson. It’s with the rink’s skating coordinator- which makes it even more stressful. I don’t exactly know why it makes it more stressful- but my mind is creating situations to scare me before this lesson! What if, come Friday, I just can’t skate anymore? I would go to the session tomorrow morning, but I don’t have the money right now to take a lesson and add an extra day of skating in. The lesson is at 8:30 and the session starts at 8:00- so at least I have a bit of time for a warmup.

Can someone who was an adult beginner reassure me that everything is going to be alright. The scenarios running through my head are crazy. I’m worried about everything, down to what do I wear? I usually skate in jeans, is that appropriate for a lesson? Do I need to go in with a list of things I want to accomplish, or does the instructor generally have a plan?

And to add to the list of things to worry about- if I do skate well, I have to worry about the Basic 3-4 class being canceled due to low enrollement. Right now no one has signed up (still 3 weeks to go) and there has to be a minimum 3. So if that happens do I just retake the 1-2 class, or do I do privates for 3-4. Privates are just so expensive- even though I think this particular rink isn't too expensive in the grand scheme of prices throughout the US. ($27.00 for 30 minutes plus 6.50 admission to the session for the skate coordinator. She said the price range starts at $20 for the newer instructors. Maybe if I have to stay in privates I will request a newer instructor. I certainly don't need the best coach around for the low Basics)

Thanks for letting me vent

You'll be just fine! I didn't skate or have lessons until I was in my 40s, so you shouldn't have any problems.

I wouldn't ever wear jeans to skate in, except as a costume, unless they are a really, really, really old and soft pair, and probably not even then - you will find everything much easier in a garment that moves with you, rather than one you move inside. Plus if you should happen to fall over, your jeans would be awfully clammy. Leggings or sweatpants are a much better bet, with layers on your top half so you can shed, if you need to. And don't forget gloves!

And don't worry about signing up for the next class - I should cross that bridge when you get there.

Good luck, and don't forget to post all about your Friday lesson in the "4-leaf clover or weed" thread when you have had it, we'll all look forward to hearing about it.

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Mrs Redboots
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I love my computer because my friends live in it!
Ice dancers have lovely big curves!

Conversely, I skate in jeans always although one of my coaches hated that, but the other always coaches in jeans. The only time I wore dress slacks was for an adult number in a Spring show.

Skittl, just relax. Skating coaches have seen it all and most have been where you are. They understand the fears that are associated with skating.

I didn't start skating until I was 48 and my fears were many. Club ice for lessons with loads of energetic, talented youngsters whizzing around. Two coaches (different days) whom I knew nothing about. Skating with adults that were very talented. Not being able to stand up on the ice. Afraid of making a fool of myself.

I found most of the skaters and coaches understood where I was, especially the adults. Many of them are friends now.

When it came time for my Gamma and Delta tests, it came about suddenly. A group lesson coach that I really liked volunteered to test me after a class. She had seen me skate often and knew I could do all of the elements. Of course when it came time for the test, I froze. The coach could tell and patiently worked me through it.

Remember that we're doing this for fun and exercise. Keep that thought in your mind and you'll be fine.

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

I second everything Mrs. Redboots said! I'm 56 and just started skating again in January after 30-odd years away so I am, effectively, starting all over.

Just go to your lesson, see what happens, and trust the coach. Don't go with expectations and be prepared to start/continue at whatever point the coach indicates.

Although I was fairly accomplished at age 19 and my mind remembers all the fancy stuff, my body doesn't and has to re-learn it all. THIS time I am fighting the impatience and focusing on learning the basics solidly.

On clothing, I bought a nice pair of stretch pants and a pretty pair of gloves. I top that off with a baggy sweater (that does not restrict movements) and feel quite at home on the ice. There is NO WAY I could do sculling the way my coach wants in jeans - she wants closer to "splits" LOL!!! (I know this is to improve my skating further down the road.) I do wear tights under my pants since I had my skates sized for tights and will end up in tights and a skating dress later on when it comes time for testing. Right now I expect to fall a lot and the more padding the better

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Dianne
(A.O.S.S.? Got it BAD! )

Wear comfortable workout clothes, so you have comfort, coverage, and the ability to move easily.

An evaluation isn't a lesson. They just want to see you skate. We typically say the maneuver, ie. "Do 6-8 forward swizzles" and wait to see if the student knows the term. If you do the wrong thing, or don't remember what the term means, they'll demonstrate it for you. Pay attention and do it.

Really: it's not a TEST session so relax. (To tell the truth, they should have already done the testing during the last group lesson session.) They're just trying to align their groups properly so they work well with the instructor.

If you do end up in 1-2 again, I'm sure the instructor will try to teach up for you. Or, you can choose to sit out a session, hoping more 3-4 skaters will sign up. If you want to light a fire under them, offer to call last session's 1-2 skaters in the hopes of getting them to sign up for 3-4. They probably wouldn't let you see the list, but they might give that assignment to one of the assistants to handle.

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I agree about jeans - this is the most uncomfortable thing to wear while skating, even office trousers do better (had that experience once). My favourites are jogging leggings or cotton tights with shorts (tennis skirt + shorts combos are also great).

Private lesson isn't that different from a group one - it's just a very small group, only you. Still, it's pretty much same stuff: your coach will ask you to try different things and, dependin on how it goes, will recommend exercises that you could work on between your lessons. If you want an advice on a particular skill or move, just ask; otherwise, let your coach plan your lesson.

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My other car is a Zamboni

Thank you all so much for the reassuring words. "Just calm down" is so much easier said then done, but I'll try. It's so hard to start somethign new.

I didn't think about the wet jeans thing! I'll definetly wear workout pants. Right now I don't fall when I skate unless someone barrels into me. I think my biggest fear in starting lessons is falling, because I have a history of injury. I know if I can't fall I can't go anywhere in skating. So the number one thing for me to learn in this first sesssion is to not be scared of falling!

And a few comments from the last post-
It is a private lesson, but I'm going to use the lesson as an evaluation. It appears that they don't normally do this, they are just accomodating me. Assuming I skate my best, the evaluation should be over in about 5 minutes and I can use the rest of the time to work on something else.

Sorry if I was misleading. I haven't ever taken classes at this rink before. I took Basic 1 about 15 years ago, and in the same time frame taught myself the Basic 2 stuff. I know you don't know what rink I'm at, but just so I don't give a negative impression of it. They do test at the end of each session. I'm just hoping I can skip Basic 1-2.

Right now there are only 3 other people enrolled in 1-2. I imagine that's a small enough class that even if the other people can't stand on skates the instructor could teach multi-level, I just hope they do. Of course, this is the last session before the rink closes for the season, so sitting out a session isn't an option

I agree that jeans are probably not the best in which to skate -- I wear tights, a leotard, a stretchy long-sleeved t-shirt or turtleneck, gloves, and leggings pulled over my laces (I have an irrational fear of tripping over my laces or loose pant legs).

Think of this as a try out for not just you, but also for a coach. Part of your lesson will be checking your skills and part will be assessing how you communicate and work with the coach. Go into the session with several questions planned regarding how you want to progress and what you would like to see from a coach. When I decided to do private lessons, I picked my synchro coach with the goal of being a better synchro skater (not holding the team back). We initially geared my lessons to perfecting basics -- my choice. I'm a bit of a purist and don't want to "skate" by with mediocre technique. It's meant I haven't progressed as fast as some, but the things I can do, I do really well.

It is not unreasonable to tell a coach your long-term goals. Mine knows that I'll be a happy skater when I can do a good camel spin -- that's all I really want. Do you think you might be interested in testing or competing? Would you like to be able to perform in a group number for your rink's show or perform a solo number? These are things a coach may want to know. How much time do you see yourself practicing? I schedule my lessons every other week so that I can practice in between -- as a working mother, it's simply not possible for me to practice enough to justify a weekly lesson. Are you a person that needs a lot of praise to feel like you are accomplishing something or do you prefer critical feedback on things you need to improve (that's me)?

Regarding moving into Basic 3-4 when there's no one else in the class -- it may be a good idea for you, it may not be for the rink. They may suggest that you hang out in the other class for three weeks, at which point some of your classmates may be ready to move up, too. Then they can offer a class for all of you. They may give you suggestions of things to practice for the next level while you're in Basic 1-2. I was a Beta class of one for one session and in a Gamma class of 3 another. For a long time, my Power Skating class (now MIF) had two people, so it was like a semi-private lesson. I like that, but I also like being in a class environment with skater who are better than me -- I have to work harder to keep up.

Skittl,

Skate in whatever you feel comfortable in. Don't worry so much about the lesson. I started skating as an adult and used to feel the same way you did, but after you get out on the ice, you will see that the muscle memory of how to do your skills will kick in and you will be fine!

Think of it this way: you are there to learn. The first step to knowledge is asking questions. If you knew everything there was to know about skating, you wouldn't need the lesson in the first place (and neither would the rest of us skaters!). Just enjoy!

Kristin

Ah, but that's why I recommended offering to call LAST SESSION'S level 1-2 skaters. There could be skaters ready for level 3-4 that just need to be asked.

As for evaluations being unusual, I guess they're not worried about mixed up classes. Personally, I hate teaching badly organized classes - you can't challenge everyone when they're spread out over four levels of skating ability.

If you like the director, ask her about taking a 20-minute lesson each week. That would bring it into your budget while giving you an experienced teacher.

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I second this. If you are comfortable in workout pants, and won't feel self-conscious, then that's definitely the best option. But if you're going to be worried about it at all, and feel better in jeans, then wear those. You're at a low enough level that 'restricted movement' is not a large worry. I used to practice in jeans all the time (skated between classes without time to change), and I still managed to get quite a lot done. That said, I never would have had a lesson in jeans, but I had no qualms about wearing tights or leggings for that. Athletic endeavor = athletic apparel. Jeans will get heavy and uncomfortable if you get them wet, though, I agree.

If you get 'put' in the 1-2 class, don't worry about it. Any instructor worth anything will not make you do interminable swizzles with the rest of the class if you're obviously past that. There is not such a large gap between Basic 1 and Basic 4 that you can't be taught at your level, while the other three people are taught at theirs--and much of what you'll be doing will overlap anyway. For instance, they may be learning to pick up the foot and cross it over -- you'll be learning to do it with deeper knee bend.

Privates do cost more money, and it sounds like they make you nervous--I honestly wouldn't worry about them at this point, and just stick with the group lessons, unless for some reason you aren't clicking with the instructor, or not making any progress/feel like you're being held back. An added bonus is that you'll meet other adult skaters, and you can make friends and hopefully encourage them to stick with it...so that you'll have friends to climb the ranks with, and always have enough for a class!

This is one session--at the end of it, you can take stock, and see what kind of teaching works well for you, and then when the rink opens again next year, you'll be all set.

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"The legitimate powers of government extend to such acts only as are injurious to others. But it does me no injury for my neighbor to say there are twenty gods or no god. It neither picks my pocket, nor breaks my leg."
--Thomas Jefferson

www.signingtime.com ~sign language fun for all!

1) I don't do this anymore since I need more range of motion, but when I started I wore the stretchy jeans to practice in. A lot of days I was coming from a class or work and didn't have time to change so stretchy jeans were perfect. I to this day am not comfortable wearing a dress or anything form fitting so I wear yoga pants or capris and a tshirt. I see a few women at my rink in dresses and I think it looks weird truthfully. Definitely more of a pants person.

2) My private lessons make me nervous and I've been taking privates for about a year all together. I always "underperform" in lessons because mentally I'm overperforming, trying to make everything perfect for my coach. I can't seem to relax and get good posture and flow and such. I think its normal to be nervous - afterall you're being scrutinized from head to toe. Just always remember that your coach has your best interests at heart and they're there to help you improve. I know easier said than done, but you can do it

Maybe you can think of it this way. Your life isn't going to end, and you're not going to lose anything except for what you paid for the lesson. So just treat it like a stroll in the park. I think that jeans will be just fine. But if you don't get cold or anything....shorts and tee shirt will be ok. That's what I wear anyhow.

Just remember, there's no way to lose, even if you skate your worst in your evaluation. As several others said, if you end up in Basic 1-2, your teacher will just have you do more advanced techniques if the class seems easy for you. And here's something else to think about: The best skaters have to perform when they're nervous (because any competition or performance for an audience will make a skater nervous), so all that matters is what they are able to do when they are nervous. So if your teacher sees how you skate when you are nervous, he/she will give you tips that will teach you to skate with good technique even when you're nervous! I figure the more I mess up in my lessons, the more great tips I'll get from my coach and I'll really get my money's worth, heh heh.

Thanks all for the wonderful, calming advice. Now I just can't wait until Friday

I think I'll go in workout pants for lessons for now- and stick with jeans for my individual practices. I don't want the instructor to think I'm not giving it my all when I'm with them. I would probably most prefer tights and skating skirts- because I'm used to working in leotard and tights for dance, but I think I need to wait a few more levels before I move to cute skirts I'm not a little kid, so I actually need something to back the outfit up. (Even when I had never had a lesson I was a kid who always went to the rink in a skating skirt!)

All the antecdotes really helped reassure me that this is going to be great.

I'd often practice or come to lessons in tights, with workout shorts over them. I'd get the benefit of tights, without the 'flounciness' of a skirt. It helped me get into the 'working hard' frame of mind.

Have fun! You'll do great.

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"The legitimate powers of government extend to such acts only as are injurious to others. But it does me no injury for my neighbor to say there are twenty gods or no god. It neither picks my pocket, nor breaks my leg."
--Thomas Jefferson

www.signingtime.com ~sign language fun for all!

I skated in jeans once. =-) I used to have fights about this at one time. I wore jeans until I was ready to wear skating attire. The more I was pushed, the more I refused to wear anything else. As a beginner wear what you feel good in. If you wear jeans make sure you can bend and such in them. Not too tight. When your ready and feel comfortable wear something better suited to skating. Skating is a journey...even the clothes.

Chico

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"I truly believe, when God created skating, he patted himself on the back."

Indeed it is! I've worn practice-skirts on and off for years, especially in the summer, but have worn leggings or sweatpants in the winter, purely for warmth. However, this year I'm wearing skirts all year round, if I'm practising with Husband, for the simple reason that we've discovered that it's a lot easier for him to lift me if I'm wearing a skirt and tights than it is if I'm wearing leggings or sweatpants!

Yes, I could wear shorts - I did last summer for my Interp, as you can see:


But I'd feel self-conscious for everyday - I'm too old!

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Mrs Redboots
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I love my computer because my friends live in it!
Ice dancers have lovely big curves!

You're a BLONDE? No blonde jokes here - blondes run in my family. I'm just surprised. I pictured you as having curly dark hair arranged in a perfect coif!

Cool!

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Mrs. Redboots,

You look pretty cute in those shorts to me. =-)

Chico

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"I truly believe, when God created skating, he patted himself on the back."

Not as blonde as I was as a child - at least, not without a bit of help.... mostly grey, these days, alas!

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Mrs Redboots
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I love my computer because my friends live in it!
Ice dancers have lovely big curves!

Me too.

I do wear skating skirts/dresses sometimes as well, but sometimes they're all in the laundry, or all the shirts that go with them are, or I just feel like wearing shorts (over tights or leggings) that day. As I will for my lesson this afternoon.

Also remember that you are hiring the coach. You're paying the bill. You are the customer and should be treated and feel accordingly.

You don't have to impress the coach, the coach has to impress you.

Never worry about skating up to the coach's expectations. Skate to your own expectations and let the coach help you achieve them. That's their job and what you are paying them for.

Let the coach introduce you to new elements and teach you the proper way to achieve them.

I had a coach who loved to teach spins. As a late-40's adult, I didn't want to spin so I came straight out and told her. She agreed and we never broached the subject again. Because of my knees jumps were out of the question, so we skipped those too. I had great lessons in footwork from her.

You are in charge.

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

The first lesson was wonderful! Within the first 5-10 minutes she told me I should not be in Basic 1-2, by the end of the lesson she told me I would start in Basic 4, with a note to the instructor that I had not mastered a two-footed turn yet. I wish I had more money for privates, it was great!

Here is an email I sent to my husband overviewing the lesson. I didn't want to type it up all again, but if you're interested you can read it. I know you know the terms- so you can ignore the explanations- unless they are wrong- then you can tell me that!

I started the session with a half hour warm up. Just skating in cirlces, doing swizzles, backward wiggles, turns and stops. There were about 6 people there (maybe 14 by the end) and 2 of them were high level freestyle, the rest low-mid level freestyle. Even though it is an open adult session it is treated as a freestyle, so you have to yield to people doing programs- jumps etc. It would be a tough session for someone who is not adept at getting out of the way. What's nice is while I was on my lesson, people had to yield to me. Even though we mostly stayed on a hockey circle.

The private lesson was definitely worth the money. Being in the basic 1-2 class would have been SO far below what I can do. She said some of the basic 1-2s can skate in an open session, but many are still trying to get a feel for standing on the ice. She evaluated me on the skills for that level and within the first 10 minutes she told me I would need to be in the 3-4 class. We started by skating a few laps around the rink. She told me I was stroking well (I'm not sure what that means) but I use my shoulders to propel me too much and I don't bend my knees enough. Then we did forward swizzles, backward wiggles, and a snowplow stop. I am doing the stop correctly, but have a tough time doing it on my left skate. I need to be equally good on both sides. Then we did front glides on one foot. My right foot is very strong and they were great. My left foot was good to the front but I held my shoulders wrong and it caused me to vear to the side a bit. We also did backward swizzles and a in place two foot turn.

That was the first 10 minutes. After that we moved onto Basic 3. She said my forward stroking was good, and then we worked on backwards glides on one foot. Those were fine on my right side, but really hard on my left side. I would just stop moving and my ankle would shake. Then we moved to 1/2 swizzles on a circle. I was cutting the ice and scuffing it, which she said meant that I was using more effort than I needed to. I was able to correct this really easily on my right side and make a smooth tracings. The left side also went well. On these I was not using my shoulders enough. And I also don't remember which arm goes where and when. I'll have to look it up and write it down. We skated slalom patterns around the rink. This is like _ swizzles to skate in a straight line, but much bigger, and the foot kind of crosses over. It was really fun and really fast! Then we did two-foot spins. I have a hard time using my toepick on these. I don't really understand how it works. I also am going to have to learn to turn CCW. Right now I turn Clockwise much stronger- but she told me if I wanted to be a clockwise turner I would eventually have to land jumps on my left foot. Based on the number of times I've said in this my right foot was stronger, that's not going to happen- I'd much rather deal with learning the turns now and get to land on my stronger foot. But she also said I still have to learn to turn both ways, I just really need to concentrate on CCW. After that she told me I could start group lessons at a level four, but she would note to my instructor that I hadn't reached mastery on the two footed turns. She didn't tell me anything else that needed signifigant work on that level. I think the backwards glides on my left foot do, but I guess they were better than I thought.

Then we moved to the Basic 4 stuff. I can't believe we did this all in a half hour. We did something on the hockey circle called edges. This involved picking up one of your feet and shifting your weight to the hip facing the inside of the cirlce. Depending on which foot you lift, you would either be on your inside or outside edge. I do remember the arms for this one- you put the arm on the same side of the foot you lift up to the front. Both inside and outside edges on the right came easily and I stayed on the circle well. The outside edge was easier to hold than the inside edge for the left leg. But I could do them fine too. Next we worked on backward 1/2 swizzle pumps on the circle. This is the basic step to learn how to do the skating that you always see professionals do before they jump. I'm sure it will come to no surprise to you when I say it was exteremely easy to pick up on the right side, but difficult to the left. After that we did forward crossovers on the circle. I had a little more difficulty with this, mostly because I wasn't shifting my weight right. I am now fairly confident with my right side, but can barely do it on my left side. On my right side I got REALLY fast- and it was really hard to do slower. She said the best way to slow down was to not push hard, but I didn't really feel like I was pushing hard. I guess moving fast isn't a terrible thing.

But even still in the half hour lesson we reviewed all of Basic 1, Basic 2, I learned all of Basic 3, and learned 4 of 7 things from Basic 4. If I practice I imagine I'll be able to continue to do all the things I learned, because really only the crossovers were completely new to me- the rest was stuff I had kind of been doing, and was just told exactly how to do them. The spins are the thing that need the most work.

I can't wait until group lessons. I think I will try to make the adult session every 2 weeks, because the lack of crowds make it great to practice, and then the in between week maybe we can go skating? I'm very excited. I hope I can pick things up as quickly as I was able to review them. The crossovers and edges give me hope that that will happen- the spin makes me wonder.

After the lesson I skated for another 45 minutes. My left ankle really hurts. I practiced a lot of things on my left side because it is obviously the weaker side. It's more of a sore hurt than a damaged hurt. Hopefully it will get stronger. I will need new skates soon- mine aren't much better than rentals except I can keep them sharpened.

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-Jessi
What I need is a montage...
Visit my skating journal or my Youtube videos (updated with 2 new videos Sept 26, 2009)

Jessi:
Congrats on your lesson! Sounds like you are doing really well!

You might want to also keep a training/skating log (notebook) and keep it in your skate bag. Write down notes on what you did and little tidbits of advice you were given. You can take it rinkside with you and refer to it (keep it near your water bottle). When I was first learning, I found such a thing invaluable! It's also a good way to track your progress when you feel stumped and feel like you aren't progressing.

As you write in it, you can eventually use "shorthand" and not write a "book" unless you want. Mine are short and concise. They are also handy to have in case you need to grab an autograph!!! (I only have one but I'm hoping for more). Also phone numbers. I'm on my 4th journal (they are about 5x7 in size not too big).

Terese

ps-I have a harder time on my left also, for some reason my toe refuses to point as well as my right foot!!!

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Skate@Delaware
Ah, show skating!!! I do it for the glitter!