by Catharine Rasband

Created on: December 30, 2008

What to expect from Ice Skating Lessons

I began ice skating lessons at age 45, less than a year after having back surgery for a ruptured disc. I don't know what came over me, but after a skating session with the family, I suddenly had the desire to be able to do more than skate around the rink in a circle with the crowd.
As soon as I could, I signed up for an adult session of "Learn to Skate" classes. We met on a Thursday night for 30 minutes. There were two other women in the class and they were a little more advanced than I, but the teacher, Tiffany, was very adept at handling the different levels. I was soon able to skate backwards, skate on one foot, and do a two foot spin. A more challenging move for me was the 3-turn. This is a one foot turn that carves a 3 in the ice. I was becoming addicted to trying to conquer the next step, and the exercise was exhilarating.

When the initial 6 week session ended, I was disappointed to discover that the adult sessions were being discontinued for lack of interest. I continued skating on my own, working on those 3- turns, but my progress was definitely waning. I watched several other adults skating in the mornings with a private coach, but I knew it was expensive and I also lacked the courage to ask for information. As soon as the City Rec Center offered another adult "Learn to Skate" session, I signed up, This time there were seven or eight students, and I was on a higher level than all of them. The teacher was very young and inexperienced, and I was frustrated by the lack of attention. I realized that in order to continue to improve, I'd have to invest in private lessons.
I've now been skating for about three years. It has become a passion for me. I continue to improve and I love every minute that I spend on the ice. I try to skate at least three days a week. I also started my eight year old daughter in private lessons about six months ago. It's painfully obvious that a child has the capability to learn a lot more quickly. My daughter also skates with less fear of the inevitable fall. She's already doing 3 turns, waltz jumps and one foot spins. Watching her makes me wish I had her agility, or that I could've started younger. I've also had to resign myself that jumping is not my thing and is something I won't be able to do (though I'm sure in the next life I'll be exceptional).
"Learn to Skate" is a great way to start, but if you want to move forward quickly it really helps to have someone analyze your moves and let you know specifically what you're doing wrong and what you're doing right. Therefore, I highly recommend private coaching for the best results from lessons.

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