Teaching a kid to skate

[Dante2004 0]

My son is 3 and I want to sign him up for skating lessons. He hasn't been on skates before, so I think I will take him to the rink a few times first so that he can get introduced to it while he is still comfortable (around parents). But then I want to sign him up for lessons. The problem is that all the rinks around here only offer figure skating lessons. They said they would make an exception and let him wear hockey skates. But I don't want him in a class where he is the exception. Right?

What do you guys think about learning how to skate in figure skates? The skates are different, the blades are different and you have a toe pick. Are they going to learn how to take strides by using the toe pick? I don't want that. Will it make the transition to hockey skates down the road tricky? Looking for your two cents...

The main reason I am concerned is my nephew learned to skate this way (figure skating lessons) and now he skates in hockey that way, even in his hockey skates.

[Esa_10 1]

I would never put my son in figure skates (unless he wanted to be a figure skater).

That said - It's "learn to skate" program so just getting him out there is the main thing.

My sister learned as figure skater then moved on to hockey while still figure skating and she had no problem transitioning - it's different styles of skating but I don't think it takes much to adjust. But again if he's gonna be skating in hockey skates down the road, I would say why not let him learn in them.

Just get him on the ice - I had my 20 mo old on the ice in a pair of "bob skates" (double blade strap to regular boot) last weekend - he could bareley stand up on his own, but he had blast just being out there having me push him around.

[NuggyBuggy 0]

I can't imagine that your 3 year old is going to pick up any habits detrimental to hockey over the course of a single learn-to-skate program. I signed my 3-year old up for a learn-to-skate program this past winter and I was just happy if he stayed out on the ice for more than a few minutes before whining to get off or insisting I skate around holding him while his skates just skimmed the ice. My patience was not good enough to handle the former and my back not strong enough to handle the latter.

[DoubleT96 0]

I wouldn't put him in figure skates imo. Put him in hockey skates, that way when you take him to the rink just you and him, there's no transitioning. I don't know what they'll teach him in figure skating class, but if he's only 3, I'm assuming it will be just skating, therefore they shouldn't be teaching any moves using a toe-pick.

[Kevin 5]

It does not matter at that age.

[dsjunior1388 81]

I would go with hockey skates. another thing, when you get the skates sharpenned I have heard you should ask for a goalie radius for beginner skaters in order to get more blade on the ice and allow more stability.

[Dante2004 0]

I would go with hockey skates. another thing, when you get the skates sharpenned I have heard you should ask for a goalie radius for beginner skaters in order to get more blade on the ice and allow more stability.

Never heard of that, but it is a good point. Probably a shallow hallow on the cut as well?

The point I was making about the toe pick was not in reference to jumps, but in reference to how figure skates (sometimes) push off using that rather than the inside edge like a hockey skater.

[chk hrd 164]

our orginization uses figure skating coaches for power skating. Think about it, who has the best edge control; figure skaters. They will teach him propper stride, outside edges, inside edges, forwards, backwards, etc. And with the little kids if the coach is a woman it will sometimes help since they can get intimidated by men. As for skates, it doesn't matter what type of skate it is as long as it fits well. They will only be teaching him strides and how to stay up on skates, not spins and toe picks.

[Chadd 916]

our orginization uses figure skating coaches for power skating. Think about it, who has the best edge control; figure skaters. They will teach him propper stride, outside edges, inside edges, forwards, backwards, etc. And with the little kids if the coach is a woman it will sometimes help since they can get intimidated by men. As for skates, it doesn't matter what type of skate it is as long as it fits well. They will only be teaching him strides and how to stay up on skates, not spins and toe picks.

Every hockey player should take some figure skating courses for the reasons you mention. Too many guys let their ego get in the way of doing the right thing for themselves or their kids.

To the OP, have him do learn to skate and more in figure skates. Don't move him into hockey boots until it's time to play. He will be a better skater for having done it.

[ahbroody 1]

I started my son of skating just before his third birthday about 6 months ago now. I refused to put him in figure skates even when the women helping teach the class started giving me crap about him not being able to push the bucket because he didnt have a toe pick. It wasnt pride or anything male. I just didnt want him learning to use a toe pick. I also didnt want him to skate in something he would only be using for a year. He will start playing at age 4. I saw no point in having him learn to skate in figure skates for a year when he would have to switch over in one year and may have to try to change habits. At 4 that would make playing even harder then I believe it needs to be. I guess it would depend on when your child was going to play hockey. Given the learning curve of toddlers I just dont see the logic in getting them to learn figure skates for 1 year then try to switch to ice when still trying to learn to skate and play at the most basic level. Now I am lucky in that our rink allows a parent taught class with a few coaches out there for the not so able parents. Some are worse then their kids. After about 4 weeks and a few pub skates he was now getting compliments from the teachers who chastised him only 2 weeks prior.

Just put him in the figure class with hockey skates, or take him to pub skates and use the center of the rink, find a new rink. Never heard of or used the goalie sharpening with my son. Also he uses a 1/2 sharpening just fine. You are going to discover that at three just getting them to skate the full hour is an accomplishment. He will not absorb much of the teaching anyway. I know my son doesnt. If you can find an interactive parent class that would be best. Very suprised your area doesnt have one.

Some other things.

Buy him the right sized skates. Dont do the he will grow into them thing. Toddler skates are cheap expecially right now, and he will benefit from the right size. My son improved a lot when I spent the time to get him the right type of skate for his foot.

Buy him a pair of pants with good butt padding. When that young if they fall and get hurt not only do they want off the ice they dont want to go back later. I padded him up from day one and he has no fear of falling.The whole they dont fall that far so dont need it is crap. My son is just like me and has managed to go ass over elbows on more than one occaassion. He wears pants but the best ass protection for little guys out there is the mission BSX youth girdle HUGE tailpad. He wears them at his rollerhockey class also.

Here is a video of my weeman at parent class. Not the best and he was tired but kinda funny.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vxfjQED8C_4...re=channel_page

[JR Boucicaut 3803]

The Niedermayers both started on figure skates (and credit it for giving them edge control)

[SolarWind 23]

I would go with hockey skates. another thing, when you get the skates sharpenned I have heard you should ask for a goalie radius for beginner skaters in order to get more blade on the ice and allow more stability.

Never heard of that, but it is a good point. Probably a shallow hallow on the cut as well?

first off profile can easily be adjusted - longer radius would give more push off & stability & would definitely help in the beginning (before agility becomes more important) - in fact easton youth skates have something they call 'stability profile' which by the looks of it actually resembles a combo - rear radius looks very long with the heel very pronounced

re shallow hollow - in my opinion absolutely not! even lighter senior skaters go with a deeper cut, and for these who are just learning to skate & can not use the edges efficiently the hollow needs to be deeeep - at least 1/2, much better 3/8

figure skating is definitely a good start - lots of edge work, certainly made my son a lot better skater (comparing with some kids that just started playing hockey right away - some of them still just run on ice, jumping from leg to leg)

I'd still use hockey skates though...

[ahbroody 1]

Interesting point JR.

However I am sure we can all agree there are players in the NHL right now with great agility who never used figure skates.

Maybe it would be good to start him out in them. It just seems odd they only have figure classes. Also that they dont have a parent taught class. You need patience especially at 3. Expect some tears and meltdowns. Part of the reason I am so big on parent taught is because I have viewed some of the classes with just teachers. The classes often get to big and you see kids standing around on the ice. The Saturday class at our rink is a friggin zoo. looked like 100+ kids on the ice with 200 tarded parents plastered to the glass and blocking doorways. For parents that cant skate or dont have patience with their kids its the only option. If you are not one of those I think you can teach your child better then a teacher as you know best what motivates them and when they are at their limit.

[metalwinger13 1]

ive heard it is better to learn to skate in figure skates so he builds up his ankle muscles.. look at all the old times.. pretty much figure skates and they skated as well as kids today basically. plus cheaper to run to play it again and find a used pair of figure skates in his size. i think the beneifts of figure skates when learning are better then hockey skates IMO.

[Jordan 13]

It's not only the Niedermayers who started in figure skates, there have been literally hundreds of accomplished hockey players who started that way. Also, most of the super high end instructors that NHL prospects get sent to in order to "fix" their skating are figure skaters.

Secondly, the very best powerskating/hockey instructors around here (Toronto) are all either former figure skaters or have incorporated a significant amount of figure skating edge work into their program.

Think about it, have you ever seen a figure skater with a funny stride, or weak cross-overs on one side, or who can't properly and efficiently skate backwards? The answer is NO.

I have an interesting perspective as I have a son playing AAA, and a daughter who is a competitive figure skater. Guess who is the better skater? I wish that I had put my son into figure skating when he was younger. In fact, while my son is one of the top skaters in his age group, almost every time I run into a kid that is as strong, he has almost invariably started in figure skating.

As for the toe pick pushing thing; that is not how figure skaters are taught how to skate. Yes, sometimes they do that, but not in dances, or competitions or skills tests, and certainly not as they build speed for a double or triple axle.

My son is in a skating/hockey camp this week with a hockey guy that has them do a ton of edge work - that is all lifted from figure skating. I was laughing today while watching all of these triple A hockey players struggle with brackets and backwards crossover rolls...my daughter could do them blindfolded. I regularly watch my daughter warm up by doing one leg skulls forwards and backwards on each leg for two or three laps of the rink each...that is all about pure edge work, not toe picks.

As for the skates...get him a pair of hockey skates also, he can go to free skates and use them and get used to both. One won't mess him up on the other.

[ahbroody 1]

wow had no idea. Now Im intrested. We dont hear about this stuff around here in Nor Cal.

What age would it be effective to put him in figure classes. Im thinking 4 or 5. probablly 5 where they have a base to work with? At 3 my son doesnt follow direction so well or at all from other people. Apparently the fact that he doesnt go to daycare means he only listens to mom or dad usually.

[Aussie Joe 0]

On a slightly unrelated note: Starting Ice again has made my edge work on inlines allot tighter and stronger. I'm also skating with my wheels on more of an angle then before. This is translating into a far more effcient stride.

[McDougalfaschnitzer 32]

I wouldn't have a problem with my kid starting out on figure skates and then moving on to hockey skates when they got used to it.

[Jordan 13]

Ahbroody:

My kids started at 2 years old; at that age all they do is walk around a little bit, but it does get them to think that they are skaters...at this age it has to be in short and sweet little episodes...sometimes my kid would be whining to go out and "play hockey" on our backyard rink: 15 minutes getting on his snowsuit, mitts, helmet and skates and 10 minutes until he wanted to go inside...never argued with it, just kept smiling.

In my experience, at 3, they can learn to shuffle around the rink. At 4 they can develop an actual stride and glide a little bit. At 5, it is simply unbelievable what some kids can do - A real stride, front cross-overs, carry the puck fairly proficiently, execute a proper hockey stop with both feet facing either direction etc.

As for the right age to start with an instructor; we started at 3 yrs old...no right answer though, i think it depends upon the child's readiness and on the instructor. Some are just much better with the little ones.

They key is to make it fun...if they are smiling they are learning!

[Esa_10 1]

Can't resist...

[jcp2 2]

I got my son hockey skates to start on when he was three, but he kept on falling backwards. He was in soft boot skates with the figure skate blade for the next year, and learned how to get up and balance on the ice. The pick was also fun for him during public sessions so he could push around the walker. This year he was five, and we put him in skating classes with the local figure skating club because they has an instructor to student ratio of 1:4 for the beginner skaters. I got him hockey skates this time. The first couple of lessons he couldn't push off well because there was no pick, but he figured that out next week. Crossovers are his next thing to learn, but there was no "damage" from the the figure skates. If anything, he built up his confidence on the ice because they are a lot easier to balance back and forth on at first. The blade is a lot flatter and it sticks out more in the back behind the boot.

The brand he used was Jackson Softec. Our friends borrow them for their kids' lessons, and our daughter will use them as she gets bigger.

[ahbroody 1]

Jordan I hear you. I posted the little youtube clip of him skating a few weeks back. He is 3 years 4 months and just skates around. He is exploring his edges though and watches what the 5 year olds do and tries to copy some of them. Thankfully balance is not a big problem.

I guess I will wait a little while till probably 4 to see how things are going and maybe put him in a figure class. Right now he prefers his roller hockey class to his ice class cause they get pucks and sticks. I just dont think at his age the figure class will work. All he wants to do is skatefast around the rink.

You guys have no idea how lucky you are to have backyard rinks. Our option is roller blades here or drop some serious coin on synthetic ice

[spin-o-rama 0]

One of the biggest myths of hockey is that figure skating will ruin your hockey stride. The opposite is the truth. It has already been mentioned that toe picking is not how a figure skater strides. Edges, agility, and balance will all be enhanced with figure skating.

For beginner skaters, the longer blade of a figure skate adds stability. If you don't like the fs look then the CCM Tyke skate has a long blade and is adjustable.

As for the transition, there are 2 adjustments your kid has to make: 1) the blade on the hockey skate is shorter and more rockered and 2) You lose the high heel. This creates the falling off the back end of the skate effect. The adjustment period is not long (think adjusting to a new pair of skates and blade profile). I remember when my oldest wore hockey skates for the first time. He fell backwards so violently that he had to hold my arm as we skated around. People thought he was a beginner. By the end of the session he was zipping all over the place. Those same people couldn't figure out how he improved so much so fast (pun intended).

That doesn't mean that you can't become a great skater by only wearing hockey skates. There is more than 1 way to skin a cat. The formula of success for my kids has been 1) CCM Tykes, 2) Figure Skates (getting used to toe picks is an adventure), 3) Hockey and Figure Skates.

[jrhky36 1]

+1 for the jackson softechs.

my son was just over 4 when he started. had alot of trouble in hockey skates. several people including my mom (us figure skating staff) and several coaches at the barn (detroit skating club) said he should be in figures. ok mom bought him figures. i was totaly against it b/c i wanted him in hockey skates. wow what a difference it made. with out the rocker he improved each time on the ice and became the the second best skater in his class. was involved in a learn to play program this last season and he was one of the better skaters.

the bigges thing to remember is to keep him in one style until he changes for good. if you go back and forth it will be harder b/c he has t otransition each time. so start him figures and shortly before hockey starts change him over t ohockey skates with enough time to adjust.

[chk hrd 164]

don't worry, if he takes figure skating lessons or wears figure skates it doesn't mean he is destined to wear a Tutu.

Like I posted earlier, figure skaters will teach him the best edge work, transitions, ect. Last night my son (15 tr old) was a at training skate. The power skating trainer was a pairs figure skater. Just watching this guy made me tired. His speed and control are amazing and my kid said it was the toughest part of the 3 circuits they were doing. Good skating is all about technique and muscle memory. If the kid is taught incorrectly in the beginning he will spend a long time skating wrong and even longer trying to correct it. If taught right he will become a good skater and just work on perfecting it.