Ice Skating Lessons

Aim to:

Become ice confident and develop balance and coordination skills through structured play/nursey rhymes. Using the aid of our skating friends Sammy the Seal and Penguin Pete!

Objectives:

• Introduce non-skaters to the rink environment and establish an understanding of safety around the ice rink
• Develop and progress ice confidence
• Establish an understanding of basic ice skating techniques
• Encourage independent movement
• Develop skills through enjoyment, fun and self-discovery

Aim to:

Become ice confident and develop basic skating techniques with the support of the coach

Objectives:

• Introduce complete non-skaters to the rink environment and establish an understanding of safety around the ice rink
• Develop and progress ice confidence
• Establish an understanding of basic skating techniques
• Encourage independent movement
• Develop skills through enjoyment, fun and self-discovery

Aim to:

Eliminate any fear of the ice. Skaters must feel comfortable. Various games will be used along with skating aids and working closely with your coach to achieve this.

Competencies:

• Sit and stand on the ice
• Moving forward (basic skating)
• Two foot glide and dip
• Turning around on the spot

Aim to:

Introduce basic skating concepts. The skater should have already established an ease of movement on the ice in the previous level. The concept of lean will be introduced at this level.

Competencies:

• Moving backwards
• Half or full snowplough stop
• Two foot glide on a curve

Aim to:

Introduce the concept of extended gliding on one foot and the ability to initiate momentum, using pressure of the edge against the ice.

Competencies:

• Forward one foot glide in a straight line
• Bunny hop
• Forward and backward fishtails
• One foot glide on a curve - inside edge (L & R)

Aim to:

Make the skater comfortable with skating backwards. At this point skaters should be able to glide on both edges on a small curve in both directions.

Competencies:

• One foot glide on a curve - outside edge (L & R)
• Backwards skating and a two foot glide
• Skating forward and turning to backwards (vice-versa)
• Continuous forward power pushes

Aim to:

To introduce the crossover. The skater at this point has mastered gliding on one foot on a curve and power pushes on a circle, teaching progression for the crossover.

Competencies:

• Forward crossovers in both directions
• Backwards snowplough stop
• Backwards one foot glide
• Two foot spin (one revolution)

Aim to:

To make the skater comfortable with ice skating concepts, with the introduction of the 3-turn. At this point proper posture should be reinforced.

Competencies:

• Continuous backward power pushes
• Forward two foot slalom
• Forward outside three turn
• Backwards skating stepping forward in both directions

Aim to:

To introduce the backward crossover. The skater at this point has mastered backward gliding on one foot on a curve and backward power pushes on a curve teaching progression for the crossover.

Competencies:

• Backwards crossovers in both directions
• Forward inside 3 turn
• Continuous forward outside curves
• Continuous forward inside curves

Aim to:

Be proficient with the concept of gliding on the ice with ease. More skating turns and changes of edge are introduced.

Competencies:

• Forward inside mohawk (L & R)
• Two backward crossovers followed by a sustained backwards outside curve for a count of 3
• Two foot change of edge on a large curve
• Forward drag

Aim to:

Be proficient with the concept of gliding backwards on the ice with ease. Forward beginner cross-rolls are introduced with the goal of introducing the concept of using the outside edge to generate power for an outside edge.

Competencies:

• Forward beginner crossrolls
• Bunny hop
• Backward edges (both feet and edges)
• Two backward crossovers followed by a sustained backwards inside curve for a count of 3

Aim to:

Be able to combine many of the skills from the learn to skate programme that should have been mastered by this point.

Competencies:

• Forward and backward crossovers in a figure eight pattern
• Two foot glide in a spiralling curve
• Simple step sequence

It is recommended that you have established the fundamental in ice skating through completion of fun badges 1 to 10 before starting hockey. The more equipped you are in skill level the better ice hockey player you will become.

Class structure: 

Various drills, stick handling, puck control and games.

Aim to:

Introduce the skater to the first jump in figure skating. At this point the skater should be comfortable in skating in both directions, on both edges and be able to change direction using simple turns.

Competencies:

• Forward spiral on either foot with flow
• Bunny hop into a forward drag
• Two foot spin (min 3 revolutions)
• Three jump (waltz jump)

Aim to:

To introduce the skater to the salchow jump. Work is also done to develop the one foot spin.  At this point the skater will have already learnt the first jump in figure skating and should have a basis concept of jumping in figure skating.

Competencies:

• Backward spiral on either foot
• Tea-pot on either foot (forward or backward)
• Single salchow jump
• One foot spin with correct entry and one foot exit (min 4 revolutions)

Aim to:

To the toe-loop jump. At this stage skaters are taught the back spin position also which is the rotational position for jumping. Work is also done to develop the one foot spin further. At this point the skater will have already learnt the first two jumps in figure skating and should have a basis concept of jumping in figure skating.

Competencies:

• Backward outside one-foot spin (min. one revolution)
• One foot spin with correct entry and one foot exit (min 4 revolutions)
• Single toe-loop jump
• Combination of skating movements, turns, spins and jumps in a short routine with or without music; max 1 min 30

Our skating club aims to continue the skater’s development in figure skating by learning the next jumps and spins. Club level skaters get the chance to showcase their skills in our annual skating show and can become competitive.

Private lessons are available on request. These can be arranged weekly, fortnightly, monthly whenever suits at a day and time of your choice. The cost for private lessons is £23.00 per 30 minutes. Skate hire and practice ice is included (if needed).