Sep 6, 2012

Back from vacation

Watching kids get back on the ice after a long, hot, skating-free summer gives you a whole new perspective on the concept of "slip 'n' slide."

For the elite, competitive kids, it's simple, because in fact summer isn't vacation time. Quite the opposite. Summer is preseason and one of the busiest training periods of the year. A lot of serious, competitive kids, but not in the elite or near-elite ranks, also spent a good part of the summer training several hours a day. But even they may have taken the last couple of weeks, or even month, before school on family vacation, or just hanging out in the sun.

And the "class" kids? The class kids have completely forgotten where the ice rink is.

This is not to say they don't want to skate again. Now that school has started, it's a place to hang with friends, and a fun thing to do after school. They're starting to remember about the Christmas ice shows for which you have to be enrolled. Their new best friend at school skates too, and now they want to skate together.

So off they go to class, and it's slip 'n' slide time, for the kid who had just about figured out crossovers. What to do.

Skate at your level
Did your skater barely pass Alpha and then stop skating for two and a half months? Take Alpha again. It won't kill her, and it'll be a good lesson in retaining knowledge, and the work that entails. There's nothing worse than a supposed Beta class full of Alpha skaters who can no longer hold a one foot glide, and their parents, standing in the door and complaining that "he already learned crossovers LAST year."

Skate at your level, part two
Did your skater not pass Alpha, but since she took it, you decide you're just going to pass her on your own? Please don't do this. It's unfair to the skater, the coach, and everyone else in the class. Skate at your level. I promise on my solemn honor that taking Alpha twice (or three times, or four), will not affect her ability to get into Harvard.

Skate
If you're going to wimp out and have Princess move up a level because she stomps her little feet, or her best friend is in the more advanced class, or the time is more convenient, or you like the coach (what excuses have I missed) you need to start going to the rink just to skate. After school, on the weekends, on your days off, if you have any. Doesn't have to be a lesson, and she doesn't have to "practice." Just get her back on the ice, a lot.

Cram
If your skater really did pass that level, and you really think she'll be fine in the more advanced class, don't leave it to chance. Do lessons for a month, or a couple a week for a couple of weeks. Tell the coach that you are doing this specifically to make sure she's ready for the class you want her to take.

Freestyle
Freestyle skaters who are not in serious training (serious training = 10+ hours per week, where even during your down time you're skating a couple times a week), have a special obligation, because jumping is dangerous when you're not in shape or in practice. If you're a serious, but not competitively training skater, then you need not only to follow the advice above, you also need to get back into shape. Even when you're spending a month at the beach, you need to continue your off-ice regimen of strength, cardio and off-ice jumping. Otherwise you're going to be learning that axel all over again.

Don't forget the practical stuff
Make sure the skates still fit, and that the blades are clean, sharp and rust-free. Ditto the skating clothes. Scrounge up the gloves, the leggings, and the skating jacket, and put them in a skating bag so it's always ready. (Please don't send your skater to class outfitted for Everest. It's not that cold in a rink.) If you're going to spend a lot of time at the rink, see if there are any available lockers so you don't have to haul the skates around. Renew the annual pass for public ice. Renew your Basic Skills or ISI membership.

I guess I should have posted this 2 weeks ago, but I was too busy wringing the last of the summer out of the slip 'n' slide.

21 comments:

  1. Thanks Xan! It's coming into summer here, but this will be really useful for me when I return from my five-month skating break (only 8 weeks to go!)

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  2. My personal favorite pet peeve are the coaches who don't want to deal with a wide range of skill levels post-summer break, so they "promote" the kids who have taken the level once up to the next level regardless of whether or not the kid has the skills necessary to complete the lower level. Ugh, drives me nuts and puts me in an awkward position because bouncing the kid back and forth makes the skater feel bad. At these levels, it's almost equally important to encourage and boost morale while also ensuring that the kid has a solid foundation to be successful at higher levels.

    What would you do if placed in this situation?

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    1. Yeah, I call it "cuting" the kid up. Complain to the skating director, complain to ISI, try to get into a different class or a different rink (not always feasible I know). Worst case scenario is the skater takes the level again.

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  3. Annual ice pass? Does that mean your rink lets you buy a pass similar to a gym or Y instead of paying each time? Ours doesn't offer that and I've wondered if other rinks did and how if it worked well.

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  4. Yes, annual passes are for public skating and allow you access at any public session. I have never heard of a rink in the US that didn't do this, or read in industry publications anything indicating that this is something to think about doing (which indicates that everyone is already doing it). Does anyone else skate at a rink that doesn't allow public skating passes?

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    1. Yes, at least two. One rink we skate at used to (may still) have all you can skate passes that can be purchased each session with the skating school. The other does the same for the sessions during the rehearsals for annual holiday show. My daughter is doing a lot more public this year as she is leaving school early. An annual pass for us would be great, but paying for each will still be a small fraction of the price for freestyle. Hope she's able to focus well on public ice!

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    2. Ours has a monthly public pass. $60

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    3. Ours doesn't have an annual pass - wish they did! They have punch cards - 10 public skates for $40.

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    4. Most of the rinks we skated at (all in California) didn't have annual passes. Or any kind of discount for frequent skaters :-(

      Maria, mom of 2 skaters: Pre-pre and Basic 5

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    5. There's a chain of 3 rinks here in Phx. that offer passes -- they cover adult skate as well as public; I estimate it saves me about $200 - $300 /yr. As far as I know the other 3 rinks in Phx. don't offer passes.

      None of the rinks in Portland (OR) offer passes.

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    6. Seems crazy-- maybe this is a phenomenon of areas like ours where there are lots and lots of options for skating.

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  5. One rink that I know of in St. Louis does annual public skating passes (Webster Groves).
    It is more common to see punch cards, where you get a discount for paying for ice up front. A couple rinks do this for freestyle sessions, but it is done for public sessions as well.

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  6. Our area's average is 10 public skates for $60-$70. We always take an advantage of free practice sessions that come with group lessons.

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  7. Xan - what would you suggest for skaters who are off the ice for 5-6 months due to an injury? It's a foot injury so even stretching is painful. My skater is quickly losing her flexibility and putting on some weight and getting taller. She will be a totally different skater physically when she returns. PT addresses keeping muscles equal and getting strength. ~Meg We are thinking of it as a forced long summer. There is also a little depression - she misses skating very much. I have been filling her with activities but none are physical and she is allergic to chemicals in public pools so swimming is out.

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    1. Talk to the physical therapist, but there should be lots of sport-specific off-ice exercises she could do. Once she does return, she should gear it up slowly, and under the supervision of a coach with good knowledge of rehabbing skaters.

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  8. Interestingly, my older ("serious") daughter was awfully sloppy after a 2 week vacation with grandparents during which she skated a couple of times on public. It took her time to get somewhat better, and she is still not as good as she was after a summer spent training. However, my youngest ("class kid") is doing just fine after 3 weeks of no skating at all. I expected her to forget how to do a 3-turn, but she is doing everything as if she never had a vacation.

    Maria, mom of 2 skaters: pre-pre and Basic 5

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    1. There's a "sweet spot" when you're learning sports, most often in the "upper lower" levels, where your body has figured out what to do and, like bicycle riding, you will be able to do it forever. Once you hit the more complex skills, however, proficiency can take a nose dive if you don't keep at it.

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  9. Anonymous at 2:53
    Do you have any salt water pools in your area? We've had friends who do fine in salt water pools that don't tolerate chlorine.

    Our daughter was out for 4 weeks with a broken big toe this summer. She is also a competitive swimmer, and the podiatrist told her it would be great to keep on swimming--just no competing because of the starts and turns. She swam every day and I was very thankful she could keep doing something active.

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  10. The PT only wants her to do her assigned exercises..so she will keep with it. The rest of the exercise is supposed to be "normal kid playing". I don't have a normal kid. She is competitive. If she runs or walks or bikes she wants to be the fastest and go the furthest. She doesn't know "normal."~Meg

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    1. If I had a dollar for the PTs and doctors I have had to suffer through, who don't understand the special needs of athletes, well, I'd have enough money to pay for all the doctors at PTs you see when your kid is an athlete, lol.

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  11. I totally know what you mean about the sweet spot. I'm an adult skater (low FS). I seem to not be able to break out of that sweetspot...very frustrating! Take me skating or not, I look about the same :( On the contrary my 8-year-old DD, FS4 working on pre-pre, was hugely frustrated with her skating after her 2week summer break was over! She's back on track and improving fast now :)

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