Teaching my Daughter to skate

[Panter]

Any tips?

We've got her a basic pair of in-line skates for her Birthday in a Weeks time as she's been pestering for some for a long time.

She'll be 7, but she has a fairly poor sense of balance and is very nervous of things that aren't stable, if that makes sense.

I've had a Google, and there seems to be plenty of advice out there but as someone who's only life-long skating experience involved more time violently slamming into ice than wobbling round on it as a kid, I quickly lost interest and don't know what advice is the best.
Is there a good website someone could point me too that offeres sound advice I can pass on to her?



Also, she has a full set of pads for her bike which she can wear, and a helmet but doesn't have any gloves. I couldn't find any skating type gloves in Decathlon, surely she'll need some as her hands will go down first in a fall or am I just being paranoid? any recommendations?

 

[ChrisKH]

I'm sure BentMikey will have some tips and there must be somewhere your daughter can have some basic training (apparently they have training for Heelies not far from where I live). I suspect also that your daughter will need something more supportive on the wrist than gloves; I've been looking at Heely protection for my sons and the pad kits come with a wrist type glove with a steel/plastic plate which covers the palm/wrist to stop wrist injuries when you falling over. Again Mikey should be able to fill in the gaps.

 

[BentMikey]

Yep, getting at least some wrist guards (with a splint) and kneepads is a must. We all fall sooner or later, no matter how good a skater.

I would get her padded up, with her skates on, and on your lawn. That way she can walk and balance on her skates without the fear of rolling and falling on hard concrete or tarmac at first. It's important that all areas she's on are clear of things to fall on and perfectly flat. NO HILLS, not even the slightest slope at all.

Get her to bend her ankles so that her knees are vertically over her toes and shoulders over her knees. This is important for all the time she's standing in her skates, and will help to prevent the windmill of death and falling over backwards that you often see on you've been framed. Now get her to walk like a duck on the grass. This isn't skating, but it is close enough to help the learning process.

I'm not sure I'm willing to give further advice over the internet because of the risk of injury, so instead I'll suggest calling round all your local leisure centres, someone down there will likely run a skating session with lessons. If not, there's Eastbourne or London albeit a bit far.

 

[bonj2]

I'm not sure I'm willing to give further advice over the internet because of the risk of injury loss of profit, so instead I'll suggest calling round all your local leisure centres me

hmmm...

 

[pzycoman]

hmmm...I wonder what all these funny thingys are on the screen

This game is fun!

 

[Panter]

Thanks Guys

The pads she has contain wrist protectors. She's not worn them yet as they looked too restrictive for cycling. IIRC they come part way down the back of her hand and over the wrist, towards the forearm. I'll have a look when I get home.

I didn't even know you could get skate lessons, I'll look into what the leisurecentre offers.

Thanks for those tips Bentmikey, that'll at least get her started the last thing I want is a painfull floor/daughter interface that'll put her off for good.

 

[buggi]

if you can't get roller lessons, how about ice skating lessons. it's the same principle.

 

[domtyler]

Yep, getting at least some wrist guards (with a splint) and kneepads is a must. We all fall sooner or later, no matter how good a skater.

I would get her padded up, with her skates on, and on your lawn. That way she can walk and balance on her skates without the fear of rolling and falling on hard concrete or tarmac at first. It's important that all areas she's on are clear of things to fall on and perfectly flat. NO HILLS, not even the slightest slope at all.

Get her to bend her ankles so that her knees are vertically over her toes and shoulders over her knees. This is important for all the time she's standing in her skates, and will help to prevent the windmill of death and falling over backwards that you often see on you've been framed. Now get her to walk like a duck on the grass. This isn't skating, but it is close enough to help the learning process.

I'm not sure I'm willing to give further advice over the internet because of the risk of injury, so instead I'll suggest calling round all your local leisure centres, someone down there will likely run a skating session with lessons. If not, there's Eastbourne or London albeit a bit far.

Wot no free lessons?

 

[TimO]

Like Mike says, the wrist guards are a must. When you fall over, you tend to put your hands out to stop yourself, and when you hit it can cause hyperextension of the wrist. If you're unlucky you end up with two broken wrists. This would be a bad thing, since think of all the things you can't do with two wrists which won't be usable for quite a while.

The wrist guards don't really protect your hands (although they tend to do this as well), their primary function is to stop your wrists breaking.

It's very easy to fall over when you're trying to learn to skate. I'm far from being a competent skater (hell, I'm hopeless), but I've skated a fair amount of time, and I'll regularly fall over. There's a school of thought that if you don't fall over, you're not trying hard enough.

If you fall over in a reasonably controlled manner, and you're wearing knee pads and wrist guards at a minimum, it will probably barely hurt, and you can be up and skating again in seconds.

This is not medical/legal/safety advice, I'm not trained to give training in any sort of sports, I've just fallen over a number of times, your child is your responsibility etc

 

[Kirstie]

Why do I keep reading this thread title as 'tying my daughter to the stake'?

You don't have to answer, by the way...

 

[Panter]

Why do I keep reading this thread title as 'tying my daughter to the stake'?

You don't have to answer, by the way...

Ok then I won't. Doh, just did


Thanks peeps, the ice skating lessons are a good idea, its just a bit of a trek to my nearest rink although the local leisure centre don't offer lessons so it may be worth a go.

I think the wrist guards she has will be fine. They look to offer good protection and she won't be leaping off any railings just yet!

Just need to find some gloves now