Should i be this disheartened so early??

Question

Hello, i started skating lessons just a few weeks ago and i was really really enjoying it at the start. Today i had a lesson and i dont know why really but i feel quite disheartened. I felt good about todays lesson because i had been practising all week so i knew i was able to do the tasks we had to perform, but i got onto the ice and it felt like i couldnt skate at all, i dont know whether the ice was more slippery, i had to change my rental skates twice because they were totally blunt (much to the annoyance of the skate hire girl..oops) but it felt different today anyway. I learned some new techniques which i picked up quick so its not that im not interested and i dont want to do it but maybe i feel like i cant do it. I also feel as though the instructor doesnt really teach us, just shows us and we copy. Ive had in mind some skates i want for a while but now i think maybe i shouldnt bother getting them, what should i do, should i give up or just consider this a bad day???

Answer 1

Hey Hunny, Everyone has bad days, everyone gets disheartened... you really shouldn't let it get you down... i remember when i first started skating (almost 18 years ago now) i loved it but i'd get so frustrated at the slightest things!!.... and sometimes, i still do now!! (if it wasn't for my skating partner i probably would have given up more than once!!)

Your blades didn't help by the sound of things, most rinks have sharpening facilities, ask politley if they could pull out the stops and actually use them!!, you shouldn't have to be changing your skates twice!!

You say that you feel you can't do it... you obviously can, being as you picked up on the things easily and your obviously enjoying it as you said you have been practicing all week.

I'm sure if you have a quiet word with your instructor he/she will be happy to help, just explain that you'd like it if they could go through it verbally with you a few times instead of just showing you how it's done and leaving you get on with it.

As for those skates... i'd say get them! .. i have never been able to get on with rental skates, they hate me!.....there is nothing better than your own skates (well, after they have broken in!!... when you first buy them, break out the plasters!) they will become as comfortable as your shoes, take the shape of your feet, you'll find that your skating will improve (personal oppinion) and your feet will thank you for it!

best of luck with your skating, but please, don't give up... you'll love it!!

j x

Answer 2

First of all, everyone has days when they get on the Ice and think that they can't do anything, it even happens to people who have skated for years. One week you can do something, the next week you look like Bambi on Ice.
Definitely buy your own skates though! I wouldn't recommend buying second hand skates due to the fact that the more you wear them, the more they kind of mould to your feet, so a second hand pair are likely to be uncomfortable, which doesn't help when you're trying new things. Make sure any skates you buy are solid enough to support your ankle, otherwise you'll go onto your inside edges, not good when your trying to skate in a straight line. For a beginners pair I'd recommend Risport RF4's. Perfect for simple moves.
I did the SkateUK programme about 4 years ago and I flew through the first four or five grades, but then took a few weeks to master a certain move (I'm still not comfortable doing inside left 3 turns!!!) but once you master it, you get a massive sense of achievement. I have to say the coaches I had were excellent. They really spent time going through technique as well as the skill (I suggest really bending your knees, helps with EVERYTHING!)
Don't give up, and more importantly don't compare yourself to everyone else, some people progress quicker, some slower, it doesn't matter as long as you get there in the end!

Answer 3

hey hannah
when you start skating even when you've been skating for a long time i find that you usually take two steps forwards and one step back, like one lesson or practise your great and then suddenly you feel like you cant do it at all!
but one thing is for sure; dont let one bad practise stop you skating! i know that when you have a bad time you feel like there is no point in doing it anymore but don't worry! i would deffinately get your own skates, they are imcomparable to the rental skates they are so much better because you can become more consistent in your skating if your using the same skates which are sharp and have only been worn by you. its worth it. also if you feel that about your coach is there any chance of changing coaches? Don't give up though! Good Luck
xoxox

Answer 4

were you feeling bad because you couldn't do it or just kinda blah about the whole thing?

I get days when my body and my skates just don't want to do anything right. probably everyone does at some point. try not to stress out or worry about it too much. maybe you should relax and forget about skating for a couple of days, if possible, and when you come back, forget about practicing for a while and just have fun.

are all the rental skates at your rink really blunt? because if they are, you might consider politely telling the rink management people that. because it's in their best interest to keep the skates sharp enough to be used properly.

there is a limit to how advanced you can get in rental skates. at some point you're going to need your own skates if you want to go on.

maybe your instructor is used to teaching people with a visual memory who need to see it before they can do it. if you need a different kind of instruction, maybe you should see if there's a class you can go to with a different instructor. or maybe you should think about getting a private coach (if you want to go on to the higher levels, especially. although if you started just a few weeks ago, you shouldn't need private lessons yet).

I hope this helps you. good luck!

i

Answer 5

Don't give up! It's only one of your first lessons, don't worry. As for the skates, that happens. Tons of people use those things! They are very dull. If you really feel that you want to continue with the sport then buy the skates!
OK, the coach thing is true. They do just show you and you copy. Until you get a private coach, that's just the way it is.
Keep going, you'll get better! Good luck!

Answer 6

you're learning a new skill and obviously at the start you made great progress, and saw real results. Perhaps your balance improved, and your speed, and that really made you excited about the lessons. However, as with learning any new skill, you go through phases where you "plateau", meaning that you don't seem to make as much progress as before. That happens a lot with people who go on diets, they lose a lot of weight straight away and then nothing for a few weeks, even though they're on the diet. However, then things kick in again and the weight comes off. I suspect you're at a phase where you're not learning new stuff but all the practice is making you a stronger skater, although you don't realise it.
I'd stick with it, if I were you. Have a few more lessons before you change your mind. Heck, you must be a better skater now than when you started, so persist with this. Will we see you on "Dancing on Ice" next year, I hope?

Answer 7

Dont quit(unless you hate it)
I had to take 2 classes twice, but its always better the 2nd time.
First, Rental skates are no good.
Second, maybe its because you are shy to skate in front of people. You see everyone else doing it and wonder to youself, "Can i do THAT well"
In that case, just hitting the ice and practicing over and over again. "
Bring a friend to cheer you on(and will HONEST):
that way when you are at class, you will remember that you did suck.

And ask for help when you practice. Most skaters are happy to help!!!!

TRUST ME the first lessons are hard. But when you advance and look back on the lessons you took you realize that all your effort has brought you to somwhere much higher.

And when you start to get to backward crossovers, you feel SOOOO good. Like bird, flying.


Dont give up!

Answer 8

Don't give up. Skating is fun. It takes a while to get your "skate legs."
I took ice skating in Phys Ed while a college student. I am a klutz but got through it with a passing grade.
Definitely buy a pair of ice skates. Look for a pro shop. A good fit is very important.
You can put blade guards on an walk around at home in the skates. It helps break in the skates, helps with your balance and helps tune up your leg muscles.

Answer 9

You're just having a bad day. You normally enjoy it and its good for you so dont give up because one day is bad. Buy your own skates that you want and you wont have problems with public ones again.
Also we have hormone swings and it sounds as though your having a hormone peak or low and in a few days or week you'll feel fine. These are just part of life.
Carry on and if you feel your instructor isnt teaching you anything after a few more weeks skate for fun or find a new instructor.

Answer 10

You should consider this last day a bad day. When learning new skills or for some people it can just get frustrating at times. If you just quit you won't know how much you really like it. The ice could have been more slick than normal if they Zamboni had just been on which makes the ice feel slick and many beginning skaters don't like it. Some days for me aren't quite as good as others and I just have to keep moving and know that sometimes that you will have a bad day. As long as you enjoy it most of the time just know that there are some days that aren't as good as others and look back on the good days!