Summer

Why Summer is THE Best Time to Learn to Skate

To all of the many happy and excited kids out there as another school year comes to an end, YIPPIE!  Now that summer is upon us, I strongly encourage you to use your extra 'free' time wisely and consider signing up for skating classes! For those of you who don't know how to skate; well, this is the best time to start and learn. For those of you who have already been a part of the Learn-to-Skate (LTS) program and know how to skate, I encourage you to keep up the hard work and use this summer to continue mastering and improving your skills.

As you may imagine, the skating rink is the least popular during these warmer months but that's the #1 reason to get to the rink and skate! The LTS program at your local rink runs all year round. The summer learn-to-skate classes are generally small- I have only three skaters in my current basic skills classes whereas my fall and spring classes average seven to ten skaters and winter classes average over ten skaters.  By enrolling in a summer skating program, you will receive much more individualized attention from your coach and also have more ice to practice and less students who will get in your way. Also, skating instructors and coaches are more available and offer more time to teach because many of their current students are on vacation and/or have other summer commitments. Although skating is typically a winter activity, learning to skate in the summer is a great way to stay cool in the sweltering heat and humidity.

August Break Hiatus

It’s already August and I can’t believe summer is halfway over, YIKES!… and DOUBLE YIKES!!! because I’ll be entering my junior year- THE toughest and hardest and worst year of my entire high school life as everyone warns me. Are my parents being overdramatic and trying to scare me or is this coming school year really doom for me? Well, if true, I’m thinking wouldn’t it make more sense for me to take this last month off and relax and enjoy before my nightmare begins?! I strongly believe. So, I’m going to take a short hiatus from blogging. So I will finish up my summer school assignments, take my SAT US History exam, complete my summer intern project, and of course, continue my training before I leave for National Solo Dance in several weeks. In between all this, I’m hoping to find some time to rest and relax and enjoy???

Avoid Summer Slump

Everyone looks forward to the summer but have you heard of the summer slump or summer slide? We all know it’s important to keep our child’s mind sharp and staying physically active by encouraging to learn new skills. Besides academic summer programs, have you considered signing up for basic skills skating camp and/or clinics and seminars? Skating is a great way to beat the summer heat!

The summer Learn-to-Skate programs are much more flexible in their fees and schedules given vacation times and other summer activities. There’s also less skaters on the ice so the group classes are not as crowded. In fact, I have only 2 students in my classes this summer and they’re basically getting private lessons for the price of group classes..what a deal!

Summer clinics and seminars are another great way to further improve your skating skills. This year, my skating club is offering a 5-week clinic (Jul 11 - Aug 22) with coach Steven Rice, a national-level coach and 6-time national competitor and a former Star of Ice Capades. The clinic covers jump training incl take-offs, rotations, and landings, and spin training focused on multiple spin variations. Also there will be an info session on the IJS judging system to help skaters and parents better understand how a skater is judged and learn to maximize the most points for a program. For more information, please check out the detailed schedule http://www.gardenstatesc.org/seminars-clinics/. Non-members are welcome.

Summer is a great training time to spend additional time practicing and mastering your skills. There’s much more ice time in summer so take advantage of it.

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