Maybe I’d been watching too many reruns of Olympic figure skating or was feeling burnt out by the monotony of everyday life. I couldn’t quite pinpoint what it was, but I felt called to pursue a sport I’d never quite considered before: ice skating. I felt determined to prove to myself that I could become competent in a sport I’d never quite given a proper shot. How many of us have concluded we weren’t cut out for something, simply because we never really gave it a fair try?
My memories of skating weren’t the most positive (thanks to elementary school field trips and memories of aching feet and clinging to arena ledges). Yet those memories reminded me of another sport I once thought I’d never master: swimming. Having become a proficient swimmer through both my enjoyment and a LOT of practice, I wondered if I could develop skills in the realm of skating. My goal wasn’t to figure skate, I wanted to learn to skate and perhaps, down the line, speed skate! It sounded exciting and thrilling to think of gliding across the ice effortlessly at speed. So, the journey began. This January, I signed up for skating lessons via the Waterloo Athletics site and went shopping for skates.
Stepping onto the ice
After purchasing a pair of skates and the required CSA-approved helmet needed to participate in UW skating lessons, I vividly recall feelings of self-doubt and questioning whether this was a good idea. I was already competent in the realm of swimming, why dive into a world I’d be a total newbie? Still, I chose to set aside these thoughts and focus on the fact that most of all, I was going to have fun and learn a new skill I’d always hoped to develop.
Ice skating lessons with UW Athletics are held at the Columbia Icefield (CIF) arena and enrollment slots fill up quickly. If you’re ready to begin your learn-to-skate journey this May, visit the UW Athletics Learn to Skate Registration Portal. From there, click the sign in button beside your desired class time to sign-in with your UW credentials, sign up, and reserve a spot.
I registered for Wednesday night sessions from 8 – 9 p.m., hoping it would offer a fun activity after a day’s busy class schedule. My first day was tough, I spent the first 15 minutes clinging to the edge of the arena, entirely reconsidering my earlier ambition. Yet, as the skate instructors split us into groups depending on skill level I noticed I wasn’t alone as a beginner. We began learning to simply move slightly forwards by marching on the ice and then placing both feet down to glide. I was amazed! I was moving forwards and balancing and suddenly the sport seemed like something I could eventually gain competence in.
The skating sessions that followed saw me gain confidence, little by little as we learned to stop, do swizzle drills, turn, and do proper stroking across the ice. By the last session, I could stroke across the ice with much greater ease and confidence and was enthralled when we learned to jump upwards on the ice and land balanced on two feet.
How do we learn new motor skills?
If you’re curious about the human body’s incredible ability to learn new motor skills, let’s dive into the research and insights of neuroscience student Jeong Jun Kim, from the John Hopkins School of Medicine, who discusses the fascinating ways that the brain controls and develops new movement patterns. Kim credits his neuroscience background to supporting him in more quickly learning crossovers and skating backwards. Kim describes how one of the toughest aspects of learning to skate is that skating uses postural muscles and its “major motion is to shift weight from one foot to the other.” Postural muscles, he describes “are quite invisible to an observer, [thus] the movement is hard to emulate.” Kim also mentions that the human sense of balance “originates from the inner ear, which detects our position in space, and we sense our muscle movements through mechanoreceptors in the muscle fibers and joints that detect muscle stretch and joint angle.” Such processes are typically occurring in the background in other sports, but not during skating, forcing us to notice previously unconscious movements in order to skate and balance effectively. As Kim worked to refine his skating skills after a break, he brought awareness to his lower limb positioning, his center of gravity, and posture. Perhaps what novice skaters can learn is “to bring the unconscious parts of learning a new motor skill to the conscious forefront.”
Challenges on the ice
I would admit that some of the toughest aspects of learning included building self-confidence, breaking past past experiences with the sport, losing the fear of falling/learning to fall safely, and for me, skating felt like an intense foot and ankle workout. It’s only gradually that I’ve built up enough strength these muscles can withstand an hour of skating without needing a break mid-session. We began learning crossovers my last few sessions and although I have yet to master them, I’ve learned to laugh off the falls and not take myself too seriously when I’m trying my best.
Beginning a new experience
To any student considering giving skating — or truly any sport or novel experience a try — don’t let past fears and future worries stop you from the chance to discover something that adds joy and self-confidence to your life and university experience.
Truly, learning new sports and skills remains a process that continually enables self-reflection, develops resilience, reminds one of humility, and inspires me with the knowledge anyone holds the capacity to accomplish what seems initially impossible. As for me, I look forward to continuing advancing my skills over skating lessons this spring and perhaps tackle the next sport on my list: roller skating!
