Why it's Important to Fall

If you go to any beginner skating lesson you'll notice that classes spend a lot of time falling down and getting up. One of the main reasons that kids can progress a lot faster than adults is also because they are afraid to fall, the fear of falling is certainly understandable though

I have had many parents approach me about seeing if there is a way for their child to learn to skate without falling and skate aids are a very popular item at rinks. Just like in life though, without falling at some points you'll never be able to succeed or skate well.

Falling when you are learning quickly teaches you better body awareness and how far you can lean and position your body. You'll notice kids that use skate aids will often be hunched over or have their skates in a position where it's not possible to stand without the skate aid. This is not teaching them anything.

If you decided to pursue skating further and go into hockey or figure skating, you are going to be falling a lot. Figure skaters and hockey players fall multiple times at practice and they are usually going at high speeds and sometimes in awkward positions. They rely on their numerous falls tat they have taken when learning to skate to be able to safely fall in almost any position.

If you are teaching a child to skate try and embrace falling. If you are an adult learning to skate practice falling a couple of time off ice in you skates. You may wish to buy some equipment and practice at a standstill when you're at the rink as well.