Last Updated on Tuesday, 26 November 2013 16:50
By Diane Ness
Having good balance is essential to becoming a good skater. Balance is the key to every skating skill you will learn as you get older (notice the professionals in the photos).
As all of the Mite teams are in full swing, some of the practice time should really be focused on balance and edges because that is the foundation of skating. How can young skaters gain better balance? What kind of drills can we do to help accomplish this? How much time should we dedicate towards balance and edges? These are the questions each coach should ask themselves when developing a practice plan.
Perfecting balance begins at the Mite level. Mites should start with a two-foot glide, eventually progressing to a one-foot glide. The first step when the skaters get on the ice is to get them moving right away. Each skater should skate straight ahead, get some speed and hold their skate in a glide position in a straight line. The key is to make sure the skater is on the solid part of their blade, not rocking back and forth. The skater should also be on the “flat” of the blade making sure he/she is not switching from outside to inside edge.
An easier way to do this with a very beginning skater is to take their stick and pull them ahead. This way, they will have enough speed to actually get in a glide position; otherwise the youngster may basically just be marching without any glide at all. Keep your ears open because sound resonates and you will be able to hear an “out of balance” skate blade. Remember to remind the skaters to bend their knees and keep their head, chest and shoulders up.
Coaches should really get involved at this age as well. Whether it’s pulling the skater with a stick or helping the skater move while holding their hands, the coaches are encouraged to get the kids actually moving rather than just marching. If skater cannot provide enough speed to do a one-foot glide, the coach can provide the speed for them. This will help the skater gain balance by “feel” rather than just telling them what to do.
You can tell a 4-year-old to glide on one-foot but that probably won’t happen. What will happen is the skater will pick up his/her foot and put it down immediately. When you provide a little speed by pulling the skater, he/she will actually be able to hold one foot in the air for an extended period of time. This way, we can now get the skater to feel what it is like to have to balance on one foot while manually going faster than they physically go themselves.
Some drills to help with balance are knee touches forward and backward, two-legged knee drops, stomach slides, dips, jumping over sticks, 360-degree turns and basically anything that will get your younger skaters to challenge their balance. A great time to work on these basic skills is durning a warm-up at the beginning of practice.
The key to improvement is being consistent and dedicating a lot of repetition to challenge the skaters. As the skaters get better, the coach can continue thinking of new ways to challenge the skaters. If done consistently, especially at a young level, you will notice a lot of improvement in a short amount of time.
Remember, Mite coaches, you are the first and most critical in your skaters’ young hockey development. Make sure to get active and as involved as you can to help these young skaters.
Diane Ness has been a full-time professional skating coach for over 35 years. She has coached both figure skaters and hockey players alike and is a former U.S. gold medalist in figure skating. She is the Director for the Pro Edge Power hockey camps and the Learn to Skate program at Highland Park Arena. Ness is the skating coach for the New Jersey Devils, the University of Minnesota men’s and women’s hockey teams and the U.S. Women’s Olympic Hockey Team. She has trained players in the NHL, AHL, NCAA, USHL and NAHL.
