Does Learning to Skate Have to Be This Hard?

September is here, and Learn to Skate and Learn to Play programs are about to begin.

For thousands of children, it will be their first time stepping onto the ice.

And we'll see the same familiar scene.

Kids struggle to stand. Their feet slip out from underneath them. They fall backwards. Parents bend over and hold them up. Some children laugh and keep going. Others become frustrated or scared.

For generations, we've accepted this as simply part of learning to skate.

But what if it doesn't have to be?

Start With the Right Equipment

Parents put a lot of thought into preparing their children for skating lessons — registration, helmets, warm clothing and finding a pair of skates that fit.

But there's another question worth asking:

Were those skates actually designed for a beginner?

Traditional skates are designed to skate. That's exactly what they should do.

The problem is that a first-time skater hasn't learned how to balance on them yet.

Young children can't always explain why they're struggling. They don't know why their feet keep slipping out or why they keep falling backwards.

They just know that skating feels hard.

Parents see the struggle but often assume, that's just how you learn to skate.

A Different Way to Begin

Balance Blades were created specifically for this earliest stage of learning.

The patented blade design helps beginners:

💗 Stand & move
💗 Prevent rear falls
💗 Build confidence

The goal isn't to remove the need to learn proper skating skills.

It's to give beginners some help while they're developing those skills.

As balance and skating ability improve, Balance Blades can be transitionally sharpened toward the performance of a conventional skate blade.

The objective is simple:

Help children learn safer and sooner.

Confidence Starts With Those First Few Minutes

A child's first experience on the ice matters.

If they're able to stand, begin moving and experience some early success, they have a reason to keep trying.

If those first few minutes consist primarily of falling, being picked up and being held upright, skating can quickly become frustrating.

That's why preparing for Learn to Skate shouldn't only mean having all the required equipment.

It should mean thinking about how your child is going to experience those first few lessons.

Being Listed and Being Seen Are Two Very Different Things

There's another challenge we've experienced over the years.

Parents naturally gravitate toward the skate brands they already know.

Balance Blades have been sold through major retailers and used by beginner skaters for years. But having an innovative product available doesn't necessarily mean parents know it exists — or understand why it's different.

Being listed and being seen are two very different things.

The challenge isn't simply convincing parents they need a better skate.

It's helping them realize there is a solution to a problem they've always assumed was normal.

Before Your Child's First Lesson

If your child is starting Learn to Skate, CanSkate, Pre-CanSkate, Learn to Play or another beginner skating program this fall, take some time before that first lesson to get them ready.

Make sure their helmet fits properly. Dress them comfortably. Let them know that learning takes time.

And think about the skates they're starting on.

Because falling will always be part of learning to skate.

But repeated backward falls, fear and frustration don't necessarily have to define the beginning.

Sometimes helping a child learn isn't about asking them to try harder.

Sometimes it's about giving them equipment designed for where they are right now.

Because sometimes the problem isn't the child.

It's their skates.

Learn more about Balance Blades