21M Beginner – Regular LTS vs. Adult LTS

[hope_skate]

the games can work to help relax nervous adults, the kind who’s terrified to let go of the wall after they reluctantly step on the ice.
I’ve seen coaches at my home rink use games, even with objects like cones, or sledding toys (penguins , snowman, they must collect the penguins and bring them to the snowman etc) when working privately with adult students who were too scared to participate in the beginner adult classroom because even in the first class, letting go of the wall and marching from one side of the rink to the other is required, and the results were positive.
I don’t see why gamification couldn’t be used in adult beginner lessons as well.

yep! one of my fav games in my group lessons is playing tag. so basically we would have 2 teams - one chasing, one getting away. you have to avoid being tagged. If you're tagged, you have to sit (basically sit squat). So much fun and helped a lot with our control on our skates and our knee bends. to make sure we don't get carried away with speed, he cordoned off the area so we only move within a small area (so that we won't build too much speed to avoid high speed collisions/falls)

It can! But some adults hate it, so just pointing it out to be aware of.

But you are also right. I am a bit more chill and have a take-it-slow approach to the lessons. But I can imagine for those highly motivated and crave structure, the games can feel very frustrating.

 

[Diana Delafield]

yep! one of my fav games in my group lessons is playing tag. so basically we would have 2 teams - one chasing, one getting away. you have to avoid being tagged. If you're tagged, you have to sit (basically sit squat). So much fun and helped a lot with our control on our skates and our knee bends. to make sure we don't get carried away with speed, he cordoned off the area so we only move within a small area (so that we won't build too much speed to avoid high speed collisions/falls)


But you are also right. I am a bit more chill and have a take-it-slow approach to the lessons. But I can imagine for those highly motivated and crave structure, the games can feel very frustrating.

And also more introverted adults feel embarrassed and ridiculous when chivvied to play games like that with a group of children, and quit the group lessons as a result. Unless I were privately teaching a few of my own grandchildren, I wouldn't take part in kids' games of that kind myself. But then, I've been skating all my life with always private lessons, so adult beginners, and group lessons for any age, are foreign territory to me.

 

[LolaSkatesInJapan]

“yep! one of my fav games in my group lessons is playing tag. so basically we would have 2 teams - one chasing, one getting away. you have to avoid being tagged. If you're tagged, you have to sit (basically sit squat). So much fun and helped a lot with our control on our skates and our knee bends. to make sure we don't get carried away with speed, he cordoned off the area so we only move within a small area (so that we won't build too much speed to avoid high speed collisions/falls)”

That sounds like a lot of fun and effective!

I think one can be very serious and motivated, and at the same time know when it’s time to loosen up and relax, in order to achieve something.

When I have the “building blocks “ of a certain skill figured out, and practice repetition to create muscle memory and improve its technique/flow/maturity, oh yes, I’m very serious, no laughing/fooling around, just focus and concentration, repeating it over and over.
However when learning something brand new, I tried once, twice, twenty times, failed 100%, start getting stiff, tense, tired and VERY frustrated, even though I’ve theoretically understood what I’m supposed to do, either it’s fear or something else mental is preventing me from getting it right even once, (everyone knows mental plays a huge part on this sport) time to take a break, loosen up, and for me personally, playing around, laughing with someone being funny and turning the whole thing into a game, will help me.
I finally got my over extended back leg lunge into a knee glide right by playing/fooling around two 10 year olds novice level who are also members of our club, who started attempting to do it, falling and rolling on the ice, and laughing hard about it, and by loosening it up, laughing with them and being funny, got it!!! Our coaches are angry and strict, but we have twenty minutes to do whatever we want before private club practice.
Maybe other adults think it looks ridiculous/silly/childish, so be it, each person feels differently but for me personally I do whatever it takes and being loose, relaxed and funny/childish, is part of it