Re: Empowering/Embarrassing Lessons & Practices 6/30-7/6
<strong>Rachelstarlet</strong> - The fact that you have hockey skaters on your ice makes me think that you are probably going to public skates or some other types of sessions that high freestyle skaters would avoid. At your current level, this may work out o.k. (as long as they aren't <em>too</em> crowded or <em>too</em> dangerous). But it may explain why you aren't seeing many higher level skaters.
You might want to ask your coach about what other sessions are available--not to skate during them, but to come watch part of a session where the more seasoned skaters are practicing. It is both motivating and humbling to see how <em>fast</em> and how <em>effortlessly</em> many of them seem to skate. It just allows you to see how skating progresses to be more and more beautiful.
No matter what your level, it is important to find the practices that are most suitable to you. If you found yourself the sole beginniner on ice full of advanced skaters, you probably would be very intimidated and possibly it would be dangerous, as advanced skaters tend to assume that everyone can get out of their way quickly. As you get more seasoned, you automatically "know" all of the patterns that people tend to follow when they're practicing Moves in the Field, dances, and even different lines for double and triple jumps. So when an advanced skater veers suddenly, you would anticipate it and not skate into that path. Hopefully (but not always), the advanced skaters should be doing the same for you. But I find it's easier to skate with people who are closer to doing the things that I am. (In fact, see my "Big Fall" reference above for what happens when people don't or can't anticipate patterns.)
When I first started back to skating after 30 years off the ice, I rightfully went to the Adult Public Skate sessions. The problem was, I turned out to be the most advanced and fastest person on the ice. Luckily, we only have 7 - 12 people at any given time. But I quickly noticed that people were frightened to death of me because they were so unused to anyone having power or speed. I made sure that I made friends with everyone right away and explained that they didn't need to go "running" out of my path, that they had paid for the ice same as me and were entitled to do what they were doing, and in fact if they remained predictable, I had the ability to "get out of their way" by anticipating their flight path, so not to worry. Up until the big fall yesterday, I have never run into anyone (and in fact, she ran into me), and that was a super odd circumstance because I had already passed her and for all practical purposes, we should not have been in each other's way.
Anyway, didn't mean to make this so long (or preachy), but I'm very excited about the progress you have made and I love your posts because they remind all of us of the wonder of trying--and then successfully doing--something new. Hopefully that feeling will never leave you (it hasn't left me yet!) and you will continue to enjoy skating for the rest of your life!
). So that is all a good thing.
"> It's always something stupid. But ouch, sometimes those are the ones that hurt the most.
