Just for fun: DIY Adult Skating Progression

[FigureSpins]

This is just for fun - I'd like to hear what others think would be a good progression for skaters starting out as adults.

Let's pretend you have your own country filled with adults who really want to learn to skate and be Ice Dancers or Freestylists.

What progression would you plan?

You don't have to follow any organization's existing rules, curriculum or test structure.

Be creative!

[aussieskater]

Do you mean what order you'd teach the skills?  Or what badges/tests/ etc would be established?

[FigureSpins]

Either one will do - you can start with an order and maybe divvy them up into levels later.

[drskater]

Cool! This is a great idea.

I think for total beginners, I'd start with:

knee-bend exercises

falling exercises

various movements (not necessarily skating) to help newbies feel relaxed and less inhibited

simple stroking

two-foot edges and then two-foot turns

Once the skaters get more comfortable (and hopefully less stiff), we'd move on to the standard skating skill progressions.

I would also make learning crossovers more of a big deal for adults. It is very difficult for older skaters to learn these and can even be a sticking point for some.

[FigureSpins]

Cool! This is a great idea.
I think for total beginners, I'd start with:
knee-bend exercises
falling exercises
various movements (not necessarily skating) to help newbies feel relaxed and less inhibited
simple stroking
two-foot edges and then two-foot turns
Once the skaters get more comfortable (and hopefully less stiff), we'd move on to the standard skating skill progressions.
I would also make learning crossovers more of a big deal for adults. It is very difficult for older skaters to learn these and can even be a sticking point for some.

That's exactly what I was looking for, thanks. 

I'd incorporate the one-foot edges after the initial crossovers and introduce two-foot spins with the two-footed-three-turns since they both use the blade rockers.

Wht do you mean by "movements" ?

[FigureSpins]

I was really looking for skills development and progression not snack bar menus and skate rental status.

I think this thread went off-topic into the Dream Rink/Program realm.  Agnes' wonderful "Build a Rink" game was excellent for that, but I can see the fun in imagining the Adult Dream Figure Skating Center, so carry on in that vein here: http://skatingforums.com/index.php/topic,1663.0.html

Let's get back on-topic here with the discussion of what, when and how to learn skating as an adult starter.

[AgnesNitt]

Since we're talking about off-ice activities.

Learning (improving) upper body checks with paper plates off-ice.

Just put on a pair of regular boots (something that covers the ankles and has a heel) and step on a paper plate on a wood or linoleum floor. Do forward three turns. It helps get the rhythm and movement for the post turn check. Alas it doesn't work for anything else. But we are talking beginners here.

[drskater]

Wht do you mean by "movements" ?

First, I think anything that feels fun and helps skaters relax a bit (they don't necessarily need to be aware that they're learning, say, balance). I was thinking of putting on music and moving the core and arms in ways that teach stability, but not in an obvious way (like bending knees and maybe snapping fingers in rhythmn to the music). Skaters could learn what a "checked' position is before they even begin to skate; or they could learn arm/torso movements standing in place. The idea would be to teach body awareness, something that I've always struggled with as an adult learner. Hope this makes sense.

[MimiG]

I've been thinking a lot about this, and it's pretty tricky - I don't envy the committees that actually put the tests/curriculum together. I'm basing my progression mostly on the current structure and how I'd adapt it, but have a long way to go to get everything I want to get into the test structure organized in a useful way. I'll post again once I've thought on it some more.

[sk8lady]

 I think, with progressing beginning adults, I would want to include some fun not-quite-dances. It may sound dumb but I've done the Hokey Pokey with adults just to loosen people up. A lot of adult beginners are so tense through the shoulders and arms that it really impairs performance. As well, last year during our figure skating hour we started occasionally putting on specific songs either to improvise to or do expected moves to, like "All the Single Ladies" and the macarena. We got all but one of the skaters to do a skating version of the macarena going up and down the ice at a variety of paces and just waited for everyone to catch up before starting again. It was hysterical!