Contributed to Players By: Eileen Peerless

Rollerblading: A Teacher's Perspective Parents often ask me: "Will rollerblading help with skating?" The answer, from a teacher's perspective, is: "It depends." If the skater is new to the ice and just learning skating techniques, the answer is yes. If the skater has been playing roller hockey and transfers to ice hockey, the answer is perhaps no. Each skater is different and each learns in a different way. For example, I have one older student who has played roller hockey and now wants to play ice hockey. I have found no bad skating habits from his roller hockey background other than his inability to effectively use the ice to generate power. But he may be the exception, not the rule. Rollerblades can be used to good advantage by the new skater. If rollerblades are used for learning a particular skill, time spent on them can be very useful. They can help with balance and learning basic skating skills such as swizzles and the technique involved in turns. Also, new wheel technology now makes it easier to apply hockey skills to roller hockey. However, bad habits can also be developed. From my experience in teaching those who have played or are playing roller hockey, I find that some skills have to be rethought and relearned. Often, what works on the pavement does not always work on the ice; what is acceptable technique in roller blades can become a bad habit in ice skates. What are some of these bad habits? Stopping by dragging a foot behind the body on an inside edge; The shoulder and body placement in a forward crossover; Stepping into the stride, as if taking a giant step forward, rather than pushing off with an inside edge; Lifting the toe off the ice with only the heel gliding on the ice; In addition, there seems to be a preference for a heel to heel half-circle turn rather than a weight transfer turn. These habits can be corrected with time, effort, and thought, but may require lessons to make sure the proper skating techniques are being learned. I remember one evening on my drive home, I was stopped in traffic. A young man approached on rollerblades. He darted between parked cars, from curb to roadway, and effortlessly made his way turning, crossing over, going forward, backward - every move performed smoothly and with utmost balance. He had a wonderful sense of body in his movements. There was not an awkward move, a slip in balance, a falter. He was as comfortable on rollerblades as someone else would be walking. When he caught sight of me watching - in rapt attention I might add - he continued his demonstration. I just stared in admiration and amazement. I have never seen anyone, before or since, with that kind of ability, agility and balance in rollerblades. I could only guess whether this ability would transfer to the ice. Then again, perhaps he already was an ice skater.