Skating Academy Gets Kids Ready To Play Hockey

Classes in the Health Plan of Nevada Skating Academy is in full stride at each of the three rinks in Las Vegas. Designed for kids and adults that want to become stronger skaters, the Skating Academy prepares participants to dive into hockey or figure skating with a strong foundation.
In the classes, instructors divide the skaters into smaller groups so that each person gets more attention throughout the 30-minute session. While the nuances of skating can be tedious at first, Vegas Golden Knights Senior Manager of Youth Hockey Matt Flynn said it's essential preparation to start playing hockey.
"A lot of other sports have the benefit of being able to grab a ball, go outside and start doing it," Flynn said. "Hockey has that fundamental element of skating that can be problematic so that's why we focus on being stable on your skates. That way, when we add that layer of equipment, sticks, pucks, thinking and learning the game, they're less worried about what their feet are doing and more focused on learning to play hockey."

While the classes are dedicated to improving skating skills, the team of instructors at each class focuses on making the classes fun for all involved. Through playing music and engaging kids in different activities, the teachers at the Skating Academy make fun a priority while kids learn something that Flynn says is "unnatural at first."
"It's not the easiest set of skills," Flynn said. "We don't want kids to be so excited about playing hockey that they skip the skating part only to realize that they don't skate as well as the rest of their classmates."
When kids graduate from the Skating Academy and are ready to move on to organized figure skating or hockey, familiarity on the ice is key for two reasons. Getting comfortable on the ice is something that Flynn said comes with time. Seeing familiar faces on the ice as a child rises through the ranks of youth hockey develops friendships and can create a more encouraging, team-building environment.
"Kids are a lot more intuitive than we give them credit for sometimes and they don't want to be the worst at something," said Flynn. "They don't want to struggle or feel like they have to go backwards developmentally."
When a child sees the Vegas Golden Knights play, it doesn't take long for a young boy or girl to idolize the players on the ice and want to be just like them as he or she starts playing hockey. Given the popularity of goalie Marc-Andre Fleury, many kids in Nevada may look to goaltending as their preferred position as they start playing hockey. Flynn said having kids want to play goalie is great for the development of the game, but that kids and parents alike should recognize how important skating is to even the goalie position.
"Even goalies build a foundation on their skates," Flynn said. "Fleury still has to skate, and he has those core fundamentals that everyone has to learn."
New sessions of the Health Plan of Nevada Skating Academy begin every eight weeks at City National Arena, Las Vegas Ice Center and Sobe Ice Arena. Parents looking to sign their children up for should contact their
local rink.