My daughter starts skating tomorrow! | Golden Skate

My daughter starts skating tomorrow!

Victoria77

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Jun 18, 2017
Hello everybody!

My daughter has her first skating lesson tomorrow and I want to get advice on how to dress. I'm going to have my daughter wear her knee length puffer coat with a fleece jacket and puffer vest underneath. She will also have on snow pants, gloves, and a hat. I'm planning on dressing similarly. What advice do you Skate Moms have for dressing for the rink?

Victoria
 

karne

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Dreadful idea! In a knee length coat she won't be able to move properly and it will make getting up from falling over really hard.

She - and you - will roast alive in that getup. Yes, it will be cold - but not as cold as you think. The fleece jacket will be more than enough, and snow pants are definitely not required. Make sure the gloves have fingers, not mittens.

The advice that I - a skater, not a "skate mom" - have is that overlayering can actually make life harder, not easier.

Please put thin socks on her as well, not thick ones.
 

Ic3Rabbit

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Light socks, sweatpants, fleece jacket, and gloves (with fingers as said above) will be fine for your daughter.
You (mom) personally will be sitting and not doing much of anything (unlike your daughter) so you may want to add a puffer jacket OR a Puffer vest, and gloves.


I've lived the last 31 years of my life in ice rinks all around the world for skating just FYI.
 

Victoria77

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Jun 18, 2017
@karne Thank you for your advice! I'm afraid that since it's her first day my daughter may not be moving around as much so she won't be generating as much heat. Do you think I would overheat just sitting there for an hour?
 

Ic3Rabbit

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@karne Thank you for your advice! I'm afraid that since it's her first day my daughter may not be moving around as much so she won't be generating as much heat. Do you think I would overheat just sitting there for an hour?

I just replied to you about what you should be wearing. :)
 

Victoria77

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Jun 18, 2017
@Ic3Rabbit Thanks for your advice! I'm afraid to dress her lightly because she's just starting, so I doubt she'll be moving around a lot less than other skaters.
 

el henry

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@karne Thank you for your advice! I'm afraid that since it's her first day my daughter may not be moving around as much so she won't be generating as much heat. Do you think I would overheat just sitting there for an hour?

Hi, pardon me for jumping in, finally a question maybe I can answer, since it's just about sitting in rinks. But I'm afraid it won't be much help, it depends on the rink and your own tolerance for cold. Some are arctic, arctic, arctic, and others are not. Have you been to this rink and do you know how cold it is? What is your tolerance?

You might need a long coat to make uncomfortable bleachers easier to sit on;)
 

Ic3Rabbit

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@Ic3Rabbit Thanks for your advice! I'm afraid to dress her lightly because she's just starting, so I doubt she'll be moving around a lot less than other skaters.

Trust me, the clothing items you stated above are way too much and she's going to be overheated, overweighed and not be able to move properly. I was an (elite) skater and work in the sport now and know what is proper for each level. She will be fine with what both myself and karne suggested for her to wear.
 

mrrice

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Jul 9, 2014
Do you think I would overheat just sitting there for an hour?


Absolutely not. In fact, I'd suggest a thermos of your favorite hot beverage. Being in a rink that is virtually empty is nothing like being at an event. They are often unheated and even the skaters can get cold when they begin as they aren't moving fast enough to generate a lot of body heat. I would suggest that you have a look at the Plushenko Academy thread on the forum. His Students are dressed in very warm attire and so is he. It doesn't really show the crowd but, if you plan on sitting close to the ice, I'd suggest layers. Have fun and if you feel like it, let us know how she's doing.
 

Ic3Rabbit

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Do you think I would overheat just sitting there for an hour?


Absolutely not. In fact, I'd suggest a thermos of you favorite hot beverage. Being in a rink that is virtually empty is nothing like being an event. They are often unheated and even the skaters can get cold when they begin as they aren't moving fast enough to generate a lot of body heat. I would suggest that you have a look at the Plushenko Academy thread on the forum. His Students are dressed in very warm attire and so is he. It doesn't really show the crowd but, if you plan on sitting close to the ice, I'd suggest layers. Have fun and if you feel like it, let us know how she's doing.

MrRice. There is a huge difference to rinks in Russia compared to everywhere else. The Russian rinks are polar cold, not so much everywhere else, the mother would be fine wearing layers and taking a warm beverage but the daughter will be fine in less.
 

mrrice

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MrRice. There is a huge difference to rinks in Russia compared to everywhere else. The Russian rinks are polar cold, not so much everywhere else, the mother would be fine wearing layers and taking a warm beverage but the daughter will be fine in less.

I guess I forget that times have changed since my rink days which were actually during the 80's. Our rink was basically a warehouse with a patch of ice. It was nowhere near as nice as the LA rinks. It was not an arena that hosted other events. Hockey teams would practice there but it was too small to host games due to the lack of seating. They have a nice new rink in Santa Barbara that is quite beautiful and is now host to several events.
 

Ic3Rabbit

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I guess I forget that times have changed since my rink days which were actually during the 80's. Our rink was basically a warehouse with a patch of ice. It was nowhere near as nice as the LA rinks. It was not an arena that hosted other events. Hockey teams would practice there but it was too small to host games due the lack of seating.

Yes it's very different than back in the 80s (I remember those from childhood), nowadays I usually start out in a fleece and end my session in a tee shirt or tank top, it all depends on what I am doing on each session (skating myself or not). The LA rinks are nice as well as others I have been in, especially at home here in Detroit. :biggrin:
 

Tavi...

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Hi Victoria -

Another skater / non skate mom here. Rink temps are 45/55 F depending on the facility. Ice temp is colder, but once your daughter starts moving she probably won't feel too cold. The first thing little kids usually learn is falling (sitting down on ice) and getting up, and then marching in place; they may also play games, so she will hopefully move around a bit even on day one.

Put her (and yourself) in light layers that move easily: a long sleeved tee + a light fleece jacket or sweater + a lightweight down vest if you really feel it's necessary + polartec leggings (if she has them - otherwise plain old athletic / microfiber leggings) should be plenty for your daughter. Thin microfiber socks so skates fit properly. Gloves are good. Avoid cotton bc it will get wet on ice; snow pants are likely too big and bulky. By the way: for little kids, some rinks suggest or require helmets - check the rink's website.

You can wear leggings or jeans with a long sleeved tee / sweater + lightweight down vest or jacket. Probably closed toe shoes not sandals. Add a lightweight shawl or scarf if you get cold easily. If you drink coffee, bring it with you as it's usually bad in rinks - and charge your phone because outlets are not always convenient!

Have a good time and don't worry too much - if you need to adjust clothing next week you can.
 

karne

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@karne Thank you for your advice! I'm afraid that since it's her first day my daughter may not be moving around as much so she won't be generating as much heat. Do you think I would overheat just sitting there for an hour?

IceRabbit's recommendations are good (I was working on the assumption that you would be skating too). I know you're afraid she'll get cold, but she'll get colder still if she's in a coat that goes down to her knees, restricting her movement and making it hard to get up from the ice when she falls (and she will fall). You don't mention how old she is, but you would be surprised how quickly some little kids can go from taking their first steps to zooming around like little speedsters.
 

SarahSynchro

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If your daughter is young and/or you're worried about her clothes getting damp if she falls several times, you could also have her wear a thin pair of splash pants overtop of her sweatpants or leggings.

I'm not sure where you're from; I live in Canada and my 8 year old daughter competes at the Star 3 level. Forr context, this means she has all her single jumps except for her lutz and axel; she also has has her sit spin, backspin, and is working on her camel spin... meaning she's not a beginner - yet she falls quite frequently, causing her tights/leggings to get wet at the knees, and she hates that because it makes her cold. She's beyond the sweatpants and splash pants stage thou - at this level the coaches want to see form-fitting clothing at practice.

I mention all this because kids tend to get cold after frequent falls, and a beginner will likely fall at least a few times, so the extra protection from splash pants can keep her legs and knees and bottom dry, and therefore more comfortable. :)
 

mrrice

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IceRabbit's recommendations are good (I was working on the assumption that you would be skating too). I know you're afraid she'll get cold, but she'll get colder still if she's in a coat that goes down to her knees, restricting her movement and making it hard to get up from the ice when she falls (and she will fall). You don't mention how old she is, but you would be surprised how quickly some little kids can go from taking their first steps to zooming around like little speedsters.

This is very good advice. I didn't start to train seriously until I was in Junior High School. Because I was a dancer first, I wore sweats and leg warmers to my first session :drama: It was huge mistake. Especially the sweats. Once they get wet, they will NOT dry for the rest of your session. Mine were so wet that they became heavy and if they hadn't had a draw string, they would have fallen off. After that I wore spandex pants (Very 80's) a sweat shirt and sometimes I'd wear a Beanie/Nit Cap. Gloves.....with fingers were also a good tool.
 

LRK

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Nov 13, 2012
I thought I'd mention that Plushenko's academy has an Instagram account where they post clips from the school:

https://www.instagram.com/angelsofplushenko/

Everything from small children - beginners - to older ones; might be fun to see the kind of things the children might be learning (for instance, I never thought of bowing lessons. :) )
 

Skater Boy

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Feb 24, 2012
Hello everybody!

My daughter has her first skating lesson tomorrow and I want to get advice on how to dress. I'm going to have my daughter wear her knee length puffer coat with a fleece jacket and puffer vest underneath. She will also have on snow pants, gloves, and a hat. I'm planning on dressing similarly. What advice do you Skate Moms have for dressing for the rink?

Victoria
I wasn't sure how to take your thread. Is it a joke? Why is it in this category as usually it is about competitive skaters. But assuming you are serious. She needs to dress comfortable enough to move and she will get "warmer" though it is a rink. Comfortable means clothes that are not too constricting, won't get caught or cause her to trip and yet allow for warmth to give her comfort. Layers sometimes work but puffiness is not great for a skater. Skating mom is fine but not the one with the lesson.
 

concorde

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Jul 29, 2013
How old is your daughter?

When my daughter started (age 3 then), we put her in ski pants, ski jacket, gloves, and a helmet. That was in the winter. Since you are starting in summer, then I would swap out the ski jacket and put her in a fleece.

By the end of probably 8-week session, she will move around enough so that the ski pants will be too heavy.
 

Chemistry66

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I wasn't sure how to take your thread. Is it a joke? Why is it in this category as usually it is about competitive skaters. But assuming you are serious. She needs to dress comfortable enough to move and she will get "warmer" though it is a rink. Comfortable means clothes that are not too constricting, won't get caught or cause her to trip and yet allow for warmth to give her comfort. Layers sometimes work but puffiness is not great for a skater. Skating mom is fine but not the one with the lesson.

Skater Boy, it's as simple as a new poster not realizing The Lutz Corner exists, and accidentally posting in The Edge instead. Nothing more. I reported it to the mods so that they could move it to the proper location!

As for the OP, you've gotten some great recommendations. If you're really worried about her being cold, dress her as most people have been suggested, and then also bring an extra jacket to keep with you. High chances are that she won't need it. But it may help calm your own worries down by having it "just in case"
 
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