Skating Question!?

Question

1. (In ISI), how long did it take you to pass Delta from your very first lesson to then? Please say if you took private or group lessons...

2. What was the hardest thing to learn when first starting ice skating and tips for how you accomplished it would be awesome!

Answer 1

well about 1 and a half years.. but i took group lessons

Answer 2

usually a month per level for ISI, but don't stress it out too much its just ISI

Answer 3

to get to the level of delta from when i started in pre alpha up to delta took about half a year.(but they told me to skip beta 1 cuz I didnt have to go cuz they thought i was ready for beta 2) To pass delta just by itself took like a week because they moved me up the first lesson in  that class since i could do all of the moves that were required since my private coach taught me all of them before i even got to delta. It was kind of a waste cuz i only had one lesson since i already new half of the stuff and then the next week after that my coach put me in freestyle. But for people it usually takes a month or 2. That was with group and private lessons. I startd private lessons when i was in beta. The hardest thing to learn in ice skating when i first started was probably forward crossovers. It was really hard to cross you foot all the way across the other!!! but i got it eventually like after a month and a half. I accomplished them just by trying my hardest,listening to the instructors tips and directions, and kept practicing and practicing. And now im in freestyle 5 taking private lessons and a group off ice lesson.( now ive been skating for 2 anf a half years i think)

Answer 4

It probably took me about 5 years from when I first started taking lessons to when I passed Delta.  However, I started out taking the Tots classes (I was really young) for a couple of years.  So from when I started taking Alpha classes, it was more like 3 years.  I took group lessons, only practiced that one time a week right after my lesson, and my rink was only open from Sept-April, so there was a lot of re-learning to do every fall.  If you practice more than I did and skate continuously (don't take summers off), you'll move a lot quicker, even in group lessons!  I think it also depends on how much skating experience you have coming into your lessons.

I also remember getting really stuck on back crossovers & t-stops in Beta...I think that took me some time to work through.  Unfortunately, I don't remember it well enough to pass on any tips.

ISI has fewer basic levels than USFSA does, so there's a lot more stuff to learn on each level.  Therefore, it usually takes a little longer to learn everything to pass each of the ISI basic levels than the USFSA ones.  

Just take your time and learn everything as best you can.  Someone who speeds through the basic levels will end up having to spend more time fixing the problems with their crossovers, 3-turns, etc later on down the line.  So it's good to spend the time on it early and get a good foundation:)