Carlyle is going to be one of 45 communities across Canada to offer a new CanSkate pilot program this fall.
The pilot program will focus on progressing through stages at a skater's own pace by building on each skill as it is learned. In the past, the coach would ask a child to hop or turn around, and each skill was working on separate from one another.
In the new program however, each skill will be tied into the next. The hope is it will become easier for a student to learn to skate.
Another change in the program is instead of focusing more on preparing kids for figure skating, it will focus equally on hockey and ringette as well. CanSkate coach Dawn Dyer, hopes this change will encourage more boys, and more kids in general, to join CanSkate. The program will offer an introduction to speed, spins and spirals which can benefit any skater, regardless of the sport he or she intends to pursue.
Children can join CanSkate quite young. Dyer says, "If they can walk, they can learn to skate."
With the revised CanSkate pilot program, kids who want to play hockey in a couple years could really benefit because they would learn the skills need to skate before starting their sport of choice.
There are six levels in the pilot program and each level has nine fundamental objectives a student is required to meet before they can move onto the next level. All kids progress at their own pace. Wherever a child ends on year they start the following year, so there is no pressure to be at a certain point before the end of a season.
Kids who were in CanSkate last year will continue from where they left off last year. Newcomers will be evaluated and placed in the appropriate level according to their skill.
Dyer says she hopes to offer the Moms and Tots program again, where parents are allowed to skate around with their little ones. Otherwise during actual CanSkate lessons, parents are encouraged to watch their children from rinkside.
Carlyle was chosen as on of the communities to offer the pilot program after expressing interest to Skate Canada. Skate Canada chose 45 communities across the country to participate in this program. All communities have varying sizes of clubs in order to get the best representation of how the program is working.
For example, Carlyle usually has 20 to 25 children in CanSkate, whereas one of the clubs chosen in Toronto has well over 100 children enrolled.
Throughout the course of the skating season, Dyer will keep in close contact with Skate Canada to evaluate the program's progress and to help determine what should stay and what needs to be changed.
Anyone interested in learning more about the pilot program or registering their children can attend the CanSkate registration night on Sept. 8 at 7 p.m. in the Carlyle Sports Arena.
