The Risks & Rewards of Roller Skating for Adult Skaters

I teach adult roller skaters, beginner as well as long-time, accomplished athletes. In a sport like roller skating, the potentiality of falling is always present…no matter how accomplished the skater. So for adults that break more easily than youngsters, I am ever-mindful that there is a measure of courage involved in taking up a sport that could reasonably result in injury.

Besides the basic safety precautions and proper technique, teaching adult skaters also involves instilling a healthy respect for staying present while skating. There is no time on the skating floor that a skater can forget they have wheels on their feet and even the best skaters can get knocked down, clipped by another skater, or roll over something on the floor that stops your wheels as your body careens into a wall or the floor uncontrolled. Teaching how to fall is helpful, but often older skaters don’t want to practice something that hurts to do, and to react instinctively requires practice. Skaters that started when they were children more often have those automatic responses to falling, but there’s still always the possibility of an unexpected fall. 

So given that painful fact, an adult skater must have the mental ability to move past that potentiality with courage and determination. That’s where a competent skating instructor can help. Building confidence in one’s skating ability and understanding (and accepting) limitations such as reduced range of motion and other physical abilities will help the adult skater practice more effectively and with less possibility of injury. However, over-confidence can be the end of one’s skating career. 

My job as a certified roller skating instructor is to inspire, motivate, and work with my students to instill a sense of confidence and “sure footed-ness” – especially to my adult skaters. However I often have to curb the enthusiasm of newer skaters who want to do all the tricks and skills they either 1) used to do or 2) have seen others do and make it look easy so “how hard could it be?” I’m not saying that adult skaters aren’t capable of skating to a high degree in whatever discipline they favor… I’m just saying that adult skaters should take the time to focus on fundamentals before hurling themselves onto the floor with abandon. This can be hard for some skaters… especially those who have been accomplished skaters in their younger years and their brains are telling them that they can do the same skills they used to do in their youth. Sometimes the brain and body aren’t simpatico, and even muscle memory can make us think we “still have it” when we’re actually skating beyond our current skill level. 

So begin at the beginning… you can’t skip steps when it comes to becoming a proficient roller skater whether you’re skating for fun or even competitively. If it’s been awhile since you skated, be kind to yourself and work your way up to your previous skating level. And find a good skating instructor… one that will inspire and motivate, but also tells the truth about the risks you voluntarily take when you put on those beautiful roller skates and step onto that big open skating floor! One that will point out when you are pushing too hard or too fast for your body to catch up to your brain, while setting you in the right direction to build on progressively harder skills. Oh, and one that will make the journey an enjoyable one so that you will want to be patient with yourself as you gain more and more confidence on your skates. 

I know that we often feel we are learning too slowly (or perhaps even can’t learn) as older athletes, but with persistence and patience progress will come. Take the time to learn and practice to your own schedule. If you are in a class setting, don’t be concerned about keeping up with the quickest adapter. A good teacher will let you progress at your own speed, and there should be no pressure to attempt skills that feel dangerous or beyond your current level of proficiency. BUT – don’t let yourself get stuck in a mindset that you’re too old or inexperienced to stretch your abilities, either. It’s all about balance; the kind you learn on your skates, and the kind of balance that results from maturity, acceptance, courage, and being grateful to be able to do the things with our bodies that make us feel fully alive! Do what you can with what you have right now, enjoy the journey, rejoice in your body and the miracle of flying on wheels!