So Saturday morning when I put on my skates for the first time, I knew that it was more than likely that those donuts I had eaten for breakfast were going to "cushion" my lack of grace during my lesson later. For those of you nay-sayers who say that skating is "too dangerous," and "you're going to fall and break your hip," I would like to be your guinea pig in saying that I have no broken bones, no ailments, or newly detected mental issues.
Coach Kate, Coach Tappie, and Coach Jenny made sure to teach our entire class the first basic lesson of skating: safety. With their help, I learned easy ways to protect myself and others while skating to ensure I wouldn't be making a repeat visit to my dear friend Dr. Friedrich at Carolina Bone and Joint. (I have a frequent customer card). Safely skating begins with learning the correct way to fall and the correct way to get back up on your feet.
With my safety lesson for back up and my extra Krispy Kreme cushioning, I went on the ice hand in hand with Coach Kate. The first step for getting on the ice is marching, rather than attempting to slide your feet back and forth. As I'm marching and somehow skating from one side of the rink to the other, Coach Kate has graciously skated right beside me with play by play instructions on improving my movements. Before I knew it, I was ready to take the training wheels off and skate on my own.
Now don't get the impression that I looked like Nancy Kerrigan, because I looked like a fish out of water. I had my hands out in front of me, my knees slightly bent, and a look of concentration so hard you'd think I was taking an IQ test. As I began to venture with "glides" and "dips," my cushioning came in handy. I went to do a dip, which is really kind of like squatting in the woods when you've really gotta go (you know what I'm talking about), and instead of gliding gracefully, I ended up just kind of sitting. So yes, I fell. But no one caught it on camera, so it technically doesn’t exist. (just like that bad haircut you had from the 6th grade)
I am still learning, and I am really looking forward to spending time with my awesome, supportive classmates tomorrow morning at 9:50. Please feel free to come watch or even join in on the class! Pictures to come soon!
See you on the ice!
--Your favorite intern, Brandy
