Dr. Gaston Schaeffer uses balls and pucks to introduce beginner skaters to sideways motion of skating.
• Introduce the tennis ball. Start by having skaters pass the ball from hand to hand while walking across the width of the arena.
• Try to do the same thing while skating backwards for a short period of time (to prevent boredom and frustration).
• Develop the glide by trying to pass the ball from hand to hand as you stride.
• Introduce the bouncing of the ball while walking or gliding across the ice.
• Skate across the ice skating under and over hurdles of different height ranging from 4-28"/10-70 cm.
• Skate backwards by passing the ball from hand to hand.
• Skate backwards by trying to move a puck between your feet.
• Skate forward by passing a puck between your feet.
• Skate forward passing the puck between your feet and the ball from hand to hand. • Skate while passing the puck from 1 foot to the other.
• Skate while bouncing the ball from hand to hand at the same time as you move from 1 foot to the other.
• Skate, passing the ball from hand to hand as you skate from 1 foot to the other.
• Skate, passing the puck between the feet and the ball from hand to hand while skating forward.