• Family Skate Sessions are on weekends and holidays. Refer to the Rink Schedule for dates and times.  

• Families may bring guests, and a person may be a guest once per month.

• The guest fee is $5.00 per session.

• Members must register their guests at the manager’s desk before entering the ice surface.

• Members are responsible for their guests during Family Skate times.

• Sticks and pucks are not permitted at Family Skate.

• Children ages 4 and older

• Classes are once a week on Wednesday evenings 

• Lessons run from November through March

• Students will be split based on age/ability levels

• Lessons are taught by our professional figure skating coaches

• Lessons will culminate with a group number in the end-of-season Annual Ice Show in March

• Attire:

  • Ice hockey or bike helmets are required

  • Jacket or coat (Avoid long and bulky coats)

  • Warm gloves or mittens (No ski or hockey gloves)

  • Waterproof pants, snow pants, or layers of clothing to keep bottoms dry and warm, we sit on the ice and practice falling for the first couple of weeks.

  • No hockey pads because they make it harder for the kids to learn how to manage their body weight on the ice which is essential to learning how to skate.

• Skates:

  • Figure or hockey skates are required.

  • Make sure the blades have been sharpened before their first lesson. Skates do not come sharpened out of the box.

  • Instruct your kids to stay off the pavement and bleachers to protect their skate blades.

  • Proper fitting skates are important. Local skate shops including Crystal Pro Shop at the University of Delaware, The Patriot Ice Center, Ice Line, Pure Hockey, and Play it Again Spor all offer skate fitting and sales. 

  • If you purchase new skates or if your child has never worn them before, have them walk around the house in their skates (CARPET only) to get them used to how their feet will feel in the skates. This also helps ease the "my feet hurt" woes until they get used to their skates. 

  • Plastic skates are not recommended.

  • We do not rent skates.

  • See one of our figure skating coaches if you have questions about what skates are right for your child.  

• Notes:

  • Parents must remain at the rink during class

  • Parents should not come around to the penalty boxes or stand near the entrance as this makes it more challenging for the coaches.

  • We will come to get you if your child needs to use the bathroom or needs you for any other reason.

  • Prepare your kids by letting them know they will fall and we will teach them to fall and get up safely. This is a necessary part of learning to skate. We will tell them that if they're not falling, they're not learning but for some kids, it helps if they know in advance so they're not too hard on themselves.

  • Let your kids know they may be cold. First-time skaters can often be surprised at how cold it is on the ice.

  • Some classes may be canceled or rescheduled due to weather or hockey tournaments.

  • Schedule changes will be communicated via email.

  • There are no classes on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving or over winter break.

• The program runs from October through March on Monday and Wednesday evenings.

• Students must have completed Learn to Skate to participate

• Our qualified and experienced coaches are members of the Professional Skaters Association and have decades of experience in the sport including Gold-level test completion, U.S. National competition, and training from U.S. World & Olympic coaches. 

• Format:

  • Our coaches use a team-teaching approach with structured group lessons throughout the season.

  • The Annual Ice Show is a celebratory end to the season and an opportunity for skaters to showcase their skills. Skaters participate in individual and group routines choreographed by our instructors.

  • Our coaches provide music cutting and choreography for solo/group ice show routines, and instruction time during ice show rehearsals and additional practices in January and February.

  • Private lessons are available during regular figure skating sessions at an additional cost. Inquire with one of our coaches for details.

  • Registered figure skaters may participate in the annual Figure Skating Seminar 

Step One: Learn to Skate
For beginners, our Learn to Skate program is an excellent starting point. Learn to Skate is a full-season program that meets weekly from November to March. Skaters will learn the basics of ice skating such as forward/backward skating, cross-overs, stops, and turns. Students may need multiple years in Learn to Skate before moving on to Step 2. 

​​Step Two: Learn to Play Hockey OR Figure Skating
​Upon successful completion of Learn to Skate, aspiring hockey players will be ready to begin our Learn to Play Hockey program and Future figure skaters will be ready to join our Figure Skating program. 

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Step Three: Cougars Travel Hockey

Skaters who have completed Learn to Play will be ready to join our Cougars Travel Hockey program. The Cougars play competitive hockey and compete against teams in the DVHL. To learn more about the Cougars, click here.