Can't skate? Start here

Why skate first

Hockey is skating plus a stick, a puck and other players. Some learn-to-play programs teach skating from scratch, but many expect you to skate forward and backward and stop. Charlotte's Extreme Ice Center, for example, asks adults to reach Level 3 of its Adult Learn to Skate before its learn-to-play pathway. A skating class first makes learn to play much less stressful.

What a class looks like

• Many adult classes follow the Learn to Skate USA adult curriculum (often called Adult 1-6), which usually requires a yearly membership.
• Classes are often short, about 30 minutes of instruction, sometimes with practice time after (Kraken Community Iceplex, Allen and FSC Minneapolis, for example).
• You start with balance, marching, gliding and falling safely, then move on to stopping, turning and skating backward.
• Rental skates are often included (Polar Ice, Bloomington Ice Garden, Allen and others). Many rinks require or recommend a helmet; a bike, ski or hockey helmet is usually fine for the class.
• Some rinks offer a hockey-focused skating track, such as Pasadena Ice's Beginner Skating (hockey track) or Chelsea Piers' Adult Hockey Edge.

How long until I'm ready for hockey?

There's no fixed number. It depends on your balance, how often you practice and the program you're aiming for. As a general rule of thumb, a good sign you're ready is when you can skate forward with some confidence, stop, and skate backward a little. That's roughly what programs like the UPMC Penguins Rinks' Adult Learn to Play ask for. Many adults take more than one session. Ask your instructor or the learn-to-play program if you're not sure.

Practice at public skate

Practicing between classes is the fastest way to improve. Public skate sessions are open to everyone, and some classes include free practice: the Dallas Stars StarCenters include 5 free public session passes, Montclair State includes 6, and LeFrak Center lets you practice free during a public session on class day. Check your rink's public skate schedule.

Real class prices

Among adult learn-to-skate classes on this site that publish a price:

• Dallas Stars StarCenters, Learn to Skate USA Adult 1-6 (DFW): $20 per class when registered ahead
• Allen Community Ice Rink, Intro to Skating (Allen, TX): $91 for 7 weeks / $104 for 8 weeks
• Bloomington Ice Garden, Adult Learn to Skate (Bloomington, MN): $112 for 7 weeks
• Steriti Memorial Rink, Adult Small Groups (Boston): $145 for 4 weeks
• The Rinx, Adult 1-6 (Hauppauge, NY): $159 for 7 weeks
• UPMC Lemieux Sports Complex, Adult Learn to Skate (Cranberry Twp., PA): $161 for 7 weeks, skate rental included
• Polar Ice Cary and Wake Forest, Adult/Teen (Raleigh area): $198 for 9 weeks
• University of Denver, Adult Learn to Skate: $200 per eight-class series
• LeFrak Center, Adult Learn to Skate (Brooklyn): $210 cash for 6 weeks, plus membership
• Boca Ice, Adult Learn to Skate (Boca Raton, FL): $240 for 8 weeks, plus $25 membership
• Kraken Community Iceplex, Deep Sea 1-6 (Seattle): $272 for 8 weeks

See how much adult hockey costs for more.

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