We may be enjoying the colder weather in Kuwait now that we are in the throes of winter but one place which can always be counted on for being the coolest all year around is Promenade Ice. This specially created ice rink covering one thousand squared meters and found on the first floor of The Promenade houses training and classes all year long, and for the last few years they have curated specific programs for summer and winter.
The winter “2018 Learn to Skate” holiday ice camps promise an action-packed program for children aged five to twelve years old. The course is spread over a span of ten days, with a well-earned weekend off in the middle to rest, recuperate and recover in readiness for the ultimate finale, more on that later.
There is no need to invest in ice skates to take part, as Promenade Ice has their own supply of ice skates. Just make sure that your little ones are wrapped up warmly in layers that can be taken off when they start to exert themselves, which they will. Watchful parents can always observe their children from the built-in bleachers during lessons.
Ice skating can be very physically demanding, especially when you’re first trying it out, so the Learn to Skate courses are designed with this in mind. The lessons are for one full hour every morning and start with the basics. This ensures that every child grows in confidence with each lesson. Day one tackles balancing on ice and the week covers skating backwards and forwards, and skating on one foot in straight and curved lines. It is the ideal introduction to skating and, of course, to making new friends too.
Courtesy of Promenade Ice
The course is designed for absolute beginners and is totally interactive with the skaters learning the required skills through playing games and engaging in fun activities. Promenade Ice has a team of internationally recruited and experienced coaches who take great care with the children and are used to supporting novice child skaters through the challenges and triumphs of learning to ice skate.
While every child learns at a different pace and of course has a different body structure within such a broad age range, the Coaches report that every child which has been on any of the ice camps is by the end always able to skate by themselves needs no support “skating buddy” which does wonders for their confidence on and off the ice rink.
Each trainer has demonstrated a passion for both working with children and for the sport and is ideally suited for delivering the best experience to the skating students in these holiday ice camps. Each camp has the space to safely train and give focused attention to up to twenty pupils, so even if students may be learning at different paces within the same group, the group is intimate enough for the Coach to help and motivate any child who may be facing more of a challenge with certain aspects of the lessons. Parents can also trust the training as Promenade Ice follows ISIAsia (Ice skating Institute Asia) rules and standards.
There are three camp options to choose from in total this season starting from mid-December and ending in January 2019. The weeks run from Sunday to Thursday leaving the weekends free for the children to share tales of their exciting exploits with friends and family and look forward to what more is to come.
The second week is where all the hard work from the week before comes together. The first day is spent running through all the previous lessons compounding the learning they have already undertaken. There is no doubt the learning that the children experience is not only about skating itself but concerns understanding the value of dedication, hard work, commitment, planning, team work and developing interpersonal skills. All valuable transferable skills that they can apply at school and in life.
The aim of the second week is to perform a group dance recital in front of friends and family at Promenade Ice and the program is made and formatted taking all the children into account so that they can each showcase their new abilities. Often performed with costumes and music this is a delight to behold and a wonderful way for the children to celebrate the end of the holiday ice camp and the beginning of healthy new hobby. Plus they each get a certificate of completion to be proud of!
Courtesy of Promenade Ice
After ‘Basic’ training it is also possible to continue on to ‘Beginners’ and then ‘Freestyle’ camps, so Promenade Ice can train your child all the way through to a competitive level if they show the skill and the inclination to train. Some of today’s internationally award-winning Promenade Ice Team skaters made their start at the ice camps, which is testimony to the level of skill and dedication the Coaches give the children and how well it is possible to respond to this kind of specialized training in the atmosphere that Promenade Ice provides.
For more information on the holiday ice camps you can contact Promenade Ice by calling 2227 7130, or contact them directly for the latest updates on Instagram @promenade.ice. You can also find all of the latest information by visiting their website www.promenadeicekw.com.
Images courtesy of Promenade Ice.
