Inline Skating Stance and First V-Strides

An intro to inline skating with a helmet and full pads: basic stance, duck walk and V-stride with a glide. Students work in skater-coach pairs using a posture checklist.

How to play

1. In pairs, check helmets, wrist guards, elbow pads, knee pads and skate buckles, and review the forward fall standing still (4 min).
2. Standing on the smoothest area: basic stance with nose, knee and toes lined up, small knee bends and V-shaped duck steps (5 min).
3. From duck walk to glide: three V-steps, then glide with feet parallel down a 20-meter cone lane (6 min).
4. Push and recover: push out to the side and back with all wheels on the ground, bring the foot back under the hip and glide; the coach checks three criteria on the sheet (8 min).
5. Challenge: cover the lane in as few strides as possible while keeping good posture; the coach counts and records (5 min).
6. Class discussion of the most common errors and how they were fixed (2 min).

Rules

• Nobody puts on skates without a helmet, wrist guards, elbow pads and knee pads secured.
• Everyone skates in the same direction, 10 feet apart.
• If you lose your balance, bend your knees and fall forward onto your pads.
• The skating area is closed to other groups and clear of balls and obstacles.

Variations

Adaptations

• Limited mobility: coaches with the checklist and leads the class discussion.
• Higher body weight or low fitness: takes more breaks and stays close to the support wall.
• Hearing impairment: agree on visual arm signals for start and stop.

Learning goals

• Hold a stable basic stance on skates.
• Perform the V-stride with a controlled glide.
• Observe and correct a partner's technique using set criteria.

Equipment for a class of 25

• inline skates: 15
• helmets: 15
• knee pads: 15
• elbow pads: 15
• wrist guards: 15
• cones: 12
• worksheets: 15

Teacher tip

If the school has no skates or pads, borrow them from a local skating club, the city recreation department or another school, or let students bring their own with a signed parent permission form. With 15 pairs, half the class skates while the other half coaches with the sheet; switch next session so no time is lost swapping sizes.

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