-Does my skater need his/her own skates?

    No, we have rental skates and they are included in your fee.

 

-Should my skater wear a helmet?

    Absolutely! We strongly recommend all new skaters wear a helmet. Bike or ski helmets are perfect. Frontier Arena does have helmets for use, but they are very limited in small sizes.

 

-My kid wants to play hockey where do I start?

     You start with us! Our curriculum is endorsed by USA Hockey. All new skaters will begin in either Snowplow Sam or Basic 1, depending on age. Once they have passed Basic 2 they are welcome to join our Hockey 1-4 classes we offer throughout the summer and fall. We do recommend that all new hockey players start out in rental figure skates. Our objective is not to make your budding hockey player a figure skater, but to make your hockey player a confident skater. Hockey skates have a large rocker that tends to make young skaters a weeble that wobbles and always falls down. Once your skater is moving confidently we will transition she/he to those hockey skates.

 

-What should my skater wear on the ice?

     Frontier Arena tends to be very cold, even in the summer. We recommend that all skaters dress in warm layers, snow pants are encouraged for our youngest skaters as they are on the ice a lot. All skaters should also wear gloves or mittens as their hands get cold fast. We do not recommend knee pads as the plastic tends to slip when the skater is trying to stand up.

 

-We have skates with double runner blades, can we use them?

     We do not allow double runner blades as they are impossible to sharpen which makes the blade as useful as the backside of a butter knife. Don't worry, we will have your skater up and moving quickly.

 

-How old does my skater have to be to take lessons?

     We will take skaters as young as 2.5 into our Ice Mice Program and any adult skater with strong mobility is welcome to join our adults program. Everyone in between falls in the Snowplow Sam-Basic 6 levels. 

 

-My child's friend has been skating for a few months and we want to join her lesson level, is that allowed?

     In most cases that is not feasible. A skater who has been on the ice for at least 8 weeks is typically moving independently both forwards and backwards. Skaters who are brand new to the ice need that introductory level to learn the very basic skills required to progress through all of the levels. Putting a brand new skater in a level they aren't ready for will cause the skater frustration and hold the rest of the class back. 

 

-How do I know what level to put my skater in?

     When you register our registration program will automatically put your skater in the correct class for their age and level. 

 

-Can I do lessons on both Tuesdays & Saturdays?

     Absolutely!! We offer a 5% discount for the second day of lessons. Please watch our dates though. Our Tuesday and Saturday lessons don't always line up.

 

-Do you offer a sibling discount?

     Yes we offer a 5% discount for siblings.

 

-My skater is super athletic and I think she/he will be bored in the beginner level, can I move them up right away?

     Unfortunately no. Every skater will start day one in the introductory class for their age. If your skater is moving with great confidence and is significantly stronger than the class we will move them up right away. 

 

-My child says she wants to skate, but I think she might be scared can I get a refund if it doesn't work out?

     Our priority is to help every skater become comfortable on the ice. For our younger skaters who are nervous and crying we may move them down to Ice Mice until they have a good comfort level. We have coaches who specialize in taking really nervous skaters 1:1 to help them get calm and feel comfortable. This may take a few classes to have success. If we ultimately can't help your skater get to a calm and comfortable place we will refund your money.