Speed skating: How your kids can try it at home
Two disciplines make up the sport of speed skating: short track and long track. Short-track speed skating takes place indoors on regular arena-sized ice, while international competitions are on a 111-metre oval track. Canadian long-track speed skaters have won 42 Olympic medals, the country’s greatest total in any winter sport.
Learn more about the distinctions between the two here. And watch the thrilling sport in action as the Canadian women’s speed-skating team win gold at Beijing 2022:
How to speed skate at home
If you have hardwood or linoleum floors, your kids can wear wool socks and “glide” around the floor as though they are skating. They can “race” in place without even moving forward. Challenge your kids to extend their stride, swing their arms, and keep their balance.
Focus on speedskating’s mental component too
Help kids train their brains for the strategic part of speed skating by playing games that develop another important muscle, their brains! Many board games help children develop sportsmanship and resilience, which are two key ingredients of a great athlete.
- For kids ages 5+: Blokus, Qwirkle, chess
- For kids 8+: Ticket to Ride
Editor’s note: This article was first published on Feb. 12, 2014.
