Welcome to Skate School!
No matter your age or where you are in your skater journey, skate school is a great place to start and grow your skating skills! Our classes are progressive, fun and are for anyone!
What is Skate School & Who Can Take Classes?
Skate school is group classes where skaters learn how to ice skate! These classes teach the basics and some advanced skills in ice skating and give skaters the foundations for figure skating, hockey or speed skating! It also teaches skaters to be safe and confident on the ice at a reasonable cost so people new to ice skating can try it out! Classes are fun, progress in levels and skating is a life sport! Sometimes “Skate School” is called Learn to Skate.
We offer classes for skaters ages 2 through adult! There are classes for the whole family!
Mission of Our Skate School
We proudly partner with Learn to Skate USA! It is recognized as the world’s best ice skating program and is endorsed by USA Hockey, US Figure Skating and US Speed Skating. Our Skate School mission is the same as Learn to Skate USA’s: to provide a fun and positive experience that will instill a lifelong love of skating.
Curriculum
Our curriculum for Skate School follow the Learn to Skate USA curriculum! Click the buttons below to see the detailed list of skills for each set of type of class.
Because our skate school runs all year long, skaters are evaluated to see if they pass into the next level every fourth class they attend! Skaters may be moved up at any time though, so that they stay excited and challenged on the ice!
General Class Schedule
May-September Classes are offered on Tuesday Evenings from 5:30-7:00 pm & Thursday Evenings from 5:30-6:30 pm, plus some Pre-K/Kind Classes, Basic Skill, Aspire & Hockey Classes are offered throughout the day in the mornings and afternoons!
October-April Classes are offered on Tuesday Evenings from 5:30-7:00 pm and Sundays from 4:30-6:30 pm. During the day, Pre-K/Kindergarten and Basic 1 and 2 classes are offered on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons.
Evening classes have Pre-K/Kindergarten, Basic 1-3 and Hockey classes being offered each half hour, Basic 4-6 is offered midway through the evening and Adult and Teen classes are on the last half hour of each night.
Our class calendar is simply too expansive to write it all here. It also changes based upon holidays. For a complete list of classes, please go to our online Class Calendar by clicking the button below, log-in, our studio code is “Premier” and then clicking on this icon:
Our classes run ALL YEAR LONG! You can make a lot of progress in one year! Skaters can join anytime!
Because classes run all year, we use an online class calendar to provide FLEXIBLE SCHEDULING for families. Families can book as many classes as they want, re-schedule or cancel classes. You never lose out on a class!
Classes are 30 min long and skaters can also practice in the PRACTICE END of the ice when they aren’t in class during Skate School time~ that is free extra skating time!
We have classes for the WHOLE FAMILY! Kids and parents can take class at similar times or oftentimes sibling can be in different classes at the same time!
Our COACHES are HIGHLY QUALIFIED! All coaches have their certification in Learn to Skate USA, are background checked and have completed Safesport training. Coaches are given continuous training on skate school techniques throughout the year and are high achieving skaters themselves. Most of our coaches have received gold medals in some aspect of skating! Even our high level coaches enjoy working with grassroots level skaters!
Features of the Premier Skating Academy Skate School
Where are Classes Located?
Classes are located at the Veterans Memorial Community Center in Inver Grove Heights, MN! The address is 8055 Barbara Avenue Inver Grove Heights, MN 55077. Classes are either in the East or West rink!
Skates & Equipment
What to Wear: Wear warm, easy to move in athletic clothing! Do not wear jeans or scarves. Little kids should wear snowpants, and skaters should dress in layers to stay warm and then can take layers off if they become hot. Most skaters wear their winter coat or other light coat. All skaters should wear mittens or gloves. Little kids- do not wear shin guards until you can actually stand up on your own. Sometimes shin guards make it difficult for little kids to stand up after falling down.
Helmets: Anyone unstable on their feet should wear a helmet. They are HIGHLY encouraged for skaters ages 2-7 years old or until skaters have good balance. Adults, Teens and anyone new to the ice should wear a helmet, and hockey players should always wear a helmet since they are used to them. Ice helmets are best, but bike and scooter helmets work too!
Skates: All skaters need to provide their own skates for classes. No rental skates are available. Please look under the Resource page in our app for places to buy skates and what to look for in skates. Generally, skaters wear the same size skates as they do shoe size or one size smaller. Please wear good quality figure skates or hockey skates for the best experience on ice. Do not wear double runner blade skate blades.
We do have a Buy-Back Ice Skate program all skaters can utilize! Basically, you sell us your good quality, used skates when your skater outgrows theirs, and then we will sell them to another skater. We generally buy and sell skates for $25 per pair. This way, everyone is wearing quality skates and is able to skate to their fullest potential at a reasonable cost!
Hockey Gear: For hockey classes, skaters can just wear a helmet and athletic clothes. They do not have to wear full gear unless they want to. No sticks on the ice. Sticks can be used during Power Skating Classes.
Registration Info & Evaluations
Registration is on our Classes page! There are 3 easy steps to registering!
Registration is ongoing all year! Simply sign up when it works for you. Skaters purchase packages of classes and select what classes to attend~ similar to a punchcard! Then skaters are evaluated every fourth class they attend and, on average, skaters take about eight classes to pass a level. Skaters receive an official badge upon completing a level!
This system allows to build momentum with their skating progress and to grow and learn a lot!
General & Skate School Policies
All skaters must have their own individual Learn to Skate USA, US Figure Skating or USA Hockey membership to be on the ice.
No refunds. Due to our flexible class scheduling, skaters have options to use up their classes. In the event of severe injury or illness, please contact us to see what your options are.
Purchases cannot be swapped or combined with other family members.
First come, first served. If something fills up, simply choose another option, or you will be added to the waitlist.
Skaters must use the Class Calendar to schedule classes. If you don’t, we cannot guarantee a spot in class if you simply show up.
Parents may skate in the practice end if they have a Learn to Skate USA membership and wear their “Parent Pass” nametag.
For the most part, classes max out at 10 skaters per class, and for Snowplow Sam and Basic 1, we try to keep it to six skaters per instructor. The exact number will vary depending upon the abilities of the skaters and if the class needs one or more instructor.
Classes may be combined at any time. Since skills build off the level prior to them, combining classes allows skaters to learn skills earlier from the next level up.
Inclement weather~ if we cancel classes, families will be emailed ASAP, however, we generally do not cancel unless the ice arena itself is shut down.
FAQ’s
Does your skate school have any rules?
Yes! These are for the safety of the skaters and instructors! They include:
Only skaters with a membership are allowed on the ice.
No shoes on the ice.
Only coaches in the hockey boxes.
No food items or gum on the ice.
Skaters must skate at reasonable speeds and be aware of the other skaters in the practice end. There cannot be any sticks or other objects in the practice end.
If a skater is late to class, they may skate to class on their own or wait for an instructor to get them.
Spectators watch classes in the bleachers.
Do parents attend on ice classes with their skater?
No~ the coaches and assistants are used to working with new skaters, and we want to teach skaters to be independent & capable on the ice!
How do parents obtain a Parent Pass to be in the practice end?
Just go to learntoskateusa.com and purchase a membership. Then complete the “Parent Pass” form under the “Form” category of the “Skate School” heading on this website. We will have your pass ready for you as soon as possible!
How are skaters evaluated?
Each skater has their own evaluation card that they bring to class for every fourth class they attend. We use the card to keep track of the skater’s progress and what level they are at!
My skater is ready for figure skating or hockey. What opportunities are there?
There are so many~ what an exciting time for your skater!
Figure Skating
Join the Aspire Classes! Aspire is beginning figure skating classes that begins to teach jumps and spins! There are also special figure skating opportunities for figure skaters through Aspire!
Take any off ice classes that Premier offers! They are all specifically designed and taught for high level figure skating development!
Contact premierskatingacademymn@gmail.com so we can help you find a primary coach! This will be the person that will guide your child’s figure skating and help you make the best decisions for them.
Join Great River Figure Skating Club! Skaters may join at any time to meet other figure skating friends, participate in exclusive figure skating activities, enjoy special numbers in the annual ice show and have US Figure Skating testing and competing opportunities!
Hockey
As soon as your skater qualifies, join our Hockey Skating Skills classes! All good hockey players are phenomenal skaters~ skating skills is a constant journey that even NHL players work with skating skill coaches on a regular basis.
Also check out our Power Skating classes under the Premier Classes heading. These classes develop the strength and explosiveness hockey players need to further their development, and they are a good test of combining skating skill development with high speeds!
Contact your local hockey association and join! They will have so many opportunities for players for games and other types of training. Ask your hockey associations what other opportunities may benefit your athlete! A lot of it depends upon where your skater is at in their level of hockey and other developmental skills.