On Sunday afternoon, I visited Potternewton Park Rollers Open Skate session and had a memorable time filled with lots of laughter and fun.
I arrived at Forum Leisure Centre with my 4 year old niece just before 2pm for the two hour open skate session. While my niece was full of excitement, I was a bit apprehensive – the last time I was on roller skates must have been about two decades ago and, to be honest, I was a bit worried about being slightly more breakable these days.
Getting Started – safety first
We were quickly checked in, receiving a very warm welcome from the Potternewton Park Rollers team, and were each handed a pair of skates (skates can be rented for £3). We entered the gymnasium, found a spot to sit, then put our skates on. My niece, having never worn skates before, was quickly ready to give it a go. The lovely volunteers, however, ensured she had all the safety equipment in place, including a helmet, knee and elbow pads, and wrist guards, guaranteeing that I would deliver my niece home all in one piece.
Warming-up
In the meantime, the gym had been set up for the session. Four cones had been placed in a large square around the centre of the gym, so that more experienced skaters could do laps around the cones. Additionally, on one end of the gym floor, a section had been coned off to give a safe space for beginners to go back and forth and practice.
After confirming we were safe to try skating, we shakily got to our feet and set off working our way around the gym. After giving us an opportunity to test it out, we were invited down to the beginner section to get some lessons on how to skate.
The helper took their time with us and explained to my niece how to correctly position her body and feet to move up and back across the gym floor. After falling a few times, and being a bit uncertain about the whole experience, she found her stride and was soon comfortable trying it out without holding anyone’s hand. It was a very proud auntie moment, especially when she kept telling me “I’m doing it, I’m doing it” with a massive grin on her face.
The group
There were around 20 skaters in the gym, although I was advised it was a small group because of the half-term holiday. There was a range of ages, with several families as well as people on their own. There was also a wide range of skating abilities, from some people learning for the first time, to very experienced skaters that I was in awe of. The group dynamic overall was very comfortable, and I felt like I was in a safe space as a novice skater. My niece also fit in well, with several other children around her age.
Game time
After about 50 minutes of free skate time, the large number of skaters were all called into the centre of the gym for some group activities. We all formed a circle and were led through various steps and moves to perform on our skates. We’d have a step demonstrated for us, then were given a few minutes to test it out ourselves, before moving on to the next.
This included things like stepping forward and backwards, in and out, and some cross-over steps. They even had us try to squat down as low to the ground as we could before trying out a small jump. The experience was further enhanced by the great music blasting along in the gym which just made you want to dance along.
After that, we then did a follow the leader style activity, where we all skated around in a line, trying to copy the moves of the leader at the front.
Following on, the leaders then took out a long line of bunting flags, which we then proceed to limbo under. By the end, everyone in the gym was laughing and smiling, all very much enjoying the experience of being a bit silly roller skating around.
The last group activity involved skating around the large square marked by cones, to the Ghostbusters theme song. Every time the song sang out ‘Ghostbusters!’ you had to switch directions and skate around the other way. It was a fun way to practise your new skills.
After taking part in the group activities, there were about 40 minutes left where we were given free time to continue skating.
Final Thoughts
Overall, we really enjoyed our time with the Potternewton Park Rollers. It was a fun, different activity to try, which was family friendly and a lot of laughs. My niece and I had a great experience and she’s already asked to go back again – which from a 4 year old is a raving review.
If you’re looking for something different to do on a Sunday afternoon, it’s definitely worth a visit. To check out the Potternewton Rollers, head to their Eventbrite to see their upcoming events.
Photography by Alex Christensen.
