You’ll hear many Olympic skaters say, skateboarding is just as mental as it is physical. And not just because they’re in a big skate contest but because of the sheer amount of mental and physical discipline needed to become a great skateboarder.
That being said, there are age-old secrets and tricks of the trade (pun intended) that skaters have passed on for generations. Secrets that until now have remained confined to the skatepark but GOSKATE has sourced the largest network of professional skate instructors to share with you how to conquer the mental and physical challenges to become a better skater.
“Watching a student conquer their fear is so inspiring to me,” says Rachel Douglas, our skate instructor from North Carolina. “These little girls are so brave and go on to coach each other, I love it.”
Many parents and new skaters are surprised when we promote just how much of a mental activity skateboarding is. In fact, many skaters will tell you the mental aspects of skateboarding are the greater of the two challenges.
That’s why we put it first on our list.
The Mental Aspects of Skateboarding
The physical aspects of skateboarding are hard and that’s precisely why you have to adopt a positive attitude and flexible mindset that allows you to make mistakes and more importantly, learn from them. The physical aspects will seem like the hardest at first but once you commit yourself to get better at skateboarding, the mental aspect becomes just as important.
The rewards from triumphing over these challenges are glorious and super impactful to a person’s life.
Operating in the Face of Fear
Operating in the face of fear is the most basic mental challenge in skateboarding. But our fears are pretty unique as many of them stem from failing at a trick that results in physical injury. And while skaters begin being afraid of dropping in tiny ramps or grinding small rails, they eventually, like Olympic Skaters, have to conquer new fears on bigger ramps, bigger rails with more complicated tricks. The only time you’re not afraid is when you’re not progressing. That is something that binds us all as skaters, we all deal with this fear and like a muscle, we get better at conquering it. Some kids will be more adept at this than others and for some, this is why they will quit skating. Proper safety pads and learning how to fall will be paramount for a new skater and preventing falls and the creeping fear of them but ultimately the new skater has to find the mental strength within themselves weighing their passion against the risk.
“Most students are scared at first,” says Claire Burgess, a skate instructor out of Boston. “It’s the best part of being an instructor, watching them conquer that fear and go on to easily do the things they were once scared of.”
The students who find joy in conquering their fears and connect the dots to the future of what next is possible, are the ones who get better at skateboarding the fastest.
Figuring Out Tricks and Avoiding Frustration
Many parents think skateboarding is all fun and games and while it is one of the most fun and healthy activities for your child, there will be moments of frustration. Skateboarding is hard and learning new tricks is literally creating something out of nothing. Not every kid will be able to take on this responsibility, get frustrated or even worse, bored with skating. That is another huge reason we recommend booking with a skate instructor.
It’s not as simple as the participation trophy you might get in T-Ball and the skatepark, while an obstacle course is not a playground. Additionally, while there are contests and coaches, skating is not a game with a clear objective. Skaters have to find their own way and pursue their own inspiration and path to learning new tricks, conquering fear, and developing their own style as a skater. Skateboarding will make you the happiest person in the world but there are times when skateboarding will make you angry, frustrated or sad. Which brings us to our next point.
Staying Positive and Mental Health
Skateboarding has been at the forefront of the mental health conversation for a couple years now and deservingly so –skaters have a rich community capable of impacting thousands, if not millions, of young people. We’ve been fortunate to have some amazing pro skaters speak at length and even form organizations to promote mental health in skating but it also speaks to the fact there is a real opportunity to stay positive in the face of everything skating has to offer.
“Skating has made me the happiest and angriest I have ever been,” says Jacob Paz, our skateboard instructor out of California. “I just love it so much and I know these kids too, so it’s important we teach them how to be positive in the face of frustration.”
You might want to skate so bad but are suffering from an injury or maybe you didn’t place so well in a contest or have had a difficult time learning new tricks. These are all factors a skater will have to deal with throughout their skateboarding journey. The better you get, the harder it can be. Understanding to always do your best to stay positive and check in on your mental health starting as a beginner skater, will go a long way to ensuring you love skateboarding throughout your entire ride. Staying on your board, feeling good, skating good, all of these factors will help you get better at skating.
Confidence and Avoiding Comparison
The old saying goes, comparison is the death of authenticity and this is certainly true when it comes to skating that has increasingly become more competitively focussed. Luckily, seasoned skaters like our instructors understand that all skaters are extremely different and that’s a great thing. But some young and new skaters see one skater ollieing higher than someone else, or jumping down a bigger set of stairs and start to feel jealous or bad for themselves.
Even more commonly, new skaters can be nervous at a skatepark seeing bigger, older skaters skating faster and blasting through the park without a second thought. This is probably the most common mental struggle or “fear” for the new skater and can be particularly hard for new skaters starting out in their pre-teen or teenage years. But it also represents one of the best opportunities to become a confident skater if you follow some of our trips above.
Skating with a friend, an instructor, or just knowing these people at the skatepark would rather see you fumbling trying to skate than sitting or standing around. You can always ask for help and be pleasantly surprised who might be offering to show you the ropes. Be confident, don’t compare, and implement as many of our tips above and you’ll see yourself getting better at skateboarding every session.
Your Relationship with Your Skateboard
Every skater should be developing a personal relationship with their skateboard but what exactly does that mean? Well, for starters, an adult can imagine what it’s like to have a relationship with their automobile or even their bed. It’s something that is a direct reflection of you. The state of your skateboard will resemble the current mental and often physical state you are in.
If you don’t care for your skateboard, if you misuse or misplace or mistreat it, you will essentially be dampening your ability to get better at skateboarding. You will also spend a lot of one-on-one time with your skateboard, skating down the sidewalks of your hometown and learning the grooves at your local skatepark. You will develop a keen eye of the nose and tail and when your griptape is dirty and things of this nature. Some skaters will even sleep with their skateboards right next to them or always have them on them at school.
Your skateboard can be your first love. Treat her with respect and she will respect you back. In time, you will understand this deeply and be grateful for it.
The Physical Aspects of Skateboarding
The physical aspects of skateboarding are just as important as the mental aspects of skateboarding and often go hand in hand. That being said, they are a bit easier to identify and maintain if you have a positive and determined attitude. Here are some age old secrets sourced from our GOSKATE instructors.
Know When Not To Skate:
One of the hardest things for a skater is knowing when not to skate and most days you won’t be faced with this type of decision. But every now and then when your ankle is still feeling iffy, it’s 98 degrees out or your back is still feeling tight, you’ll have to give yourself the day off. This can also be true if the skatepark is wet, crowded with bikers or some other reason a little voice in your head is suggesting a day off – know when not to skate. It’s literally a skill a part of getting better at skateboarding.
Stretch and Stay Hydrated:
We cannot stress enough the importance of stretching and staying hydrated even if it’s your first day skating. You might be starting to notice many of the physical aspects of skateboarding involve preventing injury and being able to perform –that’s precisely why we have to stretch and stay hydrated. Developing a stretch routine and always having a large water bottle on you will help you along the way. All pro skaters have a stretching routine and the best of the best even have trainers who stretch them out before and after skating. Invest in your physical health and consider buying things like a foam roller, theragun or stretching bands.
Activities Outside of Skating:
Skateboarding works certain muscles that can easily get overworked if you don’t do other activities outside of skating. Now that doesn’t mean you have to be a competitive basketball player to get better at skating but something as simple as taking a walk every morning or shooting some hoops with friends can help support some of those muscles around skating from getting too worn out. Many pro skaters will take a mile walk in the morning to loosen up some of their joint and ligaments to prevent injury. Some skaters rock climb, some skaters surf, there’s no limit to what you can do to promote physical health and getting better at skating.
Skate Enhancing Workouts:
This one might be for the older skaters out there with a gym membership but it really goes hand in hand with our previous bullet point. Skating involves a ton of muscles, your leg muscles are actually your biggest muscle group. So there’s a huge opportunity to work out those muscles and improve your ollies or leg strength. Many young skaters will be desperate to develop leg muscles to improve their skating and puberty will help with this, But in the meantime there’s plenty of skate enhancing workout involving the legs, core and even upper body tons of pro skaters share on instagram to get you better at skating.
Proper Skate Attire and Equipment:
Proper skate attire and equipment should be a no-brainer but the reality of the situation is many new skaters and their parents are throwing their kids into the skatepark with improper footwear or inadequate pads. Having the proper attire and skate equipment is going to help you get better at skating, reduce injury, and boost performance.
“There’s nothing I love more than skating with my friends, even to this day,” says Peter Rassmusen, our skate instructor out of Texas. “I hope every skate student gets the chance to become a local skater at a skatepark and make friends. You meet so many awesome people from all different backgrounds.”
Book a Free One-On-One Skate Lesson with a GO SKATE Instructor
There is no better way to get better at skateboarding than to book a one-on-one skater lesson with a GOSKATE instructor. Having a skate instructor present gives you or your loved one the confidence to try new tricks and provides a well of knowledge accessible in real time. A skate instructor has seen it all before and can anticipate the physical and mental challenges past, present and future for your skating journey.
Check out what skate instructors are available in your area today and claim your free one-on-one skate lesson while supplies last.
