AboutDr. Bruce Forciea Expertise I can handle most questions regarding sports injuries, conditioning, jumps, spins, and basic skating.
Experience Professional skating coach for 15 years. Former PSA Senior rated coach and ice show performer. Now a chiropractor and full-time college instructor in anatomy and physiology.
Organizations Human Anatomy and Physiology Society
Wisconsin Chiropractic Association
Publications Wisconsin Technical College System course in General and Advanced anatomy and physiology.
Author of Unlocking the Healing Code, a book on healing scheduled for release in December, 2007.
Education/Credentials Doctor of Chiropractic from Parker College.
B.A. Psychology Eckerd College
Awards and Honors Midwestern Novice and Junior Pairs Champion and National competitor.
Question I quit skating when I was 12 or 13 years old. Now that I have finished college and have more free time on my hands, I want to start skating again. When I quit I was on ISI freestyle 5. How should I go about returning to that level? And what type of skates should I buy?
Answer HI Melissa:
There are lots of great skates out there and many are affordable. The same principles with regard to skates apply now as they did when you were 13. You need a strong leather boot with a leather sole and Sheffield steel freestyle or general purpose blades. Your local skateshop should be able to help you.
As far as getting back into skating you will probably be surprised at what you remember when you get back on the ice. You need to start with the basics--forward stroking and crossovers, backward crossovers and forward and backward edges and turns. Then slowly get back into jumping. You may find that if you jump too soon you may not be as strong as you should be on your landing leg. When you skated regularly you had developed a certain amount of strength for edges and landings that you may need to regain. This takes some time.
Just be patient and don't get discouraged if you don't get back to where you were in a short amount of time...
