8.5 y/o boy FIRST DAY starting Trượt băng

Our family's involvement in figure skating actually started with the Prince. We'd watched the first Mighty Ducks movie and he thought he might like to try ice hockey. Obviously he had to học how to skate first, so I took him (and twin Starly) along to a group class. The Prince was surprised and horrified when it turned out that ice was: a) cold; and b) slippery. ROFL. So anyway he quit soon afterwards. Starly on the other hand - who was really just along for the ride because it was easier to take her than not - was gleefully giggly about the fun of it all, despite falling over about 6000 times in that half hour. She scored an immediate invitation to private coaching and competed for the first time a couple months afterwards. Inspired by the sight of Starly's skating medals, the Prince decided to give skating a second try aged around 6 1/2. But he was uncomfortable on ice and ditched it at the first opportunity. I was always a little disappointed that my girls took to Trượt băng and my boys didn't. (Smiley similarly tried it when twin Cherub started but quit soon after, and only recently changed his mind). It seems to me that there's more opportunities for boys than girls in the sport. Outnumbering the girls as they do, they get to pick and choose their partners should they decide medals are worth risking girls' germs for. I really thought Prince had firmly closed the door on skating so I'm incredibly surprised that he not only wants back in, he seems to have brought some enthusiasm with him for figure skating specifically! ... AND ... he and Cherub both seem very enthused about Coach Awesome's suggestion (a few weeks ago before he set foot on ice lol) that they'd make great partners. I couldn't agree more that they'd work well together. I'm really hoping Prince's early enthusiasm holds on in the long term, or I'm going to have a deeply disappointed Cherub to deal with. PS: Yes it's Cherub in the pink beanie and Smiley in the orange. 18th April, 2013 Coming soon: The girls show you beginner ballet moves.