Nottingham has a long history of ice skating, with people practicing their skills first on the frozen river Trent and then for over 60 years at the old Nottingham Ice Stadium. The stadium was demolished in the year 2000 to be replaced with state-of-the-art National Ice Centre - the first twin Olympic-sized ice rink facility in the UK.

Sporting stars such as Torvill and Dean - who dominated the Olympics in 1984, winning a pair of gold medals for their interpretation of Ravel’s Bolero - are both originally from Nottingham. You don’t have to walk far from the city centre to encounter references to the famous couple. Right in front of National Ice Centre there’s a public area called Bolero Square named after their Olympic dance. While you’re exploring the city you will also encounter streets named after them and their coaches and dancers, who worked with them throughout their skating careers.

The National Ice Centre works hard to cultivate Nottingham’s spectacular ice skating tradition and raise new ice skating stars who will one day make a name for themselves in the ice skating world alongside Torvill and Dean.

We had the pleasure of speaking to one of National Ice Centre’s ice skating coaches, Rebecca Worth, who gave us an insight into the life of the ice skating coach, a few tips for both advanced ice skaters and those of us who are keen to learn, revealed her thoughts about Dancing on Ice, and much more.


Tell us a bit about yourself…

My name is Rebecca Worth and I’ve been coaching for 14 years (based at the National Ice Centre for 11 of those years). I started skating age 7 and competed internationally in figure skating, pairs skating and short track speed skating until the age of 21. Although I am originally from Halifax, I moved here 12 years ago for the ice rink and I now live in Gedling with my husband Paul and our two children, Elijah 4 and Evelyn 2.

What does ice skating mean to you?

Ice skating is my life! It has been my passion since I was a child and I was really lucky that I could transition something I love into becoming my job! It’s where I met my husband and some of the most important people in my life, so it really has become my world!

What are the benefits of incorporating ice skating into your monthly schedule?

Not only do you get the great health benefits of ice skating; increased strength and fitness, weight management, improved balance and coordination, and improved flexibility, it’s also a great way to de-stress and take time out to focus your energies on yourself. Ice skating is hard - that’s why people like it, because it’s a challenge! But it’s great for focussing your concentration and really thinking about how you work with your body. It’s also great for your social life too! We have lots of regular skaters, both young and old, that now have a great new circle of friends that they’ve met while on the ice.

What would you tell people who never ice skated before and are quite shy to start? Any word of advice?

Don’t be nervous! It can be tricky to start with, but you will definitely enjoy it - there’s no better feeling than being ‘free’ out there on the ice. We offer beginner lessons to help people of all ages take their first steps onto the ice, so our friendly coaches will be there to support you every step of the way.

What are your top tips for ice skating rookies?

Keep your knees bent, arms out for balance, and take small steps. Remember that everyone falls down, that’s part of learning, so don’t be scared of it! And enjoy yourself!

What are your top tips for those who want to improve their ice gliding and take it to that next level?

Practice, practice, practice! We offer a range of lessons for all ages, abilities and disciplines as well as having extended public sessions during the weekends and during the holidays so there’s plenty of opportunity to get those extra sessions in. And for those wanting to go further we are one of the few rinks in the UK to offer all disciplines of skating (including ice hockey, speed skating, figure and ice dance), so whatever you’re into, there’s a session here for you!

Have you seen an increase in people coming since the Winter Olympics? How do you try and maintain interest?    

The Olympics is a great platform to showcase our sport and we always see an increase in participation levels from those that have been inspired by what they’ve seen. We’ve recently updated our look and made our venue as family friendly as we can and made skating for under 5s free! We’ve installed the ‘Tots Zone’ during weekends and holiday sessions to help those with youngsters get started and feel comfortable on the ice. We have a variety of fun, colourful and interesting ice equipment to help the little ones and make their first steps on the ice as enjoyable as possible. We’ve also installed the ‘warm up’ zone where first timers can gain lots of tips and advice before they step foot on the ice, and for those looking at doing an activity with their pre-schooler, we’ve also started a course specifically designed for adults looking to learn to skate with a child under 5.

What do you think of Dancing on Ice?

I love it! I think it’s so inspiring for the viewers watching to see how far the celebs come in such a short time. And it’s not just the youngsters that are motivated to start from watching it, I’ve spoken to lots of adults that were inspired to start ice skating thanks to the likes of Bonnie Langford, Coleen Nolan and Rosemary Conley. It just shows that ice skating is a sport that can be picked up at any age.

How do you motivate kids to learn while they’re on ice?

By making the lessons fun, giving them challenges and helping them to build their self-esteem and self-confidence.


Read more about a selection of ice skating courses available at National Ice Centre and have a go at some of them, we guarantee you won’t regret it. Or if you prefer, grab some friends and check out their skating sessions and events happening throughout the year.

Blog written by Kinga Kapias - Marketing Executive at Visit Nottinghamshire.

Related

National Ice Centre
Sports Ground
National Ice Centre | Visit Nottinghamshire

Home of ice skating legends Torvill & Dean, the NIC is the coolest place to skate in Nottingham!

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