I am going to start ice skating this winter, and l was wondering if l should take private or group lessons.l really wanna move quickly and l do not know if l will be able to do that if I am skating with 7 year olds.Also, sometimes when I am in groups learning things l get frustrated easier, and l definitely do not wanna risk wanting to quit because I am frustrated.
People having been telling me not to take private lessons right away because you're just learning the basics.l just do not think I'd be as excited to learn if l was with little kids.Does taking private lessons help you learn the basics faster (l would take 30 min. private lessons)?l can skate forward pretty steadily at a medium pace, but that is about it.
l can not take both, my parents say l have to choose between the two.So which would you choose and why?

start with group then move to private.or just find a friend who is good and ask them to start you off. A lot of it has to do with your natural athletic ability so ask yourself if you are.if you are you should start with a few groups and then move up from there.

l am not a skating expert but like most activities requiring skill it is best to learn and practice the basic moves first, Once you have conquered these( and you will soonknow)you may then consider taking private lessons. There is no sense wasting your parent is money if the talent is lacking.

Id recommend starting with group lessons. It can be kind of embarrassing to be with five year olds but you need to learn the basics before taking private lessons. Once you've learned forward and backward crossovers, basic edges, one foot no entry spin, and maybe bunny hops and waltz jump. Which, since your older should not take as long. Practice at public skating and once you get better take private lessons becuase you will advance 100 times faster

group. if u alrdy know how to go forward, u wo not be at the lowest class. l learnt with little kids, l learnt just fine, l strted in feb, l was 13, im 14 now but ive alrdy landed m flip, l strted private lessons about 3 mths ago.neways take group first, when u get to about freestyle 1, thn take privates, its cheaper..and funner when u make friends, me n my friends who btw r younger thn me, have alot of fun at group lessons.( Right now, l take group & private lessons, both once a week.)

Check with the rink to see what age groups there r for the group classes. Depending on ur age, u may not have to be ''stuck'' skating with little kids!

This is just from my experience, but of course the final decision is totally up to you. l started with group classes & was glad l did.

*Group classes r cheaper. Pay the class fee up front & that is it. Plus u usually get free public session ice on the day of the lesson, & possibly some other ''perks''. With privates, u have to pay the coach AND for the ice time.

*Group classes have a specific structure . . . l knew what all l was going to learn by the end of that class. l think l learned faster initially because l knew what to expect & what was expected out of me by a specific time. You will learn the same basics in privates, but the pacing will be at the coach is discretion.

* l met so many other skaters at my level in group class. We could compare notes & share lots of laughs. And after all these years we r still friends! It is not really good to ''compare but seeing how others progress can be a motivating factor to learn (or learn faster!).

* l was taught by many instructors in group - some l liked, some l didn't. They all have different teaching methods/styles & personalities - & l could tell which ones would be compatible with me. Sticking with group classes & getting to know other skaters, l also got the scoop on the different instructors which helped tremendously when it was finally time for me to pick one instructor. Otherwise, l do not know how l would have chosen the right instructor for ''me''.

* l learned the basics with different approaches because l had different instructors - not just one coach is view. Sometimes it took a different coach to make me understand how to do something.

*With group, l did not have to feel pressured to have the focus on ''me'' the entire half hour or so. When the instructor came to everyone individually, l was glad to have some ''break'' so l could practice on my own a bit - to soak in what was being taught (and oh there is a lot to learn!).

*With group, sometimes u get to do the elements in front of ur class one by one . . . which in hind sight l thought was good. It was sort of like getting a pre-experience of having to skate in front of people - skating with ''some'' pressure!

Group lessons r not forever . . . it ends at a certain level & if you've made it that far, you'd probably continue on to privates anyway. And remember u can take privates at anytime - stop group to go private, or take privates in addition to group.

Taking private lessons off the bat may or may not make u learn faster in the beginning . . . it depends on the person. Really it is how much practice time u put into it!

Hope that helps! Good luck whichever u choose!

Choose the group lessons because you can test and move up Quickly and leave the seven year olds.It is cheaper and when a coach tells you you need private lessons befor you are in group 5 Dont listen. After group 6 you can start.
Teara

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Start with the group lessons -- to make sure u even like skating in the first place. Maybe skating with 7-year-olds will cause u to work harder & pass out of the levels faster. Use it as motivation. Plus, u may not even start with 7-year-olds..you may find ur whole group is ur age. At times, u will get frustrated in both group or private lessons. Being older, u may be able to test out of the ''7-year-old level'' anyway. In our group lessons, we have 7 to 9-year olds in all of our various basic levels, so it may be hard to completely avoid them. Maybe skate with the adult class if ur rink has one -- that is how l started as a kid. Private lessons r more expensive than group lessons & ur parents may be more willing to invest in the group lessons.

l would take the group lessons & practice hard. Tell ur instructor ur goals. Private lessons would probably be more helpful once u reach the free skate levels. l jumped into private lessons shortly after one set of group lessons. Now that l teach group lessons, l find that there r a lot of things they learn in groups that l never learned through private lessons (for example, l never did half jumps).