Inline Skating - Rollerblades / Roller skates

Top 10 sports for kids to play
​Number 4 - Inline Skating

Skating in all its forms gives you wings. Those who have experienced ice skating, ice hockey or even just figure skating during the Olympic games – glued to a TV or computer screen – will immediately understand the feeling of freedom, effortlessness and flow that skating brings.
People living in the world’s most liveable climates, such as Australia or the tropical zones, rarely have the opportunity as kids to ‘skate down the river’ to school as they do in Scandinavia or Russia. They don’t madly follow ice hockey, idolising the players and joining clubs and school teams to be part of the elite few who make it to the professional ranks in northern USA and Canada. Many have not known the joy of sliding almost silently, frictionless with frigid wind or air temperatures around zero as their Northern neighbours.

Enter the speeding solution that copies the actions of ice skating – replace the ice with wheels. In the 1960s, the world experienced a revolution led by YoYos and Roller Skates. The early 4 wheel version, with their rubber ‘brake’ stop at the toes became an overnight sensation in milder climates. The Californian beach music, carefree lifestyle and TV combined to create a manufacturing boom for the new ‘toy’. Every child had to have them.
The revolution moved into dance on skates. It wasn’t long before races, games and other activities – such as roller hockey – were common place. Being the 1960s, little thought went into personal safety, resulting in many budding skating careers coming to an early end because a child moving faster than running somehow found an immovable object. The child and their skating glory often ended in tears, gravel rash, cuts or bruises. No bruise was greater than that to a child’s ego, and soon the roller skates gathered dust for years before being offered to the next generation at a garage sale.
It is a pity really, that the development of mental toughness, resilience and physical fitness could be so easily halted by one or two impacts. Wrist, shoulder or knee pads may have extended many roller-coaster journeys. ​

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Inline Skating - The Next Revolution  

Skaters and hockey players seeking a way to keep fit in the off season found it hard to find an activity that used the muscle groups required for sating-fitness at the highes level. For many, the lack of indoor rinks or the available time or space on rinks created a need that was filled by the development of inline skates.
Within a very short space of time, designers began seeking ways to reduce friction, increase speed and add safety components from ice hockey. Specially shaped, ultra hard wheels minimised the surface area of the wheel touching the footpath, Sophisticated axels and bearings ensured stability at high speeds. A new sport was born, before long the speed and availability of quality footpaths and cycleways saw a new industry spring up.
Today complex games including roller derbies, roller hockey, figure skating and speed skating races grew into clubs that catered to rolling sportspeople. 
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How It will Benefit Your Child

Skating teaches children consideration for others, especially on shared paths. Spills and thrills builds resilience and an awareness and understanding of safety and personal risk. Travelling at speed and encourages coordination of reflexes.
Children develop agility as they predict how to manoeuvre amongst walkers, cyclists and on occasion, even vehicles. There are the obvious fitness benefits of increased muscle strength, cardiovascular fitness and dynamic balance. It is one of the few sports that, although you may be alone, it is necessary to consider and interact with others, generally people you don’t know already.
Using inline skates at the skateboard rink has in more recent times created highly skilled athletes whose skating abilities lelave bystanders breathless. Although this may not be everyone’s idea of fun, it provides an excellent spectator and display sport.
It is good to note that inline skating is a great mode of transport, covering distances easily at approximately the same speed as on a bicycle. Many locations have legislated to places where you are allowed to skate and taking responsibility for your personal health and safety, ensuring you are using a helmet, wrist and knee guards means inline skating is a fast way to aerobic fitness.