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TEPPING ON THE ICE for the first time has always been a sig- nificant milestone in every skater's life, and learning to skate has been an integral part of U.S. Figure Skating for many years. As the organization celebrates its 100th anniversary throughout 2021, we look back at how learn to skate programs have evolved from pond skating carnivals to Learn to Skate USA, the only ice skating program endorsed by all three ice sports. Skating in the 20th Century In the 1920s, parents were encouraged to put their kids on the ice as young as 3 or 4 years old. Experts recommended they learn to skate at indoor facilities and move to outdoor venues when they could bear the cold and wind. Even back then, adults of all ages were encouraged to take to the ice for the health benefits and the pure joy one can get gliding across the ice. Since there was no official grassroots program with U.S. Figure Skating, skaters took their first steps with their par- ents, in private lessons, at a local club program or even as adults on their own. Those who dreamt of the freedom of the ice could check out books from the library covering the basics of ice skating. In the 1950s, figure skating in the United States saw a big push for parents and adults to try the sport. The rise in climate-con- trolled indoor arenas appealed to older generations, who felt safer on blades without wind and frigid temperatures. Parents of young skaters were already spending hours at the rink, so why not try it out for themselves? Group Lessons: A Learn to Skate Standard As figure skating grew, so did interest in learning to skate. Clubs organized "Learn to Skate Day" and "Learn to Skate Week" clin- ics, inviting beginning skaters to take lessons in a group setting. Clubs offered learn to skate group classes instructed by profes- sionals to encourage people to become members. Many skaters interested in merely learning the basics and hav- ing fun joined a learn to skate program operated under the Ice Skating Institute, today known as the Ice Sports Industry, which formed in 1959. It was during this time that group classes became the standard way of teaching new skaters. In 1968, John McNair and Robert Ogilvie formulated the United States Figure Skating Basic Tests program, which included publishing an instructional guide with images to help instructors teach students the basics. Titled Basic Ice Skating Skills, McNair and Ogilvie advertised the guide as a way for non-skaters to learn to basics and work their way to test the preliminary ice dance and figure tests. Throughout 1968, SK ATING magazine published beginner skating tips from the guidebook. Developed specifically for figure skaters, the cur- riculum was designed for clubs to operate. The Basic Skills Program In August 1985, U.S. Figure Skating announced the formation of "Skate With U.S.," a learn to skate program inviting thousands of skaters of all ages to lace up their skates and learn basic skills through the revised 1968 curriculum. While the initiative still operated under the auspices of U.S. Figure Skating, the new Basic Skills curriculum focused mainly on grassroots skating; the curriculum developed by John Simon pipelined skaters into the U.S. Figure Skating test structure. The new curriculum, which soon evolved into the Basic Skills Program, included an instructor's manual, administrative manual and other resources to help clubs manage their learn to skate program. As the program evolved into the 1990s and early 2000s, Simon created a CD software program to help clubs better understand the skills to teach. New Basic Skills members got welcome packets that included a record book, member- ship card, stickers and more. As skaters pro- gressed through the USICERINKS.COM MAY.JUNE.2021 / 37 S THE BASIC SKILLS PROGRAM PROVED TO BE ONE OF THE MOST SUCCESSFUL GRASSROOTS ICE SKATING PROGRAMS TO DATE. SINCE ITS INCEPTION IN 1985 AND UP UNTIL 2016, THE PROGRAM TAUGHT MORE THAN 2.5 MILLION PEOPLE HOW TO SKATE. , Adaptive SkateFests were a hallmark of Learn to Skate USA in the 2019-20 season. In Nashville, skaters like Mercy Koech shared how skating made them feel. PHOTOS: THE SKATING MAGAZINE ARCHIVES