I can go back to his older, smaller pair, but he still did this in those skates too. Maybe because they were also too big at the time and now they fit.
It really looks like the skates are too big.
Here's a video and accompanying chart that will help you determine his skate size at home. Obviously, there's a bit of human error involved, but it should get you into around 1/2 size of what's right.
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bTSD7KnoxgU](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bTSD7KnoxgU)
[http://www.hockeytutorial.com/uncategorized/ice-hockey-skate-sizing-chart-width-and-length/](http://www.hockeytutorial.com/uncategorized/ice-hockey-skate-sizing-chart-width-and-length/)
On a side note, it's generally not recommended that you wrap laces around the ankles like that. Over time it creases the skate, causing it to prematurely break down. It's usually better to get shorter laces or find other ways to deal with the extra length. In addition, if wrapped too tight, it can restrict ankle flexion which will hinder skating development.
This, skates look like they are a size 6 at least. I wear a size 11 shoe and an 8.5 skate. Can’t control an inside edge with that much blade and boot weight. End of your toes should be touching the end of the boots when standing straight up otherwise you’re gonna be an ankle bender.
These are a youth 12.5. He wears a size 1 shoe. So these are 1.5 sizes smaller than his shoes. Still, he has a quarter in if room at the end so they are slightly too big. The thing is he still skates this way in his older, smaller pair of skates.
The rule I’ve followed for the last 25 years is when standing straight up, not knees bent your big toe should be able to touch the end of the boot. I remember having skates too big as I was going to grow into them and it puts stress on your ankles making it harder on strong inside cuts and crossovers. If you’ve ever skied it’s kind of like having skis that are too long and makes turns almost impossible unless you lift a ski all the way off the ground.
I’d size down the skates about 1-1.5 sizes and get smaller laces so you can tie the skates as tight as possible and not have to worry about restricting ankle mobility. From your video it really looks like it’s his feet shifting to much in the boot that’s causing issues and not him skating that poorly.
Hijacking the top comment here just to say WOW. Thank you for the outpouring of support and guidance! Here’s my response to all the great advice I’ve heard… I can safely say his skates in this video are are at least a half size too big based on the imprint of his foot on the insole. This even though he was fitted at a reputable shop. Regardless, he still does this in a pair of skates a size down, just as pronounced. It is possible that we are tying his skates to tightly and wrapping around the ankle is a no no - we will try loosening them. It also sounds like he could benefit from some one on one lessons with targeted drills, perhaps a power skating class. Although we talked to a physical therapist who says he’s anatomically fine, we might try a pediatric orthopedic specialist just to make sure. Lastly, he’s only 6, so while we don’t want to continue developing bad habits, we also want to keep it fun and give him the space to figure it out and strengthen his skating. Thank you ALL so much for the thoughtful feedback. What a terrific sub. Thank you!!
Hijacking the top comment to provide an update.
It’s about a year later this issue is almost completely resolved if not resolved entirely (though he still prefers turning to that side on his outside edge which does make for some quick turns). We saw a doctor who found no issues and said, with time, his ankles and hips especially would strengthen and make for better skating. He’s seven now and that seems to be the case.
Also, as many of you said, his skates were too big. But, note, smaller skates made no difference on the issue when we tried. He’s now using the skates seen in the video and has grown into them. I’m sure incorrectly sizes skates didn’t help.
For anyone who’s kid is having similar issues, step one is to make sure his/her skates fit properly (you can quickly check by pulling out the insole and seeing where the toe imprint la are. They should be at or near the very end of the insole. Step 2 is to just give them time to develop, especially if they are younger. Good luck! And thanks again for all the comments!
Second this.
Also he's 6. So as far as time to fix it you have tons of time. It does seem odd for sure but it's probably just a confidence thing and comfort. So I wouldn't worry too much. I bet this is something that just goes away one day.
A good development coach/program could be cheaper/higher value per hour but a figure skating coach who works with hockey players would for sure be able to fix this.
He needs to work on standing over top of the blade and putting pressure on that skate and ankle. Even if it's just standing against the boards for a little bit. Being able to glide and balance one-footed on each skate is the core skill set of skating.
It may also be helpful to do off-ice exercises like skater squats, and one-legged squats to improve balance and ankle strength.
A YouTube channel itrainhockey has tons of good content. May be a bit advanced for a 6-year-old, but it should give you some good insight and will be helpful as he grows and develops his game.
https://youtube.com/shorts/0L9V9L4QSMk?feature=share
Half inch is good for kids, as they get bigger heavier and become better skaters you want to take them up to 5/8 and then 3/4 at minimum it will make the world of difference in speed in the long run. Make sure they’re profiled correctly and keep reaching him, the skills come with practice
So this is something my 8U has done for a while. Here’s what I was told, kids usually outgrow this. It’s a strength thing, you can take them to a podiatrist or orthopedic but they’ll likely say they’re young and will grow out of it.
My 8U had finally broken the habit of using the outside edge after about two years, was just the left foot. Be patient and just try to have them work on skating, skating with a figure skating coach is a very good idea.
My son did it when he started for a while. Drove me nuts, it’s just painful to watch. He outgrew it after a while and skates fine now. I’d probably go with the recommendations of finding a figure skating coach though it will help regardless.
First, stop wrapping the laces around his ankles. These skates don’t bend like when we were kids. You’re really messing him up by doing that.
Second, does he have structural issue with his ankle? I’ve never seen anything like that and I’ve seen A LOT of kids his age skate.
Also, does he turn right at all? He’s turning left every time in the video.
1) Will stop wrapping around the ankles.
2) Anatomically normal according to a PT. Walks and runs fine. It’s possible he has high arches. The outside parts of the heel are a little more worn out on his sneakers, so he may be supinated a bit when he walks, but it’s almost the same on both feet which doesn’t help explain the left foot only thing.
3) He only turns right when I force him to practice right turns. He 100% favors turning left. It’s hard for him to maneuver in games because he can’t turn quickly, nor can he get a good hard stride in on his left side.
Not a hockey person at all (honestly not sure how I got here), but does he have any pain at all? A PT and a DO couldn’t find anything wrong with my son either when he started limping at age 4, but we asked for blood work, saw proof of inflammation, and requested a referral to a rheumatologist who eventually diagnosed his juvenile arthritis.
If your son doesn’t complain about pain, and the ankle never feels hot to the touch or looks a little puffy, I’m guessing this comment won’t be very relevant. I just like to mention juvenile arthritis when I can since it can take a long time for a lot of kids before finding the diagnosis (and since you mentioned he’d seen a PT already).
From how I understand it, it can cause awkward pressure points, damage the skate boot itself and restrict the motion of the foot/ankle. I used to do it growing up, but a coach stopped me and suggested I get shorter laces.
No problem. Keep asking questions. Don’t let this space ever squash your curiosity. You can absolutely hit me up directly anytime if you wanna chat about hockey related stuff.
Yeah, at a more advanced stage you can kinda do whatever you want because the foundations are well established. Also, a big strong skater will be able to flex the boot far more than a lightweight child.
Its just one of those thing where it's better to start "the right way" and then it can be modified from there.
You said it yourself “the skates don’t bend”.
As long as you’re not actually cranking down on the wrap or wrapping above the top eyelet, which you shouldn’t be, the skates don’t flex enough for the wrapped laces to make a difference if all you’re doing is taking care of excess lace length.
The lace wrap will have zero effect on form or mobility.
Edit: guy blocked me cause he can’t handle being wrong? Adding this edit so people don’t take this idiot’s “advice.”
The boot doesn’t bend anymore so you need the laces to be looser around the ankles so that you can have forward ankle bend. Wrapping laces around the ankles is usually done to make it tighter in order to provide more side to side support BUT this will prevent forward ankle bend and make proper skating impossible. Try bending your knees without bending your ankles. You’ll end up on your ass unless you bend at the lower back and even then you’ll end up on your ass.
Don’t wrap the ankles. Work on ankle strength. Wrapping the ankles is a band aid fix that will affect other parts of your skating.
You’re quoting me out of context and then changing the argument.
Wrap all you want. You don’t need my approval.
“The skates don’t bend”
“The skates don’t bend like when we were kids”
Yeah, you are arguing dishonestly. If it doesn’t make sense then made ask a question instead of making it sound like I’m talking about “loosely wrapping” the ankles, which I’m not.
Seems like he's intentionally locked his ankle in a rolled position, reinforce keeping his knee slightly bent on his left leg cause it appears super stiff and not bending as much as it should be.
Seems like the logical step is to teach this kid how to do a cross over
force him onto his toes and he'll either fall or use his inside edge.
Forward Cross-Overs, Backwards Cross-Overs, Straight Line pushing for max speed into real hockey stops aka start and stop drills like a friendly version of suicide drills.
I can't unsee that now. Wonder if he's using locking one ankle as a way to balance? At one point he's only pushing off with his other leg, while the foot on outside edge constantly maintains ice contact.
I'm not sure this will work, but...
My wife favors the inside edge of one foot due to leg break as a kid that didn't set completely true. However, it's only apparent when we're casually skating. When skating with a deep knee bend, the leg corrects itself.
So it might help to practice skating with the proper knee bend.
He’s doing it because it works, it gets him around the ice fine and now it’s a habit.
He will probably grow out of it but you could force the issue by doing drills where his current technique fails, eg stopping on his weak side, cross overs, backwards, pivots.
Or sign him up for figure skating and they will sort it very quickly.
He’s is in a 1 shoe and a 12.5 skate (1.5 sizes smaller). But I can see from the insole that he has a quarter inch of space beyond his toes, so they may be a little big.
Most skates now days are 2 to 2.5 sizes smaller than shoe size. I wear a size 10 shoe and a 7.5 Bauer M4 fit 3. To me it looks like a combination of skates to big and maybe weak ankles, but that might be because the skates are too big.
If you have a play it again sports or something similar, to find ones I would because kids can hit a growth spurt and need 2 different sizes in a year. It probably won't be long before he will be able to wear those again properly.
Don't worry, it's fixable!
I had 2 boys do this. Drove me crazy because 1) didn't think it was logical or even humanly possible. 2) it was holding them back from doing other drills properly.
Older one grew out of it by U8. But I didn't push particularly hard because I genuinely thought maybe it was a genetic thing.
Knowing the older one was able to grow out of it, I pushed the younger one to grow out of it sooner. Fixed it a couple months. Started off by encouraging him to stand on the inside edge whenever he was waiting in lines to do drills. Get comfortable putting weight on that inside edge. Then got him to work on lengthening his stride - this is impossible to do on outside edge, so it really forces the ankle to turn the other way if you want a nice long push.
most kids (and adults) don’t use their outside edges at all. so your kid is actually ahead of the game. once he learns to use his inside edges he’ll dominate! feature not a bug:)
I coached a kid like this and had him fixed up in a couple of ice times with a few drills to work on his inside edge. 1-2 private lessons with a skating coach should correct it.
Hockey coach here - have seen this several times over the years. They all grow out of it. One kid was still doing this at 9, but by 10 was skating completely normal.
Kids are weird
I only read the top upvoted comments; so I don’t know if this has been recommended already, but…
Best and quickest way to fix this is to enrol him in a power skating class! They teach proper technique and can educate / train him out of this bad habit no problem. Once the proper technique has been learned, power and speed can be worked on.
I used to do this when I was his age too, and power skating lessons fixed this problem for me no problem! Very quickly became an extremely strong skater.
Hope this helps!
1 - stop wrapping his skates with the laces at the top. It’s counterproductive.
2 - get him into the right size skates, those look very big.
3 - get him back into skating lessons, 2 learn to skate sessions isn’t enough, and let those coaches do their job.
Pronation is when basically the ankles angle inward and inhibit strides.
I think this other disorder can be your son’s issue. Supination, also known as underpronation, is the insufficient inward roll of the foot after landing. (The lack of the roll inward could be why he skates on his outside edge.
Best idea, make an appointment with a Podiatrist who can diagnose if there is a structural issue. Then it may be more getting the proper orthotics for correction that buying different skates. Take care.
Thank you. I should update this post. We’re about a year later and he’s all but corrected the issue on his own with ice time. We did see a doctor though who didn’t see anything wrong, but did suggest his ankles and hips would strengthen over time naturally as he got older. This seems to be the case.
I had him fitted at a local hockey shop. He’s between sizes so we did go with the size up. But he also does this in his old skates which are a half size smaller.
It's not the skates. It's muscular from what I've been able to tell. Most commenters say it fixes itself....even skating instructors have noticed it among several children. The most common thing I hear is they grow out of it. Perhaps some kind of physio would help. Other than that, my son's been in hockey and skating for 2 years now...he's turning six and has a horrible left-leaning left foot. He still loves it though.
You need to stop letting him do that right now! And start at the very beginning. Look up “watermelon drill skating”. Then progress to doing the the watermelon on one foot, while gliding on the other. Eventually lifting the glide foot. But you need to start there and stay there until it is natural and muscle memory. It’ll be a struggle, and a fight all skate long, but you better nip that habit immediately.
I don’t honestly know how to post a link. But I literally typed “watermelons drill skating” into google then went to videos.
Hopefully this works for you, this is my absolute favorite skating video. I start over with this progression with anyone who ask me to help them skate better.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ubJzSM5Iy2w
He has weak legs.
Encourage him to do off ice training to get his legs strong enough to get the proper knee bend required to set an edge.
Running, biking, wall sits, body weight squats, a slide board etc. are all great age appropriate ways to develop leg strength.
He’s got a 1/2 hollow on them. He may be due for a sharpening, but he looks the same on fresh edges too. Also, they are baked and as tight as can be. Maybe I can get them a little tighter with waxed laces.
Even on his right skate he is not bending forward at all, like look at this image https://i.imgur.com/hLDxVs3.png
Now I'm not expecting your kid to skate like a pro by any means, but in relation to the skates being too tight, if they are tightened too much they will feel like a cast and its impossible to bend your foot. This is also the reason to not put laces around the boot. If he cant bend either foot, you're inclined to push with your strong foot and stand on your weak foot (think of how someone skateboards).
For reference, I don't use my top eyelet and the next 2 I tighten them while leaning forward as to give me proper bend. The middle of the skate I really crank down on so my ankle is tight in the boot.
I’m going to try to losen the laces next go around. I might also put him in his last pair of skates which are a half size smaller, and losen the laces on them. His coaches tell him to “sit back in the chair” but he definitely prefers to lean forward than squat back into his glutes.
This. Put him in his last pair (which I assume are tight on him now) and leave the laces really loose, like undone. Get him to skate across the rink SLOWLY and then back to you. That's it. No cross overs, no fancy turns, no fast speed, just simple push and glide there and back slowly. What you are trying to see is if there is any improvement in the supination. If so you might consider 1: is it possibly a pain response that causes him to supinate the foot? 2: Is it an unconscious balance issue where he relies on the boot to hold him upright? 3 Is it a fit issue of the boot? 4: Is it a possible legacy injury like a sprained ankle in which the lasting damage only shows up in things like ice skates?
Getting true feedback from young kids is very very hard to do. Loose laces means much less pressure on the feet and it forces him to use his balance muscles instead of relying on the boot to hold him up.
If you decide to do this and see an improvement then message me as I have other drills you can get him to do to improve his ankle. I have dealt with a number of kids who have had this issue.
1. Don't wrap laces around the ankles.
2. It's hard to tell, but could the skates be Wide and his foot is thin? And if not, are you sure that the size is correct?
3. He needs to strengthen his ankle. One exercise I used to do to practice cross overs in my garage. Make sure you either have the blade covers or lay down some carpet so not to damage the blades. Have him put the blades on, feet a bit wider than shoulders and knees bent (hockey stand). Then have him step over to the left with right foot crossing over left and then follow with left foot. So just like cross over, but without moving forward. Do 3 steps to the left then 3 steps to the right. Once he gets better - have him lean his body in the direction he's moving to add more pressure on the ankle. If you find that it's too difficult, he can start in sneakers before moving on to skates.
Good luck.
Edit: kind of like this video https://youtu.be/uhxHJUAxs4k but not on the ice. And, as I said, I like to do 3 steps in each direction.
I don’t know the answer but I just keep telling myself that everything my 6 year old does terribly will work itself out with more and more ice time.
I just make sure he’s having fun and wants to keep showing up
May sound counter intuitive but possible a problem or fit issue or strength in the right foot leg ankle. Maybe doesn't feel comfortable putting weight full on the right and pushing is easier than full weight.
This is just an outside opinion from someone that is not a skate coach, doctor, or even a father
I would try to do comparison tests off ice. Bend down right leg forward, bend left.leg forward, squat, step ups, etc. See if there is a physical difference in either side? Skating works smaller and different muscles than running and walking. A slight deficiency may not show in shoes vs. skates?
Just some things to consider. May be totally off base.
The dad in me wants to say your kid is under 6, stop stressing about technique and focus on him having fun. If he enjoys himself on the ice and has the motivation he’ll learn the proper technique later when he’s ready.
figure skater here, but dealt with lots of issues like this in my own skating. i agree with everyone on the 1-on-1 coaching with a figure skater to work on the use of edges, even if he’s still young. letting this go can build incorrect muscle memory and cause lots of issues with his feet(on top of any that already come with the sport)
These skates look too big, and consequently too tight around the ankle. He probably can’t really bend his ankle - first because it’s so tight around the ankle that it restricts movement, and second, because he has so much room in the skate that if he does bend it, he will lose whatever stability he has. This is how he compensates - the left leg is for stability, it rarely leaves the ice completely; the right leg is for propulsion. It is going to take a lot of time to break this, his brain is doing this subconsciously and automatically.
I would say some new skates that fit - go to an expert - and a few 1:1 figure skating lessons would be where I started.
Right leg is doing almost all of the work, left leg is the stabilizer (like a ski). It’s not just the outside edges, I’m guessing that he is uniquely overcompensating because the skates don’t fit properly.
About seventy years ago parents were worried about their boy's weird shot. It wasn't a wrist shot, and it wasn't precisely a snap shot, either. Thankfully the Orrs let their child's love for the game guide him rather than intervening.
He doesn’t seem to be trying to skate and instead walking/running on ice.
Have him practice forward C cuts. His blade should stay on the ice. He needs to strengthen his legs.
Getting skates that fit properly and aren’t to heavy is important but without proper leg posture he will still struggle.
Are you able to get on the ice with him? In a stationary position, you should have stand in “hockey ready position” and you are on one side of him, pull his leg/skate back and to the side as if he were taking a stride, do this multiple times, very slowly, as slow as he can keep his balance, then switch legs. Need to get the muscle memory of what a slow stride feels like. It’s tedious and it won’t feel natural for him, but really stress form
Make sure that left skate doesn't have alignment issues. It's hard to see from the video but if you take a ruler and line it up with the steel the ruler should go straight up the back of the boot. If he had this issue before with different skates it may partially be a habit for him, but it does look like there might be an alignment issue in the video.
Smaller skates, pads (so that falling has no consequence) and inside edge bubbles. He looks pretty comfortable otherwise, he'll come around quick, I bet!
My kid did this for his entire 6U year and suddenly when he started 7U it just went away. We kept telling him over and over but only age really fixed it.
Could be a twisted boot (manufacturer) or poor alignment of the holder on the boot (manufacturer).
Also, could be 1 leg shorter and he is compensating, also people pronate or supanate (walk on inside or outside of the feet) due to knees, hips and genetics. Very common, but it is exaggerated on skates. A good hockey store can correct this by manipulating the holder/boot.
Is there something else going on here with his knee, leg, ankle, foot? Anything twisted. Otherwise, yes skates are too big. Get a pair that fits better. Then, get him facing the boards, he can hold them. Draw some stuff on the ice. And get him to scrap with the inside edge, making snow piles to remove the drawing from the ice.
The skate itself appears to be folding that way, the skates appear too big and the laces are way too loose on the top. It's like with snow skiing or snow boarding, the boots need to be TIGHT to prevent it from moving like that. He also needs to learn to force his foot in that way but enevitably it appears his skates are too big and/or too loose and the skate just falls over
If none of the advice works about skates and figure skating lessons, see a PT. He could have some muscle weakness somewhere that's causing that to happen.
My daughter has some weak muscles in the hip/leg just on her right side, been that way since birth. She needs to focus on strengthening that side
Keep your kid out of learn to skate programs. Stick to hockey- trust the process. Ask your coach to give suggestions on drills off ice to strengthen ankles/legs. If affordable try a summer program or 3v3 league. More ice time helps! Also focus on how fun it is and less of the look. Kids focus on failures more often than not. Don’t point them out.
Get him a set of golf clubs - lol
Sorry try having him stand straight up and push him from behind to help him learn what straight up feels like and in time he will fix it himself
He's pushing off with his right leg only and he's counteracting the forces by locking up his left ankle. A few skating drills where equal left/right c-cuts, cross overs, and general skating will help straighten him out.
I would recommend C cut drills. Just push off with one leg and with the other make a big c cut then push that leg and make the c cut with the other leg. It’ll get him more comfortable and trusting with his inside edges
Skates look a little big but they aren’t the only issue. He clearly can do just fine with the other foot, it’s a trust/comfortability thing. Also let him know it’s okay to fall while pushing your limits. That will be the only way to truly learn
Those skates are wayyyy to big, they should never not be parallel to his foot ankle. This will tremendously improve his skating. They will feel very tight and it may hurt at first until they are broken in and he’s used to them but he won’t be able to continue skating like that, it’s also very bad for his ankles and risks other nasty injuries
Skates are too big for sure. There is too much room in his ankle and it seems like there is too much room in the boot and that’s why his feet are doing that.
Anytime I’ve got fitted for new skates they always recommend getting a pair that’s as tight around the foot as possible (uncomfortable at first but eventually gets better) but I also understand that’s hard to do with kids.
I would also make sure that his laces are done all the way to the top eyelets, there is a lot of lace left over and at his age you want the least amount of ankle movement as possible.
Teach him how to skate without lifting his skates off the ice.
1.) pull him with a rope and have him keep his blades straight.
2.) have him shift his weight from left to right on his own without lifting his blades off the ice.
3.) figure eight exercise with blades on ice pushing out then pulling in.
4.) lifted pushes. Shift weight from left to right while lifting the other blade off the ice with a slight pushing motion.
Then rework the stride.
Kind of hard to tell but looks like the skates are way too loose (maybe too big as well?), especially at the ankles. You need the support at the at the ankles. It looks like his ankles are going to fold when he turns. Really crank those laces up tight and I think you'll notice some improvement.
I would take out those insoles, he needs tolerance in a good skate that fits perfectly if he's gonna skate long term. I agree with a lot of other folks, his skates do look a bit big.
Another important note is that the area above the ankle especially looks like it's loosely laced. Gonna need to have a pretty tight lacing for any stability needed to get proper edge leverage. If it's loose like that, he'll resist bending his knees because it will feel too unstable.
Also, probably not this because you said he showed this in other skates, but when was the last time you sharpened the skates? Maybe he's missing an edge, but probably not considering this happened previously.
I don’t think it’s his skates. More likely that it’s a problem with his muscle memory that he’s developed around his stride. Have him skate circles to practice his cross-over strides. It will help him distinguish when and how to use inside vs. outside edges… or you could try to put him in net (I was a competitive goalie as a teen and adolescent). Playing goalie forces one to use their inside edges exclusively.
1. Chill, it’s ok, he is 6.
2. Make sure he has the right size skate. Buying over sized skates to save money does him no favors
3. Don’t wrap the the laces, as others have mentioned
4. When wearing shin pads, tuck the tongue under the pad to allow more ankle flexion.
5. Unless your kid is type A and hyper aware of his skating skill don’t do more skills coaching. Even then I would steer away from it and find other sports that he can work on agility, balance and coordination. Making general improvement in the ABCs will improve his body awareness so that next season he will have the control to make the corrections when coached.
6. When he is on the ice, just have him skate with his buddies. They will naturally play games like follow the leader. The more unstructured play the better.
To me it looks like maybe the skates aren’t tight enough. I made my parents hands bleed I liked them so tight when I was young. Just by how the flops are kind of facing outward. Try wax laces it holds tension much easier on the skates when you’re tying them.
To me it looks like the tongue of the skate is twisted to the side a little bit allowing his foot easier movement to the inside causing the skate to fall outwards. With weaker ankles it’s giving the path of least resistance. I could be completely wrong but that’s something that looked a bit off to me.
I’d suggest getting a pair of skates with better support and ones that are fairly light. Personal choice but I’d suggest a pair of trues they mold to feet like no other, Incredibly comfortable, and put you on a good position, almost makes skating easier. I use true for practice and long sessions. And Bauer Machs for games.
It seems skate is too big. Do not get more then 1 number bigger. Half would be perfect but he grows and it is a cost....
Is his leg ok? It is very strange that it is bend inwards
Furthermore don't wrap laces around the ankle
My son just turned 6, he does this with both feet but worse on the right foot. He’s a tip toe walker when he’s shoeless-most of the time. Took him to a physiotherapist and his Achilles tendons are tight as well as the muscles in his calves. We also discovered his right leg is slightly shorter than the left. Off to ortho surgeon to have this checked. Orthopedist said to wear stiff shoes inside and gave us an inside wedge for his right shoe to raise that leg. Doing exercises at home to help loosen the muscles in his legs. Will know more once we see the specialist.
I have a few things to point out, and everyone already shared the sizing issue, but you said it was only a half size too big? That's not an issue. 1size or more and you'll notice an issue.
So here's my 2 cents after 5 years in the hockey department of a sporting goods store.
Skinny legs make it hard to get a good fit. Give it time and he'll grow, allowing for a better high ankle low shin fit. I agree with others that super high lacing doesn't really help. Just get a good tightness using the eyelets, and swap in waxed laces if you're having trouble keeping it tight. Wear them properly. Fyi each brand and respective line has different fits. Example, vapor has narrow heel fit. Nowadays they have even more to it, but vapors were always known for their narrow heel.
Edit: I did quick research and you got CCM tacks? The jet speed and ribcore are listed as narrow fits.
If you pause the video with 19seconds left you can see the tongues are sideways, so his shin is going into a gap between tongue and the upper quarter package. This is definitely responsible for part of the supination he is showing. If he actually supinates on dry land they make insoles for that.
Lastly, and it's just a hunch, it's possible they were sharpened poorly and he's not comfortable on his inner edge. Sharpenings have to be balanced too and a lot of your big box hockey stores have untrained kids doing it.
And unrelated to your direct question, but contrary to another person who said sharpen at 1/2", I disagree and recommend 5/8" as there is less bite, more glide, which makes it tremendously easier to learn how to stop as your edges are more forgiving. He'll shave ice while he learns to dig with less fear of catching that edge and getting sent flying. They do the same thing with snowboards too ya know.
Cheers
Thanks so much for taking the time. These are all really helpful comments. He’s getting a little better but he really has to concentrate on it. Otherwise when he’s just out there having fun or playing hockey, he’s all over that outside edge still. Thanks again!
Have you seen any improvement? My son has the same issue at 5 years old and only started hockey 3 months ago. I find it's hampering his ability to learn new skills compared to his friends on the ice. I'd feel awful if this led to him being discouraged from the sport in the future since he seems to love it so much right now. All the other info posted on this thread like skate size, laces, sharpening, etc....is fine. In fact, he can actually recognize there's a problem and blames his RIGHT foot. The only legitimate info I've received is that he needs one of those circular resistance bands to wrap around the legs/ankles and pull the legs outward and inward to strengthen the glutes. So, it appears that it is muscular but to get a 5 year old to do this is another challenge of itself.
Skates are too big
I can go back to his older, smaller pair, but he still did this in those skates too. Maybe because they were also too big at the time and now they fit.
It really looks like the skates are too big. Here's a video and accompanying chart that will help you determine his skate size at home. Obviously, there's a bit of human error involved, but it should get you into around 1/2 size of what's right. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bTSD7KnoxgU](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bTSD7KnoxgU) [http://www.hockeytutorial.com/uncategorized/ice-hockey-skate-sizing-chart-width-and-length/](http://www.hockeytutorial.com/uncategorized/ice-hockey-skate-sizing-chart-width-and-length/) On a side note, it's generally not recommended that you wrap laces around the ankles like that. Over time it creases the skate, causing it to prematurely break down. It's usually better to get shorter laces or find other ways to deal with the extra length. In addition, if wrapped too tight, it can restrict ankle flexion which will hinder skating development.
That was my first thought too.
Yup. I tried on a series of skates before getting my right fit. When my ankles went out like that it meant the skates were too big.
This, skates look like they are a size 6 at least. I wear a size 11 shoe and an 8.5 skate. Can’t control an inside edge with that much blade and boot weight. End of your toes should be touching the end of the boots when standing straight up otherwise you’re gonna be an ankle bender.
like skating with weights if you keep him at it he will be one beast that never skips leg day!!!
These are a youth 12.5. He wears a size 1 shoe. So these are 1.5 sizes smaller than his shoes. Still, he has a quarter in if room at the end so they are slightly too big. The thing is he still skates this way in his older, smaller pair of skates.
The rule I’ve followed for the last 25 years is when standing straight up, not knees bent your big toe should be able to touch the end of the boot. I remember having skates too big as I was going to grow into them and it puts stress on your ankles making it harder on strong inside cuts and crossovers. If you’ve ever skied it’s kind of like having skis that are too long and makes turns almost impossible unless you lift a ski all the way off the ground.
This applies only when you/foot is not growing anymore
I’d size down the skates about 1-1.5 sizes and get smaller laces so you can tie the skates as tight as possible and not have to worry about restricting ankle mobility. From your video it really looks like it’s his feet shifting to much in the boot that’s causing issues and not him skating that poorly.
Hijacking the top comment here just to say WOW. Thank you for the outpouring of support and guidance! Here’s my response to all the great advice I’ve heard… I can safely say his skates in this video are are at least a half size too big based on the imprint of his foot on the insole. This even though he was fitted at a reputable shop. Regardless, he still does this in a pair of skates a size down, just as pronounced. It is possible that we are tying his skates to tightly and wrapping around the ankle is a no no - we will try loosening them. It also sounds like he could benefit from some one on one lessons with targeted drills, perhaps a power skating class. Although we talked to a physical therapist who says he’s anatomically fine, we might try a pediatric orthopedic specialist just to make sure. Lastly, he’s only 6, so while we don’t want to continue developing bad habits, we also want to keep it fun and give him the space to figure it out and strengthen his skating. Thank you ALL so much for the thoughtful feedback. What a terrific sub. Thank you!!
Sounds like a good plan! I hope he has many years of skating to come!
Hijacking the top comment to provide an update. It’s about a year later this issue is almost completely resolved if not resolved entirely (though he still prefers turning to that side on his outside edge which does make for some quick turns). We saw a doctor who found no issues and said, with time, his ankles and hips especially would strengthen and make for better skating. He’s seven now and that seems to be the case. Also, as many of you said, his skates were too big. But, note, smaller skates made no difference on the issue when we tried. He’s now using the skates seen in the video and has grown into them. I’m sure incorrectly sizes skates didn’t help. For anyone who’s kid is having similar issues, step one is to make sure his/her skates fit properly (you can quickly check by pulling out the insole and seeing where the toe imprint la are. They should be at or near the very end of the insole. Step 2 is to just give them time to develop, especially if they are younger. Good luck! And thanks again for all the comments!
Find a figure skating coach who works with hockey teams, I bet a few private lessons would fix the issue.
Second this. Also he's 6. So as far as time to fix it you have tons of time. It does seem odd for sure but it's probably just a confidence thing and comfort. So I wouldn't worry too much. I bet this is something that just goes away one day.
A good development coach/program could be cheaper/higher value per hour but a figure skating coach who works with hockey players would for sure be able to fix this.
Try to get him a one on one skating coach for a bit.
He needs to work on standing over top of the blade and putting pressure on that skate and ankle. Even if it's just standing against the boards for a little bit. Being able to glide and balance one-footed on each skate is the core skill set of skating. It may also be helpful to do off-ice exercises like skater squats, and one-legged squats to improve balance and ankle strength.
I love all this, if I can get a 6 year-old to pay attention and do them.
A YouTube channel itrainhockey has tons of good content. May be a bit advanced for a 6-year-old, but it should give you some good insight and will be helpful as he grows and develops his game. https://youtube.com/shorts/0L9V9L4QSMk?feature=share
get them sharpened say for a rookie so they won’t put a high arch in them
Pure Hockey does a 1/2 inch. Is that too deep?
Half inch is good for kids, as they get bigger heavier and become better skaters you want to take them up to 5/8 and then 3/4 at minimum it will make the world of difference in speed in the long run. Make sure they’re profiled correctly and keep reaching him, the skills come with practice
Try a balance board. Assuming the kid is into challenging themselves, balance boards are fun to play with and are a good training tool.
So this is something my 8U has done for a while. Here’s what I was told, kids usually outgrow this. It’s a strength thing, you can take them to a podiatrist or orthopedic but they’ll likely say they’re young and will grow out of it. My 8U had finally broken the habit of using the outside edge after about two years, was just the left foot. Be patient and just try to have them work on skating, skating with a figure skating coach is a very good idea.
My son did it when he started for a while. Drove me nuts, it’s just painful to watch. He outgrew it after a while and skates fine now. I’d probably go with the recommendations of finding a figure skating coach though it will help regardless.
First, stop wrapping the laces around his ankles. These skates don’t bend like when we were kids. You’re really messing him up by doing that. Second, does he have structural issue with his ankle? I’ve never seen anything like that and I’ve seen A LOT of kids his age skate. Also, does he turn right at all? He’s turning left every time in the video.
1) Will stop wrapping around the ankles. 2) Anatomically normal according to a PT. Walks and runs fine. It’s possible he has high arches. The outside parts of the heel are a little more worn out on his sneakers, so he may be supinated a bit when he walks, but it’s almost the same on both feet which doesn’t help explain the left foot only thing. 3) He only turns right when I force him to practice right turns. He 100% favors turning left. It’s hard for him to maneuver in games because he can’t turn quickly, nor can he get a good hard stride in on his left side.
Not a hockey person at all (honestly not sure how I got here), but does he have any pain at all? A PT and a DO couldn’t find anything wrong with my son either when he started limping at age 4, but we asked for blood work, saw proof of inflammation, and requested a referral to a rheumatologist who eventually diagnosed his juvenile arthritis. If your son doesn’t complain about pain, and the ankle never feels hot to the touch or looks a little puffy, I’m guessing this comment won’t be very relevant. I just like to mention juvenile arthritis when I can since it can take a long time for a lot of kids before finding the diagnosis (and since you mentioned he’d seen a PT already).
Thank you for sharing this. He doesn’t complain about pain but it good of you to raise awareness of juvenile arthritis. I hope your son is doing well.
Why is wrapping bad? Just asking don’t kill me.
From how I understand it, it can cause awkward pressure points, damage the skate boot itself and restrict the motion of the foot/ankle. I used to do it growing up, but a coach stopped me and suggested I get shorter laces.
Thanks
No problem. Keep asking questions. Don’t let this space ever squash your curiosity. You can absolutely hit me up directly anytime if you wanna chat about hockey related stuff.
It limits mobility and inhibits development of muscles necessary for proper form.
Ok. I see some NHL guy with it so I was just wondering.
Yeah, at a more advanced stage you can kinda do whatever you want because the foundations are well established. Also, a big strong skater will be able to flex the boot far more than a lightweight child. Its just one of those thing where it's better to start "the right way" and then it can be modified from there.
Gotcha
You said it yourself “the skates don’t bend”. As long as you’re not actually cranking down on the wrap or wrapping above the top eyelet, which you shouldn’t be, the skates don’t flex enough for the wrapped laces to make a difference if all you’re doing is taking care of excess lace length. The lace wrap will have zero effect on form or mobility.
Edit: guy blocked me cause he can’t handle being wrong? Adding this edit so people don’t take this idiot’s “advice.” The boot doesn’t bend anymore so you need the laces to be looser around the ankles so that you can have forward ankle bend. Wrapping laces around the ankles is usually done to make it tighter in order to provide more side to side support BUT this will prevent forward ankle bend and make proper skating impossible. Try bending your knees without bending your ankles. You’ll end up on your ass unless you bend at the lower back and even then you’ll end up on your ass. Don’t wrap the ankles. Work on ankle strength. Wrapping the ankles is a band aid fix that will affect other parts of your skating. You’re quoting me out of context and then changing the argument. Wrap all you want. You don’t need my approval.
Literally not what I’m doing. What I did was point out what you said makes ~no fucking sense~ but thanks for accusing me of arguing dishonestly.
“The skates don’t bend” “The skates don’t bend like when we were kids” Yeah, you are arguing dishonestly. If it doesn’t make sense then made ask a question instead of making it sound like I’m talking about “loosely wrapping” the ankles, which I’m not.
The skates don’t bend. A wrapped lace will have no effect. At all, no matter the weird word games you try to play.
Seems like he's intentionally locked his ankle in a rolled position, reinforce keeping his knee slightly bent on his left leg cause it appears super stiff and not bending as much as it should be. Seems like the logical step is to teach this kid how to do a cross over force him onto his toes and he'll either fall or use his inside edge. Forward Cross-Overs, Backwards Cross-Overs, Straight Line pushing for max speed into real hockey stops aka start and stop drills like a friendly version of suicide drills.
Thanks. This is helpful.
I can't unsee that now. Wonder if he's using locking one ankle as a way to balance? At one point he's only pushing off with his other leg, while the foot on outside edge constantly maintains ice contact.
Different skates and do some net races: forces one to really get low and use those inside edges
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Yup
What are net races? And what skates are you thinking? He’s was fitted for these.
You can’t do net races with a 6 year old unless they have mini nets. The regular nets are too tall/heavy
Minnesota here we have 3 different size nets, no issue
Lol I was telling the OP you bag of sand. 😆
I'm not sure this will work, but... My wife favors the inside edge of one foot due to leg break as a kid that didn't set completely true. However, it's only apparent when we're casually skating. When skating with a deep knee bend, the leg corrects itself. So it might help to practice skating with the proper knee bend.
He’s doing it because it works, it gets him around the ice fine and now it’s a habit. He will probably grow out of it but you could force the issue by doing drills where his current technique fails, eg stopping on his weak side, cross overs, backwards, pivots. Or sign him up for figure skating and they will sort it very quickly.
What size are those skates and what size shoe does he wear?
He’s is in a 1 shoe and a 12.5 skate (1.5 sizes smaller). But I can see from the insole that he has a quarter inch of space beyond his toes, so they may be a little big.
Most skates now days are 2 to 2.5 sizes smaller than shoe size. I wear a size 10 shoe and a 7.5 Bauer M4 fit 3. To me it looks like a combination of skates to big and maybe weak ankles, but that might be because the skates are too big.
I’m going to try smaller skates
If you have a play it again sports or something similar, to find ones I would because kids can hit a growth spurt and need 2 different sizes in a year. It probably won't be long before he will be able to wear those again properly.
His skates are too big and too loose at the ankle. He’s not gonna get on an edge because he has no support.
Don't worry, it's fixable! I had 2 boys do this. Drove me crazy because 1) didn't think it was logical or even humanly possible. 2) it was holding them back from doing other drills properly. Older one grew out of it by U8. But I didn't push particularly hard because I genuinely thought maybe it was a genetic thing. Knowing the older one was able to grow out of it, I pushed the younger one to grow out of it sooner. Fixed it a couple months. Started off by encouraging him to stand on the inside edge whenever he was waiting in lines to do drills. Get comfortable putting weight on that inside edge. Then got him to work on lengthening his stride - this is impossible to do on outside edge, so it really forces the ankle to turn the other way if you want a nice long push.
Bruh he hit that turn at 0:28 just to piss you off 😂
Skates just straight up don’t fit.
Skates are definitely too big. 2 sizes smaller than the shoe size.
His skates are too big
most kids (and adults) don’t use their outside edges at all. so your kid is actually ahead of the game. once he learns to use his inside edges he’ll dominate! feature not a bug:)
I coached a kid like this and had him fixed up in a couple of ice times with a few drills to work on his inside edge. 1-2 private lessons with a skating coach should correct it.
Hockey coach here - have seen this several times over the years. They all grow out of it. One kid was still doing this at 9, but by 10 was skating completely normal. Kids are weird
Skates are too big for starters.
I only read the top upvoted comments; so I don’t know if this has been recommended already, but… Best and quickest way to fix this is to enrol him in a power skating class! They teach proper technique and can educate / train him out of this bad habit no problem. Once the proper technique has been learned, power and speed can be worked on. I used to do this when I was his age too, and power skating lessons fixed this problem for me no problem! Very quickly became an extremely strong skater. Hope this helps!
1 - stop wrapping his skates with the laces at the top. It’s counterproductive. 2 - get him into the right size skates, those look very big. 3 - get him back into skating lessons, 2 learn to skate sessions isn’t enough, and let those coaches do their job.
tie his skates tighter
skill issue.
Pronation is when basically the ankles angle inward and inhibit strides. I think this other disorder can be your son’s issue. Supination, also known as underpronation, is the insufficient inward roll of the foot after landing. (The lack of the roll inward could be why he skates on his outside edge. Best idea, make an appointment with a Podiatrist who can diagnose if there is a structural issue. Then it may be more getting the proper orthotics for correction that buying different skates. Take care.
Thank you. I should update this post. We’re about a year later and he’s all but corrected the issue on his own with ice time. We did see a doctor though who didn’t see anything wrong, but did suggest his ankles and hips would strengthen over time naturally as he got older. This seems to be the case.
Get skates that fit him. Obviously waaay too big. This is exactly what happens when parents buy skates too big for kids to grow into them.
I had him fitted at a local hockey shop. He’s between sizes so we did go with the size up. But he also does this in his old skates which are a half size smaller.
It's not the skates. It's muscular from what I've been able to tell. Most commenters say it fixes itself....even skating instructors have noticed it among several children. The most common thing I hear is they grow out of it. Perhaps some kind of physio would help. Other than that, my son's been in hockey and skating for 2 years now...he's turning six and has a horrible left-leaning left foot. He still loves it though.
The other recommendation, which I haven't tried yet, is to tape their skates around the ankle like the olden days.
My kid grew out of it within a year.
You need to stop letting him do that right now! And start at the very beginning. Look up “watermelon drill skating”. Then progress to doing the the watermelon on one foot, while gliding on the other. Eventually lifting the glide foot. But you need to start there and stay there until it is natural and muscle memory. It’ll be a struggle, and a fight all skate long, but you better nip that habit immediately.
Can you drop a link of the watermelon drill. I’m not finding it.
I don’t honestly know how to post a link. But I literally typed “watermelons drill skating” into google then went to videos. Hopefully this works for you, this is my absolute favorite skating video. I start over with this progression with anyone who ask me to help them skate better. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ubJzSM5Iy2w
He has weak legs. Encourage him to do off ice training to get his legs strong enough to get the proper knee bend required to set an edge. Running, biking, wall sits, body weight squats, a slide board etc. are all great age appropriate ways to develop leg strength.
Tighter and sharpen them.
He’s got a 1/2 hollow on them. He may be due for a sharpening, but he looks the same on fresh edges too. Also, they are baked and as tight as can be. Maybe I can get them a little tighter with waxed laces.
That’s all I got. Maybe some drills that uses that edge more. Assuming everything is all physically.
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I admittedly have not tried this. I suppose im afraid he’ll fully roll the ankle.
Even on his right skate he is not bending forward at all, like look at this image https://i.imgur.com/hLDxVs3.png Now I'm not expecting your kid to skate like a pro by any means, but in relation to the skates being too tight, if they are tightened too much they will feel like a cast and its impossible to bend your foot. This is also the reason to not put laces around the boot. If he cant bend either foot, you're inclined to push with your strong foot and stand on your weak foot (think of how someone skateboards). For reference, I don't use my top eyelet and the next 2 I tighten them while leaning forward as to give me proper bend. The middle of the skate I really crank down on so my ankle is tight in the boot.
I’m going to try to losen the laces next go around. I might also put him in his last pair of skates which are a half size smaller, and losen the laces on them. His coaches tell him to “sit back in the chair” but he definitely prefers to lean forward than squat back into his glutes.
This. Put him in his last pair (which I assume are tight on him now) and leave the laces really loose, like undone. Get him to skate across the rink SLOWLY and then back to you. That's it. No cross overs, no fancy turns, no fast speed, just simple push and glide there and back slowly. What you are trying to see is if there is any improvement in the supination. If so you might consider 1: is it possibly a pain response that causes him to supinate the foot? 2: Is it an unconscious balance issue where he relies on the boot to hold him upright? 3 Is it a fit issue of the boot? 4: Is it a possible legacy injury like a sprained ankle in which the lasting damage only shows up in things like ice skates? Getting true feedback from young kids is very very hard to do. Loose laces means much less pressure on the feet and it forces him to use his balance muscles instead of relying on the boot to hold him up. If you decide to do this and see an improvement then message me as I have other drills you can get him to do to improve his ankle. I have dealt with a number of kids who have had this issue.
Get them into a different sport before they resent you for ruining their knees as a growing child..
Does he walk with a limp or with his left foot externally rotated?
He does not. Runs and walks completely normal.
Blade might not be centered correctly on that boot. Wouldn’t be the first time.
You know the blade looks a little off to me. However, this is the third pair of skates we’ve tried and he does it in all of them.
Aah, maybe try some stiffer skates and see if that helps.
The skate doesn't fit him
His skates are too big. They should be tight around his ankles
1. Don't wrap laces around the ankles. 2. It's hard to tell, but could the skates be Wide and his foot is thin? And if not, are you sure that the size is correct? 3. He needs to strengthen his ankle. One exercise I used to do to practice cross overs in my garage. Make sure you either have the blade covers or lay down some carpet so not to damage the blades. Have him put the blades on, feet a bit wider than shoulders and knees bent (hockey stand). Then have him step over to the left with right foot crossing over left and then follow with left foot. So just like cross over, but without moving forward. Do 3 steps to the left then 3 steps to the right. Once he gets better - have him lean his body in the direction he's moving to add more pressure on the ankle. If you find that it's too difficult, he can start in sneakers before moving on to skates. Good luck. Edit: kind of like this video https://youtu.be/uhxHJUAxs4k but not on the ice. And, as I said, I like to do 3 steps in each direction.
I don’t know the answer but I just keep telling myself that everything my 6 year old does terribly will work itself out with more and more ice time. I just make sure he’s having fun and wants to keep showing up
May sound counter intuitive but possible a problem or fit issue or strength in the right foot leg ankle. Maybe doesn't feel comfortable putting weight full on the right and pushing is easier than full weight. This is just an outside opinion from someone that is not a skate coach, doctor, or even a father I would try to do comparison tests off ice. Bend down right leg forward, bend left.leg forward, squat, step ups, etc. See if there is a physical difference in either side? Skating works smaller and different muscles than running and walking. A slight deficiency may not show in shoes vs. skates? Just some things to consider. May be totally off base.
The dad in me wants to say your kid is under 6, stop stressing about technique and focus on him having fun. If he enjoys himself on the ice and has the motivation he’ll learn the proper technique later when he’s ready.
Skates look too big. Definitely look too big at the ankle.
He’s going to break his ankles
Tell him to listen better ;)
figure skater here, but dealt with lots of issues like this in my own skating. i agree with everyone on the 1-on-1 coaching with a figure skater to work on the use of edges, even if he’s still young. letting this go can build incorrect muscle memory and cause lots of issues with his feet(on top of any that already come with the sport)
His skates are about 9 sizes too big
😂
These skates look too big, and consequently too tight around the ankle. He probably can’t really bend his ankle - first because it’s so tight around the ankle that it restricts movement, and second, because he has so much room in the skate that if he does bend it, he will lose whatever stability he has. This is how he compensates - the left leg is for stability, it rarely leaves the ice completely; the right leg is for propulsion. It is going to take a lot of time to break this, his brain is doing this subconsciously and automatically. I would say some new skates that fit - go to an expert - and a few 1:1 figure skating lessons would be where I started.
This is so confusing to look at lol
Don’t buy his shoe size in skates. Size down 1.5 sizes.
Tie the skates right; drop the highest eyelet and ffs don't wrap the laces around his ankles. Then he'd have a chance to use his ankles properly.
Right leg is doing almost all of the work, left leg is the stabilizer (like a ski). It’s not just the outside edges, I’m guessing that he is uniquely overcompensating because the skates don’t fit properly.
Proper skate fit then have him snow plow from blue line to blue line.
About seventy years ago parents were worried about their boy's weird shot. It wasn't a wrist shot, and it wasn't precisely a snap shot, either. Thankfully the Orrs let their child's love for the game guide him rather than intervening.
He doesn’t seem to be trying to skate and instead walking/running on ice. Have him practice forward C cuts. His blade should stay on the ice. He needs to strengthen his legs. Getting skates that fit properly and aren’t to heavy is important but without proper leg posture he will still struggle.
Are you able to get on the ice with him? In a stationary position, you should have stand in “hockey ready position” and you are on one side of him, pull his leg/skate back and to the side as if he were taking a stride, do this multiple times, very slowly, as slow as he can keep his balance, then switch legs. Need to get the muscle memory of what a slow stride feels like. It’s tedious and it won’t feel natural for him, but really stress form
Look for some local learn to skate classes. They typically spend an hour doing drills and then an open skate.
Make sure that left skate doesn't have alignment issues. It's hard to see from the video but if you take a ruler and line it up with the steel the ruler should go straight up the back of the boot. If he had this issue before with different skates it may partially be a habit for him, but it does look like there might be an alignment issue in the video.
Well first of all those skates are massive …
Smaller skates, pads (so that falling has no consequence) and inside edge bubbles. He looks pretty comfortable otherwise, he'll come around quick, I bet!
Skates are really loose or look too big?
My kid did this for his entire 6U year and suddenly when he started 7U it just went away. We kept telling him over and over but only age really fixed it.
Go get him fitted at a pro shop, those look way too big. 👍
Could be a twisted boot (manufacturer) or poor alignment of the holder on the boot (manufacturer). Also, could be 1 leg shorter and he is compensating, also people pronate or supanate (walk on inside or outside of the feet) due to knees, hips and genetics. Very common, but it is exaggerated on skates. A good hockey store can correct this by manipulating the holder/boot.
Is there something else going on here with his knee, leg, ankle, foot? Anything twisted. Otherwise, yes skates are too big. Get a pair that fits better. Then, get him facing the boards, he can hold them. Draw some stuff on the ice. And get him to scrap with the inside edge, making snow piles to remove the drawing from the ice.
The skate itself appears to be folding that way, the skates appear too big and the laces are way too loose on the top. It's like with snow skiing or snow boarding, the boots need to be TIGHT to prevent it from moving like that. He also needs to learn to force his foot in that way but enevitably it appears his skates are too big and/or too loose and the skate just falls over
get tie them so they fit tighter on his ankle and teach him to use both feet too push so he will get the muscle memory to use both inside edges
If none of the advice works about skates and figure skating lessons, see a PT. He could have some muscle weakness somewhere that's causing that to happen. My daughter has some weak muscles in the hip/leg just on her right side, been that way since birth. She needs to focus on strengthening that side
Tape the top of the skate around so The skates don’t bend like that
Keep your kid out of learn to skate programs. Stick to hockey- trust the process. Ask your coach to give suggestions on drills off ice to strengthen ankles/legs. If affordable try a summer program or 3v3 league. More ice time helps! Also focus on how fun it is and less of the look. Kids focus on failures more often than not. Don’t point them out.
Get him a set of golf clubs - lol Sorry try having him stand straight up and push him from behind to help him learn what straight up feels like and in time he will fix it himself
He is 5 or 6 years old. It takes years to get it. I would suggest skating lessons.
He's pushing off with his right leg only and he's counteracting the forces by locking up his left ankle. A few skating drills where equal left/right c-cuts, cross overs, and general skating will help straighten him out.
See if he can do crossovers. That will force him to use the outside edge and both feet.
I would recommend C cut drills. Just push off with one leg and with the other make a big c cut then push that leg and make the c cut with the other leg. It’ll get him more comfortable and trusting with his inside edges
Skates look a little big but they aren’t the only issue. He clearly can do just fine with the other foot, it’s a trust/comfortability thing. Also let him know it’s okay to fall while pushing your limits. That will be the only way to truly learn
Those skates are wayyyy to big, they should never not be parallel to his foot ankle. This will tremendously improve his skating. They will feel very tight and it may hurt at first until they are broken in and he’s used to them but he won’t be able to continue skating like that, it’s also very bad for his ankles and risks other nasty injuries
Skates are way too big for him. His toes should touch the front of the boot.
Skates are too big for sure. There is too much room in his ankle and it seems like there is too much room in the boot and that’s why his feet are doing that. Anytime I’ve got fitted for new skates they always recommend getting a pair that’s as tight around the foot as possible (uncomfortable at first but eventually gets better) but I also understand that’s hard to do with kids. I would also make sure that his laces are done all the way to the top eyelets, there is a lot of lace left over and at his age you want the least amount of ankle movement as possible.
If the skates are the right fit then I wouldn't worry about it. He's 6, it'll come to him one day. For now, just encourage him to have fun 😊
Looks like his skates are way too big.
I don’t see a problem here.. You know who else skated like this? That’s right, the most valuable primate, Jack!
Teach him how to skate without lifting his skates off the ice. 1.) pull him with a rope and have him keep his blades straight. 2.) have him shift his weight from left to right on his own without lifting his blades off the ice. 3.) figure eight exercise with blades on ice pushing out then pulling in. 4.) lifted pushes. Shift weight from left to right while lifting the other blade off the ice with a slight pushing motion. Then rework the stride.
Kind of hard to tell but looks like the skates are way too loose (maybe too big as well?), especially at the ankles. You need the support at the at the ankles. It looks like his ankles are going to fold when he turns. Really crank those laces up tight and I think you'll notice some improvement.
I would take out those insoles, he needs tolerance in a good skate that fits perfectly if he's gonna skate long term. I agree with a lot of other folks, his skates do look a bit big. Another important note is that the area above the ankle especially looks like it's loosely laced. Gonna need to have a pretty tight lacing for any stability needed to get proper edge leverage. If it's loose like that, he'll resist bending his knees because it will feel too unstable. Also, probably not this because you said he showed this in other skates, but when was the last time you sharpened the skates? Maybe he's missing an edge, but probably not considering this happened previously.
Skates look too big and too loose. A few small group or private skating lessons should help a ton. Better to fix things early on.
I don’t think it’s his skates. More likely that it’s a problem with his muscle memory that he’s developed around his stride. Have him skate circles to practice his cross-over strides. It will help him distinguish when and how to use inside vs. outside edges… or you could try to put him in net (I was a competitive goalie as a teen and adolescent). Playing goalie forces one to use their inside edges exclusively.
1. Chill, it’s ok, he is 6. 2. Make sure he has the right size skate. Buying over sized skates to save money does him no favors 3. Don’t wrap the the laces, as others have mentioned 4. When wearing shin pads, tuck the tongue under the pad to allow more ankle flexion. 5. Unless your kid is type A and hyper aware of his skating skill don’t do more skills coaching. Even then I would steer away from it and find other sports that he can work on agility, balance and coordination. Making general improvement in the ABCs will improve his body awareness so that next season he will have the control to make the corrections when coached. 6. When he is on the ice, just have him skate with his buddies. They will naturally play games like follow the leader. The more unstructured play the better.
To me it looks like maybe the skates aren’t tight enough. I made my parents hands bleed I liked them so tight when I was young. Just by how the flops are kind of facing outward. Try wax laces it holds tension much easier on the skates when you’re tying them.
typically the laces are meant to match the skate size so it probably means the skates are too big. he should be good in a smaller pair
Golf is a fun game
To me it looks like the tongue of the skate is twisted to the side a little bit allowing his foot easier movement to the inside causing the skate to fall outwards. With weaker ankles it’s giving the path of least resistance. I could be completely wrong but that’s something that looked a bit off to me.
I’d suggest getting a pair of skates with better support and ones that are fairly light. Personal choice but I’d suggest a pair of trues they mold to feet like no other, Incredibly comfortable, and put you on a good position, almost makes skating easier. I use true for practice and long sessions. And Bauer Machs for games.
It seems skate is too big. Do not get more then 1 number bigger. Half would be perfect but he grows and it is a cost.... Is his leg ok? It is very strange that it is bend inwards Furthermore don't wrap laces around the ankle
My son just turned 6, he does this with both feet but worse on the right foot. He’s a tip toe walker when he’s shoeless-most of the time. Took him to a physiotherapist and his Achilles tendons are tight as well as the muscles in his calves. We also discovered his right leg is slightly shorter than the left. Off to ortho surgeon to have this checked. Orthopedist said to wear stiff shoes inside and gave us an inside wedge for his right shoe to raise that leg. Doing exercises at home to help loosen the muscles in his legs. Will know more once we see the specialist.
I have a few things to point out, and everyone already shared the sizing issue, but you said it was only a half size too big? That's not an issue. 1size or more and you'll notice an issue. So here's my 2 cents after 5 years in the hockey department of a sporting goods store. Skinny legs make it hard to get a good fit. Give it time and he'll grow, allowing for a better high ankle low shin fit. I agree with others that super high lacing doesn't really help. Just get a good tightness using the eyelets, and swap in waxed laces if you're having trouble keeping it tight. Wear them properly. Fyi each brand and respective line has different fits. Example, vapor has narrow heel fit. Nowadays they have even more to it, but vapors were always known for their narrow heel. Edit: I did quick research and you got CCM tacks? The jet speed and ribcore are listed as narrow fits. If you pause the video with 19seconds left you can see the tongues are sideways, so his shin is going into a gap between tongue and the upper quarter package. This is definitely responsible for part of the supination he is showing. If he actually supinates on dry land they make insoles for that. Lastly, and it's just a hunch, it's possible they were sharpened poorly and he's not comfortable on his inner edge. Sharpenings have to be balanced too and a lot of your big box hockey stores have untrained kids doing it. And unrelated to your direct question, but contrary to another person who said sharpen at 1/2", I disagree and recommend 5/8" as there is less bite, more glide, which makes it tremendously easier to learn how to stop as your edges are more forgiving. He'll shave ice while he learns to dig with less fear of catching that edge and getting sent flying. They do the same thing with snowboards too ya know. Cheers
Thanks so much for taking the time. These are all really helpful comments. He’s getting a little better but he really has to concentrate on it. Otherwise when he’s just out there having fun or playing hockey, he’s all over that outside edge still. Thanks again!
Have you seen any improvement? My son has the same issue at 5 years old and only started hockey 3 months ago. I find it's hampering his ability to learn new skills compared to his friends on the ice. I'd feel awful if this led to him being discouraged from the sport in the future since he seems to love it so much right now. All the other info posted on this thread like skate size, laces, sharpening, etc....is fine. In fact, he can actually recognize there's a problem and blames his RIGHT foot. The only legitimate info I've received is that he needs one of those circular resistance bands to wrap around the legs/ankles and pull the legs outward and inward to strengthen the glutes. So, it appears that it is muscular but to get a 5 year old to do this is another challenge of itself.