‘It’s great and the kids are awesome’

Bay Roberts’ Natalie Keeping is getting kids on their edges in skating program

The sounds of skate blades cutting ice fill the Bay Arena in Bay Roberts as players manoeuvre their way around a series of orange cones.

It’s early February and these players are getting a lesson in edge work from skating coach Natalie Keeping.

Without the aid of their sticks, they cut, glide and swing their bodies around the cones in a succession of drills that keep getting harder.

Every movement is explained and choreographed by the Bay Roberts native.

Eventually, they’ll grab their sticks and see how those drills translate to working with pucks, but it's important to learn the movements.

“I'll do the skating part and once you get that down pat, then I will add pucks to it,” said Keeping.

It’s work that Keeping has been doing since she left competitive hockey a decade ago. First, she worked with several different private hockey programs, before striking out on her own this year.

“I've been coaching since I stopped playing competitive hockey, so 10 years now, but this is my first year doing my own school,” she said.

TECHNICAL DIRECTING

Recently, Keeping was brought on by the Goulds Minor Hockey Association as its power skating technical director.

In that role, she not only works with the players on improving their skating, but helps coaches learn.

The association allows her to jump on whatever sessions her schedule allows, which is a freedom she appreciates.

“It's great and the kids are awesome,” she said.

FOUND HER CALLING

Keeping excelled at hockey, competing provincially and nationally before her career wrapped up.

There were options to play collegiate hockey, but she decided to take a break once her minor hockey career ended.

After some time away from the game, Keeping got into coaching in part because she loves working with kids and being involved in hockey.

She worked with places like Xtreme Hockey, Delaney’s Hockey Program and others before striking out on her own this year.

“I would always have parents approach me, especially after my power skating sessions, and ask me for my number and ask me where they'll find me next, and that's kind of how it started.”

TWO DISCIPLINES

Keeping’s coaching combines a lot of what she learned both as a hockey player and a figure skater.

Being comfortable on her edges and doing different movements on the ice is how she’s married those particular disciplines.

It’s part of why her parents insisted that she be fluent in both forms of skating — one helps the other.

“That doesn't come from my hockey knowledge,” said Keeping. “Obviously, I was a really good skater, but that also comes from everything I learned and figure skating.”

However, it’s not only her training in those two disciplines that helps guide what she teaches young players.

Keeping also spends a lot of time studying biomechanics and learning what works best.

“With figure skating, it is being able to break things down and explain it to kids in the way I do,” she said. “Like, how do you get on the inside edge? Where's your knee over your hip? Where's your shoulder? That's where that kind of knowledge comes from.”

SEEING THEM GROW

A lot of times when Keeping starts a session, she has to spend some time going over the drills she wants them to do.

It isn’t natural for them to do some of the movements Keeping takes them through during her sessions.

Keeping says there isn’t a better feeling than when she watches them figure it out.

“It's nice working with the kids every week because you really see them develop and you really see them build upon (what they have learned),” she said.

FIGHTING AGAINST STEREOTYPES

Even though Keeping has been doing power skating for several years and has taken a position with Goulds minor hockey, she still feels like she has to fight for respect in a mostly male-dominated world.

There can be times when the players hesitate to listen to Keeping’s instructions. Then, they see her skate and that all goes away.

There’s also a power in that.

“It's good for the girls to see, but it's also good for the boys because you're teaching them to respect women,” said Keeping.