Honestly. I have no idea how to get Ice Girl to wear her stinkin’ butt pads. I have two sets of them: the kind in the panties (see photo) and the waxel pads that skaters shove in their tights.I’d love to tell you that they work wonderfully and Ice Girl wears them all the time, but I can’t.
The panties with pads set me back $80 (I think I got ripped off). The individual waxel pads cost me $30 for two. All the pads are in our basement on a shelf. They don’t even ride around in the van with us.
Ice Girl complains that falls hurt. I don’t doubt it. However, when I remind her that she has pads, her bottom lip starts to quiver and her eyes get round. She tells me that she just can’t figure out how to wear them without them showing.
I tell her that the point isn’t that people will think she has a big butt. The point is to prevent that big bruise on her hip.
Last week at a test session, I called her attention to a senior-level skater who was shoving butt pads in her tights rink side.
“See?” I said. “Senior Skater wears them.”
“Mom. Mom. Moooo-oooom,” Ice Girl said. “I don’t want to talk about that right now. I’m about to test.”
Fine. But Ice Girl didn’t want to talk about it on the ride home. She didn’t want to talk about it this morning, either.
Update: From reader dazzleamore: did find those thinner GEL Ultra crash pads (about $35 -$40 each) is easier to convince my girls to wear them. Those pads are thinner so skaters don't feel self conscious (about the size of their butt) and supposedly, it supposed to protect them from the fall. Between, crash-pad-pants, waxel pads, and gel pads, my skaters used the get pads most... You can find these gel pads on many figure skating store websites that sells dresses or supplies.
So, folks, I’m looking for help here. Please comment and share what tricks, incentives, etc. you’ve used to get your kid to put in those stupid pads. Short of making them chocolate-scented and having Ice Girl wear M.C. Hammer pants, I’m stumped.
I have a combination of two suggestions for you. When I was a yonger skater (a little older than Ice Girl), I didn't want to wear them either. I fell 98% of the time on my right knee and sometimes hip. It took a knee injury to make me start wearing them. Even then, I only wore one knee pad and one hip pad - but that's all I really needed because most of my falls hit there. I was comfortable doing that because it protected me most of the time and I didn't have to look ridiculous wearing a ton of padding. Girls her age care a lot about image.
ReplyDeleteMy suggestion for you is to try getting her to just start wearing one waxel pad where it hurts most when she falls. Start with just one in her #1 impact spot. If this is one of her hips rather than her tailbone, it will probably feel better for her to just wear that one. Using that as a starting point might get her used to wearing them and then she might start to use the others on her own. Once she uses the one and sees how much it helps her, she will hopefully keep wearing it. You can also gently remind her that if she falls hard enough and isn't adequately protected, it could put her off the ice for a few weeks. One last thing - pack the waxel pads in her bag. Getting the pads themselves out of the basement and to the rink would be a good first step.
I totally agree with the last poster, start with just wearing it where it hurts, and definately let her bring them onto the ice and only put them in for her hardest jumps. maybe you could also recruit her coach...send her onto the ice with them and ask the coach to ask her to wear them when they start doing axels or whatever. it's interesting because i assume the attitude changes from rink to rink, and at mine, EVERYONE wears them...
ReplyDeleteoh also, i know you must not want to spend more, but the yellow gel pads that you find here are amazingly effective and super duper unnoticable http://www.skate-buys.com/ulgelhippa.html. i know lots of kids who wear them, even in competition under a dress (shhh!! don't tell :) ). they are all but invisible
I have a pair that I rarely wear, but do occasionally.
ReplyDeleteFirst off- they always stay in the bag, that way I can just grab them when I want them. I think that will be the most useful thing I can say for IceGirl
Second they are the "shorts" variety and they are black- so I actually wear them on the outside of (black) pants. I kind of prefer that people can SEE that it's padding, and I'm not just really fat, but the black also blends in a bit more, and they aren't hideous.
I can put them on and off over my skates, with a bit of effort, so I don't wear them for moves, spins, and my program, and put them on when I'm specifically working on jumps.
Mine too cost around $80 once shipping was factored in. While I'm glad i have them, I can't believe that price it's insane, especially since the seams are not even finished, just serged.
These are the ones I have, I do like them, because the bit of vanity I have the back butt pad is less ugly. Since you have some already, this doesn't help, but others might like to see them:
http://www.rainbosports.com/shop/site/product.cfm/id/480C468D-D610-7E99-D9FED2636B94076C
I am 18, and I broke my tailbone in a two-foot spin. Of course, I didn't immediately recognise that. Sitting was a pain.
ReplyDeleteThe high impact area for me is my tailbone; my hips only suffer in freak falls. Those happened twice, one at each hip. You mentioned that you have Waxel. Did you get the ones for her level and size? There are varying thickness to choose from. Maybe you can try the thin ones first? I have Waxel. My mum makes me promise to wear, otherwise I can't skate. I agree that the "big butt" issue is big. I was hesitant too, especially that most skaters don't wear butt pads. I think you should try giving her waxel to wear on her high impact area first. And yes, let them see the sun!
Good luck!
Um, they're BUTT PADS! Does that sound very nice to you. I'm a 13 yr old skater, and I know that any girl in her right mind would abhor the thought of butt pads, just because they're yucky. Don't force her, she'll use them when she's ready. My mom got my knee pads, because that's my trouble spot, and insisted I use them until she saw how restricting they were. Really, she'll use them if she feels she needs them.
ReplyDeleteif you are always used to wearing equipment when you practice how are you going to feel without it when you compete? body memory is very strong and competition makes you want to feel secure - i can imagine if you constantly fall and have injured an area that a pad would be ok but when you get used to a certain feeling - competing without it might make you shakey
ReplyDeleteI was about 14 when I was told to wear them. My coach basically insisted that I did, but I was like Ice Girl my first thought was "Nooooo!". So she pointed out that if I didn't wear them, she wouldn't let me do the jumps in case I hurt myself. I also saw Meryl Davis practicing singles one day (don't ask why) and she was wearing them, so that made me feel a bit better.
ReplyDeleteMaybe tell her that unless she wears them, you're too worried about her saftey to let her do the jumps? It's harsh, but it could work.
Re: feeling different when you compete...
ReplyDeleteI agree with that - I only wear mine when I work on new jumps. I take them off before I work on my program.
No girl at our rink has ever worn them. And we´ve got 80 members. 50% are competing at a high level. So I don´t think she´ll need them.
ReplyDeleteI suggest Ice Girl reads Sasha Cohen's biography "Fire On Ice." In the book Sasha describes how butt pads took her to the next level in her skating.
ReplyDeleteI sure hope those butt pads didn't leave poor old Sasha with all those jump inconsistencies; cheated jumps and poor takeoffs.
ReplyDeleteMan, she'll change her mind! I've been BEGGING for those pants with the pads in them. I have gel type pads that are way thinner then that (so its harder to see them)but they are very expensive and they fall down sometimes. They help soo much though! Trust me, I go on a practice ice that's private freestyle ice (for skaters, opposite of public sessions)and everyone either is wearing those big pads, or has them on the side with them. Nobody cares about what they look like, and nobody will be staring at your butt either. Once you have a bad injury, your going to wear them. I'd certainly rather wear those than have another injury. Think about it.
ReplyDeleteHang in there. =)
I am a 14 year old skater. I'm not sure how old ice girl is. At my rink it isnt a big deal. Everyone wears them. When you work on hard doubles (or whatever her hardest jump is) they make it hurt wayyyy less. I put mine in between my tights and my under armor pants. I could see why she wouldnt want to wear them with her dress though. They would show. One of the younger low level skaters at my rink was bribed by her mom. If she wears her butt pads while she jumps everyday for a week she gets something fun. Sometimes she goes to a movie, gets her nails done, goes out for ice cream etc. Hope that helped!
ReplyDeleteI think Ice Girl might be cured. We all met up at a park and ride to car pool to a water park as a celebration two weeks ago. Another coach showed us a big dent in her upper thigh/hip. The cause? Double axel. She'd had a bruise for a year, the bruise went away and left the dent. My husband works in the medical field - he says the tissue died. Ice Girl was suitably grossed out and has packed her pads ever since. :)
ReplyDeleteMy daughter always wore knee pads. The students fell but many of the jumps they learned by being on a harness. I know that skaters have learned for a million years how to jump without a harness but I do believe it helps initially and you aren't let fall. My daughter learned her double axel without a harness from Carol Heiss.
ReplyDeleteTell her that all of the skaters and their parents know what they are and I honestly like to wear mine because all of the other skaters I know have them! I don't know about her rink but I bet most of the skaters she knows have them too but may not always wear them. If the falls bother her enough she will wear them! Have her take the waxel pads in a little bag or something with her to the ice and she just might wear them. That's what got me to do it and now I love them! Hope I helped! Goodluck!
ReplyDeleteTell her that all of the skaters and their parents know what she's wearing and why she has them. That helped me. Have her take them to the ice with her and if she falls hard enough she will put those puppies on! Hope I helped! Good luck!
ReplyDeletegreat to hear ig is taking them with her!
ReplyDeleteWell, I don't wear butt pads.
ReplyDeleteI can relate.. both my girls (age 11 and 7) refused to wear those fat crash pads (like those on the pic above) and those black thick waxel pads. All those just sits on my closet. However! I did find those thinner GEL Ultra crash pads (about $35 -$40 each) is easier to convince my girls to wear them. Those pads are thinner so skaters don't feel self conscious (about the size of their butt) and supposedly, it supposed to protect them from the fall. Between, crash-pad-pants, waxel pads, and gel pads, my skaters used the get pads most... You can find these gel pads on many figure skating store websites that sells dresses or supplies.
ReplyDeleteHi, dazzleamore!
ReplyDeleteYou know,I bought Ice Girl those gel pads and she wears them, too! I can't even tell when she has them on - and she wears practice pants, not a skirt!
She willingly puts them in and I don't have to remind her.
Another girl at the rink, however, wears the full booty armor with the bulky pads. Ice Dad, who is not a nice human being, asked me last Saturday, "Who's the girl with the square butt?"
I don't take him out in public often.
Ice Mom