PHED 1146 : Roller Skating


Instructor Information

Dr. Mark Lewis
Office: CSI 270H
Phone: 999-7022
e-mail: mlewis@trinity.edu

Class Meetings

Tuesday 3:30-6:00 at the Rollercade at 223 Recoleta (www.therollercade.com)

Scope of the Course

This course is designed to teach students the basic skills they need to participate in roller skating as part of a healthy, active lifestyle and to improve their physical fitness in the process.

Course Objectives

As a result of successfully completing this class, each student should:

  1. Develop a desirable attitude toward recreational physical activity

  2. Understand the principles involved in designing a good aerobic fitness program so that he/she can decide how much exercise is necessary and know what intensity level they need to develop aerobic fitness

  3. Develop competence and confidence at roller skating so that they can achieve the desired intensity for a good aerobic workout

  4. Be able to complete an aerobic workout of the appropriate intensity

Attendance Policy

The objectives for this course can only be achieved through regular participation. As this class meets only once each week, the Physical Education Department attendance policy will be changed to reflect this. One unexcused absence will be allowed without penalty. Each additional unexcused absence will reduce your final grade by 10 points. Absences will be considered excused if you provide medical documentation of injury or illness, provide notification of a University sanctioned event in advance of the absence, or receive prior approval from the instructor for special circumstances.

In addition, you will only get full credit for attending a class if you actually participate. It is expected that you will be on the floor skating for roughly 2 hours out of each 2.5 hour class. Because we are meeting mostly during a public skate session, there will be certain times when you can't be on the floor skating. At nearly all other times, you should be on the floor. This policy will be relaxed a little in the first two weeks at the rink to accommodate your feet getting used to skating that length of time.

Class Requirements

Following are the requirements for satisfactory completion of this class:

Skills Tests

Over the course of the semester, students will demonstrate how well they have mastered different skills. They will be graded by how well they perform the following eight skills. Each skill must be completed without falling to count as being completed.

1. Skating forward around the rink outside the red loop

2. Skating backwards the length of the rink

3. Doing a crossover turn where you step you outer foot in front and inside of the inner foot

4. Skating backwards around the rink outside the red loop

5. Changing from skating forward to skating backward while moving

6. Changing from skating backward to forward while moving

7. Skating on one skate for 5 seconds. Must be able to do it with either foot.

8. Skating a loop around the rink while crouched in a cart position

9. Skating around the rink outside the red loop in 20 seconds

10. Skating around the rink outside the red loop in 15 seconds

Each skill test that you successfully complete will count as 5 points toward your grade. Partial credit is only given on the last one with one point per second under 20.

Endurance/Fitness Test

To demonstrate overall physical fitness as well as skating ability, students will be required to skate for a 12 minute period. The number of laps completed during that time will be used to determine 20% of the student's grade. Your score on this section of the class will be the number of laps of the rink you can complete in 12 minutes minus 20 up to a maximum of 20. Completing fewer than 20 laps will result in zero points for this segment of the grade.

Written Test

A brief written test will be given covering the mechanics of skating and basic knowledge concerning physical fitness, why it is important, and how it is developed

Determination of Grades

The final grade for each student will be determined by the following:

 Skills Tests 50 Points
 Endurance/Fitness Test 20 Points
 Written Test 10 Points
 Attendance/Participation 20 Points (Additional points can be deducted as specified above.)

The usual standards of 90%, 80%, 70% will be used to determine actual letter grades. Note that grades in physical education activity classes do count toward your GPA

Class Procedures

The class will meet from 3:30 – 6:00 p.m. every Tuesday. Meetings will take place at the Rollercade facility on Recoletta near the intersection of San Pedro and Jackson-Keller. During the first class meeting the syllabus will be reviewed and we will discuss general fitness guidelines. Our class will overlap with a public session. Because the rink is least busy early in the session it is important that people show up promptly to begin the class. Timings for speed skills and the fitness tests will be administered during the first 30 minutes of class.

Students will be responsible for their own transportation to the rink and paying for their admission (and skate rentals if needed). The class rate at the Rollercade is $6.00 admission and $3.00 for a normal skate rental. This is higher than the normal rate for those days because we have 30 minutes of private time. Renting blades or speed skates costs more. I strongly recommend that students buy their own skates for the class. Rentals will cost roughly $45 over the course of the semester and buying a pair of reasonable skates will cost about $100. The benefits of having your own skates will outweigh the extra cost though.


Skating Basics - This is the material that will be covered on the final exam.

The Rollercade - This is the web site for the skating rink that the course will be held at.