Skateboarding is an exciting activity, and it’s a great way to workout for those who want an alternative to hitting the gym. However, it can be scary – you’re on a piece of wood with wheels moving at high speeds and performing elite tricks. Is it possible to get over your fears and move forward in skateboarding?
Here are some tips for building confidence in skateboarding:
- Practice Often
- Make Practical Goals
- Keep An Eye on Your Journey
- Build a Supportive Group
- Wear Protection
These will make you feel much better about your confidence on the board.
If you’re interested in learning more about overcoming nervousness while skateboarding, you’ve come to the right place. The more you know about the preparation process for taking skateboarding head-on, the easier it will be to build your confidence in the activity. Read on to learn more about a few of our tips on progressing in skateboarding and forgetting your fears.
Practice Often
First, practice often. Exposure therapy is a great way to trick your brain into enjoying something – the more you expose yourself to something, the more normal it will become. Even if you can only squeeze in a few minutes a day, it will bring plenty of help to your confidence levels.
There are some times you can practice where you might really get some good time in:
- Early morning hours
- Lunch breaks
- Before it gets dark
Anytime you have a spare moment, try to expose yourself to skateboarding. Set aside time at least every week to take on your skateboard. If you don’t separate a section in the week, you may convince yourself it isn’t worth trying. Try to take at least a few days a week when you can get on the board.
Make Practical Goals
Next, make goals for yourself – but make they’re practical and realistic. The more extravagant your goals, the more likely you are to give up on them and give up on skateboarding altogether. It’s critical to start small and slowly build yourself up as you become more confident in your ability and understanding of new skills.
Excellent goals for skateboarding might include the following:
- Learning a new trick
- Mastering your balance
- Pumping with your leg
These are small and simple enough to master on your own. Of course, even if a goal is practical, it will still take time to master. Practicing your skateboarding every day will ensure you get to the goal faster. Plus, every single time you accomplish a goal, it will encourage you to keep moving forward until you’re able to bring up more advanced aspirations for your skateboarding adventures.
Keep An Eye on Your Journey
It’s easy to find yourself drifting to distractions like social media when you’re learning something new. There are plenty of skateboarders who have social media accounts, posting their successes, careers, and aesthetics. If you’re a beginner and terrified of going all-in, it’s easy to get discouraged based on what they’ve accomplished.
To keep an eye on your own progress instead of the progress of others:
- Consider deleting social media until you feel more confident
- Remember that it’s okay to be a beginner
- Gather more advanced friends to spur you on
These tactics will help you focus on your endeavors instead of another. It’s easy to compare yourself to others, especially in a competitive sports environment. Remember, every skater will learn at their own pace – no two journeys are alike! Even if you have a tiny achievement, ensure you celebrate it to spur yourself forward and provide a foundation of encouragement.
Build a Supportive Group
A supportive group will mean a world of difference in your skateboarding journey. If you’re nervous, they will have your back and will ensure you’re focused on what you’re doing instead of what everybody else does. Also, they can teach you skills you’d otherwise have to learn on the internet or would never know on your own.
Although you can gather a supportive group of friends who don’t skate, it’s best to work on your confidence with those who have skated before. They can go with you to the skate park and thus add another layer of defense – especially if you’re worried about being intimidated by others at the skatepark.
If you don’t have any skater friends, that’s okay! You can always make pals with those at the skatepark. Skating is a community, and it will be easy to create a group to help you improve your confidence levels and overcome your fear to progress.
Wear Protection
Finally, wear protection. While this should be a given, putting on all your gear will help you feel safer and increase your confidence. You can even wear more than you typically would if it makes you feel safer.
Here are common types of protection you should wear on a skateboard:
- Helmet
- Wrist Guards
- Knee Pads
- Elbow Pads
- Long Sleeve Shirt
- Pants
These will help you feel safe on the board. The more skin you have covered, the better. Of course, with pants and long-sleeved shirts, ensure the material properly fits you but isn’t so tight it constrains your movement or so loose it makes you fall when attempting tricks.
Final Thoughts
If you have a fear of skateboarding and it’s stopping you from progressing, we recommend practicing often, making practical goals, keeping an eye on your journey and not others, forming a supportive group, and wearing protection. You don’t have to try all these at once, but it will help the more you can include in your journey.
We hope this information was helpful! The more you know about tackling the skateboarding process, the easier it will be to be less scared of the board. Of course, it might be terrifying. You might get hurt, and you’re sure to fail at a few tricks. The more you stick with it and surround yourself with supporters, the easier it will be.
Sources:
