Since at least the 1950s, most small towns have been home to at least one skating rink where teens and young adults would gather every Friday and Saturday night. Some would get together so that they could perform skate routines they’d been practicing all week. There are also kids who might put on their Riedell roller skates just so that they could be seen standing around and looking stylish. The music may have changed and there’s more of a focus on glow-in-the-dark accessories now than there was in the 70s, but there are several reasons why young people are still going skating.
Skating Is Affordable
Whether you own your own roller skates or have to rent a pair every time you go to the skating rink, this pastime is still pretty cheap. Going to the movies is going to cost you at least $10, especially if you don’t make the matinee showing. Clothing shopping has no cap and teenagers have a habit of not knowing their limitations. By contrast, going roller skating at the weekend is an expensive way to hang out, be social, and show off your fanciest skating moves.
Roller Rinks Are a Fun Place to Hang Out At
Adults have clubs where they can hang out. Unfortunately, kids are mostly only able to travel in their local neighborhoods so there aren’t many places that they can go on the weekends that will welcome them with open arms. In Virginia Beach, Virginia, there are three well-known, prominent skating rinks that youngsters flock to on their days off from school. After the entry fee is paid, skating fans can meet up and hang out with friends, take a few laps around the rink, and just find a spot where they can watch all the action. Skating rinks represent one of the few places that young people are welcome to go and be themselves.
Kids Can Go with Or Without Parents
Most skating rinks require parents to accompany children under the age of 12. In fact, each roller rink has its own rules, which you need to get familiar with. On the other hand, older teens can pretty much just show up and stay inside until the skating rink closes for the night. Unlike malls, which have rules against loitering, as long as you are well behaved and don’t interfere with other people having a good time, you can roller skate, socialize, or just chill out at a skating rink indefinitely.
Some of the kids you’ll see at roller rinks will still be glued to their electronic devices, but at least they’ll be open to having conversations with people around them for once. The younger generation is getting slightly better about developing real-world socialization skills, and going roller skating at a local community roller rink may be able to help. So, the next time your child asks to go skating over the weekend, offer to drop him or her off and know they’ll have a great time.
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