For athletes who want to play the ice game, built on the skating the game actually demands.
Skating & Athlete Development · Nairobi · EST. 2020
Develop the athlete.Skating is how.
Big Ice is a skating academy in Nairobi, and an athlete-development company. Children and adults learn to skate here — and the ones who want to go further find a structure waiting for them.
Start by booking your first assessment session. We’ll check the athlete’s current level, confirm the right starting point, and recommend the appropriate programme.
Start from nothing
Most people arrive having never skated. That is the normal starting point, not a disadvantage.
Six disciplines
Ice hockey, inline hockey, figure skating, slalom, ice freestyle and street cruising — one coaching system behind all six.
Go as far as you want
Skate for the enjoyment of it, or train seriously. Big Ice coaches both, and does not decide which you should be.
First-time skaters
Beginner — 6‑session starting programme
Six coached sessions for people who have never skated, building the foundation everything else rests on.
Balance & body control
Develop balance and body positioning on skates.
Posture & forward glide
Learn a controlled skating stance and forward glide.
Safe falling
Learn how to fall safely and recover with greater confidence.
Basic manoeuvres
Develop basic control while turning and navigating obstacles.
The first booked coaching session includes an initial assessment of where to start. There is nothing to pass or fail, and programme details are confirmed before the session is booked.
Development architecture
Skating is the door. Development is the building.
Big Ice describes progression as capability, not as a timetable. An athlete moves when what they can do changes.
F1
Movement Literacy
Balance, posture, controlled glide, safe falling and recovery, basic manoeuvres.
F2
Force & Movement
How an athlete produces and controls force on skates.
F3
Dynamic Application
Applying skating under the changing demands of a chosen discipline.
F4
Athletic Mastery
Command of the demands of a chosen discipline.
Six disciplines, one brand
Choose what you want to master.
Big Ice coaches athletes who want to learn, explore different disciplines, or commit to mastering one.
Skating and hockey-specific ability for players who want to train, and to be ready if competition opens.
For athletes who want precision on the blade and are prepared to work at technical detail. Big Ice develops the skating underneath figure skating; elements requiring a qualified figure specialist are not currently offered.
The most concentrated test of skating control Big Ice coaches: small space, exact lines, no hiding a weak edge.
For athletes drawn to what skating can look like once the control is there. Big Ice develops the control it rests on; elements requiring a qualified freestyle specialist are not currently offered.
Skating that has to work on real ground, where the surface is not flat and does not wait for you.
Where to start
Three ways in.
Progress recorded in context.
Where a programme includes assessment, Big Ice records the skills observed, the coaching context and the next development priority using the applicable Big Ice method. Not every athlete or session receives an assessment.
Development and competition are separate.
Big Ice develops and prepares athletes. NRHL is the separate competition organiser for planned Nairobi inline-hockey competition. Big Ice training does not guarantee selection or entry.
Get started
Ready to start your skating path?
Programme availability and final terms are confirmed before payment, after a conversation about coaching, scheduling and venue fit.