CHANCES ARE—YOU’VE ROLLER SKATED AT SOME POINT IN YOUR LIFE. WHILE ITS POPULARITY HAS GONE UP AND DOWN OVER THE PAST 144 YEARS—THE SPORT IS VERY MUCH ALIVE LOCALLY. A FOURTH GRADER AT BERKLEY COMMUNITY SCHOOL IS HOPING TO ONE DAY BECOME A WORLD CHAMPION. WE TAKE YOU TO THE FORREST FAMILY FUN CENTER IN TAUNTON FOR THIS WEEKS STREET STORIES. “Hi I’m Mike. I’m Scott. They want me to get on skates, size nine.” BABY STEPS. “I’m feeling great. I”m a
Former hockey player so you would think I would be able to ace this.” “Baby steps.” OR SO THEY TELL ME. THE CREATIVE MANUEVERS….WE’LL LEAVE TO THE PROFESSIONALS—.OR ATHLETES COMPETING IN WORLD CLASS COMPETITIONS LIKE FOURTH GRADER AIDEN WU… “How difficult is it to skate?” “It’s difficult when you’re starting but once you get more advanced, goiong forward and backwartds gets easier. “Am I doing advanced stuff now?”
“Not really.” “I didn’t think so.” “Aiden, why do you like rollerskating?” “It’s calming and I like havng a sport that I can just be myself. I was born for this.” AIDEN HAS ONY BEEN SKATING FOR THREE YEARS BUT HAS RACKED UP A TON OF MEDALS. 2 NATIONAL….14 REGIONAL, INLCUDING SEVEN LAST WEEKEND……AND COUNTLESS
OTHERS.. . AIDEN KNOWS WHAT HE’S DOING…… “So I have my creative freestyle, my jumps and spins and going everywhere on the floor and doing footwork.” DESPITE THE SKILL NEEDED, THE INTERNATIONAL OLYMPIC COMMITTEE HAS CURRENTLY RULED ROLLERSKATING NOT AN OLYMPIC SPORT….AIDEN DISAGREES. “I think this should be an olympic sport because it’s
Basically ice skating and ice skating is an olympic sport. Rollerskating is essentially ice sdkating with heavier skates on and I really like the sport and if other people watch the olympiocs other people woill get into the sport.” COACHES ANTHONY DAPONTE……..AND FIVE TIME WORLD AND SEVEN TIME NATIONAL CHAMPION SCOTT COHEN BELIEVE—-
ROLLERSKATING IS A LIFE SHAPING EXPERIENCE. “I think skating is a really nice place kids because you can really be yourself and you can find someone else who’s a little bit about yourself. I’m amazed how many kids are now getting involved.” “Rollerskating is never going to die. I say lets put a pair of
Skates on and lets see how you like it.and I’ll convince you its not dead, that’s for sure.” AIDEN WILL BE HEADING TO THE NATIONALS IN LINCOLN, NEBRASKA JULY 17TH-30TH. YOU CAN LEARN TO SKATE EVERY WEDNESDAY NIGH
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