By NEAL WAGNER / City Editor

Locals looking to learn to ice skate will have opportunities to do so for free over the next several months, as the University of Alabama Frozen Tide hockey team, Andrews Sports Medicine and the Pelham Civic Complex are teaming up to offer classes.

The free classes will be held one weekend a month beginning on Oct. 12, and will offer locals a chance to learn proper and safe ice skating techniques at the Civic Complex. Skate rental also will be free during the classes.

The classes will be led by professional skating instructors, and will be overseen by Andrews Sports Medicine physicians and trainers. Frozen Tide players and coaches also will be on hand to help with the classes.

“We are proud to offer this program to the members of the Pelham community,” Dr. Stephen Cromer, a physician at Andrews Sports Medicine’s Pelham office, wrote in a release. “Education is vital to preventing sports-related injuries, and we hope everyone will come out to learn about skating safety and have fun at the same time.”

The classes will be held from 10-11 a.m. on Saturday, Oct. 12, and from 1-2 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 16, Saturday, Dec. 14, Saturday, Jan. 18, Sunday, Feb. 22 and Sunday, March 23.

“Learning proper technique at an early age is important, particularly for a child who wants to play hockey,” Frozen Tide head coach Mike Quenneville wrote in a release. “Hockey players accelerate, decelerate and pivot at high speeds on slippery ice, and learning proper form now can prevent injuries later.”

For more information about the classes, contact Civic Complex Director Danny Tate at 620-6448.