WOODSTOCK – The smiles say it all.

On a Tuesday evening in mid-January young skaters gathered on the ice at Union Arena rink for their weekly lessons.

Skaters ages 6 to young teens, of varying abilities, worked on the ice with several coaches. In another corner of the rink, a few experienced skaters practiced their spins, turns and jumps.

Willow Moore, 7, sporting pink and blue earmuffs and wearing purple tights, a flowered dress and a grin that never left her face, zipped around nearly nonstop for the one-hour session

“I skate because I love it,” said Willow, who has been skating since age 3. “It is really nice here.”

Students a few years older and just getting used to the sport moved about the ice together.

“It is easier when you are with friends and they help you,” said Harper Coupe, 10, of Quechee. “My first day was last Tuesday. It is more fun doing it with people I know.”

Nicki Buck, president of the Union Arena Skating Club, said the program began when the arena opened more than 20 years ago. It offers lessons to children as young as 3 in its “Snowplow Sam” group. This year, there are 30 kids enrolled in the program.

“It just gets them out there and introduces them to skating,” Buck said on a Tuesday night as the skaters stepped onto the ice.

The rink is divided in half. Hockey practice takes place on one side and lessons, with about 15 skaters, on the other. The advantage of learning to ice skate at a young age is you don’t fall as far and youngsters can handle landing on hard ice a lot easier than adults. Skating also can improve balance and coordination. Children can gain confidence as they become eager to try new moves, which in turn accelerates their learning, coaches said.

“We are very informal,” Jen Flaster, one of the coaches, said. “They get a half-hour lesson and a half-hour of free time. We merge the kids based on their ability.”

The more experienced group of middle schoolers are in the pre-freestyle and freestyle skating program, where they work on jumps and traditional movements, Buck said. In March, those who are so inclined can participate in an ice show to demonstrate what they have learned.

Maddie Murphy, 13, of Bethel, enrolled in lessons with several other beginners about her age. They moved a little cautiously, but it is obvious they are gaining confidence on skates.

“I just started,” Maddie said. “I think it is awesome. I meet so many new people. I just like the idea of being good at skating and this is a great way to learn.”

Attending the program with friends is an added benefit that helps the learning process, Buck said.

“It is important to be able to play with your friends because as long as you are on skates, you are learning,” she said.

Hazel Lussier, 13, of Quechee, is in her second year of skating and was joined by her friend Addison Coupe, also 13.

“This is just my second time, I am doing it because she is,” Addison said, referring to Hazel.

In another corner of the ice, sisters Annesonia and Sarea Beardsley taught younger skaters. Annesonia guided a young girl around one of the hockey face-off circles in the ice.

“They are learning how to use their edges, pushing off the outside skate” said Annesonia, 17, of Woodstock, a talented freestyle skater. “If they can feel that, they can make the curve on the edge. This will lead them into learning crossover (of the skates).”

Aurelie Eybalin, the head coach, had Hazel, Addison, Maddie, Harper and a few others lined up for some lessons.

Eybalin first instructed them to keep their heads up and not look down at their skates. She urged them to use their imagination because skating lets them be “anything you want.”

“Let’s have fun. It makes it easier,” Eybalin said.

While skating backwards, Eybalin had the skaters hold their arms straight out while lifting one foot off the ice as they glided forward. After about 20 feet, they went back the other way. From there, Eybalin had them try jumping off the ice, first with one foot then both at the same time. More drills included going backward and pushing first in and then out with their skates to move forward.

“Come on, you can do it,” she encouraged often. “Nice job everyone.”

After the group dispersed, Flaster said the focus is having fun while they learn.

“Part of our ethos is we want the kids to have a good experience on the ice and enjoy skating,” she said.

As everyone exited the ice, the skaters appeared happy to have made a little more progress. And they were all still smiling.

Patrick O’Grady can be reached at pogclmt@gmail.com.