I learned to crochet before knitting, and continental is pretty similar hand positions, especially with the tensioning. The trick for me was getting used to keeping all the stitches on the needles and not losing them as I worked a row. :)
Very pink knits on YouTube has lots of great tutorial videos. https://youtube.com/@verypinkknits?si=hwc9U1nsZSY40QHO
There are also crocheted cast ons you can try if you want to practice stitches without fighting the cast on process. https://youtu.be/Q45uaQRy8XQ?si=cJNZuQFTlty8JXyn is a good example.
