Skating Coaches Blog

Why is it so difficult to get little boys to look coordinated on figure skates?

Boys look just fine in hockey skates, but put figure skates on them, and they look uncoordinated at times.

For example, I have a boy student who finally has a good spiral, but his body position still looks "off." It is very difficult for him to straighten his free leg or point his toe up.

His jumps and spins are coming along though.

Any suggestions on how to make little boys look "good" on the ice would be appreciated.

Any suggestions on how to get a skater to control her scratch spin? This skater does a good spin most of the time, but as soon as she pulls her arms in the spin moves too fast and goes out of control.

Today parents are encouraged to spend time with children. Homeschooling is a norm. It is a good thing to see parents taking time to be with their children.

Ice rinks are full of fathers teaching their little boys skating skills as they prepare to play hockey.

It is common to see mothers following their child with a tape recorder as they practice Basic Skills and ISI routines and drilling their child on moves.

With the cost of skating lessons rising, parents are taking on the role of coach, and cutting corners on lessons. Sometimes they do a better job or know more than those who "say" they are qualified to teach skating.

Some may say that a parent can only take a child to a certain level before passing "Little Susie" on. Some say a recreational ice dancer can only take an adult who wishes to enjoy ice dancing so far.

But...these skaters are not being passed on. "Little Susie" does not take enough lessons with a paid professional and "Adult Ice Dancer" learns a lot of steps, but never learns to do dances properly.

This is okay, but....how can we keep coaches in our profession working when the clientele thinks it is okay to cut corners?

It's hitting me that teaching Learn to Skate to gain private students
is like GOING FISHING.

We all get to go to this "big skating school fishpond." If we get a
particular good pond full of lots of "fish" or several good "little
ponds," there is a chance we might catch a really GOOD FISH (a good
private student).

Now, my opinion: The problem is that more and more "fisherman" are
"fishing" these days. Even if there are enough students to go around,
sometimes the only the most aggressive "fisherman" (coaches) seem to get any "fishes" (students) these days.

There has to be new ways for those of us who love teaching (and also
need to make money) to develop AND KEEP a clientele. Rinks do try to help with referals, but there has to be other ways to keep us all in business.

Now for some humor:

Imagine if you went fishing and catch a really good fish. Then you
find out that the fish you just caught really belonged to another
fisherman since he caught the same fish a week earlier. It turns out
you have "solicted" his fish away and you apologize. You see, THAT
FISH IS OFF LIMITS; you have to try to catch another fish and none of
the other fish want to be caught by you.

Happy Coaching!

Does anyone have any fresh ideas for teaching the power pulls? A coach's student is struggling with the forward ones despite several attempts to break it down. She is having a hard understanding the shoulders/hips concept.

Let's share some opinions on the entry technique for both the axel and waltz jump.

Is anyone aware of a different method used with a skater who jumps clockwise vs. counter-clockwise? Here's the situation:

A coach struggled with a student (who jumps clockwise) for three years on an axel. She had a very nice lift into the jump but would always under-rotate by 1/8 turn. She also landed the jump flat footed and the coach always felt like she didn't get the maximum push off her toe when taking off.

The coach taught her to use the traditional method of looking back on the back outside edge just before stepping up into the jump and also had her arms/shoulders facing outside her edge.

The coach eventually dropped her as a student and she started to work with another coach; then she started landing the axel within three lessons.

The new coach changed her entry method by not having her rotate her shoulders and not having her look back until right at the point of stepping forward.

Has anyone else changed methods because a skater jumps a different direction?

If there are too many people teaching skating, how can anyone make a living anymore in our business?

Why in Colorado do so many rinks/clubs NOT follow the US Figure
Skating format for Basic Skills competitions?

Welcome to the Skating Coaches Blog.

This Blog is a way skating coaches can communicate and share frustrations, teaching techniques, student achievement, etc. New or prospective coaches are encouraged to participate.

This Blog was created so that skating coaches would have a place to "talk."

Example subjects to discuss:

Teaching the basic skating skills. Dealing with parents. Dealing with other pros. How to react when a student changes to another coach. What to do with that crying tot! Tips on teaching jumps, spins, field moves, and dance.

This Blog can be a place where we can feel free to talk about that hard day at the rink!