SELECTING
A COACH
By Lisa Maliga
© 2001 - 2005 by Lisa Maliga
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helpful figure skating tips aimed at adult figure skaters, especially those
returning to the ice or just discovering the joy of skating! Find out how to
get smoother, softer skating feet! This is the literary home of Lisa Maliga,
owner of EverythingShea.com.
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Lisa’s Library of Writing ~ At Lisa's Library of Writing you'll get helpful figure skating tips aimed at adult figure skaters, especially those returning to the ice or just discovering the joy of skating! Find out how to get smoother, softer skating feet! This is the literary home of Lisa Maliga, owner of EverythingShea.com. This is the literary home of Lisa Maliga, owner of EverythingShea.com
“I would advise getting a good teacher from the very beginning, if possible. As adult skaters, we don't have a lot of time to waste acquiring bad habits and then having to unlearn them.” Barbara Richter, a skater from the San Francisco Bay Area since 1994.
Depending upon how serious you are about skating, when you make that commitment to taking private lessons, you obviously want to select the right coach. As mentioned earlier, some coaches charge a higher fee. This doesn’t necessarily mean they’re right for you. Men and women in expensive figure skates that were once National, World or Olympic champions or contenders can oftentimes intimidate new adult skaters. They see that the coaches are far superior skaters, or have been, and that’s as it should be. Most adults don’t want to be taught by someone who can barely do elementary skating moves. But aside from a coach’s past record, stay in the present and observe them coaching their students.
Many ice skating facilities feature photos of their coaches. Sometimes these pictures are long out of date! There might also be a flyer with the coaches’ credentials listed. This is a start, but only that. Many factors go into choosing the correct coach for your needs.
Narrow
down your choices at the start. Have realistic goals in mind when it comes to
where you want to go with your skating. Perhaps you only want to learn basic
forward and backward moves. Maybe you truly want to try triples. Your interest
might be in ice dancing. Whatever your immediate goals are, not the loftier
ones, ask the rink management about what coach would fit your needs. If you
find that’s not leading you anywhere, don’t hesitate to ask other
skaters and parents of skaters. Maybe you’ll find out a lot of gossip,
but it’s more than likely you’ll get the information you need.
Does the coach teach adults? If so, does that coach treat his or her adult students
with respect? Is there a lot of talking going on during a lesson? Can the coach
demonstrate the moves you wish to learn? Some adults need every little detail
explained, others don’t. Those who instruct adults naturally have a rapport
with their grown-up students as they don’t have to resort to using simpler
words. Another thing to consider: language. Many coaches from foreign countries
come to North America for coaching opportunities and their linguistic abilities
may be lacking. This works well for adults who want to learn skating without
amusing or flowery imagery.
“The first person we took lessons from made it pretty clear to us that she really didn't enjoy coaching adults. It made a huge difference when we switched to our current coach. On the same theme, I found it really helpful to find a coach who has a sense of humor.” Brett and Kathleen Chapman, skaters since 2000, Van Nuys, California.
Find out how long a coach has been teaching. New coaches generally don’t charge higher fees.
What some people don’t realize is the fact that you are the coach’s employer. You have the right to hire and fire them. And they have the right to refuse your business. It’s helpful to know that before you even consider taking private instruction.
Kim Hee of Los Angeles, California was able to provide a lot of helpful information on selecting a coach. “What are you purchasing? As an adult skater you are purchasing instruction. An instructor should not only be capable of providing instruction but also he or she should be capable of providing instruction to adults and capable of providing instruction specifically for YOU. NOT every Instructor can do this. I personally did not want to hire and fire a lot of staff. There are ways to observe and discern a coach’s ability to work with and for YOU.
“I recommend viewing the rink's recital. Here is a place where each coach puts out his or her best offering. Observe each skater and coach. Everything at once is clearly displayed including: taste in music, color preferences, approach to hair and costume design, skating skills, and how they work under pressure. Once you see two or three students under the same instructor, a pattern will be revealed.
“One pattern worth observing is which instructors teach adults. Some instructors teach only kids. If you are like me, fully insured but not crazy about using your medical benefits, I encourage finding an instructor that has an established track record working for adults. Many coaches will profess the willingness to provide a 30-minute session and take your money, but they have no experience working with adults. Make a list of potential instructors and try more than one to find the best person for you.”
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