My brother coached little league baseball. He hated some of the parents. He said that the parents didn't know the sport and tried to side coach the kids. More parents know about baseball, then skating.
God Bless all Rink MonitorsA few months ago, I was at a public skate. The "school bus" that pulled up. Skaters didn't have their skates laced up right, at all. One child had her laces dragging the ice, like a wedding gown's train. She was actually with her father, and I stopped both of them just to warn them. The father seemed offended that I stopped them to point out the problem. I didn't get the first words out of my mouth, "I'm worried about your daughter's skate.." and could tell that he was pissed. He interrupted me and said, "Oh, we're doing fine." At this point, I could have just skated off. It was obvious that he had to have seen the laces, because both of them looked down alot while skating. Or, I could try to get through an obviously thick skull of the father, in the best interests of his daughter. Well, I didn't want to see the kid hurt . . . so I decided to go on in the interest of safety. So, I said the magic words, "If you want to really enjoy this, then you have to have control over the blade. You are going to have a very bad fall, could break bones, and have a $$hospital bill$$ if that lace goes under your skate. I highly suggest you wrap the extra laces around her ankle." Then, he softened and retied her skates. Later, they thanked me and I showed his daughter how to do a one foot glide.
One adult chick didn't really lace any of the hooks, and her boot could accommodate baguette loaves on the sides. As I saw it, she fell. She fell hard and twisted her ankle. The music was blaring and I had to talk in a heightened voice. She was an emotional wreck, and thought that I was screaming at her. The first words I asked her was if she was ok and I gave her a minute. During this minute, I told her that she fell probably because her laces were untied at this point. She couldn't admit her situation, and just got more & more huffy at me (the messenger). She couldn't get up, and I had to get the skating guard's attention. She was too heavy for me to help off and was getting very emotionally upset. I get that she was probably at her worst, and obviously panicking.
I understand why rink monitors don't often stop people to tell them of their equipment problems. People don't like being told that something is wrong. I've stopped countless. The best is to say, "I'm worried about" . . and let them come to the conclusion that it needs fixed.
Or, I could be a little devil and complement them on their skating skills, ask for lessons, and marvel at how they can even stand up in that loose of a skate or manage to not fall with dragging laces . . .
God bless all coachesA few months ago, I helped out at a learn to skate. This was the 3 year olds, little ones, that I was helping out. About half couldn't stand on their skates. When the session started, four of us were meeting about 10 kids. The parent of one child was worried, "WHERE are the OTHER helpers? MY kid needs ONE coach the entire time. That's what I am paying for!" As I turned, I saw the other coaches coming onto the ice. I had that one kid, until she was too tired to go on. It was really a private lesson. I was then able to turn to help the other kids.
Then, the next class that morning were the 5 year olds that were just starting out. I had two, and they needed hand holding (which was fine). A third kid comes late onto the ice. I wasn't sure of his skating ability and started out holding his hand to figure out his ability. He was weak and wobbly. His mother, sitting where hockey players sit, must have thought that I was coddling her son. When we came back to the boards, she , "Oh, not telling you how to do your job, BUT MY son CAN skate by himself." So, our group turned around to skate back to the other boards. Well, HE IMMEDIATELY FELL! I then learned to work with the kids on the other side of the rink. Taking them just one by one, to show them swizzles. They were great, and each of them just needed time to stand by the boards, wiggle in their skates to learn balance, and rest while the other took her turn. But, I could just feel the parents were thinking, "I want my kid skating all the time." My goal was to get them through the half hour, not hurt, and wanting to return to skating.
You poor coaches get no respect from parents on your own judgment. I can see it in the new parents in skating. God bless you.
(I guess no one likes to be told what to do, me included. LOL)