Helping Newbies @ the Rink

[Weeze]

When I'm at the rink it's very obvious that I'm a newbie, and it's rare that a skater (adult) doesn't come over to offer tips, etc.

One woman even took me by the hands while I did swizzles and then skated me around (my only experience with speed!)

I don't know if it's just that ice skaters are nice people, have all been where I am so feel empathy, or both, but can you think of another sport where this happens?

[alejeather]

Welcome, Weeze!

We adult skaters are a passionate bunch. We're always excited to see others trying our fabulous sport and want to encourage them to keep going. Beginners may not realize that we were once in their (shoes) skates!

As a beginner, unsolicited tips may be appreciated, but there will likely come a day when you won't appreciate being interfered with without asking! I'm glad the skaters in your area are making you feel welcome!

[sampaguita]

Glad skaters at your rink are like that! In my rink, the teenage higher level skaters aren't that willing to help newbies. Not because they're bad people, but because (1) they have to make the most of their skating time, and (2) they probably can't put technique into words. One time, when I was a real newbie and I asked someone how to turn, she replied that "you have to learn the basics first". At that time I didn't understand it, but now I do -- and in fact, if someone asks me how to do arabesques, I tell them that you have to start with balance, etc.

Are you in learn-to-skate? Welcome to the world of adult figure skating!

[blue111moon]

I used to offer advice (usually on lacing skates) to obvious newbies coming in for public skating that was held directly after club ice, but after several rebuffs and in one case, receiving a very offensive reply froma young woman who evidently was more concerned with fashion than with safety, I don't bother any more.  On club ice, I do try to greet and welcome the newcomers but I limit my help to offering to push PLAY on the CD box if a loner wants to do a program.  The coaches are there to instruct.  I'm there to skate.

But then I don't skate on public sessions.

[Weeze]

Exactly, this is during public sessions, not valuable freestyle time.

[jjane45]

On public sessions, I always say something if the lacing or boot fit looks really terribly wrong. Again for public sessions, if you are a regular, you can pretty much tell which adults welcome tips and which are just working on their own. My close friends have no choice, they just have to take my harassment advices.  With kids it's tricky, it backfired on me once.

I agree freestyle is a completely different story. I am probably a different person myself.

[FigureSpins]

I'll say something if a beginner looks frustrated or if their skates are dangerously loose/oversized.  If a skater is obviously practicing Basic Skills elements, I'll point out the lists posted outside of the glass.  Oh, and I'll say "cute ()" to any kid wearing a penguin hat/sweater/pants/etc.  Little kids wearing a penguin hat are too cute not to say something, but I try to do it in front of the parent, so I don't seem creepy.

Otherwise, unless there's a fall/collision, I mind my own business other than to chit-chat with people I know and nod/smile/say hi.  If someone asks for help, I'll certainly do so, but I don't offer unsolicited advice unless the skater's really struggling. 

Free advice backfired on me, too.  A coffee club skater (who I KNEW!) was just learning back crossovers.  She was practicing and doing the actual cross from inside the circle to the outside.  I figured it was still new to her and she was confused, so I just pointed it out nicely.  You'd think I had said something nasty about her mother; I got a frigid "My COACH says I should do it this way."  Oooookkkkaaaayyyyy.  I saw her skating last week - she still can't do back crossovers, four years later.  Must be karma. 

[JSM]

I generally mind my own business on publics, but once I went up to two teenage girls and told them they needed to tie their skates more tightly or risk injury.  The skates were barely tied at all, and simply wrapped around the ankles without ANY laces going through the hooks.  There was so little ankle support the girls couldn't even WALK towards the ice.  They pointedly ignored me and did nothing but fall for 20 minutes. 

If someone asks for assistance, I'm more than happy to help, but I've learned advice (if not asked for) isn't followed anyway!

[davincisop]

I try not to offer unsolicited advice unless it's a case where what they're doing is going to cause them serious injury, like this guy that was teaching himself back crossovers, he was crossing the feet wrong and so I offered to show him how to do it and got him going in the right technique.

However, I'm also one of those that doesn't like to be given unsolicited advice, UNLESS it's someone who clearly knows what they are doing and demonstrates a very good knowledge of skating. I do not appreciate crossover advice on arm positioning from a hockey dude who isn't a coach and can't execute a proper crossover yet insists I'm doing mine incorrectly.

It's sort of a feel it out situation. I will step in if I see a kid's skates are not tied correctly, if the kid is with a parent I will nicely point it out to the parent that the laces need to be laced around the hooks. I can't tell you how many "Oh, so THAT'S what those are for" answers... yeah, they're not just there for decoration!

[treesprite]

As a rink guard expected to oversee the safety of the public skaters, I am obligated to tell people when their skates are  too big or too loose.   

Mostly when people ask me something, it's how to stop. I'll show them a snow plow and tell them that if it's too hard, they can always just go to the wall to stop. When I'm guarding and someone runs into someone else, I say, "never go faster than you can stop".

But yesterday a teenaged girl in Chloe Noel came to me while I was practicing, and asked me how to spin (she said I was a great spinner... um, cough, um...). She was very specific with her questions about bringing the arms around when stepping into a one foot spin. So there I was trying to explain, and showing her the beginnings of how to step forward into the spin, when I learned that she didn't know how to do a two foot spin yet. Good grief!

[SynchKat]

I am like Davinci and will only offer advice if asked.  I see so many people offering advice and their hearts are in the right place but they just don't have the skills or knowledge to help people and the people being helped often look like it is the last thing they want to hear.  So for that reason I follow Davinci's rule. 

If I am asked I am more than happy to work with a person and help them out.  Last year I helped a man with his European  Waltz that he was struggling with.  Afterwards I heard he was singing my praises to everyone he met.  I probably should be more forthcoming with help but I just always feel like I am imposing unless I am asked. 

But for the OP skating people LOVE to give advice and pass on their knowledge.  It just seems to go with the territory.  Might not always be good advice but it's nice to know the other people out there won't just ignore someone doing something potentially dangerous. 

[davincisop]

I also keep it to a limit, too, because I have found that some people, once helped, will ask you to help them EVERY session and start to expect it. And I go there to skate, not to coach. So that's why I tend to keep it to only if they are going to seriously injure themselves. With little little children it's different. Parents are almost ALWAYS appreciative of just a little help to get the kid's confidence up, usually along the lines of showing them how to march so they are mobile.

Like I said before, it's a feel it out thing.

With figure skaters to figure skaters it's a bit different. I was working on my camel spin for the first time in months and a friend and her daughter came over and gave me some tips and encouraged me to keep going at it.