Coach / skater business cards

[jjane45]

OK I am thinking of getting Coach business cards for birthday present, he does not seem to use them at the moment.

What do you think are some nice things for a skating coach's business card in general? Name and contact information for sure. Maybe major accomplishments or qualification for some coaches. If desired, specialty or language spoken or teaching philosophy... along with related photos. I was also thinking maybe a "lesson scheduled for..." field on the back of the card like dental appointment cards for new students. Anything else?

What about personal business cards for skating? Anyone using cards showcasing your signature move(s) on the ice or favorite skating quote?

Your opinions are greatly appreciated!

[AgnesNitt]

Gee, I like the idea, but it has pitfalls. Business cards can be very personal.Let me lay out some thoughts.

I like the idea of the 'scheduled lesson' on the back, that's very professional.But how often can a coach find a pen or a pencil to write a schedule down. In my experience all they have in their pockets are keys, big markers, tissues,, a cellphone, and sometimes gum,  a glove without a mate, or a beanie baby. Maybe include a pen with his name on it.

I think if the card front was simple like a name and a contact, even then you'd have to be careful. Suppose your coach has given you a contact number he only gives to a few students. I think it would be safest just putting the name and the contact information that's publicly available (like from the rink's or his website).

As for skills sets, look at it this way. Suppose your coach is well known. Maybe he's taken skaters to regionals or Nationals. He won't need to puff himself up on a card. And if he's not well known, he might be sensitive about how his information is framed on a card.  

Even a motto can be a touchy issue. I don't know how old you are, and I'm assuming you are female and your coach is an adult man, but when it comes to mottos (as with other things) there's a gulf between men and women. Things a woman might find perfectly acceptable  or even bland ("Skating is a sport for a lifetime." ) you'll get some off the wall response from a guy ("That's girly").  Hey, I don't even begin to understand them and I've spent nearly 40 years dealing with military men and engineers.

I do caveat with the fact that i'm viewing the skating world with the eye of an outsider. I've read a lot of skater's bios on rink sites, and some of them make me cringe. However, this seems to be the profession norm. So, what do I know? I work in a profession where good practice is a card with a name, 3 numbers, 5 email addresses and a logo.

There's other options. One skater had personalized post it notes made up for her coach with name and contact number on it. I thought that was good too.

[jjane45]

Thank you very much AgnesNitt, ITA about the concerns you've had. Immediately after posting it I thought yeah I should discuss with Coach so it suits HIS needs better. He always carries pen and paper so that's not a problem. In my case simple post-it notes will be more expensive than decent business cards, so business cards they are.

As I am typing this, how many coaches have websites that showcase skater testimony (with consent)? What ethical issues are involved?

I imagine both the business cards and website serve to attract new students especially if they are swaying between choices at the moment...

[FigureSpins]

I haven't been asked for business cards in a long time because the rink offers a list of all the available private-lesson coaches. 

I found that the "your lesson is scheduled for (date/time)" part on the back changes the way the students/parents think about the lessons.  Instead of a standing "Thursdays at 5pm" lesson, giving a specific date and time means I have to then set up future lessons on a weekly basis, otherwise they go no show. 

I just put the cancellation policy at the very bottom of the back in small letters, which I point out to them, (no notice = lesson cost) and use the blank space to write in "Thursdays at 5pm."  As I said, business cards requests have declined, as have private lesson inquiries in general at our rink.  It could just be a reflection of the marketplace.

I was just looking at some online business card places and some of them have actual figure skating stock art and setups available.  They often offer a small quantity for free, but watch the fine print for follow on/reorder charges.


I don't know about websites for coaches.  I've seen some on the internet and they look great, but I'm not sure it is a real selling feature for lessons.  Some incorporate practice lists and notes for their current students, which is a great idea.  I've sent emails to 2 or 3 coaches who have websites, asking how successful they've found their web presence to be, and there's been no response. 

I do carry a pen or pencil in my skating jacket at all times, along with a ton of other crap including markers and stickers, so that's no big deal.

[retired]

All the coaches I know, with one exception, do not have personal websites.  The one coach that does have one, I don't think anyone ever looks at it.   I know several with business cards, they are mostly their name with email and telephone number and might say skating coach, skating professional, skating lessons etc.   Or none at all, isn't it nice to be famous enough that your card just has your name and everyone knows who you are?  There's regulations around using association logos, only one coach I know has the logo, and although permission is given without too much trouble the association has to approve what's on the card.    Coaches are leery of anything to resemble solicitation and although business cards are legal, you don't want to be seen going around the rink handing them all over the place and even if you're careful, there's always some LobbyLoudmouth that would say something.

What I think is a great idea is to have personalized sticky notes or small notepads with the coaches name only on them.  A company like Vistaprint has all sorts of styles if you want something decorated, or can do just plain name with a great font.  They have a nice 5"x8" notebook that you can have printed with photos on the front cover and, when I just looked, it was free for shipping costs only.    Having seen so many things written on scraps of paper around the rink, notepads would be so helpful to have. 

[davincisop]

Our rink provided business cards for our coaches. I had 5 of my coaches cards before i finally had time to sign up for lessons. I love her and they certainly helped me remember her.

I kept hers because it had her personal number on it so I wasn't scrambling to find it or contact the rink to get it.

[jjane45]

Marketing practices in figure skating are really puzzling. IMHO notepads and business cards serve very different purposes, one for informal daily use, while another is specifically designed to make introductions, to impress potential new client as much as possible (in a subtle way, not necessarily puffing).

Our rink does not make coach contact information public, indeed the only ways to find out about the coaches would be 1) group lesson 2) ask around 3) look at the coach group picture on bulletin board and decide who looks better. There is a private lesson request form in the rink office, but it's quite random which coach would contact you. With all the talk about solicitation accusations, I often wonder how not-so-famous coaches get students outside of group lessons without being able to freely reach out to potential clientele that has not started privates yet?

Lesson time on the back of the card is heavily geared toward first time student (they read your card, turn it to the back, and it's time to try setting up a trial lesson with them), occasionally for people with irregular lessons. There is no need handing out business cards every time to regulars but who knows maybe a particularly careful parent wants to write all dates down.

All the talk about coach websites is very interesting as well, please keep it coming. Will publicly accessible skater / student testimony constitute solicitation?

[MimiG]

I have business cards with my name, "Figure Skating Coach", and my contact info on it. I've rarely given them out to potential students without having already arranged a first lesson. In which case, I'll just write when that lesson is on the back. I find I've mostly given them out to other coaches at seminars as a quick way of exchanging info...

I don't have a personal website (well, I do, but not for skating), but I do have my coaching resume online. I've never gotten any business from it and it gets minimal traffic. I have used it as an alternative to sending a pdf attachment in an email (I'll send both the link and the pdf, that way the recipient can choose which they prefer to open).