Skating Coach Article

[FigureSpins]

An inspirational article and coach.  I've met him once, through a friend, and he's a very nice man.
http://www.timesherald.com/lifestyle/20160209/blind-ice-skating-coach-in-ardmore-perfect-trainer-for-blinder-skater

[Query]

I wonder how well a blind skater can learn to hear where other skaters are.

I once skated a public session in a rink in Florida, when a blind man was on the ice. Everyone there had learned to watch out for him. Because I was new to the rink, I was warned to do the same. It's cool when a community of people show courtesy, like that.

[rd350]

So great!

There's a kid that skates at one of the rinks I skate at, who has developmental and significant muscle issues (spasticity, atrophy, control) and the skate guards let people know that he does x, y and z and it's okay and to keep an eye out and give him space.  I think it's awesome he loves the ice and gets out there, and has the rink support to keep him safe.

[nicklaszlo]

Stash Seraphin, world's second most famous adult skater?  (After Midori Ito?)

[tstop4me]

There was a blind skater at a rink I used to go to:  a portion of the end zone was coned off for her.  I don't know how she navigated, but I don't recall her ever banging into the boards or tripping over the cones.

[skategeek]

One of our coaches gave a one-time lesson to a blind woman a couple of years ago... she was the friend of a good friend of mine, visiting from out of town.  I took pics and a very short video of her lesson for her.  By the end he actually had her skate (more like marching, really) across the rink by herself.  Very impressive for such a short time on the ice! Coaching must be very different, since all of the instructions have to be verbal.