How to Appeal Coach's Suspension

[Axel]

Our coach got suspended over a disagreement with his coworker. The coworker has no claims to him. It was just a simple discussion.
Do they have rights to suspend a coach over that? What can we do as parents to help our coach and our children? He was the best coach at our rink. Now our kids have no coach to practice with.

Thank you

[FigureSpins]

"Can they do that?"  Yes, they can, especially if it's a privately-owned facility.  If the unprofessional behavior was deemed "threatening," even municipal facilities can bar a coach (or even a family/skater) from being able to coach at a rink. 

His next plan of action depends on what "suspended" means, but it's up to the coach to lodge an appeal, not his clients.  If he was suspended from the rink but no formal grievances or police reports were involved, he has to address the suspension with the rink ownership/management.  If he's been sanctioned/suspended by US Figure Skating, PSA or ISI, then there are formal appeal processes and forms that he needs to submit to those organizations as soon as possible.  These organizations recognize each others' bans and sanctions/suspensions, so if a formal grievance has been filed, he may not be allowed to coach at any rink until the matter is resolved or the suspension ends.

Ignoring the suspension is foolish because it could lead to ethics grievances and/or formal restraint orders.  He has to acknowledge the conflict and explain how he will keep it from happening again, even if this is just a temporary suspension.

A professional coach will make a plan of action to find new/temporary coaching for his/her students during the suspension.

[Axel]

So, if it's a privately owned facility, they can suspend a coach for no reason. Just because... Correct?

[Skittl1321]

It may depend on the employment laws in your state, but most likely yes. 


There is no reason you shouldn't go to management and tell them they will lose your business if the coach is not re-instated though.

[FigureSpins]

So, if it's a privately owned facility, they can suspend a coach for no reason. Just because... Correct?

No facility would suspend a coach without good reason.  It's poor customer service and damages their goodwill.  Plus, it requires effort and most facilities don't care as long as it doesn't interrupt their income.  If you think your rink was that flippant, you're as much in denial as your coach who's claimed that "It was just a simple discussion."  Something happened (raised his voice, cursed the coworker out?) and the suspension is in reaction to that something.

I worked at a privately-owned rink where a father loudly threatened (in the crowded lobby) to kill the figure skating director because the man's daughter took third place in an in-house LTS competition.  When confronted, the man insisted he never said that, but the hockey director was in the crowd at the time and had seen/heard everything!  Management had the man escorted from the rink and the family was told that the kid could continue to skate, but the father couldn't come on the property or they'd call the police. 

I'm sure there's more to the story than what you are aware of or have told us; there are always three sides to every story.  From what you're saying, you didn't witness this; you're only hearing your coach's side of the story.  My best advice is to MYOB and address your skater's coaching needs.  There ARE other coaches at the rink, ask your former coach where he's coaching and decide if you want to go there for lessons, and see just how professional your coach is in dealing with this conflict.  If he's not addressing it, he probably did contribute to the blow-up and is in denial.

Try to stay neutral and open-minded so that you don't ruin your own reputation or offend others in your earnest desire to defend your coach.  Do not discuss, gossip or start a petition.  It is your COACH'S responsibility to clear his name and resolve the situation professionally before his career ends up in the toilet.  I've seen spats over coach-hopping students result in a coach being banned from a rink.  They go elsewhere, but they can't "take" their students with them; although some families can choose (unsolicited) to change rinks if they're that committed to the coach.

That said, any private business can refuse to serve a customer: dry cleaners, restaurants, markets, etc.  Skating rinks are no different in their rights.

As a SafeSport Chairperson, I can honestly say that there is a new atmosphere of "zero tolerance" for coach's misbehavior.  Coaches need to realize that the times are a'changing and a new era of absolute above-board professionalism is now required. 

I think Skittl makes a good point: go to the office and, without asking for details, tell them that you want to know when your daughter's coach will be returning.  If the answer's "never," indicate that you will have to take your business elsewhere since you're committed to that particular coach above all others.  There is something to be said for loyalty, but I will say that IME, most people who make threats like that never follow through. They just meekly swallow their pride and end up with a different coach at the same rink.

[AgnesNitt]

This even happens to famous coaches. Remember last year when Igor Shpilband was dismissed from his rink and fired by three teams he coached there? I've been waiting for the story to come out on that, but everyone's lips are zipped.

Personally,
I've seen skaters banned from a rink (for getting on freestyle or public without paying---repeat offenders).   

I've never known of a coach dismissed at any of my rinks for interpersonal reasons (one was dismissed for criminal activity outside the rink).

[sarahspins]

My gut feeling is that there is likely more going on than you know of, and everyone is being professional about it by not saying more.  It's probably much more complicated than it seems on the surface.

[blue111moon]

There have been two coaches banned from my rink over the last twenty years:  one was kicked off of freestyle ice for instructing her students to ignore safety rules (specifically telling the child to not yield to a skater whose music was playing; the skater was injured trying to avoid crashing into the child and filed a complaint with the rink, the club and USFS)  and the other threatened the rink manager with a false sexual harrassment suit after she was removed from her position as skating director when other coaches complained - and proved - that she was poaching their students.  A couple of hockey coaches have also been told to leave but I'm not privy to the reasons for that since I'm not involved with hockey and only heard after-the-fact rumors. 

But yes, the rink can dismiss coaches at will.  The coach is the only one that appeal that decision and even that depends on there being someone to appeal to.  The only other option is a lawsuit and most coaches can't be bothered; they just move to another facility.

[lilicedreamer]

The person above who said that the family should not involve themselves in this coach's problems, nor gossip about it at the rink or elsewhere, got Gold Star advice!  While there is every possibility that what happened could be unfair, most likely it wasn't.  A coach is one of the ways that a rink maintains skaters and their income.  I doubt they'd suspend someone for no reason.
Alison

[karne]

Add me to the list of people who think that there is WAY more to this story than you've been told...