Time Out of Skating for Injuries...

[lilicedreamer]

I quit skating for a few months because I injured my back lifting a heavy object, and my knees were hurting.  I left the rink on good terms.  Or so I thought.  When I called about skating again in their learn to skate program, the manager said he wanted me to commit to the year long membership program saying the paperwork when I take time off for illness, was a lot of trouble for them!  I've heard all the rumors at the rink about skating coaches being criticised for selling training ice passes from one skater to another, for no profit.  A vendor left the rink so the ice hockey mom's and dad's now have to go elsewhere to get their equipment.  Etcetera etcetera.  What do you think?  Is that fair, what he said?  I'm a senior, and I have medical issues anyway.  Sometimes they overwhelm me and I don't skate.  I'm kind of thinking they really don't want to bother with me.  When I had my accident, I felt as if they didn't want to deal with it.  As if I was some child skater with a mom nearby to take me to the hospital instead of an adult who couldn't use her hands because of injury.  That actually left me with some lingering doubts about the place.

What do you think? 

[nicklaszlo]

I think requiring a year-long commitment is unreasonable.  Most rinks offer a pay-as-you go option, with the risk that space may sell out.

[AgnesNitt]

What country are you skating in? From a US perspective this makes no sense.

[lilicedreamer]

I'm in the US, but the rink I have makes me pay a monthly fee, and with it I get:  one group lesson a week, all the publics I want.  I have to say that I am extremely privileged with private ice at that rink!  On Mondays and Wednesdays I can almost always count on 20 minutes private if I go at opening.  But yeah, I can pay for each session but it's about 12 dollars a session.  I pay less than 100 dollars a month with the membership.  I think it's considered a USFSA Learn To Skate program.  I got the magazines my first year, but somehow never got them after.

[AgnesNitt]

Okay, now I understand. You can pay per session or join the yearly club.

We have a variant of this at my rink.  We also have the ability to buy public skate cards (that reduce the per session fee by a couple of dollars) and we can buy monthly freestyle cards. We can also join LTS per session. Have you explored other options like these?

Otherwise I can see the skating director's point. If your club is like mine it's either a direct withdrawal or one time payment for the year. They apparently did you a favor one time, but they don't want to do it over and over again.

It's not uncommon for rinks to have 'no refunds' policies. I think you're just going to pay the per session fees.

[lilicedreamer]

There is no place else to skate within an two hours drive, except clubs owned by the same guy.  So, when I go back, I will have to pay, but it's not fair for me to have to pay the months I don't skate because  note from my doctor is supposed to exempt me from my membership.  I dunno.  If I go back to skating for 4 months and it doesn't work, I have to pay for 12?  Nah, I don't sign contracts like that EVER.