God bless coaches and rink monitors . . . .

[Neverdull44]

My brother coached little league baseball.  He hated some of the parents.   He said that the parents didn't know the sport and tried to side coach the kids.  More parents know about baseball, then skating.

God Bless all Rink Monitors
A few months ago, I was at a public skate.  The "school bus" that pulled up.  Skaters didn't have their skates laced up right, at all.   One child had her laces dragging the ice, like a wedding gown's train.  She was actually with her father, and I stopped both of them just to warn them.  The father seemed offended that I stopped them to point out the problem.   I didn't get the first words out of my mouth, "I'm worried about your daughter's skate.." and could tell that he was pissed.   He interrupted me and said, "Oh, we're doing fine."   At this point, I could have just skated off.   It was obvious that he had to have seen the laces, because both of them looked down alot while skating.    Or, I could try to get through an obviously thick skull of the father, in the best interests of his daughter.   Well, I didn't want to see the kid hurt . . . so I decided to go on in the interest of safety.   So, I said the magic words, "If you want to really enjoy this, then you have to have control over the blade.   You are going to have a very bad fall, could break bones, and have a $$hospital bill$$ if that lace goes under your skate.  I highly suggest you wrap the extra laces around her ankle."    Then, he softened and retied her skates.  Later, they thanked me and I showed his daughter how to do a one foot glide.

One adult chick didn't really lace any of the hooks, and her boot could accommodate baguette loaves on the sides.  As I saw it, she fell.  She fell hard and twisted her ankle.   The music was blaring and I had to talk in a heightened voice.  She was an emotional wreck, and thought that I was screaming at her.  The first words I asked her was if she was ok and I gave her a minute.  During this minute, I told her that she fell probably because her laces were untied at this point.   She couldn't admit her situation, and just got more & more huffy at me (the messenger).  She couldn't get up, and I had to get the skating guard's attention.   She was too heavy for me to help off and was getting very emotionally upset.   I get that she was probably at her worst, and obviously panicking.   

I understand why rink monitors don't often stop people to tell them of their equipment problems.  People don't like being told that something is wrong. I've stopped countless.   The best is to say, "I'm worried about" . . and let them come to the conclusion that it needs fixed.   

Or, I could be a little devil and complement them on their skating skills, ask for lessons, and marvel at how they can even stand up in that loose of a skate or manage to not fall with dragging laces . .  .

God bless all coaches
A few months ago, I helped out at a learn to skate.  This was the 3 year olds, little ones, that I was helping out.  About half couldn't stand on their skates.   When the session started, four of us were meeting about 10 kids.   The parent of one child was worried, "WHERE are the OTHER helpers?  MY kid needs ONE coach the entire time.  That's what I am paying for!"   As I turned, I saw the other coaches coming onto the ice.   I had that one kid, until she was too tired to go on.  It was really a private lesson.   I was then able to turn to help the other kids.   

Then, the next class that morning were the 5 year olds that were just starting out.   I had two, and they needed hand holding (which was fine).   A third kid comes late onto the ice.  I wasn't sure of his skating ability and started out holding his hand to figure out his ability.  He was weak and wobbly.    His mother, sitting where hockey players sit, must have thought that I was coddling her son.   When we came back to the boards, she , "Oh, not telling you how to do your job, BUT MY son CAN skate by himself."   So, our group turned around to skate back to the other boards.  Well, HE IMMEDIATELY FELL!   I then learned to work with the kids on the other side of the rink.  Taking them just one by one, to show them swizzles.  They were great, and each of them just needed time to stand by the boards, wiggle in their skates to learn balance, and rest while the other took her turn.  But, I could just feel the parents were thinking, "I want my kid skating all the time."     My goal was to get them through the half hour, not hurt, and wanting to return to skating.   

You poor coaches get no respect from parents on your own judgment.  I can see it in the new parents in skating.  God bless you.

(I guess no one likes to be told what to do, me included.  LOL)


 

[Meli]

It's amazing how many ways people tie their skates!  Some skip the hooks, some run the laces straight up the hooks... you name it they try it!  We're seriously short on rink guards due to them starting college and moving away, so I spent today lacing skates for random kids.

[blue111moon]

   When the session started, four of us were meeting about 10 kids.   The parent of one child was worried, "WHERE are the OTHER helpers?  MY kid needs ONE coach the entire time.  That's what I am paying for!" 

I get this all the time.  My response to the parent is "Actually, no, you're paying for a group lesson.  If you want private coaching, then it starts at $60 an hour, plus the cost of ice time."  That generally ends that discussion.  I have very little patience with EPs (Entitlement Parents).

[sarahspins]

I get this all the time.  My response to the parent is "Actually, no, you're paying for a group lesson.  If you want private coaching, then it starts at $60 an hour, plus the cost of ice time."  That generally ends that discussion.  I have very little patience with EPs (Entitlement Parents).

This exactly - though honestly I'm fine with giving a little one on one help with a child who REALLY needs some assistance if there are enough helpers available to make a class still work effectively (and not because a parent tells me their child needs it), but it simply can't be a case of "child won't let go of me and there's 8 others I have to work with too", and I'll usually only let them get one on one help during the first class in a session for me - beyond that, if they can't or won't attempt to skate on their own, they're honestly not going to get a whole lot out of the class either way, and it's better to focus on the rest of the group.  I know that sounds harsh, but it's a huge disservice to the rest of the class to focus primarily on one kid who won't skate - they don't benefit from it a lot, and the rest of the class suffers when you can't be as involved with the rest of them.

The thing that REALLY baffles me after teaching learn to skate for 2+ years, are the parents who sign their kids up for skating classes when they've never skated before, ever.  I get wanting to sign your child up for lessons so they get better at something, but I think it would be enormously helpful to at least let them try it out before you commit to 8 weeks, because some kids realize immediately that it's just not something they want to do, and they can kind of ruin things for everyone else with their attitude.  Our rink even offers a free "try me" class once a week that is the perfect opportunity to get on the ice with some instruction to see if it's something they would even enjoy, but I often feel like it's not utilized well by most parents.

[twokidsskatemom]

This exactly - though honestly I'm fine with giving a little one on one help with a child who REALLY needs some assistance if there are enough helpers available to make a class still work effectively (and not because a parent tells me their child needs it), but it simply can't be a case of "child won't let go of me and there's 8 others I have to work with too", and I'll usually only let them get one on one help during the first class in a session for me - beyond that, if they can't or won't attempt to skate on their own, they're honestly not going to get a whole lot out of the class either way, and it's better to focus on the rest of the group.  I know that sounds harsh, but it's a huge disservice to the rest of the class to focus primarily on one kid who won't skate - they don't benefit from it a lot, and the rest of the class suffers when you can't be as involved with the rest of them.

The thing that REALLY baffles me after teaching learn to skate for 2+ years, are the parents who sign their kids up for skating classes when they've never skated before, ever.  I get wanting to sign your child up for lessons so they get better at something, but I think it would be enormously helpful to at least let them try it out before you commit to 8 weeks, because some kids realize immediately that it's just not something they want to do, and they can kind of ruin things for everyone else with their attitude.  Our rink even offers a free "try me" class once a week that is the perfect opportunity to get on the ice with some instruction to see if it's something they would even enjoy, but I often feel like it's not utilized well by most parents.

I dont know if I agree with that or not. Neither one of my kids had been on the ice before they started at age 3.That is why we put them in LTS   If  they hated it we wouldnt have finished at 3 and just tried again in 6 months. If they were older I would have made them finish the session.

[Neverdull44]

I think there should be a minimum age and minimum ability for skating lessons.   I know the adage is, "If the kid can run, he can skate..", but I don't see that as being the case.   Some kids just don't have the leg strength to merely stand on the ice and hold themselves up.   I would be all for a free toddler placement session, where the coaches can honestly tell the parents "Let's try again in another 3 to 6 months."   

The lessons where the kids just crawl on the ice playing with toys is nearly useless.  My kids didn't skate until they were about 5.  They both could stand on the ice by themselves.  My 7 yr old son plays mites, and my daughter is a good skater but has other interests.

[Loops]

The lessons where the kids just crawl on the ice playing with toys is nearly useless.  My kids didn't skate until they were about 5.  They both could stand on the ice by themselves.

Hmmm.  I'm not sure I agree with this.  For the really little ones (2.5-3...maybe even 4) it's all about sensory experiences and exploration.  They experience the ice and then have fun learning to move around on it.  It's child dependent, too of course, but my kids and others in that playing with toys format both moved from walking to stroking and how to get up by themselves.  It depends on the child as well, I think. 

[jlspink22]

Around here, LTS Snowplow sam allows you to withdraw and get all but like $25 back after the 1st lesson and something like $50 after the second ($125 for six sessions) if the kid hates it.

Personally, I waited until my daughter could skate without the stupid chair thing, and I thought the $125 lessons useless as I could teach her everything from snowplow sam. Her first 6 weeks she got the snowplow sam 3 badge because she was only 4. She will be 5 in a month and will be in Basic 4 and is already getting the hang of most of it. Other kids her age or even at age 6-7 can barely march, and then younger ones are doing just fine. But I wouldn't put them in lessons until they could at least fall properly and get up and march.

[Neverdull44]

Yes, I guess it's a great and expensive sensory experience!   If the parents want to pay for a sensory experience and their money pays my rink's electricity bill, then I'm all for it too.   

[Loops]

Yeah, so I didn't realise its ~$125 for 6 lessons.  That's a game-changer.  I paid no-where near that amount for the baby-skating (what they call the Play-on-the-ice).  I definitely wouldn't fork over that much for an experience I can give my kids on my own during public ice!!!

[jlspink22]

Yeah, so I didn't realise its ~$125 for 6 lessons.  That's a game-changer.  I paid no-where near that amount for the baby-skating (what they call the Play-on-the-ice).  I definitely wouldn't fork over that much for an experience I can give my kids on my own during public ice!!!

All three rinks around here charge $125-130 per 6 week session (USFS sanctioned programs). No baby ice stuff here. My daughter also likes when I get on the ice during the 30 min practice sessions, so that is an extra $25. I basically pay to be an extra ice monitor. Sigh....

[Loops]

Kinda makes me wonder what my parents paid back in 80/81.  That was ISIA though.  I suspect that makes a difference.  But I can guarantee that my skating career would have been MUCH shorter if it was the equivalent to $125-130 for 6 weeks.  That adds up quickly during the season.......

[jlspink22]

Kinda makes me wonder what my parents paid back in 80/81.  That was ISIA though.  I suspect that makes a difference.  But I can guarantee that my skating career would have been MUCH shorter if it was the equivalent to $125-130 for 6 weeks.  That adds up quickly during the season.......

Yep, I figure for my little one its 7-8 sessions a year and then add 1X private a week at 42.50 (ice plus coach) plus all the public skate.

[blue111moon]

1980 was 34 years ago - and when I first started taking group lessons through the city Adult Education program (the yoga class my friend wanted to take was full), the  8-week session was $45 for a 1 hour lesson (the program was ISIA but we were never registered with them) and for another $50 we could stay for the second practise hour.  Of course ice time then rented for $75 an hour at the state-run rink and $100 an hour at the private rink where the city lessons were held.  And I'd just left a full-time teaching job that paid me a grand total of $22K for one in administration that bumped me up to a whopping $28K. 

Contrast that with the present when ice time at the former-state-run rink (now leased to a private management company) is up to $225 an hour; the old private rink closed in 1984 and the private rinks around us are getting anywhere between $300 to $425 an hour for ice time and group lessons run around $125 - $175 for 6 week sessions.  Freestyle practise is $14 for 40 minutes at one rink or $18 for 50 minutes at the other. 

Skating has never been a cheap sport but looking over the past, group lessons are still pretty much of a bargain, depending on the quality of the instruction given. 

Of course, way back then, kids weren't doing six different after-school activities every week either.  It was skating OR music lessons OR basketball, not all three at once.  We weren't so worried about kids being "well-rounded" back then. 

[davincisop]

Hmmm.  I'm not sure I agree with this.  For the really little ones (2.5-3...maybe even 4) it's all about sensory experiences and exploration.  They experience the ice and then have fun learning to move around on it.  It's child dependent, too of course, but my kids and others in that playing with toys format both moved from walking to stroking and how to get up by themselves.  It depends on the child as well, I think.

THIS. I taught tots and the best things we did to reinforce the learning was games. The first class, if the kids were scared to fall or scared to skate alone, we would toss some stuffed animals in the blue net area and they would have to retrieve them skating from the wall. They learned to bend and skate and worked on stopping doing that. Then we would play red light green light (though we had about 20 different lights that coordinated) and we would use that to make doing swizzles and such a game and none of them realized they were learning. The first 15 minutes of each class was spent running through everything, and then my co-coach would work on backwards wiggles while I drew an "obstacle course" (lines for gliding to swizzles to marches, etc) and they would get to take turns doing the obstacle course.