Ice Shows

Ice Shows are another important part of skating. They are a great way to create community support for figure skating, support your club, gain performance experience and to understand how shows work in case you would like to do it professionally someday.

However, being in a show needs to be planned and managed. The GRFSC holiday show is when we need to be starting to get ready for the “In Season,” and we generally have limited ice time due to the start of hockey season. Therefore, every minute we are on the ice is precious. The spring show is at the start of “In Season,” so if skaters are planning to compete within a month of the show, they have to be able to balance out both the show and competitions. We also have to plan recovery time and around the dress rehearsals and actual ice shows.

If we do not do these things, skaters become injured, burnt out or their progress or training stops so they are un-prepared for the competitive season or they simply back-track in their progress. It is un-realistic for families to ask myself or the skater to still pull together great programs if the ice show preparation goes un-managed. GRFSC has set-up a lot of the show logistics to help skaters balance out show work with their regular skating.

For the most part ice shows happen IN ADDITION to your regular skating times. This is normal in most figure skating facilities.There are also strategies coaches and skater’s use so that the shows help the skater’s competitive season and can use time and money wisely. Oftentimes, for soloist, their show program is really their short program, you put your hardest jump in the show number to gain experience with it, etc.

Once a family understands what is involved for the show, it may be a proactive choice to schedule a Google meet with me to understand how you can balance the show with your own skating before committing to anything in particular for the show. That way, everyone goes into the show with a plan and understanding of how it will all work.

Also, show numbers should not take over your life. A duet, trio or solo should be able to be choreographed in 30-60 minutes MAXIMUM. It’s pretty reasonable that the number should only need to be practiced for 15-20 min 3-6 times before the show. If a number is truly highlighting the abilities of the skater’s, it should come together fairly quickly. If the number is becoming too time-consuming with the choreography and practicing, something is wrong. Either the number is difficult for the skater’s, skaters aren’t working together or the show coach or show choreographer is not using the time effectively. It is not fair to the skaters that they are not moving forward due to something being un-managed. If you have met with your primary coach and found a reasonable way to be involved in the show, and then something is off with the number, please let me know so I can address it with the Show Director, Show Coaches Committee or choreographer.

Also, the show choreographers, show director and show coaches committee should be listening to the requests of primary coaches. We know our athletes best so it is completely normal that the persons in charge of the show understand how we as primary coaches are trying to balance the show with the other goals skater’s have throughout the year.

I myself need to limit my time with the actual choreography and show practices. Like the skater’s, I have to make choices about skating as well. If I truly want to be a well-educated and progressive figure skating coach, I cannot be involved in every endeavor that goes on in the rink. I need time to devote time to my athletes, their goals, planning for them and keeping myself in the loop with skating and its’ rule changes. It’s very unusual in figure skating rinks to find full-time coaches who are developing a lot of athletes also having integral roles in the ice show. There is simply not enough time in the day for one coach to be great at all facets of figure skating.