What is Everyone’s Roles in a Skating Relationship?
Skaters
To work hard on the ice and off the ice
To listen and learn from your coaches and others around you
To have a positive attitude, have a growth mindset and enjoy skating!
To show respectful behavior to your coaches and parents
To be communicative with your parents and myself and to speak to us politely
Show gratitude to your parents for all that they do for you.
To move yourself forward in your skating with your attitude and work ethic
To take good care of your skates, dresses and other skating equipment.
Manage your time effectively
To be responsible for yourself as an athlete and to get enough sleep, eat nutritiously and to stay on top of your homework.
Be professional and gracious at competitions and other skating events.
Primary Coach
To stay ahead of what a skater needs next in their development
To help skaters get the most out of their skating and help skaters achieve their goals
Spend my time coaching~ not administrating
To have effective coaching methods and to progress athletes with their skating
Help keep skaters moving forward in their skating, especially through the tough stuff
Plan! We plan out the year ahead and oftentimes beyond that.
Work with the skaters and families to make sure our plan is working.
Have a professional, working relationship with skaters and families and other professionals in skating.
Assist choreographer and skater with music and costume choices.
Communicate with families and skaters about what is working and what isn’t working.
Share any professional advice that is helpful to the skater and their family.
Be professional and gracious at competitions and other skating events.
As primary coach, it is also my job to make sure the other coaches on the team are effective and doing their jobs
Parents
Drive the skaters!
Sign up as early as possible for competitions and test sessions (in case they fill up).
Stay on top of deadlines for competitions and practice ice.
Pay ice bills and other bills in a timely fashion.
Know when to help your skater, but also when to encourage them to be independent~ skaters should be able to tie their own skates, talk to their coach about a question, fill out their own PPC form, etc.
Be a support for your athlete~ whether it’s a good day on the ice or not-so-productive day, your skater should know that you are there for them either way.
Make sure you and your skater are communicating effectively with your coach and the work you are putting into skating should align with the goals discussed with the coach.
Be professional and gracious at competitions and other skating events.
How Does A Skating Relationship Work?
As I explain to all of the skaters, we have a professional working relationship together. This means we are all working together towards a common goal. Skaters, families and I who all work together towards the skaters’ goals have the most productive and successful relationships.
As a coach, I have a lot to do on my end, and so do the skaters and the parents. So we all have to be respectful, use our time wisely and communicate effectively.
Make sure that I know about things that could affect the skater and the skating. I don’t need to know about everything that is going on with the skater simply because the work has to get done regardless of what is going on sometimes, but I also can’t coach what I don’t know.
In keeping everyone successful, I have these policies in place to have good systems in place so we have a system that we work together within. This helps me meet all the skater’s needs in effective manner.
All of this only works if everyone is doing their part. Skating relationships are challenging because when one party alters what they say they are going to do, it effects everything else. As a coach, I can only work within the parameters I am given, and I can’t do the work for the skaters. Skaters who cancel a lot, for example, limit my abilities as a coach since I am probably just reviewing skills with the skater rather than teaching new exercises. That is why contracts are in place. Everyone needs to understand their role and execute it so the skating can move forward. Ultimately, the goal is always the skating and doing what is best for the skater to move their skating forward.