Figure Skating Journal

February 2010

Early February 2010
She Wants to Compete
By now everyone who reads this journal regularly is familiar with my private student, Naomi*, who is presently training the latter half of the Basic Skills series. Although she is still at the Basic 5 group level, she works well above this level in private lessons. I probably would have passed her for Basic 5 except that her mother recently told me the girl wants to try competition. Her backward crossovers, the stumbling block at her present test level, have not been mastered. She can do them well in one direction but still struggles with awkwardness and occasional toe scratching in the other. Every time we meet for a lesson, I drill Naomi on backward crossovers and various exercises aimed at their improvement.
My background is definitely not in competition. I have never taken a student to competition, nor do I compete myself. I also lack a childhood competitive skating experience. I have been upfront with Naomi’s mother about my background. However, I feel confident that I can choreograph an appropriate basic skills program for Naomi. Unfortunately, the limited freestyle schedule at Ice Castle conflicts with Naomi’s availability, so I would have to find another rink where we could prepare her program and I would register as a guest pro.
This seemed doable at first. Then I realized the competition Naomi and her mother selected is the day before my final examination for my health care training. I would also have to meet Naomi for lessons on Saturday morning then rush to my own class. I foresaw many potential conflicts. After reviewing this situation, I decided to telephone Naomi’s mother to explain my predicament. She was very understanding but firm about her daughter’s commitment to giving competitive skating a try. I suggested she would need another coach to prepare her daughter for competition, and possibly a complete coaching change. I also recommended two suitable coaches.
After Naomi’s lesson that weekend, Mom reinforced how happy they have been with my teaching and that I have provided Naomi with a strong foundation for growth in the sport. I felt so depressed. I do not want to lose Naomi as student. I love teaching her and have enjoyed her progress. She is become a good little skater. For now, Naomi will continue to take lessons from me until they can work out an arrangement with the new coach. I spoke to the new coach later that afternoon. New Coach is comfortable with me continuing to work with Naomi because she also has a busy schedule consisting of a fulltime “real job” and other basic skills students, some of whom also compete. She praised me for my honesty with my client and myself. I could not imagine any course but being straightforward about my limitations. At this point, school has to be my priority, but I also have my reputation as a coach to consider. I do not want to become known as a coach who backs out on a student or suddenly becomes unavailable at a time of need. Yet the idea of handing Naomi off to someone else makes me heartsick.
I know I did the right thing. But if I did the right thing, why do I feel so bad?
* Names have been changed.

Week of February 21, 2010
Kay Meets the Neonatologist
Part of my health care training is to perform various hospital rotations. I do this at night. A group of people was discussing the Olympic games in a delivery room while a woman labored to deliver her baby. The neonatologist told the unfortunate story of Dutch 10,000 meter skater, Sven Kramer. Kramer’s coach became distracted and instructed the skater to change lanes. However, Kramer was already skating in the correct lane and the lane change disqualified him from the gold medal in his signature event. I shook my head and groaned in sympathy for the skater as well as his coach. That coach must feel like a huge pile of excrement. “I’m sure that coach was fired.”
“Did you see it?” the neonatologist asked eager to discuss the disaster further. I told him I did not, but I am a skating coach and the story sent a chill up my spine.
“A skating coach? Really?” Was it just my imagination or did this man look impressed? I dare say he was impressed and intrigued. I did not have time to elaborate as another physician grabbed his attention with more important matters, namely the newborn baby.
The neonatologist did not say “really” in the sense of “Really, big turd like you can skate?” It was more of a “Really? Tell me more”. Of course I am not a speed skating coach and I am a two-bit freestyle coach on a good day, but I always win the prize for most interesting occupation in my class. People tend to be impressed that I skate at this level and can teach others. The neonatologist, a man with a medical degree and specialty was impressed, at least a little bit.
American culture values athletes. Look at the salaries earned by pro athletes and their endorsements. Athletes are celebrities. Coaches earn good money. I earn good money for the hours I work. American culture also reveres physicians, rightfully of course. Maybe the guy has a kid who needs lessons. I should carry a pocketful of business cards in my scrubs.

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