January 2010
Friday January 1, 2010
Goals for 2010
A new year brings with it goals and resolutions. It offers an opportunity to reevaluate and improve. Like everyone else, I have set some goals for myself for 2010. Unfortunately, these goals do not center on my own skating. I have other priorities right now as well as financial concerns that preclude major skating expenses such as lessons and tests. I expect 2011 will be the year I return to active skating for myself.
~Professional Goals Outside the Skating World~
As I have mentioned in various entries, I am working toward a new off-ice career. I began coaching as a primary occupation in fall 2007, though I had previous experience teaching group lessons while working another full-time job. Coaching has been my dream job for a long time but never saw it as a realistic possibility given my lack of childhood training and competitive experience. I had recently left an absolutely miserable professional situation and decided to give coaching a serious try. At one point, I worked in three rinks. I also had a part-time job at a community college. However, the economy was not cooperating with me or anyone else.
My husband and I had a discussion about my professional future. We could imagine potential success in my coaching life but that would require time to establish myself and build a clientele. We guessed at least two years. Even in the best economic circumstances, I am not an accomplished skater, so my potential would most likely be limited to low freestyle students. However, a good teacher can earn a respectable living without ever entering a student in national or sectional competition. Ten years prior, when the economy was healthy, I might have accumulated a decent following of beginning and low freestyle students. However, this was not the case when I committed to coaching. We decided I should return to school and train for another off-ice career that could either work with coaching if I decided to continue to coach for the long term or could offer stable employment otherwise. I took a couple of prerequisite classes and in the fall of 2008 began training for a license in health care.
I completed the first semester of my training successfully while coaching at Ice Castle, my present home rink. Unfortunately, my father was diagnosed with cancer that fall and had surgery. His cancer returned with a vengeance and was declared terminal. I took the spring 2009 semester off from school to care for him. He passed from this world in February. When I returned to Ice Castle, I had missed the peak season and could not recover momentum. The summer was especially devoid of students. For much of the summer, I did not teach privates or groups.
Last fall, I returned to school and completed another semester of health care training. I have two semesters to go to qualify for licensure. If all goes well, I will graduate in December of this year. My primary goal for 2010 is to complete my training and prepare for the licensing exam in January 2011, when I will return to work as a full-time health care professional. Presently, I doubt I will continue to coach after I have secured employment outside the skating world.
~Personal Skating~
My educational goals largely preclude skating for myself. I simply do not have time. Nor do I have money for lessons. In fact, I have not taken a lesson in years. However, I hope to squeeze in some personal skating before teaching groups whenever possible. I want to maintain my basic skills so I will have a foundation for future growth when I go back to work and can afford a coach.
~Coaching~
As usual, I would like to increase my private student base. Currently, I have three private students who attend weekly. One is a USFSA Basic 5 skater who is very committed. The others are at lower levels and take private lessons only. These three pupils fill my time on one weekend public session. I would like to gain at least another three private students to fill another session. This would significantly increase my monthly income and would ease my household’s financial burden. However, students come and go. It is entirely possible some or all of the students I presently teach will drop out, especially over the summer. There is no guarantee I will replace lost students or grow my following.
I have no plans to get on the staff of another rink. Ice Castle is a pleasant place to work. I am happy and content there. I also lack the time to commit to teaching responsibilities at another facility, so I must do the best I can with what I have at Ice Castle.
~Fitness~
My goal is to work out at the gym at least twice per week. The gym is on the way to school, so I can easily get there before classes. I want to add jogging back into my fitness plan. Exercise reduces stress, and I have had plenty of that. I do not have a specific weight loss agenda right now as it would only add to my stress. I just want to maintain a healthy lifestyle and stay in shape to the best of my ability.
~Summary~
So that’s it. No axels or doubles on the drawing board; just a busy, hopefully, balanced life.
Week of January 3, 2009
Pilates/Yoga Class
My gym is offering a new class that is combination of pilates and yoga. This week I attended both a pilates class and a yoga class and have been interested in trying the combination approach. The combo class consists of yoga and pilates moves, as would be expected. However, the movements are dynamic requiring transitions between various poses done with a reasonable amount of speed. It allows the participant to break a sweat and get a cardio workout in addition to core strengthening and stretching. The instructor demonstrates all of the poses in beginner, intermediate, and advanced variations. I like to go for advanced whenever possible. I loved this class. In fact, it is probably the best group exercise class I have attended.
In general, I like exercise classes with a few exceptions. I am not crazy about dance-oriented classes, as one must attended regularly to keep up with the steps and learn new routines. I may have training as an ice dancer, but none off-ice. The problem I experience with these classes is that if I am unable to attend the class at least once per week, I cannot learn the routines and become frustrated. Getting lost during the routine results in lower energy output. If I am not sweating during an aerobics class, I am wasting my time and would rather work independently on the elliptical machine or treadmill.
I used to be a huge fan of kickboxing. I really like kickboxing and other cardio formats such as step aerobics. However, at this particular gym, the instructors play the music so loud the whole building vibrates. Being in the studio when the music is so loud can be deafening. I value my hearing and have ears like a bat. I want to keep it that way. No one else seems to care, so I am probably the odd man out and have decided to keep my big mouth shut. No sense in complaining when I am the only one with a problem. So, I pass on the cardio classes. Fortunately, the instructors do not blast the music during pilates or yoga.
The combination class offered many excellent stretching positions. I particularly enjoyed the hip stretches, which allowed me to stretch in a near-split position. Improving my splits has been an on-going goal of my off-ice training. I did the splits on the floor after the class. Not bad for a gal in her forties who never took gymnastics or ballet as a child. This class is available at a time that fits into my schedule, so I plan to attend weekly.
Week of January 10, 2010
Teaching the Waltz Jump
One of my private students, Naomi*, is learning the waltz jump. She also takes group lessons from Ice Castle’s new coach, Dylan*. Naomi has been working on this jump since before the holidays. She loves to jump, as so many young skaters do. However, it is my responsibility to make sure Naomi learns proper technique so she can learn more advanced jumps in the future and practice jumps as safely as possible.
My waltz jump method involves kicking forward with a straight free leg, ultimately achieving a split position in the air. This is a classic waltz jump. It looks beautiful when performed as a single element. Advanced skaters will often warm up with enormous waltz jumps that cover amazing spans of distance with the legs straight and wonderfully split. A big floating waltz is one of the prettiest moves in skating. The basic skill is taught early in a skater’s training and a quality version is very achievable.
I initially teach the move from a standstill with placement lines drawn on the ice. I also demonstrate a big waltz jump for my students so they understand what the finished product will look like. This gets them excited. Wow, I’m going to learn to do that? Yes, but in the other direction (unless I am lucky enough to work with a lefty). Then I demonstrate a walk-through version, which is how I want students to start. I like to see a nice, straight free leg reaching into the jump and a strong landing position. At this point, the student does not need to jump at all. I prefer the student understand the steps and positions before adding a little hop. Next, we do it from backward crossovers with a controlled step forward leading into the jump. This should also be done slowly with primary emphasis on position. Speed is added after the skater masters the basic movements. I also stress unison of spring and kick, which results in increased height and distance.
Naomi has been jumping with a bent kicking leg; a technique, in my opinion, that is better employed later to teach the skater axel exercises. When I corrected her leg position, she told me her group coach, Dylan, teaches a bent leg kick. Maybe he does, maybe Naomi misunderstood his instructions. In any case, I told her different methods exist and I prefer her to use a straight leg at this point and save the knee kick for axel training, which will occur later. I do not want to discredit Dylan or any other coach, especially since I do not know exactly what Dylan is teaching. I will have to discuss my preferences with Dylan so Naomi will receive consistent advice in all of her lessons.
A beginning skater can become very confused by conflicting information. Input from different sources may be helpful for more advanced skaters struggling with a skill. Someone else’s perspective may help to get a skater over a plateau. However, a beginner who is still trying to understand what a waltz jump is will just get confused or worse yet, think her coach is wrong. While Dylan is an experienced high-level skater, he is an unseasoned coach. I hope he does not become defensive when I discuss this issue with him. I plan to approach the situation by asking how he teaches the jump then noting what Naomi is doing in her private lessons, and state my preference. Finally, I will ask him to reinforce the technique if he is not already doing so. Young beginners are easily frustrated. I want to avoid this with Naomi.
* Names have been changed.
Thursday January 14, 2010
One Hour
I got on the ice and skated for myself. I only stayed an hour. The rink was especially cold and I felt sore from pilates. My glutes and abductors ached. Although I use the resistance machines at the gym and go to pilates classes, skating uses these muscles either differently or more intensely than other exercises. Just skating around for a while reminded me of how infrequently I have been skating. Unfortunately, I have not skated much for the last year or so with the exception of teaching.
I warmed up with some moves in the field including power three-turns, pulls, five step mohawk, and cross rolls. My edge slipped on a cross roll. I can’t put off a sharpening any longer. My forward camel also begged for sharper blades. I did a few jumps and other spins. I played with a backward attitude spin and leaned a little suggesting a layback. If I could pick one more spin to own, it would be a backward layback, but that will take work and time that I really don’t have.
One major reason I need to get on the ice again is to work on jumps in the opposite direction. I skate clockwise while most other people rotate counterclockwise (CCW). I have found this to be somewhat of a disadvantage in coaching. I have a few students in private and group lessons who are ready for the toe loop and salchow. I can manage a humble CCW toe loop, but have less success with the salchow. So, I walked through it a few times until I could complete a modest version without putting my free foot down before jumping. I am reluctant to try the jump out right, as I broke my right ankle a few years ago and don’t want to re-injure it. I also wrenched my back doing a CCW toe loop demonstration. Jumping more than a half rotation in the opposite direction is a real stretch for me. I can do the half jumps, mainly because I teach them so frequently. Waltz jumps, toe hops, ballet jumps, mazurkas, half-flips. All of these are fine. My students learn them quickly from my demonstrations. In fact, some of these jumps have become equally good in both directions, which is a bonus because such jumps contribute to footwork sequences, which are required to turn in both directions. With experience, I expect the full rotation jumps to become decent too.
Overall, I was cold and bored. I chatted with a student’s father who was skating for himself without his daughter. I shot the breeze with the manager. I skated for about an hour and had worked up a sweat. Good enough. This is simply not the time in my life for personal skating or training. I am too focused on my health care career training. It eats up all of my time and energy. I am glad to have my job at the rink, as it offers a complete change of pace and clears my mind. Once the hockey season dies down, I hope to come in for classes early and do a little personal skating. Other than that, my own rink forays will be limited this year.
I teach basic skills and low freestyle on Friday nights. This is my fun night at the rink. I really enjoy teaching these students. Unfortunately, my body decided not to cooperate. I was fine for the basic skills classes, but when I worked with the freestyle students, I suffered some surprising aches and pains.
A couple of years ago, I had a problem with a bony growth on my pinky toe. After going to the podiatrist, wearing corn pads and thinner socks and having the boot stretched; the problem seemingly went away. At the very least, it was manageable. Last season, my toe did not bother me, probably because I skated and coached so little. The toe flared up again on Friday. When I took off my skates, it stung and throbbed. While teaching, the pain was such that I struggled to demonstrate moves at full speed in my normal direction. I like to show jumps as finished products so students know what to expect and what they are striving for. A walk-through is great to help students understand the steps and body positions, but they also need to see the skill in finished form so they can gradually build toward a complete version.
Low freestyle students also benefit from repeated drilling on crossovers, both backward and forward to move them toward increased speed and advanced technique. As an exercise, I ask them to break down the crossovers by emphasizing each push and holding the positions. This helps to eliminate toe picking and toe scratching. I bent my knees and pushed the understroke of a backward crossover. I teach a back inside Jenkins spiral at this point to emphasize a strong understroke and correct body carriage. As I bent my inside knee deeply, I felt unusual stiffness and pain. WTF? Pardon my acronym, but I generally do not have knee pain. This was an unpleasant and worrisome surprise. What did I do to my knees recently?
I can only point to my pilates/yoga class that requires all-fours positions for certain exercises and stretches. I used a yoga mat instead of a padded mat. I felt uncomfortable at the time, but got through the workout. Next class, I will use double mats to cushion my knees.
I left the ice feeling old, dilapidated, and completely wrecked. I might as well have been hit by a bus. My toe hurt, my knees ached, and I was depressed. My husband, who is ten years older than me, went on about how his body went downhill in his forties. Not the input I wanted to hear especially from a man who has had a hip replacement. Both of us are big people, and our sports have given our joints a sound beating over the years. He was an avid skier, hiker, tennis player, and jogger. I have more than done my time in ice rinks and road running.
I dreaded going back to the rink to teach over the weekend. I did not want to shove my delicate toe into that boot. A corn cushion helped. I got through my private lessons and classes without pain. I invested in a pair of softer boots that have never been mounted. I made and appointment to have my blades transferred from the offending boots to the new softies. Hopefully this will help.
Week of January 17, 2010
Trying Them Out
In my last entry, I wrote about the new pair of softer boots I decided to have mounted with my old blades. The plan was to use these boots for coaching and to have a new set of blades mounted on a new pair of custom boots. That would give me one pair of skates for teaching and another sturdy pair for my own skating.
I did not really want to drive to the rink to try out the coaching boots and came up with various excuses not to. I was more concerned about the sharp blades rather than the boots. My blades had become very dull, and I had adjusted accordingly. Freshly sharpened blades take a little bit of time to adapt, especially if one is used to the play inherent in duller edges. The dread of making a fool of myself catching an edge while teaching a group of beginners to stop got me motivated. That and a new Stephen King audio book awaiting a listen in my car. Heck, I could also treat myself to lunch in the Indian restaurant down the road a student’s parent recommended.
The new boots welcomed my feet. They felt comfortable. As soon as I stood up, they felt different and not in a good way. This did not bode well. I stepped onto the ice. The guy at the pro shop pointed out the significant difference in heel height between my old skates and these new softies. If I had been cognizant of this, I did not think it would be an issue. It was an issue; a big bad one. It disrupted my balance. Sharp blades would have been enough of an adjustment, but sharp blades on completely different boots was too much to handle. I sat down in the players’ box, my mind racing. What was I going to do? Should I just adjust to these boots and skate exclusively in them until I start training again? That sounded sensible. I skated some more exploring the edges and bending my knees deeply to get into the boots. Then my feet began to hurt; not just hurt, but scream in pain. I don’t have time for this crap.
I don’t blame the boots themselves. However, I am used to custom made boots with a relatively high heel. These boots met neither of those criteria. They created new pressure points and completely confused my muscle memory. I could not teach anything but very basic skating in these things and that only in searing discomfort. I am an idiot. This was completely unacceptable. I got off the ice and stripped the boots from my shell-shocked feet. I would have to take the skates back to the pro shop and have the blades remounted on my old trusty worn out customs. The skate guy would laugh at me. Better him than my students and their entourage. I called him as soon as I got home and made an appointment for the next morning.
January 22-24, 2010
Out With the New, In With the Old
In desperation, I took my new coach boots back to the pro shop to have the blades remounted on my old reliables. I need something that I can teach in without a troublesome adjustment period. The new coach boots hurt my feet, probably because of the lower heel height. I don’t have time to deal with boot problems when I have to coach. Steve*, the skate guy, stretched my old boots and put the blades back on. I walked around the shop while he evaluated my balance. The left boot is severely broken down and I list to the inside. He shimmed the blade with leather pieces and had to mount the heel of the blade overhanging the heel of the boot by about one-quarter inch. He said he had never done this before. However, it was necessary to balance my weight. I did not care.
I thought about ordering a soft pair of stock Harlicks, presumably with the same heel as my customs, but have put the idea on hold. Maybe I can get through the season and next fall without additional equipment expenses. Plus Steve is stretching a new set of customs as I type. I will use those for my own skating. After I complete my health care training and get a fulltime job next year, I doubt I will continue coaching. I intend to go back to skating for myself once I can afford the luxury.
I took my skates to the rink and put them on. They felt comfortable like old slippers, a cliché used by many skating people when describing boots that are broken in and fit well. Steve had also run a dulling stone over the edges. I took to the ice as I normally do and felt confident. I had to test students that night which would give me time to make any minor adjustments before teaching freestyle later. The evening went well. I could skate and demonstrate moves competently. No one laughed. No one knew about the problems I had experienced earlier in the week with my new boots.
The new boots are currently in their box in a closet. I plan to pawn them off on my sister, who is happy to get them. She is not used to any specific type of boot. Since these are a stock size, she can have them stretched and molded to suit her needs. She can have them mounted with any blade she wants. I thought about having them mounted with a Snow White inline or Quadline set of wheels. Better to just get rid of them.
* Names have been changed.
My student, Naomi*, has been making great progress. She has learned the waltz jump, toe loop, and salchow. Her one-foot spin is improving. I have a very positive relationship with Naomi and her mother. They are both happy with my coaching and Naomi’s improvements. Naomi is a hard worker who loves to skate. Watching her blossom as a skater has been a joy for me. I feel a sense of personal accomplishment as my student grows under my tutelage.
Others have noticed her development and comment on Naomi’s accomplishments. Another coach, Helen*, who has been the subject of other entries because of her questionable behavior has been especially outspoken. She regularly comments on how good Naomi is becoming. Often while I am on the ice teaching Naomi, this coach talks to her mother. They are acquainted because she has taught group classes to Naomi, and Mom asked Helen to give Naomi a private lesson while I was on vacation. While it is perfectly appropriate to say hello to a parent or to exchange pleasantries, she will hang out with Naomi’s mother throughout her lessons. I find this objectionable. Why does it bother me? Am I really that insecure? There is a difference between insecurity and feeling violated. Helen seems to be flirting with my client. This has not just happened once as an isolated incident. It happens every time I am on the ice with Naomi and Helen has nothing else to do. She occupies her spare time talking to my student’s mother. It is too much. She is apparently ready to step in a take over Naomi’s training at the earliest opportunity. She wants my student, and it makes me angry.
One might still wonder if I am just oversensitive. I might wonder the same thing myself if it were not for Helen’s track record of obnoxious tactics. She approached another skater while her coach was out of town asking if the student wanted a lesson. This news got back to the skater’s coach who shared the information with me. If that isn’t enough, the rink manager noticed Helen flirting with Naomi’s mother. The manager took her aside and asked her to “lay off”. So, this is not just my misperception. If the manager felt she had to step in, the problem is real. I never mentioned the situation to the manager or asked her to intervene. She took it upon herself to diffuse the coach’s meddling. I thanked her for doing this, as I would not have been able to summon the courage myself. However, if I had been the one flirting with her client, Helen would not hesitate to point out my transgression. I don’t like to start trouble or create conflict, so I keep my mouth shut. This is not always the best policy, especially with people who are ready and willing to take advantage.
Since the incident with the manager, the coach has steered clear of Naomi and her mother. Good. And I never ruffled a feather.
* Names have been changed.
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