September 2008

Wednesday September 3, 2008
I Went Skating

It has been a long time since I went to a rink only to skate without any intention of teaching a class or private student. But today, I did just that. Over the summer, I came early to the rink to skate before classes or sometimes hung around after. Overall, I probably only skated about an hour each week outside of teaching. Summer publics are crowded with camp groups. Although Ice Castle offered some freestyles, I did not attend any of them. The cost of gasoline is a deterrent, but not the sole reason why I have not been skating. Skating has become a job for me. That drains some of the joy out of it. Financial concerns also limit my ability to work toward defined goals. I cannot afford lessons or tests. Testing has never been the objective of my skating, but I certainly enjoyed a good lesson with a pro who made me work hard. I have not taken a skating lesson in years. Hopefully someday lessons will become a possibility again.

Maybe skating has finally run its course in my life. I have been actively pursuing ice skating since 1992, about sixteen years. I no longer feel obsessed with skating. I don’t mind missing skating competitions on TV. I don’t even bother to tape them anymore. It’s not that I have completely lost interest, but my life has changed over the last few years. As a professional, my focus has shifted from myself to my students.

I enjoyed my time on the ice, skating purely for my own enjoyment. Did I actively work on anything? No, not really. However, I did force myself to do some backward three-turns in the opposite direction. I am still leery of those since a renegade right back outside three-turn resulted in a broken ankle two summers ago. I dread the day I have to demonstrate these to a student. So whenever I have a few minutes of anonymity, I practice them slowly, cautiously and safely.

Other than three-turns, I ran through several moves in the field patterns, spins and spin combinations, and single jumps. Without regular practice, pulling off unusual spin combinations is no longer as mindless as it used to be. I did a layback-sit (no change of leg) and wrenched my knee. The layback was traveling and I tried to re-center for the sit spin. Well, it did not work as well as I hoped. The knee hurt, but it was just a minor inconvenience. I made myself skate laps until it settled back into place. Then I did another layback-sit with better results.

I expect to be busy this fall and doubt I will do much skating outside of days when I am scheduled to teach. My goal will be to keep my skills fresh and maintain good basics.

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Mid-Late September 2008
Return of the Galina Wannabe

Oak Ridge Arena still has not called me to teach, and I cannot day that I’m surprised. That place has never had an aggressive learn-to-skate program. In fact, I have never heard of enrollment low enough to challenge Oak Ridge’s apparent record. However, a friend of mine has taught there since the place opened and keeps me abreast of current events.

My friend recently sent me an email filled with the latest gossip. The teenage girl who suffers from delusions of grandeur, whom I called a “Galina Wannabe” in a previous entry, got caught with her hand in the proverbial cookie jar. The kid works at the front counter and also teaches group and private lessons. In my opinion, she is a gangly low freestyle skater who lacks the experience and maturity to be able to teach what she herself cannot do. But somebody in Oak Ridge’s mysterious hierarchy thinks the sun shines out her ass. In another of the rink’s staff meetings (to which I was not invited), two adult pros commented that they were not getting referrals for private lessons; yet, Miss Galina seemed to always have a student. The new skating director promised to look into this.

The truth came out that while Miss Galina is working the front desk and skate rental counter she is also answering the telephones and scoffing any lesson inquiries for herself. This kid took advantage of a situation. The skating director at Elite Arena did the same thing. If someone needs money, it might be hard not to grab those private lessons. However, it is unethical. To make things worse, she was probably double-dipping; on the clock as a counter person and pocketing coaching fees at the same time. To further complicate matters, she was coaching without insurance; thereby, putting the rink in a precarious legal situation should an accident occur. Miss Galina had the gall to complain that she could not afford insurance. How could she not afford insurance when she was hijacking all of the incoming students? Every coach must carry insurance, even those who only teach one hour of groups per week. Miss Galina obviously thought the rules did not apply to her. Professional ethics did not apply to her. Legal responsibility did not apply to her. And common decency did not apply to her either. She seemed to think she was above and beyond all of these factors that govern coaching and conduct for people in any field of employment.

The director put her on probation until she gets insurance or longer. When I last heard, she was not teaching groups or privates. Regardless, I was not called in to fill the void. I know they have an adult skater on the staff who could not skate her way out of a sopping wet paper bag. She probably picked up Miss Galina’s slack. Another brilliant move on the part of Oak Ridge’s management.

An obvious question arises. Why was Miss Galina not fired? My ass would have been walked right out the door. Not only did she behave unethically, she put the rink at legal risk. She absolutely has to know somebody or be related to somebody. Her parents may have some type of influence to which I am not privy. I cannot believe the skating director and manger did not simply get rid of her. This kid must have stepped in some kind of shit. How come when I step in shit I wind up with feces on my shoe?

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