Received an email from my coach that due to ongoing health issues, they will not be taking on any new students. I wish people would come up with either original excuses, or just tell the truth, I heard the former one far too many times.
First time back on the ice in a long time, and also a promising new coach with lessons to boot!
I arrived at the rink in my favorite dress, but with my warm-up pants and jacket over top, I hadn’t skated there before, so I was not sure how cold it would be.
I took the ice and did pretty good for how long I’ve been off, a time before when I was not off so long had me a lot more shaky!
Next came my 30 minute lesson, my feet were not too bad and I made pretty good progress overall and had good interaction with the coach. We didn’t make arrangements for more lessons, but did say we would continue. Cost was $30 for 30 minutes, and since the ATM only gives $20’s and neither one of us had change, I left it with them as a $10 credit toward my next lesson.
The rink wasn’t too bad temperature wise, I did warm up enough to take my jacket off, but left my warmup pants on.
I went to a competition to go check out the vendors and see if I could get something made, or even on the chance that I could buy something as well as some spectating.
While walking around I noticed that both locker rooms had signs that they were the girls changing room. For the boys, they had to use the men’s restroom.
Now there’s really nothing odd about that, small facility and the majority of the skaters were females, so that’s probably the best they could do with what they had.
But here’s the thing, a father shows up with his daughter and I heard him ask a female (a stranger also by the sound of it) to go with his daughter into the changing room and help her get ready. Later on I see a mother show up with her son and she follows him right into the men’s restroom.
Why does a man have to feel so afraid around other people that he can’t be with and help his own daughter?
Over the years of trying to get a coach, and losing the few I’ve had, I came to the conclusion that even though a lot of the coaches I came across were pretty high level. None of them could coach me as I was at a higher level then their ability to teach.
A good coach/teacher is able to adapt their methods to the student they are trying to coach/teach.
Sitting in the lobby on the benches getting ready to skate, I hear a coach talking to I presume the parents of a child who was skating about their availability to do lessons. They said they were at the rink almost everyday and had slots of time available between 12 and 2.
I head out to the rink and work on my list of elements and make mental notes as I see them out coaching others.
When the session is up I head back to the lobby and get ready to head out. The coach I saw earlier is talking over things with the parents and lessons and they pack up and leave. The coach was still there so I approach them about getting some lessons as earlier they had said they had slots available. The answer I received when I asked was “I’m fully booked at every rink at the moment.”
Of course this is an answer I pretty much expected as I get the same thing when calling coaches that post their services on the board with the phone number tags, remember those? I’ll call and chat with them, typically they think I’m asking for my child. I tell them that it’s for myself and they ask what I’m working on, what times, etc etc. Once I give my name however, that’s usually the end of the conversation with a click. Some people ask for my name right upfront, as I’m guessing they were already leery, so not really a surprise to get a no and/or click.
Pretty much every coach I’ve talked to or called, said no once they knew my name.
I was skating at a public session at a rink I had not skated at before, not sure why I went there as it’s not close, but most likely it was a timing/free time issue.
So I did some warmups and got into my routine with practice elements and I noticed an older lady struggling with doing 3 turns. I stopped over and offer her a few tips like trying to go on the ball of your foot, toes to the top, lift your hip, pre-load your torso, etc etc. I watched for a bit, then went off to my own thing, I think I stopped by once or twice after to help in the progress and she was starting to get the hang of it. (I know how it is, it took me forever to figure it out, and once I did, I was so ecstatic!)
When the session ended, I was on the benches taking my skates off and such and she approached me and thanked me for the insights. Then she made a comment that she was scared in ever meeting me, but then said she was happy to have met me in person.
I wish I remembered her name, I’ve only seen her again once or twice afterwards.
I ponder however in what she had heard in that it seems that she feared meeting me in person?