Hiring a coach

[mumof2]

When is a good time to hire a private coach? What age, level, or otherwise would be a good time. I don't want to push, but she seems rather bored but she is still rather young yet. She has passed 4 levels since she started skating a year ago and she is 5 years old. Anyone with thoughts on this. It would be appreciated.

Thanks.

[Justine_R]

Right now!!!!!!!!!
Good time to get started when you are young, it gives you a great advantage.
Look for a coach that maybe does some kind of group lessons, it will be easier for your child to get adjusted to the more competitive skating then while she is with other people ( maybe you could find a coach that has skaters her age).

The session before me has a lot of the younger skaters in group sessions, I also think its a great way for young skaters to make friends.

Look around your club, there wil be a coach in there somewhere!

[Clarice]

You could also have her take some private lessons along with staying in the group classes. They certainly can progress faster with individual attention, but a lot of young ones also like the interaction with other kids in the group sessions. My daughter started skating at 5, began some private lessons a year later, and had switched totally to private instruction by age 7. By then she had started her USFS testing and competing.

[skaternum]

I've always thought private lessons are a waste of money until the skater has made it through all the basic skill levels in the rink's (or club's) learn to skate program. An occasional private lesson to supplement is a good idea, but I think it's overkill to start exclusive private lessons until the kid has gone through the basic levels in skate school. Young ones, like a 5 or 6 year old, enjoy the "play time" with other kids. And the improvement of basic skills with a private coach isn't that dramatic compared to kids with just skate school, in my experience.

I'd wait until the skater was ready to start freeskating.

[flippet]

Originally posted by skaternum
I've always thought private lessons are a waste of money until the skater has made it through all the basic skill levels in the rink's (or club's) learn to skate program. An occasional private lesson to supplement is a good idea, but I think it's overkill to start exclusive private lessons until the kid has gone through the basic levels in skate school. Young ones, like a 5 or 6 year old, enjoy the "play time" with other kids. And the improvement of basic skills with a private coach isn't that dramatic compared to kids with just skate school, in my experience.

I'd wait until the skater was ready to start freeskating.

I agree--the only exception I'd make is if the child is so distractible that they would benefit from one-on-one attention. Otherwise---it simply takes a certain amount of time and practice to learn the basics--might as well do it cheaply, then look to privates for advanced instruction.

[AshBugg44]

Originally posted by skaternum
I've always thought private lessons are a waste of money until the skater has made it through all the basic skill levels in the rink's (or club's) learn to skate program. An occasional private lesson to supplement is a good idea, but I think it's overkill to start exclusive private lessons until the kid has gone through the basic levels in skate school. Young ones, like a 5 or 6 year old, enjoy the "play time" with other kids. And the improvement of basic skills with a private coach isn't that dramatic compared to kids with just skate school, in my experience.

I'd wait until the skater was ready to start freeskating.

It can too be a dramatic improvement! A little one at my rink improved tremendously when she started taking from her private coach, and she is only 4. The improvement in skills was incredible.

[twokidsskatemom]

I just think it depend on the child. some, maybe 5 , some maybe later.
I think for us, it was the right choice, She got better alot faster than just group lessons.She still has group lessons, but at the rink she is at, is the only one at her level.Sometimes she didnt get what she needed.So privates helped, and she was 4 then.Big inprovment.
My 3yo is getting one a week, with my daughter.His is more due the fact he would rather just skate than wait for a bunch of kids to learn how to march.So, lessons didnt work for him. He tags alone with the 4yo. we hope to put him back in groups when his attention span gets better.His issue isnt the not wanting to be there, he is just bored with the kids who are just starting.
I would wait if I could, its spendy.If you have a nice size rink with kids her level, I would just do groups.

[Mrs Redboots]

If you feel your child would benefit from more individual tuition, but isn't quite ready for regular private lessons yet, could you team up with another mother with a child in a similar state, so that they could share a lesson? That would halve the cost for each of you, give the children the advantage of a semi-private lesson, and even more so, the HUGE advantage of having each other to compete against - I don't mean compete like in competition, but I've seen kids who are absolutely determined not to be outskated by their friend, so if A gets a salchow, then B will not stop working until s/he gets one, too.

[Lmarletto]

I think this depends on the group lessons where you are. At our rink, the quality of instruction varies quite a bit from instructor to instructor and even some who are good with older children don't understand or relate to younger ones.

My daughter was fine in Tot 1-4, but when she started pre-Alpha at age 4, private lessons made the difference between her thinking skating lessons were fun and thinking they were boring. An ISI class with 8 kids age 4-12 and no choice of instructor just wasn't a good situation for an ambitious, energetic 4yo. She has one 30min group lesson and one 20min private lesson each week which is plenty for her at this age. I couldn't say if she is progressing *faster* with private lessons (and I don't really care), but she is enjoying herself more.

Of course if your child is interested in Basic Skills competitions, a private coach will be a necessity.

Great board, BTW, I've read a lot of interesting, helpful stuff.

Lu

[skatepixie]

I would put a very young child in lessons with a junior pro before they take group, or perhaps instead of it. basically, all the groups for the really little ones (its called Pixie Group at my rink)teach is the very basic, through about back swizzles. When they get better than that, they have to take the group with the big kids, which kinda freaks them out...I would put a 3 year old with a jr pro instead. It seems that the kids who parents choose that do better...

[mumof2]

Thanks for all of your input. My daughter has progressed fast and considering her age (5yrs), I think I will try to focus on the 'fun aspect' of skating and keep her in group lessons (my pocketbook can't afford all private). However, she does seem quite bored at times and because of the group atmosphere she tends to loose interest I will hire a pro for a 15 minute lesson once a week but try to keep the focus on fun. Again, I appreciate all the input. I don't want to push her too hard but I want her to be the best that she can. Such a fine line. Thanks for your perspective.

[twokidsskatemom]

what skills is she learning ?

[Little Bit]

Originally posted by Clarice
You could also have her take some private lessons along with staying in the group classes. They certainly can progress faster with individual attention, but a lot of young ones also like the interaction with other kids in the group sessions. My daughter started skating at 5, began some private lessons a year later, and had switched totally to private instruction by age 7. By then she had started her USFS testing and competing.

This is what we did when my daughter was 5, now she is 9 and a skating fool. I now believe she has ice in her veins. :roll: She lives for skating. We met a lot of other skaters via our club, I have a social butterfly, if you know what I mean. Start the private lessons one a week. There is no need to go full blast now. You have time on your side, use it wisely. Be sure your coach is friendly and positive, that is the most important. Well, so is technical, the coach must be good, you don't want her to have to relearn be basics.

[trains]

Start now!
In the Eastern Ontario section of Skate Canada there is a program for identifying talented young skaters called "Jump Start".
In order to be considered for this, a skater must be able to land a clean axel at 7 years old, and a clean axel as well as at least one clean double jump at eight years old. The coach must submit video proof to the section skater development office. It takes time to learn the fundamentals for building skills like these, so the skaters must be very young, with a good attention span, to achieve them.

[twokidsskatemom]

I would put a very young child in lessons with a junior pro before they take group, or perhaps instead of it. basically, all the groups for the really little ones (its called Pixie Group at my rink)teach is the very basic, through about back swizzles. When they get better than that, they have to take the group with the big kids, which kinda freaks them out...I would put a 3 year old with a jr pro instead. It seems that the kids who parents choose that do better...


some rinks dont have jr pros, just coaches.all rinks arent the same and all dont have the same things.