Coaches & Feedback

[Rusty Blades]

I am wondering what you all experience with your coach as far as feedback. Do you get lots of praise and a little criticism or lots of criticism and little praise. Does it matter to you?

[Hannahclear]

Both of my coaches are pretty positive about my skating and I have great relationships with them both. Of course they critique, but it's usually in a positive way, if that makes sense.

[sceptique]

My primary coach is a perfect example of how context affects the culture. She is a Russian with a very "British" teaching style (I'd even say, British style of giving any feedback as I often see it in workplace, if I can make some generalisations. Just an observation based on the contrast of cultures, not saying it's better or worse in any sense): it's always "good job" even if you messed it up big time, all criticism is neutral and unemotional ("you forgot about bending you knee before the 3-turn, didn't you?") and you never know if she really likes something or just being polite. From time to time she may say something like "where have you been 25 years ago?" which I take as a big compliment meaning "you got some talent, girl, but just a bit late to start training for the Olympics..." But she never ever makes any comments which make me feel hurt. To be fair, I never heard her saying anything "agressive" to kid skaters either, if you don't count things like "push! you are not pushing enough!". Yet sometimes she complains that this or that skater ended up in tears and she had a talk with parents about her teaching being too "tough". Go figure.

[techskater]

My coach has a very specific way to constructively criticize elements, programs, etc. She picks at specific details or gives a visual of what you are doing incorrectly, sometimes in a way that makes you laugh. She sometimes huffs and throws up her hands and rolls her eyes when something is BAD. She points out the good again in a constructive way...

[doubletoe]

I would feel cheated out of my lesson fee if I didn't get a lot of good corrections from my coach, so I actually think he's slacking when I don't get more criticism than praise! LOL!

If something is just fine, he'll say it's "fine" or "good." If something is off, he'll say it's off and identify what I'm doing wrong. Sometimes something is "Awful" and he'll say so, and I'll laugh and agree. On a very rare occasion, he'll say, "That was BEAUTIFUL!" and I'll wish I had a recording device to capture it! I value those rare gushes because I know it really means something when he says it!

[cecealias]

You know what; I can't answer this poll because it depends on what i'm doing. If it's right, i get praise, if it's wrong i get criticism.

Sometimes I do a LOT more wrong than right or vice versa, a LOT more right than wrong. Totally depends on the stage of the skill i'm at. And then there's ups and downs due to how my body is feeling.

If its criticism, a lot of the time there is a lot of humor associated with it. So actually criticism can be alot of fun with my coach. Its a lot of work but its a plenty of play. My coach only gets really pissy if he knows that i'm doing something deliberate to piss him off.

[Rusty Blades]

If it's right, i get praise, if it's wrong i get criticism.

Then I would say you get balanced feedback.

[phoenix]

My coach pushes me very hard, which we've discussed & which is what I want because I have very high goals for myself. That doesn't make it much fun sometimes!! High praise from him is "that's not bad". I've been working with him twice a week for almost 3 years, I think I may have heard "really good" less than 10 times. Of course that makes those rare compliments really an occassion!

Sometimes when it really gets me down/discouraged, I try to get feedback from other skaters/friends to help get some 'atta girl's.....but there have been one or two times when I've gone to him & had a talk. The last time was early this summer, and ever since then he's been a little more kind. I don't mind being corrected, but he'd been starting to act exasperated with me when I couldn't do something that I'd never been taught how to do! *That* was what pushed me over the edge.

And even though he's very hard on me, he's also very supportive....I tend to get frustrated if I don't see steady progress (like lately :roll: ), and he's good at talking me down at those times & reminding me of the bigger picture. Like this morning at the beginning of my lesson, our dialogue went like this:
ME: "I'm not making progress lately. It's like I'm actually regressing!"
HIM: "You know what--shut up!"
ME: "So you're not getting frustrated with me?"
HIM: "Oh, no. No, you are not the worst one!" :lol:

[Chico]

My coach does a good job of giving me corrections but also praise for the improvements. Some coaches seem to be praise crazy and I couldn't work with this. Just listening to someones lesson can give me the jeebies. =-) However, I had a coach who was very negative and I found this almost as bad in a different way. I didn't feel good about myself as a skater most generally and I stopped having fun at a certain point. I think a mix of both is perfect for me. I pay my coach to teach me, guide me and support me as a skater. I don't pay them to kiss my ego. =-)

Chico

[Skate@Delaware]

My previous coach was always positive...no matter what. It was always "good" or "that's nice." :roll: Even when it wasn't. My current coach is good with the praise and the criticism-she is very good at wording it so you don't break down.

[Casey]

My last coach was great...but she was too nice for me. I could get her again at my old rink which I'm returning to, but I won't because of that. I don't know quite how to handle this, but I want to get a different coach, and already have a couple possibilities in mind. It's not anything personal against her, but I don't know how or what or IF to tell my old coach about it.

What I need in a coach is someone who's very critical and demanding, but not mocking. Mocking is bad, and I *hate* hearing coaches mock their students. I'm a bit hypocritical though because I tend to have a joking manner if I'm helping friends, but I guess I view it differently when the time is being paid for.

[Amandaskategirl]

I think that my teacher has about the right balance of praise and criticism. If I do something well then I frequently get ‘absolutely’, ‘fab’ or she tells me that she is impressed. If moves are average then I get ‘fine’ or ‘not bad’. The only thing that I consistently get negative feedback on is my spins – always! But even then she still has a positive attitude about it, ie that they will improve if I practise them – there is hope. Oh and my lessons are always full of corrections which are obviously needed.

I don’t like it if teachers say that moves are good when they are not, I like criticism providing it is constructive. I used to have a teacher who increasingly became very negative – she used to put her head in her hands in a despairing manner, shout across the rink, tell me that I was going to fail the tests that I had been put in for, criticise absolutely everything that I did in my lessons, tell me I was too fat to skate etc… It wasn’t helpful, she didn’t even have proper technical corrections to attempt to improve what she thought was wrong, only superficial ones (make the sit spin lower, jump higher on the three jump etc). I ended up hating my lessons because I felt like I couldn’t do anything and skating wasn’t fun.

[jazzpants]

BOTH my coaches have equal amounts of encouragement and criticism. I know around the time that I'm about to test or compete that I get a bit more encouragement b/c I'm usually not that confident going into a test and I tend to think that I'm going to blow the whole thing.

But when I do get positive feedback, I *know* I've *EARNED* it!!! When I get criticism... well, let's put it this way -- some of the comments I would have killed them for it if I wasn't laughing so hard! LOL!!! :twisted: :lol: :P

When I win a comp or pass a test, primary coach is in a "proud coach" mode Monday nights...but tough coach by the time my Thursday lessons rolls around!!! :twisted:

[Raye]

I just started working with a new freeskate coach and she's FABULOUS!! She has a good balance between praise and criticism, and a really good eye for bad posture. And she doesn't allow any of us to be lazy.

The coach I was working with up till a month ago was much like the one you describe Skate@Delaware. Everything was 'good' 'nice' or 'fine' and if I didn't feel like working hard she backed off. I learned a lot with her but I need constructive criticism and a good healthy push if I ever hope to move out of Bronze into Silver and beyond.

Therefore I answered this poll based on my new coach.

Amandaskategirl - how awful!!!! Good that you changed coaches. (I'm a bit Generously Proportioned too so I know about the sting of being called 'too fat to skate')

[vesperholly]

I would feel cheated out of my lesson fee if I didn't get a lot of good corrections from my coach, so I actually think he's slacking when I don't get more criticism than praise! LOL!
LOL - me too! I remind my coach that I'm an adult and college-educated, so please, get as technical as you want. I love that kind of detail - she's especially full of great tips for moves because she did figures and taught it for many years. My mind will understand it, even if my body doesn't. :lol:

My coach is never, ever, ever angry or exasperated with me. If she sees that I'm getting frustrated, she is always understanding and talks me down from the ledge. I'm usually pretty light-hearted, so we can laugh about silly falls and joke around, but she knows I work really hard and she takes my skating seriously. She also has pretty high standards, so I know I'm getting the truth. If my spin was crap, she'll say so, but it's not like "That spin was utter sh!t :x " it's "Erm, that was kind of yucky. :) " And usually, I'm picking myself up off the ice going, "What the hell was that? :lol: "

I heart my coach. :bow:

[Mrs Redboots]

My coach is mostly critical, but nicely - and when he does praise, you know it's deserved! Usually when he says "Watch your hands and arms" you know he can't think of any criticism of what you're doing with your feet.

He does, however, have an annoying habit of telling me what I'm doing wrong without telling me how to correct it! I usually say, "So, okay, how do I fix that?" and make him think! But he's never once made me feel I'm too fat to skate (although he has noticed that I've lost some weight, and been complimentary about it, and about the consequent improvement of my skills).

I wish, though, he didn't seem to think that the sun shone out of the Husband's you-know-where! Granted, he's (Husband, that is) a lot better skater than I am, but he's NOT PERFECT! And it's not always me that goes wrong - sometimes, yes, but NOT ALWAYS.

[SkatingOnClouds]

I have to say that sometimes it feels all negative. Mind you, when you only have a 15 minute lesson once a week (she is too busy for me to have more), there really isn't a lot of time for the niceties.

Mind you, she will sometimes call out something like "Yes, Karen" or "Good, Karen" while she is coaching someone else, if she sees me do something really well.

Often it is a matter of how I am feeling as to whether I consider it constructive criticism or all negatives.

[quarkiki2]

My coach really approaches her students differently -- one adult student needs lots of praise, so she give her lots of praise. She's tougher on her teen skaters because they've got potential up the ying-yang. She's never rude, cruel or loud -- some coaches are just LOUD -- not yelling but LOUD. I dislike that.

I'm a smart aleck and my coach "teases" me a lot -- which I like. I spend a lot of my lessons smiling because that's my nature.

I come from a ballet background and there's nothing more terrifying than an irate ballet mistress -- I would leave ballet lessons in tears thinking that I was terrible beyond belief, but she told me she was harder on me because I had some talent.

Because ot this, I don't need a coach blowing sunshine up my bum to make me feel good -- I get praise when praise is due, but do not require it as motivation or ego-stroking. Usually, every comment is a mix, "OK, your spin was centered, but I'd like to see you kick through and get into it on one foot." Or "Well, you set up the salchow beautifully -- nice check on the three and I though you were going to go for it, but you didn't jump and the salchow is a jump."

[Team Arthritis]

I would feel cheated out of my lesson fee if I didn't get a lot of good corrections from my coach, so I actually think he's slacking when I don't get more criticism than praise! LOL!

and I'll wish I had a recording device to capture it! I value those rare gushes because I know it really means something when he says it!

I'm with 2toes - although I will admit I love the praise when I actually learn something new.

I videotape all my lessons now and I make the coach use a wireless microphone. Once you get over the disappointment of seeing all your bad habits on the widescreen, it is incredibly useful. I also sit and write out notes for each lesson while watching the tape and I've found many many tips I don't understand until the review! In addition, less than 25% is remembered 2 days later, less than 10% the next week.

I have a few tips for videotaping lessons if anyone is interested.

Lyle

[Chico]

I agree, the video camera is helpful if painful. I write things down right after my lesson when possible, to help me remember. Just writing things down helps me remember and I often don't need to look the next time. It's the times that I forget that I'm doomed. =-/

Mrs. Redboots,

I've been where you described... Nothing is more frusterating than to know something is wrong, but not how to fix it.

Chico

[Ice Dancer]

My last one was lovely, she praised me a lot which really built up my confidence which was desperately needed. Unfortunately she left the rink and my current one is nearly all critisim. I honestly think that if I had had her first there is no way I would have continued and I am on the reserve list for private lessons to get away from her! She has praised me once I think which shocked me big time!!

[Hannah]

My coach's style is to mostly praise, but it varies by student. With students like me and this one 4-year old (who outskates all the adults, by the way), she does nearly 100% praise. My primary purpose in skating is to have fun, and though I want to progress, I don't need to progress really really fast.

Then I see her teach a few competitive skaters, and though she is friendly and positive, most of her comments are corrections. She is also this way when she coaches men.

I love my coach. :)

[sk8_4fun]

My coach has a very specific way to constructively criticize elements, programs, etc. She picks at specific details or gives a visual of what you are doing incorrectly, sometimes in a way that makes you laugh. She sometimes huffs and throws up her hands and rolls her eyes when something is BAD. She points out the good again in a constructive way...

this sounds alot like mine, I'm still quite new to this and she is a very precise coach who, in a nice way will insist on everything being correct even though I'm only on LTS grades. She says if I get it right now, when I get to the higher grades, she won't need to teach me all over again. So at the moment, it's more critisism than praise!! I should add that I don't ever feel unhappy with her methods:)

[Team Arthritis]

She says if I get it right now, when I get to the higher grades, she won't need to teach me all over again.

yesss, still working on 3s and CW Xo's after all these years:frus:
Lyle