A question about training for Pairs

[FSWer]

Say,I have a question about skaters trainning for Pairs. Do skaters pratice with a coach being their partner before the coach actually finds a partner for them? In the same way Ice-Dancers practice with a coach first too?

[Mrs Redboots]

Not all ice-dancers work with a coach first - Husband has only ever trained with me as his partner, although obviously he's danced socially with loads of other women, too (as, indeed, I have with other men).

I think the same applies to pairs - if you get a couple of young skaters who want to train up together, they start together even if neither has ever skated with a partner before.

In fact, it works better that way, as a new couple, whether for pairs or dance, has to spend hours, literally, just stroking round the rink together to learn how to skate in unison, which is a very great deal more difficult than it sounds! At that, established couples also spend a long time working on this, particularly in their "off season".

[Clarice]

On the other hand, I know a teenage boy who had trouble finding a pairs partner because he hadn't passed any pairs tests yet, so his female coach partnered him for a test. She will also sometimes skate in lessons with the male partner of a team in order to help teach the team a new skill. She can demonstrate for the girl, and the boy gets experience in the skill with someone who already knows how to do it. She couldn't do that with very young skaters, though, because the boy would be too small. So, I guess there's no one answer to this question, FSWer, because it all depends on the particular situation.

[flo]

I've always had the partner first, and I've been with the same coach for 15 or so years, so I've also skated with him.