becoming a coach

[ibreakhearts66]

How did you all start out? I want to start coaching, but I am not really sure how to begin. Is it possible to both train and coach? I don't know, would it be weird for a student to share the ice with their coach, watching them fall and work on new skills? I am a fairly adept skater--all my doubles except double axel. Plus, I have been well trained, so I know how to spot errors and all that.

I guess I just want input. I don't even want to ask specific questions since I'm not entirely sure what questions to ask. Could you maybe share your experiences?

[vesperholly]

You should start with learn to skate. It's very difficult and unusual for coaches (at least non-elite skaters looking to coach) to immediately jump into teaching private lessons to skaters on the USFSA track. Yes, you can still train and be a paid coach. You probably don't need to worry about a student being on the same practice ice as you for a long time.

Ask the learn to skate director at your club(s) if they are hiring, and make your desire to become a coach known. You could submit a skating resume, even if they aren't hiring, to let them know you are serious about becoming a LTS coach. From LTS, you will gain a lot of experience teaching and create bonds with students that hopefully will last into privates. If you get hired as a LTS coach, be very conscientious and responsible - it's a job, not easy money - because this will go a long way with program directors and parents. Take it seriously and you will be taken seriously.

Also, ask the club or a coach you are friendly with about mentorship/junior coach/collegiate (if you're still in school) coach programs. Do you have your gold/senior medals? Many clubs want private instruction coaches to have at least one gold medal, in the discipline they want to teach.

Good luck! Coaching is a difficult but rewarding experience.

[dbny]

I got started by doing the desk for a new skating school. I was on the ice after check-ins and seeing the little kids swarm around me, the skating director said I should teach, and had me work with her on the tot groups. After that, I volunteered at another school, and was called to work for them the following year.

I do not practice when my students are around. I'm not half as accomplished as you are, but I know other, very accomplished coaches who also do not practice in front of their students. So, coaching can impact your own skating in that way, and another way is that it sucks up your practice time.

Just a word about coaching skills vs. skating skills - It's great to be able to spot errors, but in many cases, especially with basic skills students, spotting the error is not nearly enough. You need to be able to help the students correct their errors. With beginners, you have to find ways to help them do elements that are difficult for them. An example is forward swizzles. Many people get them just by watching, but a lot have to be instructed in where to put their weight, how and when to bend their knees, etc. You also have to learn how to deal with a skater's fear, even though you may never have been afraid of a particular element yourself. I have found over the years, that there will always be students who challenge my imagination and creativity with their problems. I am always thinking of new ways to teach even the simplest elements, and I learn from every student who challenges me. Very simply put - skating and coaching are two different skills.

[ibreakhearts66]

Just a word about coaching skills vs. skating skills - It's great to be able to spot errors, but in many cases, especially with basic skills students, spotting the error is not nearly enough. You need to be able to help the students correct their errors. With beginners, you have to find ways to help them do elements that are difficult for them. An example is forward swizzles. Many people get them just by watching, but a lot have to be instructed in where to put their weight, how and when to bend their knees, etc. You also have to learn how to deal with a skater's fear, even though you may never have been afraid of a particular element yourself. I have found over the years, that there will always be students who challenge my imagination and creativity with their problems. I am always thinking of new ways to teach even the simplest elements, and I learn from every student who challenges me. Very simply put - skating and coaching are two different skills.

ah yes, I am all too aware of this. I played soccer for years at a highly competitive level, and know exactly what you mean. i had one coach who was great player and a TERRIBLE coach.

that being said, i don't think I fall into that category. I have helped teach friends basic skills, and also helped a few skaters with their jumps and spins. It was the greatest feeling--I helped one girl land a true double toe.

I'm not thinking "oh, I am going to be this amazing coach and i'll be able to fix every problem" or anything like that. I do, however, think that coaching will be a good fit for me. I suppose we'll see :)

As for testing. Oy. I really need to test. I am only tested at pre-pre. With all of my injuries, I haven't really gotten around to testing. I know my moves through intermediate, and I believe they are all passable. It just comes to actually testing.

What makes me most nervous is being able to juggle coaching and training. I suppose I could start with LTS at my rink, and then once I've built up a little bit of experience and passed more of my tests I could apply to coach at another rink? That way my students are at one rink while I train at another. Would that be a possibility? Or not really?

[kayskate]

Since you are an accomplished skater, prepare a skating resume (tests passed, competitions, titles, etc) include other jobs you have had too to show that you are responsible and can hold a job/ are willing to work/ have paid exp. Ask for references from your coaches. Tell them what you want to do. You should apply to all of the rinks in your area. You will probably want to start as a LtS helper. That way you can watch other instructors teach. As a helper you may or may not need PSA membership/insurance. However, you will need to be sponsored to join PSA. Ask your coach if s/he is willing to sponsor you. You may also look into the PSA apprentice program.

I started coaching in my late 30s. I am guessing you are considerably younger. I was sponsored by the skate director of the rink that hired me. At the time, I was a schoolteacher, so that helped. I had exp working w children and knew how to teach.

Just my observation: teaching skills are much more important when working w beginners that high level skating skills. Those high level skills will be a great benefit to you if you want to pursue coaching as a FT career. B/c I did not pass high tests, I doubt I will be able to achieve that type of career. If you have not passed all of your seniors, keep testing. If you can afford to keep training, do it.

I do not mind skating in front of my students. They are usually impressed, as yours will be too. However, I do not actively train in front of them. I do that elsewhere on my own time. IMO, you do not want parents and students to see you wiping out. Ppl are judgmental even if they don't know what they are talking about. But there is no harm in showcasing your best skills and skating around the rink w speed and confidence in front of students and potential clients. It may actually help you get students.

Don't be discouraged if you do not start getting privates right away. It takes time to build a client base. Beginners come and go, and you will start w beginners.

Good luck.

Kay

[SynchroSk8r114]

How did you all start out? I want to start coaching, but I am not really sure how to begin.
I started coaching when I was fourteen years old. I had always wanted to coach since I was a kid, so when I had the opportunity to take an assistant coaching job, I jumped on it. I was very young at the time, but fairly experienced (I had through my Junior MIF at this point and a consistent axel with beginning doubles). In fact, I was the highest level instructor at the rink then.

Initially, I started out as a helper in the LTS classes. One session later, I was given my own group and I gradually I worked my way up from teaching Pre-Alpha level students to the beginning freestyle students (our highest group was freestyle 3, I think...). It sucks when you really want to be out there in charge of your own group/skaters, but you have to start somewhere! Just try getting your foot in the door and prove that you can be a responsible, educated instructor.

A big part of what helped get me involved in LTS classes was to let other coaches at my rink know I was interestedd and looking to start coaching. One of the women I told was the one who helped get me involved in coaching. At sixteen, I was finally allowed to join the PSA and my Master-rated coach sponsored me. It was then that I started teaching privately. I'm 22 yrs. old now and I've racked up nearly 8 years of coaching experience and about ten or eleven private lesson students. I've also taught everything from synchro to dance, freestyle, and MIF. I have my Gold in Senior MIF, and I'm working on getting my Intermediate freestyle and last four Gold dances passed.

Is it possible to both train and coach?
LOL, of course it's possible to train and coach. I've done both for the last...oh, roughly seven years! Actually, in the last two years, I've not only coached approximately everyday for at least two hours (except Sunday), but I:
1.) skated/traveled/competed on my University's intercollegiate and synchronized skating team
2.) am working on passing my last four Gold dances
3.) am trying to test my Intermediate freestyle (in about two weeks--eek!)
4.) manage to skate at least four days a week in addition to coaching six day/s week

Add to that getting ready to graduate from college in 26 days (yay! :mrgreen:) and I've had a busy schedule. I'm an English major, so I've had a lot of papers to write...like, three weekly, so time management has been key. Honestly, it's not really as bad/stressful as many people complain...

What helped me to find time to seriously train around coaching has been to skate the early a.m. sessions (I'm talkin' about 6 a.m.). None of my students can come in at that time anyway, so I have the whole morning--three hours or so--to focus solely on my own skating, which leaves my afternoons open to coach.

I don't know, would it be weird for a student to share the ice with their coach, watching them fall and work on new skills? I am a fairly adept skater--all my doubles except double axel. Plus, I have been well trained, so I know how to spot errors and all that.
If you're that concerned, skate in the morning or sessions when you know you're students aren't there. I'm working on almost the same thing you are (sans double lutz and double axel), but still...I understand how it can feel weird to have your students watch you. On the other hand, having your students there while you train may drive you to work harder since you want to be a role model to your skaters. Personally, my one freestyle coach is working on getting her Senior freestyle eight years after she quit training seriously. Seeing her go for this has been a huge inspiration to me and I admire her for doing something that isn't necessarily easy for her.

If you're as well-trained as you say you are, you should be fine to start coaching. Just start slowly and work your way up. Ask other coaches if you can shadow them--probably your own coach would be best--and definitely get involved with the PSA (Professional Skaters Association). And, do be patient. When I started, I thought I'd have a bunch of students right away, but it takes time to build a solid coaching reputation. It wasn't until other parents saw me teaching more and more, especially people they already knew, that I was taken more seriously as a coach. It's hard when you're younger, but you have to prove that you are capable of instructing skaters. What helped me was really sticking with it--even when I felt like I was never going to get my own students--and getting my name out there. (Group lessons was great for that!)

Not until about two years ago (which means that I had about four years of just reputation-building, LOL!) did I finally achieve what I always dreamed of. I now have about 10-11 private students and instruct two group classes/week. I also work with the Juvenile and Intermediate synchro teams at my rink. Once parents/coaches started to see that I was capable of coaching my skaters through the beginning levels of their USFSA tests, I found that more and more people became interested in working with me.

Since you are an accomplished skater, prepare a skating resume (tests passed, competitions, titles, etc) include other jobs you have had too to show that you are responsible and can hold a job/ are willing to work/ have paid exp. Ask for references from your coaches.
This is how I got in at the rink I currently teach at now. It's a very reputable rink that takes on very few coaches full-time. Luckily, my old coach was best friends with the skating director, so that helped a bit (I mean, it's all who you know). To even be considered, I was required to submit a resume of my current skating levels, test/certifications, show and competition history, etc. So, yes: I definitely suggest you do this.

Good luck! :D

[jskater49]

My dd is 17 and is a junior coach at her club and does some private lessons. She has a basic skills student and we have no dance coaches and she's passed her silver solo dance and so has taken over a couple of the lower level dance students.

She's taught Learn to Skate since she was 14. Her first coach asked her if she thought she'd ever want to coach and so coached her not only to skate but to learn how to think like a coach as well as a skater.

We have the same coaches (freestyle and her dance coach in Omaha) and often when I have a lesson, DD will be in on it and coach will comment to DD about common mistakes (and I'm a good one for that!)

I've taken my dd to adult sectionals and had formal lessons with her and she is very good, better than other coaches I've had and I'm not just saying that because she's my daughter.

Because we don't have a lot of high level coaches at our club we have made a decision to "grow" our own - so we encourage our young coaches...with a PSA membership and insurance and 3 years LTS experience at age 16 you can be a club coach with all the privledges of being a club coach. All our coaches are requred to be PSA members and do some continuing education every year and we help pay for that.

DD is very luck in that she is going to college where her former coach is and former coach is tired of running LTS and is going to hand it over to dd. So she will have a job and can still skate and go to college.

j

[skaternum]

If you've only tested through pre-pre, you absolutely need to test up. Testing is how you demonstrate that you understand skating, and you may have trouble being taken seriously if you only have pre-pre (or really, anything less than Intermediate or so) under your belt.

[GordonSk8erBoi]

It would help to know what country you are in and how old you are.

People look for different things in a coach. Some people place a lot of value on PSA ratings. Personally, I don't. I'm more interested in a coach's own competition history and tests passed. If you've not competed yourself (preferably at a high level) or tested at a high level how can you really know how to help students accomplish that for themselves?

I do second what others have said though -- being a great skater is not enough (or really essential) so much as the ability to notice what skaters are doing (weight placement, body position, etc.) and help them correct it (which sometimes requires a great deal of imagination in how to help people understand what's happening and how to fix it).

Good luck!

[jskater49]

PSA ratings matter to me because my experience is that those with higher ratings are better coaches. It also shows that they care enough about their profession to continue to improve and get validation of their knowledge and abilitiy.

And while being a good skater doesn't make you a good coach, I do expect a minimum proficiency to skating ability. DD has had good coaches who only passed up to intermediate in FS but for dance, I'd expect them to pass Gold just to prove they knew those dances.

[jenlyon60]

Note that US Figure Skating and the PSA (joint activity) are proposing a mandatory Coaches registration and Coaches Continuing Education Requirement.

This was presented originally at last year's Governing Council. The original RFA that was passed was for USFS to create a rule to require "mandatory education requirements for certain categories of US Figure Skating member coaches with the criteria and plan for implementation to be formulated and presented no later than May 2008."

The documentation of the proposal is now available online as part of the RFAs and reports for the 2008 Governing Council. Here is the link

http://www.usfigureskating.org/Story.asp?id=39906


The proposed implementation date is as of the 2010-2011 membership year for enforcement, and as of the 2008/2009 membership year for the awarding of CERs to coaches (thus giving member coaches 2 years to acquire sufficient CERs).

The proposal is quite detailed and the CER requirements are based on various categories of coaches ranging from "Category A: Professional Coach or Choreographer of Qualifying levels of Competition Skaters", "Category B: Professional Coach or Choreographer of Skaters participating in US Figure Skating Sanctioned Events (excluding Qualifying Events covered under Category A", "Category C: Group Instructor", and "Category D: Professional Sport Science Support Services"

The proposal also states that coaching members will have the option to "test out" of courses by passing a competency exam.

There is much more comprising the Coaches' Education requirement in the Request for Action.

[Virtualsk8r]

Sounds like the Skate Canada Continuing Education Program for its professional coaches! (CEP). Levels are awarded every two years at the Bronze, Silver and Gold level based on the number of CEP points a coach has accumulated during the two-year period. For example, a sectional level coaches meeting will give you one point - a whole day seminar will give you five points. At present, the continuing education program is voluntary but most coaches do enough seminars etc to at least get the Bronze level, although the lazy ones don't!

[sk84ever&ever]

I'm training to be a coach too. I found a new website called skatingjumpsecrets.com. It was started by a skating coach and he shows proper jump technique using video. At first I thought it was a gimmick but I can honestly say I've learned a lot. Can't wait till his next video.