Do you help your coach with the Learn to Skate Program?

[FSWer]

Say,I was just wondering who here as a Skater actually helps their coach with the Learn to Skate Program? If you do. Please include what Levels of Learn to Skate you help with,and how you help. Also please say how long you've been helping.

[caffn8me]

Here in the UK, you can only help a coach teach Skate UK courses (our equivalent of Learn to Skate) if you are a qualified NISA Level 1 coach. In order to get this qualification you need to have achieved a NISA Level 6 skating exam pass. It's not easy.

Sarah

[Mrs Redboots]

Here in the UK, you can only help a coach teach Skate UK courses (our equivalent of Learn to Skate) if you are a qualified NISA Level 1 coach. In order to get this qualification you need to have achieved a NISA Level 6 skating exam pass. It's not easy.

Sarah
You don't absolutely have to have Level 6, but it takes a lot longer - 100 hours' on-ice mentoring instead of 50.

And very occasionally an unqualified person is asked to help with the group classes if there is a shortage of qualified coaches one evening for whatever reason. But it is not ideal, and only done in an emergency.

[Skittl1321]

I've actually been teaching LTS for longer than my coach has :)

I started as a "helper" with the snowplow sam classes, and then after maybe 6 months I started teaching the adults class (which is usually just 1 or 2 students), and then after just about a year I became the snowplow sam teacher while a teen skater learned from me how to teach the class. Now he's the lead teacher and I'm the "helper" again.

I don't mind "helper" status, as it means that I can be absent if I need to be, and to be honest we are pretty equal in how we teach the class. But I get anyone who cries. He's a teenage boy who just has no idea how to deal with that!

I pretty much do 100% snowplow sam classes (I don't do adults anymore. Our well-balanced low level adults have stopped coming, and the new crop just scares me too much. Since I don't have high credentials I worry what might be said in law suit of my ability to coach if something happens to one of them -even though I've been a LTS instructor for long enough that I, and my skate director, think I'm plenty qualified- but if I'm terrified one of them is going to get hurt, I'm not a real effective instructor.) But I can substitute up to about Basic 6 no problem, and have taken a few Freestyle 1 classes when they were in dire need of subs. (The stupid mazurka is really the only move I can't teach at all- I think that's in Basic 7)

I was originally asked by the skate director to work with the snowplow levels because I had a background working with children, not because I was a great skater. I had only just passed Basic 8 when I started. She just needed someone to pick kids up and "play" with them because the classes were too big for 1 instructor. That instructor was fabulous, so I learned how to teach those classes as my own skating skills progressed a bit.

[caffn8me]

And very occasionally an unqualified person is asked to help with the group classes if there is a shortage of qualified coaches one evening for whatever reason. But it is not ideal, and only done in an emergency.I am told it invalidates a coach's NISA insurance so would be inadvisable on those grounds alone.

[BlueSkate]

Here in the UK, you can only help a coach teach Skate UK courses (our equivalent of Learn to Skate) if you are a qualified NISA Level 1 coach. In order to get this qualification you need to have achieved a NISA Level 6 skating exam pass. It's not easy.

Sarah

That's not quite correct. You only need to have passed NISA 1 to be a level 1 coach, it's NISA 6 for level 2. Who can coach SkateUK really depends on the rink too, if it's privately owned then NISA can't do anything about level 1 coaches taking money or people who haven't gone through level 1 helping with SkateUK.

[caffn8me]

That's interesting. I was told this only last week by a skater at my rink who'd asked about becoming a coach and that's what she was told. She's NISA Level 4 and well on the way to Level 5 at the moment. Her coaching ambitions only extend as far as teaching Skate UK courses. I'll mention it to her.

[BlueSkate]

That's interesting. I was told this only last week by a skater at my rink who'd asked about becoming a coach and that's what she was told. She's NISA Level 4 and well on the way to Level 5 at the moment. Her coaching ambitions only extend as far as teaching Skate UK courses. I'll mention it to her.

Good luck to her :). I only know because a woman at my rink is planning on going through level 1 coaching soon so we've been talking about the process and requirements.

[Query]

Yes, I did in the past, on a volunteer basis.

In the U.S. it is entirely up to the rink, the person in charge of the teaching program, and skating clubs (for club sessions). Ask skating directors and club session representatives.

If you have a lot of rinks local, you can find one where volunteering is possible at almost any level, if you can skate comfortably and make yourself understood. It is not unlikely you would have to pass a background check (if dealing with kids).

But most US LTS programs look for higher level skaters and/or require a coach's endorsement, possibly PSA and/or USFSA professional membership and certification. If you don't have this, you have to look around.

At many rinks, it is supposed to be easier to get into hockey skate teaching - I'm told most hockey coaches are parents who volunteer.

If you want to make a living at this, you need appropriate skate teaching certification (substantial time, money and effort) and insurance, and it helps if you are a high level skater.

[PinkLaces]

My DD and I skate at 2 different rinks. I have helped with the Tot LTS. I have gotten very good at working with the criers. So I usually take 1-3 criers and work with them so that instructor can work with the others. I get ice credits for helping out.

[londonicechamp]

Hi

I do not help my coach to teach.

In London, when I was still there, more than 7 years ago, my coach had one of his talented students teach me whilst he was having coffee break, or tired from teaching students. And then I did not pay the coach's student, but my coach instead. I felt very weird at that time. 8O

londonicechamp