Scratch spin confusion.

[londonicechamp]

Hi

As this is a delicate issue with my current coach, I have now removed the topic, to avoid any misunderstanding or hard feelings with her, as I am still having lessons with her.

[jwrnsktr]

This is always a sticky situation and there is no easy way to change coaches when both work in the same rink. Honesty is always the best policy. Don't burn any bridges. Let your current coach know that the door is open on your end to come back to her if that's OK with her. Don't forget that it's your money and your time and you get to spend it the way you want to. You will not be the first or the last person that changes coaches and most are used to this, I think. Good luck!

[techskater]

Is it possible for you to work with both coaches? You could ease out of one and into the other that way as well and if the one you think you want to work with doesn't work out, then you don't have to "govel" back!

[vesperholly]

Say exactly that to your coach - you feel like you have conflicting advice, and you don't know which to follow. It could be that each piece of advice you were given reflects different things you did in different spins.

Try to work it out with your current coach before just up and leaving. One frustrating lesson shouldn't be the impetus to changing coaches, because otherwise you're going to run out of coaches awfully fast.

[londonicechamp]

Hi vesperholly

Well, the coach has been teaching me scratch spins for a while now, and I can tell that she is getting increasingly frustrated, and that she will just spend almost half of the lesson (15 to 20 minutes) asking me to do the scratch spin, whilst she can have asked me to do jumps as well.

I think that it is my current coach's teaching method that may not suit me. Once she insisted on me doing something, then she will have me worked it for almost the whole lesson.

My mom sometimes goes to watch me when I take the skating lesson at the rink, and even she can tell that the coach's method does not suit me.

Well, just wait and see what is going to happen in the next 2 lessons. She did at one point when 3 months after learning with her, she tried the scratch spin with me, and seeing that I cannot do it, she tried to teach me other jumps and spins. Well, just hope that for the next two lessons, she is going to consider maybe teaching me something else.

[londonicechamp]

Hi techskater

I suppose that I can still learn with the current coach (7:30 p.m. Friday evenings), and then ask this new Chinese coach for teaching me scratch spins maybe (I think that his current availability is Friday, at 9:30 p.m.)

I did have 2 coaches before, and if they teach me the same thing, they will get me confused.

I did see one of the students of my current coach, she also changes to this new Chinese coach on Thursday afternoons (that is before I get the full time job). My other 9 year old skating friend is going to switch to another coach as well.

[londonicechamp]

Hi

My 9 year old skating friend's coach is my current coach as well. I spoke to her dad recently. He said that well, not exactly ideal to change coach, but then if not working for his daughter, then he should change. I will see him next Friday just before my skating lesson, so I should maybe ask him what skating reason he gave to the daugher's current coach when switching to another coach.

londonicechamp

[vesperholly]

I think that it is my current coach's teaching method that may not suit me. Once she insisted on me doing something, then she will have me worked it for almost the whole lesson.
OK, I see. I would still advise that you talk to your coach about this, maybe even including your mom. Your coach may not know that you are unhappy with the way she's been running your lessons. If you express your need for change within a lesson, your current coach may be able to improve her coaching. Perhaps if you and your coach came up with a list of things you want to work on for each lesson, so you don't end up overly focusing on only one thing.

I say this because as someone who coaches, it's really hard to read how students are feeling in their lessons sometimes. Coaches are not mind-readers, and if a student is unhappy, it's really important to communicate that. Changing coaches happens all the time, but you're doing a disservice to yourself and your current coach if you leave without saying a word.

[techskater]

If your coach's style isn't working, talk with him/her about it in terms of "beating things to death". I guess I am lucky because my two coaches are complimentary in style and also one is much more likely to impose their will on me in a lesson than the other to push me slightly out of my comfort zone.

[sk8tmum]

Are you sure that the other coach will teach you? Before you go further, that's important: you don't want to end up coachless.

I do know that skaters who "jump coaches" frequently have problems - it takes a few months to adapt to a new coaching style, and a new way of delivering technique. You may also get the reputation, if it happens often, of being a "coach-jumper".

I would try to talk to your current coach first. Discuss the problems and challenges; something must have been working in the past, it's a shame to lose it over a scratch spin!

[teresa]

Talk to your current coach first. Your coach deserves to know your concerns and the chance to work things out with you. Things can't be changed if they don't know your thoughts and needs. Be open to work together, your needs and their teaching stlye. If you still feel uncomfortable then be open about needing a change. Always remain polite and kind nomatter what your decision. In a small rink there are no secrets and how you handle the situation will be a reflection of you. If you leave your coach, be understanding this may cause hurt feelings. Good luck either way.

teresa

[londonicechamp]

Hi sk8tmum

Well, the thing is that I do not know if this other coach has availability. I may have to talk to the skating school to find that out.

Umm, just one question: does it justify telling my coach that my previous coach(es) taught me the scratch spin with the leg wide open way, and seeing that I cannot achieve it, they then leave that part out of the skating for me?

Well, I suppose that on a Friday (I always feel that I benefit from an hour lesson then a 30 mintues one. However, now that I am working, I cannot have two evenings a week for lesson, as otherwise I will get too tired the next day), I can ask the current coach to teach me for 30 minutes, and this other coach (if he has availability) to teach me for another 30 minutes (though it may be much latter, just half an hour before the ice rink closes).

londonicechamp

[londonicechamp]

Hi teresa

Thanks for your advice.

I think that one plausible way in my case will be to ask the current coach to teach me what I want her to teach me; and then maybe ask this other coach to teach me the scratch spin, and anything that needs improvement in my ice skating.

This other coach often talks to my current coach before my lesson, so they may be friends. If that is the case, then maybe I can come to some kind of agreement with the current coach as to what she can teach me, and to what this other coach (subject to his availability) can teach me.

londonicechamp

[londonicechamp]

Hi vesperholly

Well, I will see if I can persuade my mom to go to watch my lesson this Friday. My guess is that she may not be willing to, as my lesson time is at 7:30 p.m. which is the time she prepares dinner for my hubby and herself.

londonicechamp

[londonicechamp]

Hi techskater

How do I explain to my current coach about 'beating myself to death？‘

londonicechamp

[SkatEn]

Hi

I will not have a say about this matter.

You know your coach is on the forum. There are not many Singaporean skaters on this forum.

In my honest opinion, this topic should not have been posted. As you have mentioned, it is a delicate issue that is now in the open where your coach can see. If anything, talk to her first, before consulting the board.

En

[techskater]

My apologies to your coach, london, as I did not know they were on this forum. :oops:

I suspect your coach now knows, however politely take them aside and tell them that you need to limit your attempts at a certain element during lessons because as you learn, you don't wish to learn improper technique and it takes time to undo poorly learned technique and until you can figure something out, you need to limit your attempts

[RachelSk8er]

Hi techskater

How do I explain to my current coach about 'beating myself to death？‘

londonicechamp

Set time limits in your lessons so that you don't spend an entire lesson on one thing. My coach and I have a rule--no more than 10 minutes on one particular thing (a dance, a jump, a spin, a pattern off of my moves test) unless there is a REALLY good reason for it (you're learning something new, having a "breakthrough" with something, etc). Especially if something is frustrating you, don't beat it to death. I've been having issues with my lutz recently, and the other day, I told my coach I only want to spend 5 minutes on it, and we saved the last 5 minutes of my lesson for it. Guess what? During that 5 minutes, we fixed a problem I'd been having for weeks. Same thing with my axel--when we limited working on it to 5-10 minutes of my lesson time and I limited it to 10 minutes of a session on my own, it got better than when we were beating it to death and spending 20 minutes of my lesson and I was spending probably an hour session just on that jump every single week.

And quite frankly, you should be able to post what you want...one way we learn is from talking to other skaters when we have issues or need advice. That's what these type of forums are for.

[londonicechamp]

Hi SkatEn

I did heed your advice and you are right, my coach may have seen the topic, and so after careful thought, I deleted the topic yesterday afternoon.

I also sent an e-mail to my current coach. She said that she is busy recently and has not read this forum for a while now. So I suspect that she read the forum after I deleted the message. My coach has agreed that maybe I can work something out for her, as to lesson elements and how long to work on each element etc.

londonicechamp

[londonicechamp]

Hi All

As this issue is too delicate, I won't post on here to what final decision I have made, as I do not want to hurt any feelings with my current coach, or burn any bridges with her, in case that my work schedule changes in the future and I will have to resume my lesson(s) with her again.

londonicechamp

[Debbie S]

And quite frankly, you should be able to post what you want...one way we learn is from talking to other skaters when we have issues or need advice. That's what these type of forums are for.True, but if you know the subject of your post reads this forum, it's probably better to talk to them about whatever issue you are having first, before you criticize them out in the open. Much more mature and professional, I think.

[techskater]

Agreed and it would be like posting on Facebook that you are starting with a new coach before talking to your current knowing your current coach is on facebook and is friends with you...:frus:

[londonicechamp]

Hi sk8tmum

I have now resolved the issue with my coach. We both agree that I will tell her what areas she will coach me before the end of each lesson.

I did check with the other coach. Unfortunately, his teaching schedule is very full now, and I may have to wait for a long while. Anyway, not important now, as issue with coach is now sorted.

londonicechamp