Had my first private lesson today. It was AWESOME! The instructor (coach? teacher?) is a 76-year old lady who could probably bench-press me, and is the first person I've known who can be nice but with no tact whatsoever (probably good for a coach). Told me all about all the flabbiness around my hips and butt (I know! That's why I fall there!) and how this or that exercise would take care of it. Also caught some bad habits that I have already started learning, after just a couple months of skating. So that's super cool!!

One question though, and I KNOW this has been asked on this forum before, but for some reason I couldn't find the thread. If you know right away where it has been talked about, feel free to just post a link to the thread... sorry for re-asking this question!
Are there any particular reasons to not continue group lessons now that I'm taking private lessons? I actually get ice time at a better price if I take the group lessons. I'm not particularly worried about having two different instructions on how to do the same thing, because I'll likely default to the private coach.

I personally plan to continue group lessons once I start privates for the exact reason you cited- ice discounts.

I would say contradictory instruction would be your biggest disadvantage.
Once the new women becomes your coach (ie- she's permanent- and you have formed a relationship, not a trial) ask her her opinion. She might not like her students in group lessons for whatever reason.

Otherwise, I would say go for it.

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-Jessi
What I need is a montage...
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I take a private lesson every-other-week and a group lesson weekly. It's nice, because the instructor of my group lesson (MIF) has taught it as long as I've been enrolled, so it's like having a Moves coach and a freestyle/synchro coach.

But I agree -- as long as your private coach thinks group lessons are good for you, keep them up!!

I think continuing group lessons is a good idea. You can learn about new elements in groups, and then work on understanding them fully and perfecting them in private lessons.

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When I first started, I did group lessons 3 days a week and had a semi-private lesson with a friend on the fourth day. No reason not to keep up with group lessons. 4 private lessons a week would've killed my parents' checkbook!

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"Without Vision the People Perish"
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When i first started skating, it was in group lessons. Last year was the first year I added private lessons, in addition to the group. This coming season I will not be taking group lessons (I was the only one jumping); although I will miss skating with the other adults.

You will be able to tell the right time to drop the group lessons. When you feel you are no longer getting anything more out of them or they are conflicting with your private lessons is probably a good indication of when to drop them.

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Skate@Delaware
Ah, show skating!!! I do it for the glitter!

At my rink, the coaches are very aware of who in their group lessons takes private lessons and from what coach. They'll correct major mistakes, but they're careful to never change technique taught by a private instructor. And they'll never promote a kid who's taking private lessons. It works out well for us - the private coach is ALWAYS in charge, and the group instructors run sort of a guided practice with feedback.

Okay somebody's probably going to smack me for saying this, but I personally feel like group lessons are a waste of time. When I first started skating, I took them, but I skated pretty often and really tried to learn, so I moved faster than the group lessons would. I felt like they were slowing me down, so after the series of 8 classes, I moved to a private coach (the same one that had been my group lesson coach, coincidencially) and it was MUCH better.

I understand everyone's learning style is different, but I really don't understand why you'd continue with group lessons if you had a good private coach. I guess I get more out of practicing on my own where I can skate at my own pace...

But, before the lynching, please remember this is just my personal opinion. I just felt the need to open my mouth and express it.

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Casey Allen Shobe | http://casey.shobe.info
"What matters is not experience per se but 'effortful study'."
"At first, dreams seem impossible, then improbable, and eventually inevitable" ~ Christopher Reeve

Different strokes for different folks. For a while I did group lessons and private lessons at the same time, and during that time, I really felt it was meeting my needs (and the ice price was great).

Then after a while, the format of the group lessons I was in (work on 8-10 elements at that specific level) wasn't working for me, as my other elements that weren't in the group lesson level weren't getting looked at and I was developing bad habits.

I also had gotten to a level where the next things to work on were lutz and axel. It wasn't required to land the axel to pass the level, but I really wanted to learn those two jumps with a private coach rather than in group lessons. I felt at the time that the rest of my jumping technique needed a little brushing up before I moved on to lutz and axel.

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In general for me, since I have private lessons with 2 coaches, I do not regularly attend group classes. Most of the group lessons I would take are like Jump and Spin, or even someday.... beginning axel. When I feel like I am in a plateau and I need a new perspective, I will take a semester of group classes just for the ice time, and for the fun of it. At times it is nice to share overcoming obstacles such as getting more rotation in your back spin, for example, with other peers in your group who share your struggles. Sometimes you might be the person that sets a pace for another in the group and what an opportunity to be encouraging to them.-- and I have found that I also look to others as a model to follow who is just 1 step above whatever it is I wish to master. And in the end, it is nice to see that I have increased my back spin rotation by 100%. I can now get 2 rotations instead of just 1 little one.

When I am skating at my own pace, it can be a little too intense and I get frustrated with too much negative self talk as the only sociable aspect.

I lucked out on this semester of Jump and Spin classes. My primary coach is teaching the class. I am at a *young* stage of flips, loops and lutzes to conquer and refine!

No not really... back in Vegas before switching rinks I did just that, had my regular group lesson on Mondays and added a private lesson on another day of the week (mostly I think on Wednesdays). The rink I switched to (followed my coach) didn't have Adult group lessons so I just skated their Coffee Club sessions for practice and took a private lesson durg one of them.

I think it does vary not only from skater to skater, but from rink to rink. Sometimes the teachers are only "going through the motions" in the groups, knowing that for every 20 sign-ups, only one, if that, will carry on to national-association tests. In other places, they're great for beginners, but you outgrow them. And in still others, group lessons and classes are provided at all levels, either in addition to private lessons or, at some rinks, totally replacing them.

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Mrs Redboots
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I love my computer because my friends live in it!
Ice dancers have lovely big curves!

It's true that all places do not do the group lesson thing in the same way.

Here in Portland, the most successful Learn-To-Skate program has a deal where, at least at one time, you would get all of your public sessions for free if you took a class. So it would pay for itself in no time, even if you never showed up for a class!!

I considered doing it for awhile (they have classes in Power and Moves and stuff that are more interesting for experienced skaters) but realized that I don't skate the Public at that rink, so it didn't really make sense.

But if the rink where I normally skate had a deal like that, I would sign up for a class in a flash -- whatever it is!

I like taking an occassional class or seminar, though, no matter the level or the discipline because I figure I can always learn something even if I think I already know how to do it. Because as we all know, there are always ways to improve your skating at every level, and it's good to get the perspectives of different coaches.

Good luck and have fun with your skating!

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Yes i definitely agree with this i actually started in private lessons then i wanted to supplement them without breaking the pocket book so i took 2 6 week sessions of group the first session was helpful but when i got to the second the class was behind me but i was still missing one element from that level so i couldnt move up and i was really feeling like it was a waste of time and money and i was getting so frustrated becuase my private coach and my group coach didnt do anything the same (even though my private coach taught my group coach when he was younger) and the group coach kept trying to change the things my private coachh was teaching me so i just finished that one out and said good bye to privates. We didnt have any benefits from the class you didnt get any discounts on privates we got a buy one get one free card for 8 public sessions but the catch was the free one was for a friend you couldnt buy one today and get tomorrow free so i never used them. If there had been benefits i probably would have continued with them just for additional practice and just ignored the coach when they tried to change things but there were no benefits. So i guess you have to see how your two coaches work together, how frustrating it is and what benefits you get out of the group lessons if any.

Nah! I won't lynch 'ya for this. We've got OTHER reasons to lynch 'ya!!! (Kidding, just kidding...)

When I first started, I took group lessons. That became group lessons and private lessons. Then the group lessons instructors started ignoring me b/c they were busy helping out the others and not me. THEN a fellow skater saw me take group lessons and emailed me next day asking "Why the hell are you still taking group lessons? You're WAAAAY better than that!!!" At that particular point, I've decided that probably it's time to just do private lessons.

Only THREE of those group lessons coaches I've had are still there... one of them is now my... PRIMARY COACH!!! (Yup! For a while I was taking private lessons with my primary coach AND taking group lessons with him at the same time!) But for the most part, just about ALL the group lesson coaches are gone!

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Cheers,
jazzpants

11-04-2006: Shredded "Pre-Bronze FS for Life" Club Membership card!!!
Silver Moves is the next "Mission Impossible"
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Thank you for the support, you guys!!!

When I started skating many years ago, I stayed with group lessons for about 6 months or so after I started the privates. This was solely because at that time, a perk of the group lesson program at the rink where I was skating was unlimited admission to public sessions. Which was a very good deal.

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American Waltz... Once, Twice, ???? ...

Q: How many coaches does it take to fix Jen's Dance Intro-3 Problems
A: 5 and counting...

I hesitate before correcting other coaches' students in a group lesson. Not with the beginners, but once they're doing jumps and spins. When I used to coach Rec League swimming, I would have run ins with the US Swim team coaches who didn't like anyone instructing "their" students. (Didn't matter if you were saying the same things they did in their practices - just very territorial.)

I have one girl in my Basic 5/6 group who also takes privates with another coach. Last week, she insisted on doing a "toe loop" while everyone else was working on bunny hops. Not sure of what to say, I reminded her of what we were practicing. She did one weak bunny hop, then ignored me when I tried to correct her form and finally went back to her sad little toe loop. I finally asked her to only work on those with her private coach, remembering what others on this board have said about getting bad habits from practicing without supervision and correction. Since this is the last session, I'm sure it will resolve itself over the summer.

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well, for many people cost is a factor. but if the lessons feel productive, go ahead. When I started taking privates only i quit groups because everything was moving too slow and i wasnt getting any attention, and taking 8 weeks to learn a move I learn in 10 minutes with my coach. It felt like supervised practice.

Basically, if the group lessons are helpful to you and you can afford to pay for both, please do.

Thanks, folks! I appreciate the range of replies. At my rink they are dividing the adult class into two ability levels (although where they are going to come up with enough people to fill both classes is a mystery at this point), so the group lesson will be more focused than it has been- the teacher won't have to cram so much into a half-hour.