For those coaches out there...

I'm thinking of a career change. My field has been very hard hit by the bad economy over hte last two years, and I'm ready to try something else rather than beat my head against the wall anymore. For years I've been told by many that they think I'd make a great coach. Lord knows I love the sport enough!

I'm a competitive adult skater, fairly high-level, so I feel comfortable teaching up through an axel, but wouldn't feel comfortable past that at this point. How do I start? I know a lot of young competitive kids start teaching at an early age and sort of segue into coaching. And some coaches start by blind luck: when someone just askes them out of the blue for a lesson. But if I'm coming into it cold turkey, how do I start?

I've done the following:
1) at my old rink, I taught Learn to Skate. I've since moved to a new state and offered my services to teach Learn to Skate there, but they haven't taken me up on it. I gave them a resume anyway.
2) I've talked to a few coaches at my rink about it, and while they've all been supportive and said I'd make a great coach, they haven't been particularly helpful beyond that, Mainly because I think there are enough great coaches around this area already, that particular rink doesn't need anymore.

What I haven't done yet but am considering doing:
1) getting a lot of the materials from both the PSA and ISI sites on coaching techniques and studying them.
2) figuring out if there are any seminars/tests I have to take to get accredidation or certification of some sort.
3) asking some coaches if I can learn from them, ie: watch how they teach and sit in on lessons.

Anything else I need to know? Any other advice?

Thanks in advance for all input.

Seems like what you are missing is someone to give you the opportunity to coach. I know of a few coaches who have no more credentials than you have, and probably less. Both learned as adults. One is a very active coach and can't do half the elements she teaches. I don't know how she got into the position she is in, but I assume she just started teaching LTS and developed a base of some privates and went from there. Her student base is primarily basic skills and many are older kids who started skating later than most.

The other coach I'm thinking of probably got started by teaching adult group lessons. This coach relates very well to the adults and also developed a number of private students out of the group classes. This coach is PSA rated.

I had a Bronze level adult skater contact me lately looking for a PSA Master rated coach in LTS to mentor under. The program calls for her to work with a Master rated coach for about 30 hours in order to get some sort of certification. She was having trouble finding one, and will probably have to arrange to do this far from her home during the summer. She'll probably take a week of vacation off work and do this if she find someone to take her on.

Does your rink have adult group classes? If not, perhaps you could develop a program to teach adult group lessons. If they have adult group classes, you would be a natural to help. I'd also keep bugging your rink about helping to teach LTS.

The PSA mentoring program is a good way to start, if you can find someone to work with you. You can also "apprentice" with a coach informally (i.e., not through the structured PSA program), where you just work w/ a coach who agrees to let you apprentice with them. They would also have to get permission from their students to allow you to participate in their lessons. Depending on the coach, they may or may not charge you for this.

I have not done the formal mentoring program, but I do frequently take a "coaching lesson" from my coach--usually to do with a problem I'm having with one of my students, so we have something specific to work on. (i.e.--how do I get this person to skate backwards with more power?)

LTS programs are great for getting started--I'd say keep offering your services--they must need you at some point! You could ask to at least be put on their sub list, to be available if one of their regulars goes on vacation or is sick. You could also speak w/ the club officials, & ask to be put on their coaches list--probably would have to do that if you want to teach on club ice. They may then refer students to you.

Good luck--coaching is great fun & can be very rewarding!

You've already made a good start by teaching LTS. I got my start by first working the office side of a new skating school. The director of the school took me under her wing. She asked me to get insurance, which I already knew about because my daughter was coaching, and had me teach a tot class. She also encouraged me to give private lessons to beginners on the public sessions, as I was always there staffing the school table. I now pick up private lessons on the school's practice ice, and fill in the lower basic skills classes when a regular coach is out. I have a lot of opportunity to watch the classes being taught by various coaches. I recently asked the director of another school if I could observe their Mommy & Me class, and was invited to help out. I'm not getting paid, but the experience makes it worthwhile.

Joining the PSA is important, but you need a sponsor to do so: that is, a current member must sign your application. You can join as an Associate Member if you coach less than 6 hours a week, and that qualifies you to take the Basic Accreditation (written) exam. In addition, you must take a written exam in Sport Science and Medicine. A complete explanation of the PSA ratings is available here:PSA Ratings If you join the PSA, I highly recommend buying the Moves In The Field tapes, which were made to help coaches teach the MITF.

Joining ISI is also a good move, and you don't need a sponsor to do that. I joined as a skating director, because at the time, I had more experience with running a school than with coaching. ISI offers free coaching and judging seminars that are well worth attending.

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Deleted... it was meant to be a PM... (can't delete my own post!!!)

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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"
(Dare I try for Championship Adult Gold someday???)

Thank you for the support, you guys!!!

I started teaching classes at my local (seasonal) rink last year as a volunteer "student teacher". I discovered that I have a knack for teaching the ISI Pre-Alpha through Beta skills to 6-10 year olds (Tots just aren't my strongest points, for they just don't listen as well, I've found). Anyway, this fall I'm hoping to start getting paid to teach those classes. Fortunately, the skating school director there is an old precision teammate of mine! Who knows? I might even get to teach all the way up to Delta!

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This space has been put on hiatus for retuning....

Just about all the coaches at my rink started out as volunteers (unpaid!!!) in the Learn-to-Skate programs. The ones who stick it out with tots and as assistants end up being the ones who fill in as subs when needed and eventually end up on the payroll. Once you're teaching groups, then you can pick up private students from there.

As for memberships, all of our Learn-toSkate coaches (paid ones) must be members of USFSA. All of our private coaches must also be members of PSA and carry personal liability insurance before we allow them on our ice.