I've been reading all the posts about coach abuse, but...has anyone ever been witness to parent abuse? I'm talking about the parents who never think their kids are doing enough. I'm talking about the parents who monitor every morsel of food their child eats. (most of these kids are sneaking junk food anyway) I'm talking about the parents who after a session think they MUST show or tell their child everything they did wrong, never praising their accomplishments. I see it happening very often. Why would they pay a coach when they are better qualified? I know of parents who force, at an early age, their kids to train over and above the training time the coach requests. That's on and off the ice, seven days a week. These kids are brainwashed at an early age so that's all they relly know. I've also seen many kids just burn out before reaching their full potential. I've witnessed many injuries overlooked as not being serious by their parents. After all, THEY know what's best for their skater. What would you do if you say this happening? Is it the coaches responsibility to step in? It's really ashame these parents can't let these kids do it on their own and at their own pace. Not every kid is going to be an Olympic champ. I think making it through to your senior tests is quite an accomplishsment all be itself. Any thoughts?

I know a young skater whose mom stands in the hockey box and yells at him to do this, that, or the other during his practice sessions. He skates almost ever day and is an exceptional skater.

Fortunately, she can't skate. He'll listen to her for a while, then turn her off and have fun on the ice: racing against other skaters, playing a little bump shoulders with the hockey skaters, laughing, etc.

It infuriates his mom, but she can't do a thing about it as long as he's on the ice.

Sure, she yells at him when he gets to the warming room, but he's learned not to listen.

He has perspective.

I know a 9 yr old boy whose mother is constantly yelling at him. Every moment he is on the ice, he is in a lesson. Last summer he broke his arm at home, and broke it again several months after he was back on the ice. I cautiously suggested that maybe he helped it along to get away from the skating environment, and a coach who also witnessed it all, said "Of course he did!" How sad.

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Perhaps 'Abuse" isn't the word but there's this one young free styler who is CONSTANTLY bargaining with her mother for permission to stop skating. Seriously. This girl is talented but there's no heart so what's the point. I can't blame some parents because it's expensive to have your kid skate 5-7 days a week on free style and pay their coach and whatever other training expenses only to have the kid stand around and chat or flirt for most of the session. But you also shouldn't embarass them publicly.

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Too many people miss the silver lining because they're expecting gold.
Maurice Setter

Our rink has a fairly new policy that allows no one but skaters and coaches in the "cold area" during freestyle sessions. Parents may watch from the windows in the lobby or from the enclosed skybox. This policy has both good points and bad points.