Those of us that skate get a chance to talk about our lessons and practices in the On Ice - Skaters section. I thought that parents/coaches might want a thread of their own to talk about their children's/student's lessons.

Since I don't help with the Learn-to-Skate class until tonight, I won't be able to post any highlights or lowlights until tomorrow.

Can someone get the ball rolling?

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Many go fishing all their lives without knowing that it is not fish they are after. - Henry David Thoreau

Teaching groups Sun monring, I had a day I hope never to repeat. It started with complete confusion (not mine) about which kids were to be in my Snowplow 1 class. Fortunately for me, the two "problem" kids, brothers who could not stop fighting with each other, somehow got lost and ended up in someone else's group (I think, don't really care, as long as they were not in mine again). However, I did end up with a new tot in hockey skates who must have ADHD, because he did not listen to me once, moved constantly, and was constantly falling all over the place. I finally just gave up on him, as the other 5 kids needed attention too! I also managed to end up without my markers, which made throwing the stuffed animals across the green and pink lines a bit difficult.

The nadir of the day though, was when I was escorting a new student out to the lesson area. A mom from the first class shouted to me that her son seemed to be doing worse than before, and pointed to him. As he was just ahead of us, and someone was holding him up by the elbows (over his head) so he had no chance to balance at all, I skated over, took him out of her hands and said to her - "stop holding him up, he's just fine", and to him, "just keep your hands on your table and march, like we did in class", putting his arms and hands in place as I spoke and doing a little demo. Well, he did it all OK, and as I skated back to the new student, I caught a quick glimpse of the "helper's" face. When I got off the ice, I realized it was one of the new Russian coaches our director had just hired! It seems the director had taken the little one out of the class before we reached the lesson area to have his rental skates sharpened, and then asked "Tanya" to give the kid a little extra help. There must have been two kids in that class with the same name, which was why I thought he had been in my class. What a gaffe on my part! Even though "Tanya" didn't have a clue what she was doing, I would never have interfered had I realized she was a coach! I apologized to her, and explained my confusion. Fortunately for me, she was very gracious about it. Don't know how gracious she would have been though, if she had overheard the kid's mom thanking me profusely later on!

edited to add: Thank you Gary, I really needed to get that off my chest!

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Anything for you.

Anyone else?

Parents can talk about the good things and bad things that happened to their young skaters.

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Many go fishing all their lives without knowing that it is not fish they are after. - Henry David Thoreau

Peachy: We've only got one more week of this learn-to-skate session and the kids in both of the classes I assist have made some terrific progress. I reminded (and demonstrated) to the Sam 1 class last night that just a few weeks ago they entered the ice hanging on to the rail with both hands. They all thought that was funny, but true.

Purple: One young lad in the Sam 1 class has been trying so hard, but he's still having troubles. He falls as much as the rest of the group combined, but always jumps back up without a whimper. Now he's developed a one foot push habit. He won't move his left foot at all. Even when we're marching he only lifts his right foot. I've talked with the parents and there's nothing physically wrong, just a bad habit. I may try to get him out alone on the freestyle session that follows his class next week and give him a little extra help. He's just too determined to let him fall by the wayside.

OUCH: All five members of the Sam 2 class are 5 years old and the regular coach is 26. Add all of their ages together and they're only 1 year older than me.

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Many go fishing all their lives without knowing that it is not fish they are after. - Henry David Thoreau

Last night I passed all of my Introductory kids except 1. Well, except for 2 - they are twins, and the mom would rather they stay together instead of the girl going to Pre-Alpha and the boy staying in Intro. I passed the rest up to Pre-Alpha, except for one who I passed to Alpha!

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- Ashley

well, my 3yo is getting down his routine for his family spotlight next month. If he can just stay focused for the 1mi 20 sec he will be fine.He chases his sister around the house , from return to pooh corner.Then he just follows her while she does a spiral,some stroking, they both do a dip, come back to the house,she does a spin and they hug:}They both have costumes
My 4yo got her routine down today and just needs to practice.She is using colors of the wind.She has to remember not to put any extras in it!!!
They both are getting better every time they skate. its something to watch
Her crossovers are getting so much better too, practice practice !!!She is going around the house doing walz jumps now !!!

In which case, now might be a very good time to work out where it's not a good idea to practice jumping, and make some rules about which rooms can be used for jump practice, and which can't!

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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!

I agree
They both know we have rules,ie not sitting on the table or jumping from tables, but most things we are pretty ok with.They have a small tramp in the living room they use alot, and they can jump off the couch at our house.They know our rules are for here and others have different rules at their house.
It works for us and to be honest, we feel its one reason they have good motor skills at their ages.They have had lots of freedoms here as far as jumping ,climbing ect, within reason.No, i wouldnt let them jump off the roof but off the bed is different.
never been to doc or hospital either knock on wood.. but they do have to wear helemts for bikes, and the youngest one still wears it to skate.

That's fine - I just remember having to stop husband and (then) 15-year-old daughter jumping in the living room after both of them nearly knocked over the fridge. After that, I said Jump Practice Out Of Doors Only! But then, yours are smaller than mine were.....

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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!

lol
as soon as the snow melts here, that is where they will be too !!!they both are small now, only 36lbs or so.Im sure as they get older our rules will change

cant wait for winter to be over !!!!!

PEACHY:
I picked up four classes who had been getting a weekly change of instructors. After each class, parents came up to me and thanked me for teaching and asked if I was permanent. ("He learned more this week than in the past five.") They were thrilled when they found out I'm not just a sub. Does wonders for my ego. Of course, there are other instructors better than me, but I'm on the "A List" this week.

PURPLE:
I have two kids with "Cone Foot" that shuffle along without lifting their feet. Both of them started skating with the big orange cones and now they refuse to lift their feet. So I have to spend half of the lesson doing marching exercises. They're doing better, but I'm bored! LOL!

Best of all, I have a little princess who is an attention-seeker. Just has to be the center of attention. I patted her on the helmet and the reply came back: "Oh, I bruise easily" along with an attempted five-minute conversation about her bruises. She doesn't need skating lessons, she needs a therapist. Here's the trump card: during the group lesson, she asked me if I could do a figure 8. (Of course, she interrupted me while I was teaching someone other than her.) I said that yes, I could do a couple of different figures. Later on, she came up to me a few times and asked me to show her. (Of course, she interrupted me while I was teaching someone other than her.) The third time, I said yes, and asked the kid I was teaching if she wanted to see. After getting that approval, much to princess' dismay, I knocked off a few figures. Princess got bored and wandered away. I guess she thought I was lying. Then I taught the older kids to do inside/outside 8's. She was three shades of green. Guess she shouldn't have wandered off! HAHAHAHA! In her face!

Thanks for starting this Gary. I wanted to tell someone this story!

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