Where can you find a list of coaches in the PSA? I have been to the PSA site and could not find one.

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Dorothy Hamill won me over!

PSA produces a Directory of Membership & Resources each year, but I am not sure if it is available to the general public. You could probably call PSA & ask if a coach is a member in good standing. Keep in mind that the directory will not tell you if the coach is or has been subject to any form of discipline by PSA for violation of its rules/ethics requirements.

If you're looking at a specific coach, your club may have info on them, or you could just ask for a resume, which would list their PSA membership & ratings, if any.

Thanks for the info, backspin and 2sk8.

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Dorothy Hamill won me over!

Seahag, You could call Colorado Springs and ask the office to look up test info for you. I knew a coach once that gave a false resume to the club, and that is the one the PSA many years ago had. The coach said she had passed her sixth test figure and free test out of Boston. She even bragged about the 6TH test. She bragged about Junior Regional competiton and double axles she never did. In fact she was pulled from the sixth figure test, never being able to test the free. Meaning she was Novice.This passed test was on her resume that our club had. My coach found out her testing record by calling the USFSA. (My coach didn't think she passed the figures by the way she was describing the 7th figure test). The USFSA has a record off all tests from the past on micro film. The club told her they would leave it on her resume, she just needed to stop talking about passing the test!

The club agreed to let her continue to lie in order to lure students to take from her? That's unfair, you pay a ton of money for a coach and you have a right to know their actual training experience. If one is found out to have lied about it, it's shocking to me to see they would leave it for everyone to believe like it doesn't matter. It matters in many aspects, but most in the light that this person is a liar and many kids would never want to work with someone like that, starting with me. That really makes me sad to hear.

Sad, yes, but unfortunately not surprising. I too know of coaches who have lied about their credentials, and the club and/or rink does nothing, and the coaches keep teaching. I find this type of thing is a HUGE issue in figure skating (credentials, background, etc.) - the poster here may have been smart enough to ask where to get some information, but how many parents know to do that? How many parents even really know about PSA, ratings, rankings and so on? Or that they can request test status from USFS? Not many, I'll bet, and they certainly wouldn't be encouraged by others to do so, in most cases. Also, good luck if the coach happens to be from another country. Many western European countries take the position the testing information is "confidential" and cannot be given to anyone but the coach. In this case, the coach could say pretty much anything!

Please be aware that in Britain there is a definite system of professional training for coaches, who all have to belong to the British Ice Teachers' Association. Untrained coaches don't get to teach, other than group lessons under supervision, so you can always check back with the rink at which they claimed they taught.....

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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!

Actually I don't think you have to be a BITA member to coach, the head coach at our rink isn't on the current list and I spotted at least one other coach I know who isn't a member. The new NCCP program is the standard for coaches, you must have NCCP Level 2 to coach unsupervised.

Thanks for the info on BITA. I was actually referring to skating level test, like the 6th figure test, freestyle levels described in oldtimersk8s' post. Some European countires, including Britain, do take the position that information is confidential so it would be very difficult for someone else to check.

Yes, I see. I know that the coaches at my home rink do publish this information, or rather, our rink does.

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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!

What I was wondering was what is "an eligable coach in red" mean? If you go into the link and look up members it seems like most of the coaches are in black very few are in Red. Does that mean they are now longer current members?

On the BITA list the coaches in red are those who are still eligible as amateur skaters.

As a newly minted PSA member, I just received a copy of the 2003-2004 directory in the mail. I was surprised that many of the really good coaches and instructors I know aren't members. I thought I was a holdout!

I'm surprised by that, too, Isk8NYC. Doesn't the USFS require that a coach who puts a skater on the ice at qualifying events be a PSA member?

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Dorothy Hamill won me over!

Yes, but that rule is first going into effect this year. I expect we'll see a lot of new names in the 2005 PSA directory.

Well, that rule won't affect me since none of my students are at that level.

I also read that the PSA is offering a Rink Certification based on the percentage of staff that are members of the PSA. I think that's also "encouraging" people to join the PSA. Reminds me of a Union to some extent.

actually, many coaches are not listed due to late registrations...to be in the directory, your dues must be paid by oct 15 i believe...

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do ya ever get the feeling that ms. bielman wishes she'd never done that damn spin???