Poll of sorts...what would make you change clubs?

[isakswings]

for those who have switched clubs, what type of situation prompted the change? We're thinking of changing clubs and I'm pretty sure we have a legitimate reason for wanting to do so, but I am curious to see the reasons others would consider changing clubs. FWIW, dd is the member and I am not. After people answer, I will explain a bit about our situation.

Thanks!

[RachelSk8er]

--ice times that work better with my schedule

--cheaper ice time

--how ice is contracted (do you do it by the year, for fall/spring separate, by the month or week, or do they offer punch cards that allow you to come when you want)

--test sessions that are more convenient (when I was a teenager and started ice dancing and was flying through moves test, I switched clubs because my home club only had 2-3 test sessions a year....I was finding myself testing just about every 4-6 weeks and it wasn't worth the $20 out of club fees every time so I just switched to the club that had monthly/bi-monthly test sessions)

--membership perks (ice time cheaper for home club members vs. associates, ability to skate in ice shows or exhibitions)

--how the club and other skaters at the club treat adult skaters (not much of an issue for your daughter I guess).

--how the club treats skaters whose skating background may be a bit different than the typical skater. For example, a lot of clubs base sessions split by test level on skaters' freestyle test levels. I may only be adult silver/pre juv free, but my club will let me on sessions that are juvenile free and higher (and even the intermediate free and up sessions in summer) and has done so even before I started freestyle 2 yrs ago because I was high in moves/dance. Similarly, I left a club where I was an associate member when I was a teenager (ironically this rink closed and the club transferred to my current rink and changed names, and is now my home club again) because even though I was working on novice moves and skating on an internationally competitive senior synchro team, the snotty moms who ran the club refused to let me on sessions designated by freestyle level because I had no freestyle tests (they wouldn't even let me on the prelim free and up session!). I was only allowed on low/no test sessions. In turn, this made all the parents of the little kids on those sessions complain that I was out there and it was dangerous to have someone of my level out there because the beginner kids were scared. I think it was retaliation because the club president's daughter tried out for the synchro team I was on (out of another club) and didn't make it, so they treated all of the girls on the team who skated there like crap.

--fundraising opportunities at the club to help defray cost of skating (not really an issue for me now because I make more working a few hours of overtime if I need the money than flipping burgers at the basketball arena during an NBA game, but it is a factor for some)

--geography

--club's reputation

--other perks (some clubs give cash awards or other things like fleece jackets to skaters who compete at a certain level--i.e. sectionals, nationals, JNs, adult nationals)

--where your coach or a coach you want to work with if making a coaching change is based out of

For me right now it's a matter of convenience. I am a home club member of the closest club to my house, which happens to be the biggest club in the area with one of the two nicest rinks in the area. It also has a good reputation in the skating community (we have a pretty big name coach as the skating director and always have kids going to sectionals, JNs, and a decent contingency at ANs). It's where my coach is mainly working out of, where I've been testing, and most of my local adult skating friends skate there (whether they're members or not). I don't contract ice because the rink offers ice that is not affiliated with the club from 5:30am to noon or as late as 3pm every day during the week. On Saturdays I skate either there from 8-10am or at another area rink with 12:30-2:30 ice time depending on what I have going on that day with law school or other commitments, and I just pay the few extra dollars for the convenience of being able to choose and walk on. If I pick up extra ice at the rink closeset to my office, I either do city ice (and get resident rates because I work full time and pay taxes to that city) or if it's a club session, I pay walk on. Luckily most of the clubs around here dropped the rules they used to have where you can only walk on 3 times in a season before you have to become at least an associate member there--I think they finally realized that they were actually losing money that way by discouraging people who would otherwise pay a few dollars more and fill up a session.

[herniated]

I changed clubs several years ago out of necessity. My club was closing it's doors so to speak but at the time I was toying with the idea of changing because of the testing situation. It was very expensive to test with my club because they were small AND they didn't have many test sessions per year AND we would find out when the test sessions were kind of last minute.

And testing out of club was even more expensive. Like Rachelsk8er I'm testing dance and testing (not every 4-6wks, lol) but 4-6 mnths and it can get quite expensive out of club. That's my story!!

[RachelSk8er]

And testing out of club was even more expensive. Like Rachelsk8er I'm testing dance and testing (not every 4-6wks, lol) but 4-6 mnths and it can get quite expensive out of club. That's my story!!

Ha ha some of that was strategic planning on my part, not skating overachieving. Even if I had 2-3 dances and a moves test ready to go for one test session, once I changed clubs and didn't have out of club fees, I only tested one thing per test session...that way, it got me out of at least half a day of school more frequently. I played my cards right, I could swing missing a full day if I tested at an awkward time like 10 or 11am and could convince my parents that I was too nervous to go to school, or needed to rest because I had synchro the night before (senior team practiced until 10:30 pm). Then I'd convince them that there was no point in going back to school just for lunch, marching band, and art. :lol: If it was a day my mom worked and my dad was taking me to the rink, it was easy to convince him that testing took all day and he needed to call me out of school. Either my parents never caught on, or didn't care as long as I was a straight-A student.

Now the tables have turned and I won't test unless I have two tests ready to go or REALLY need to get a test in before a deadline (i.e. to move up for ANs) because I don't want to take a half day off of work just for one test.

[dbny]

We (4 paying members in my family) were chased out by a hostile coach - not ours, of course. She even told her students, who were friends of my DD's not to talk to her (of course, they told her about that.)

[herniated]

You are very funny Rachelsk8...lol. I thought you were testing three dances at a clip not one at a time. I was like WOW!!! 3 dances every 4-6 weeks! Very impressive.

I think after I pass my pre-bronze dances I'll take 5 months to take the bronze. Idk. I'll see how it goes.

[BuggieMom]

We (4 paying members in my family) were chased out by a hostile coach - not ours, of course. She even told her students, who were friends of my DD's not to talk to her (of course, they told her about that.)

Kinda the same situation for us...chased out by hostile persons, and the fact that they upped their fee to an astronomically high fee, from $50 to $500! 8O(VERY small club, not worth the extra $450!!) When they did that, it was the perfect time to change...

Now, they have backed off their crazy fees, but we have it so good now, I would never go back!

[sk8tmum]

Following a coach. Every year I light a candle and sacrifice a couple of tubs of Ben & Jerrys to whatever gods might help, yet, my coach stays at our current club - the most expensive, most political and overcrowded in the region.

So, if she moves, we move. If she stays, we stay. Our skating relationship, no matter how many darned jackets we have with the name embroidered, is with our coach ... the club just sort of houses it. I do reserve the right to vent every registration date, though, to our coach on how much I hate this place ... she understands, but, the logistics aren't there to move her entire group of skaters (yet!)

[Clarice]

My club is the only one in the area, so the choice I have would really be club vs. individual member. I would only do that if club politics became an extreme problem, and as long as I'm on the board that's not likely to happen (I hope!). The only other reason I've even considered the possibility involves past redistricting proposals. We're in a bi-state area, and if our club got moved to another region due to redistricting, we might have switched to a distant club so that my daughter would go to the Regionals her coach would be at with the majority of his other students. The proposals didn't pass, of course, and she doesn't compete any more, so that's a moot point now.

[isakswings]

Kinda the same situation for us...chased out by hostile persons, and the fact that they upped their fee to an astronomically high fee, from $50 to $500! 8O(VERY small club, not worth the extra $450!!) When they did that, it was the perfect time to change...

Now, they have backed off their crazy fees, but we have it so good now, I would never go back!

That's sorta the situation right now. The club's been fine and for the most part, the parents aren't too dramatic.. It's actually a couple of coaches and their lack of respect for other students and their coaches, that has me wanting to change. I don't feel the dominance they seem to show on FS sessions is appropriate and if it were any other coach doing what they do, it would be a major issue. Some of this behavior trickles down to their students too. Honestly, I don't completely blame the kids. Most of the time, they are just following their coaches requests. BUT when I pay the same as everyone else does, I expect that my child and her coach recieve due respect when my child is in her lesson or skating her program. Being cut off during her program or while in lesson, is not ok. Maybe it isn't intentional, but it sure feels that way. I know others who have left this club for similar reasons.

The bummer is, this club and the home rink is 5 minutes form my house. The other rink is 25 minutes from home. But whenever we have skated at the other rink, none of the above stuff happens. *sigh* It's really too bad because I really like the rink and most of the staff that works there. Decisions, decisions. My daughter says she would be OK changing clubs so we'll see what happens. I need to tread carefully here... and that is what is so hard about this.

[Debbie S]

It's actually a couple of coaches and their lack of respect for other students and their coaches, that has me wanting to change. I don't feel the dominance they seem to show on FS sessions is appropriate and if it were any other coach doing what they do, it would be a major issue. Some of this behavior trickles down to their students too. Honestly, I don't completely blame the kids. Most of the time, they are just following their coaches requests. BUT when I pay the same as everyone else does, I expect that my child and her coach recieve due respect when my child is in her lesson or skating her program. Being cut off during her program or while in lesson, is not ok. Maybe it isn't intentional, but it sure feels that way. I know others who have left this club for similar reasons. Unfortunately, there is probably a coach like this at every rink....or every other rink. That's the nature of the sport, unfortunately - most coaches are fine, but some have extremely big egos that are out of proportion to their abilities/accomplishments as coaches, KWIM? My area has such a coach and the rink he was at primarily asked him to leave after multiple complaints. I got worried that he'd start coaching on the club ice at my home club (diff rink), but he's never asked for permission to teach there, thank goodness. Unfortunately, some of his students skate on our ice (not as home club members) and they are a PITA sometimes.

It sounds like this has been an ongoing problem - have you tried talking to the club president about this? As long as club pres's child is not coached by these coaches, that is. If other parents have similar feelings, ask them if they've said anything and what the reaction was. If the club has clearly not been responsive, maybe it's time to go, but make sure that your next club is actually better - you might want to skate on their sessions as a guest a few times to get a feel for the place.

[isakswings]

Unfortunately, there is probably a coach like this at every rink....or every other rink. That's the nature of the sport, unfortunately - most coaches are fine, but some have extremely big egos that are out of proportion to their abilities/accomplishments as coaches, KWIM? My area has such a coach and the rink he was at primarily asked him to leave after multiple complaints. I got worried that he'd start coaching on the club ice at my home club (diff rink), but he's never asked for permission to teach there, thank goodness. Unfortunately, some of his students skate on our ice (not as home club members) and they are a PITA sometimes.

It sounds like this has been an ongoing problem - have you tried talking to the club president about this? As long as club pres's child is not coached by these coaches, that is. If other parents have similar feelings, ask them if they've said anything and what the reaction was. If the club has clearly not been responsive, maybe it's time to go, but make sure that your next club is actually better - you might want to skate on their sessions as a guest a few times to get a feel for the place.

Thanks! I absolutely expect there will always be coaches like this at every club, but honestly not to this extreme. I've thought about going to the president, but the problem is just as you stated... her child is with this set of coaches(they are a team). In fact, the majority of the board consists of parents whose kids take from these coaches. This is absolutely an ongoing issue. The majority of the kids in this club take from these coaches. The biggest issue I have is that they hold a stroking class on a open freestyle session. Just 2 days ago, my daughter had a lesson with her coach. They got on the ice and my daughter was the only other student on the ice, not being coached by the above mentioned coaches. Anyway, my daughter's coach goes to put dd's music on. Just as the music starts, the other coaches send their 10 kids, full speed ahead in a horizontal line, doing stroking drills. Dd stopped dead in her tracks and her coach stopped her music. Her coach started her music again and announced dd was doing her program. This time, dd was able to run through her program but it was like trying to do it on a obstacle coarse. No one would move out of her way! This is the type of stuff that happens regularly. It's the worse I've ever seen happen and honestly it was very annoying and rude. Other skaters and their families have left for this very reason. All I can think about is what this behavior is teaching the kids. When their kids ar ein program, people are expected to be out of the way. I just feel strongly that the same respect should be given to all skaters. KWIM? I really don't want to say too much more since this is a public forum. I've already said too much, ya know?

[dbny]

Thanks! I absolutely expect there will always be coaches like this at every club, but honestly not to this extreme. I've thought about going to the president, but the problem is just as you stated... her child is with this set of coaches(they are a team). In fact, the majority of the board consists of parents whose kids take from these coaches. This is absolutely an ongoing issue. The majority of the kids in this club take from these coaches. The biggest issue I have is that they hold a stroking class on a open freestyle session. Just 2 days ago, my daughter had a lesson with her coach. They got on the ice and my daughter was the only other student on the ice, not being coached by the above mentioned coaches. Anyway, my daughter's coach goes to put dd's music on. Just as the music starts, the other coaches send their 10 kids, full speed ahead in a horizontal line, doing stroking drills. Dd stopped dead in her tracks and her coach stopped her music. Her coach started her music again and announced dd was doing her program. This time, dd was able to run through her program but it was like trying to do it on a obstacle coarse. No one would move out of her way! This is the type of stuff that happens regularly. It's the worse I've ever seen happen and honestly it was very annoying and rude. Other skaters and their families have left for this very reason. All I can think about is what this behavior is teaching the kids. When their kids ar ein program, people are expected to be out of the way. I just feel strongly that the same respect should be given to all skaters. KWIM? I really don't want to say too much more since this is a public forum. I've already said too much, ya know?

OK, this is actually a form of harrassment, IMO. The sooner you are out of there, the better. If those coaches want to run a stroking class, then they should book the ice for that class exclusively. The hostile coach that drove us away interfered with my DD's lessons and screamed at her off the ice. All of the board members were either students of or parents of students of that coach. Even after the crazy went off the deep end and turned on one of them, not one ever apologized to me or admitted there had been a problem. People have an amazing capacity to be willfully blind when it suits what they perceive as their own interests.

[isakswings]

OK, this is actually a form of harrassment, IMO. The sooner you are out of there, the better. If those coaches want to run a stroking class, then they should book the ice for that class exclusively. The hostile coach that drove us away interfered with my DD's lessons and screamed at her off the ice. All of the board members were either students of or parents of students of that coach. Even after the crazy went off the deep end and turned on one of them, not one ever apologized to me or admitted there had been a problem. People have an amazing capacity to be willfully blind when it suits what they perceive as their own interests.

My daughter's coach said the same thing about the class! It's so frustrating... I'm trying to figure out how to make changes w/o causing too much trouble and alienating myself and my daughter.... UGH. :)

[dbny]

My daughter's coach said the same thing about the class! It's so frustrating... I'm trying to figure out how to make changes w/o causing too much trouble and alienating myself and my daughter.... UGH. :)

This group has already alienated themselves from you. That is, they are treating you like outsiders whom they don't care to have around. I understand that if you leave, you would like to do it amicably, but there may be no way to do that, since the hostility is coming from their side.

[BuggieMom]

OK, this is actually a form of harrassment, IMO. The sooner you are out of there, the better. ...The hostile coach that drove us away interfered with my DD's lessons and screamed at her off the ice. All of the board members were either students of or parents of students of that coach. ...People have an amazing capacity to be willfully blind when it suits what they perceive as their own interests.OMG this is almost EXACTLY what happened to us...my dd (10-11yo at the time) was singled out on the ice for this harrasment from an ADULT coach, who encouraged her students to do it as well. It became ridiculous, these kids sneering and glaring at her, getting in her way all the time, hiding her cd's, then they show up with deliberate scratches across them. Most all board members' kids took from this one or one "in her camp" and would have done nothing, rink management did nothing. Dd was a trooper, lasted as long as she could, finally one night broke down and asked "Why can't they just leave me alone?" That was enough for me. We were gone that night.
I'm trying to figure out how to make changes w/o causing too much trouble and alienating myself and my daughter.... UGH. :)Guess what...you are ALREADY alienated! And it doesn't get better.
I discovered that it really doesn't matter how hard you try to make a decent exit, the nasty mill will make it whatever they want it to be. Next thing you know, your nice quiet exit turns into...you made a big scene, screamed at everyone, cussed the kids out, all because someone accidentally got in your princess's way, etc, etc...:roll:
The bummer is, this club and the home rink is 5 minutes form my house. The other rink is 25 minutes from home. But whenever we have skated at the other rink, none of the above stuff happens. *sigh* It's really too bad because I really like the rink and most of the staff that works there.
Yep, same thing here. We live 10 min. from that rink, but we don't use it anymore. The club we joined is a much larger, better known club with national champions. They don't glare at her. My dd is so happy and thrives there. She has friends that actually wish her well. It's been a pain, and it was rough, but in the end, I wish we had gotten out of there a long time ago

[teresa]

My biggest would be if my coach changed rinks. Second, if the atmosphere was unfriendly. 3. If rink prices went too high. 4. If ice times were difficult for me to attend. Poor ice times.

teresa

[isakswings]

OMG this is almost EXACTLY what happened to us...my dd (10-11yo at the time) was singled out on the ice for this harrasment from an ADULT coach, who encouraged her students to do it as well. It became ridiculous, these kids sneering and glaring at her, getting in her way all the time, hiding her cd's, then they show up with deliberate scratches across them. Most all board members' kids took from this one or one "in her camp" and would have done nothing, rink management did nothing. Dd was a trooper, lasted as long as she could, finally one night broke down and asked "Why can't they just leave me alone?" That was enough for me. We were gone that night.
Guess what...you are ALREADY alienated! And it doesn't get better.
I discovered that it really doesn't matter how hard you try to make a decent exit, the nasty mill will make it whatever they want it to be. Next thing you know, your nice quiet exit turns into...you made a big scene, screamed at everyone, cussed the kids out, all because someone accidentally got in your princess's way, etc, etc...:roll:

Yep, same thing here. We live 10 min. from that rink, but we don't use it anymore. The club we joined is a much larger, better known club with national champions. They don't glare at her. My dd is so happy and thrives there. She has friends that actually wish her well. It's been a pain, and it was rough, but in the end, I wish we had gotten out of there a long time ago

FWIW, what happened to my dd, happens to everyone else whenever there is an over abundance of their kids on the ice who are in lessons. Their students aren't intnetionally vicious towards her and some of them are friends with her. The parents are all nice to us too. No one is rude and are in fact, helpful(off ice). It's honestly the coaching situation that is causing us grief. The stuff I described happens only when those kids are on the ice with their coaches and when there are more of them then there are others. Does that make sense? It's still not right. Even the coaches themselves are friendly enough towards me off ice. It's their on ice behavior towards others that I feel is completely unprofessional and down right disrespectful. Still, this is enough to make me consider changing clubs.

I'm intending on talking to the rink maagement tomorrow morning. Wish me luck with that. :)

[blue111moon]

As for what makes someone change clubs, well, I'm membership chair of my small club and we're currently getting quite a few transfers this year. Some of them are former members who followed a coach to form a new club at another rink. But now that club is moving to yet another rink further away so their skaters are looking for somewhere more local to skate. Plus my club offers a cheaper membership that is more suited to beginner level skaters.

[isakswings]

I recieved an apology yesterday from one of the above mentioned coaches. Rink management talked to them appearantly! I never had to go to rink management since one of the members of management witnessed what happened to my daughter on Tuesday and I think my daughter's coach also talked to them too. Anyway... it seems that management is on top of the freestyle issue...or they are at least trying to be. :)

Oh and I have decided if we start having issues again, I am going to go directly to the coach who spoke to me before I go to management. I figure that way, I can give him the benefit of the doubt or at least call his bluff. :) I also figure, we are all adults here and maybe if I try to handle things w/o going to management, we can achieve more respect for eachother? Too much to ask??

As for the club issue, I am still debating what to do about that one!

[dbny]

You are very fortunate that rink management is actually doing their job! It never even occurred to me that they are the perfect authority to handly this, because I've never skated anywhere where the management cared about anything happening on the ice so long as everyone out there paid. Bravo to the coach who apologized to you! There is hope!

[isakswings]

You are very fortunate that rink management is actually doing their job! It never even occurred to me that they are the perfect authority to handly this, because I've never skated anywhere where the management cared about anything happening on the ice so long as everyone out there paid. Bravo to the coach who apologized to you! There is hope!

There is some hope! I do think he had to eat crow some to apologize to me, but he was very cordial to me afterwards, and honestly that is all I want. :giveup: So, for now, I am going to see how things progress and go from there. I do know they weren't happy about being spoken to but it had to be done. Like I said in a earlier post, there are a lot of things I like about this rink and the management is one of them. This rink has actually helped to make skating a bit more affordable for us too. Anyway... I hope this is the begining of some changes that need to happen. I think part of the issue is that these coaches have gotten away with this for awhile so I think they feel as if they have the right to do it. The problem is, people are leaving the rink(and the club!) because of it. I think rink management is stepping up because they are actually the ones in charge of freestyle ice. Plus, the coaches I mentioned who are doing this are actually the skating director and assistant. So, rink manageent has a definate say about this. Anyway... I hope this is a step in the right direction. :)

[kayskate]

1. coach moves
2. ice times work for me
3. club/rink folds
4. unpleasant atmosphere

Kay