SELECTING A COACH
The coaching of figure skating in Canada and most other countries is done on a professional basis. Individuals made their coaching services available for a fee. Skate Canada member "professional" coaches normally coach as their vacation, either on a full or part time basis.
When hiring a coach, your club or recreation center should be able to provide information about the coaches available to teach your son or daughter.
The coach should be one the skater feels comfortable with, and one you both respect as an individual as well as a teacher. You want a coach who treats your child with respect and who is interested in your child's development as a person as well as a skater.
Regular
meeting and planning sessions between the coach and parents are
important.
You should keep the coach informed about the skater's educational
commitments,
financial constraints and other information that may impact on your
skater's
training. This is a good time to discuss any concerns and ask
questions
about your skater's progress.
Some
coaches specialize in teaching beginners, while others, working to gain
experience, only make a start with beginners. Coaches of
beginners
are called upon to carry out a difficult task, teaching the
fundamentals.
All coaches working in a Skate Canada member club are required to have
at least Level 1 certifications within the National Coaching
Certification
Program. These courses provide coaches with coach training for a
variety of skating levels and programs.
Beyond the area of beginners, some coaches teach all disciplines at all levels, while others have chosen to specialize in any one or a combination of disciplines or specialties.
It is quite unusual for a skater to remain with the same coach throughout his/her career.
Generally,
skaters seek specialized attention at different times for different
reasons.
When and if the decision to change coaches has been made, certain
common
sense and ethical procedures should be followed:
i.
Notify the coach of your decision privately;
ii.
Pay any outstanding account;
iii.
Seek a new coach (informal and discrete inquiries in this area may
start
earlier)
iv.
Be discrete and courteous throughout
Some coaches have higher qualifications than others. Ask about their NCCP qualifications as well as their own personal test and competitive record. The club and/or coach may be able to tell you some names of top pupils and their accomplishments, while with a particular coach. This information can show how long they have been coaching and is a good indicator of coaching ability. Even if they were not a high test skater or competitive skater, their record with pupils may demonstrate their ability to teach at a high level.
