Thursday, November 24, 2011

Frustration: What should we do about ice dance coaching?



My first frustration post on this blog is going to be about the current ice dance coach situation at the Colorado Springs World Arena.

To sum things up, the former main dance coaches at the rink are no longer there. The rink did not renew their contracts. Most of the other ice dancers at the rink followed those coaches to other rinks. Their decisions must of paid off, since all those skaters made nationals or junior nationals. All the ice dancers that stayed at the World Arena did not qualify.

Two weeks ago, before the kids were scheduled to compete in sectionals, it was announced that a new ice dance coach had arrived that would build up the World Arena's ice dance program again.

Now that sectionals is over, yesterday, I texted that new ice dance coach about giving Annabelle and Joel stroking lessons to help with their pair skating before Junior Nationals, but guess what? At this time, she is not available to coach when my kids skate, which is in the mornings. She only teaches in the afternoons.

So...all this time, we've waited and waited on the ice dance coach that the World Arena promised, but now, my children can't take lessons from that person at all since she is not available when they skate and train. In my opinion, the World Arena needs to hire someone that is available when all skaters want lessons, not just for some.

The World Arena's clients were told she would be building up an ice dance program; how can she build up a program if she is not willing to coach when customers that are already ice dancing want lessons?

Also, if my kids decide to compete in ice dancing next season, the World Arena is now requiring that they take lessons from someone on their resident staff who is a designated ice dance coach to earn scholarship ice time and maintain resident status. This new ice dance coach is really the only choice, but if she is not available, how can they train under these guidelines?

Maybe the rink really just wants us to quit ice dancing?

2 comments:

  1. Aren't you listed as an Ice Dance Coach there? Hmmmmmmmmm

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  2. Yes...I am listed as one of the World Arena's non-resident coaches that is available for ice dance lessons, but...I have been told that I can't be their main coach in order to maintain scholarship eligibility. Also...Joel and Rebekah are teens now; taking lessons from "Mom" doesn't work anymore :)

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