Expectations and Policies for Skaters
I expect all skaters and parents to be respectful and polite to all judges, coaches, and other skaters on and off the ice.
Absences - I expect that skaters will attend all scheduled skating sessions for which they have registered on time. When this is not possible I expect to be notified 12 hours in advance. Failure to notify me 12 hours in advance of their skating time will result in a missed lesson charge.
There will also be times when I am absent at competitions or tests. I will give advanced notice when possible via email, but I still expect the skater to skate their regular time whether I am there or not.
Injuries - If the skater is injured, sick or on any medication, I need to know this immediately. Also if learning disabilities are diagnosed this is useful information that I can use to modify my teaching style to suit the skater.
Skating Attire and Appearance - Figure skaters are athletes and as such I encourage my skaters to dress the part. Formal skating wear is preferred(skating dresses, skirts), but tight fitting work-out wear is also acceptable. Skaters are not allowed to wear big baggy clothes, such as hoodies and sweatpants. Skating attire needs to stretch and move with the skater, so no jeans(or jeggings) or other non-stretchy material allowed. The skater's hair needs to be pulled back away from their face and eyes. Gloves should be worn to keep the skaters hands warm, and an extra set of gloves may be brought out with them if the first pair gets too wet.
Dress for success! To reach success skaters must practice the way they wish to perform.
Skate Care - Skates must have hard plastic guards on the blades when not on the ice. When skaters are done skating, skates need to be completely dried off using a cloth or chamois, and stored in soft cotton guards. Never leave hard guards on, nor should hard guards be put on before the skater leaves the house. Hard guards left on skates for too long will cause rust, which will damage the blades.
- Skate blades should be checked periodically to make sure the screws that hold them down to the boot are tight. The soles of the skates should be waterproofed with sno-seal. If the soles start to turn black in color, water may have seeped into the soles and they may be rotting, please have your soles checked if they start to turn black in color.
- Before competitions or tests, skates should be polished back to their original white color. This helps give a professional appearance as well as helps to seal the outsides of the skates from water and snow. Riedell makes a white skate polish, check retail stores that sell Riedell products.
- Skate sharpening should be done every 3-6 months, depending on hours skated or how sharp your skater likes their skates to be. I send my skaters to a professional sharpener near the Brooklyn Park Arena, please email me for his information.
Music Selection - I will offer suggestions for song choices, but I really like when a skater has an idea of what they would like to skate to. I believe that skaters have more success if they select music that inspires them.
Costumes - I expect to be consulted on costume design prior to purchasing. It is important for the skater to wear the finished costume a few times prior to a test or competition. Therefore, please ensure that the costume is completed at least 2 weeks prior to the event. A matching jacket or form-fitting sweater, tights and clean gloves are also necessary.
Goals and Goal Setting - I expect my skaters to set goals and work toward achieving their goals. I send out regular goal worksheets(yearly and quarterly) and will often ask skaters what their goals are for upcoming events. My lessons are based on their goals, and I believe that setting goals motivates and gives purpose to everything they do in skating.
Judges and Officials Decisions - I expect all skaters and parents to respect all decisions made by judges and officials at competitions, test sessions, or critiques. If you disagree with the results, please keep your comments to yourself, you can talk to me about the issues in private. Parent's that criticize a judge's marks in public, especially if done in front of their skater's score sheets, may be banned from results areas. The old adage rings true, "if you have nothing nice to say, say nothing at all!"
- Judges and Officials are volunteers; they are not paid for their time and expertise. They choose to volunteer because they love the sport of figure skating and they want everyone to succeed. I want my skaters to respect and admire the judges, even aspire to be a skating judge someday!
I expect all skaters and parents to be respectful and polite to all judges, coaches, and other skaters on and off the ice.
Absences - I expect that skaters will attend all scheduled skating sessions for which they have registered on time. When this is not possible I expect to be notified 12 hours in advance. Failure to notify me 12 hours in advance of their skating time will result in a missed lesson charge.
There will also be times when I am absent at competitions or tests. I will give advanced notice when possible via email, but I still expect the skater to skate their regular time whether I am there or not.
Injuries - If the skater is injured, sick or on any medication, I need to know this immediately. Also if learning disabilities are diagnosed this is useful information that I can use to modify my teaching style to suit the skater.
Skating Attire and Appearance - Figure skaters are athletes and as such I encourage my skaters to dress the part. Formal skating wear is preferred(skating dresses, skirts), but tight fitting work-out wear is also acceptable. Skaters are not allowed to wear big baggy clothes, such as hoodies and sweatpants. Skating attire needs to stretch and move with the skater, so no jeans(or jeggings) or other non-stretchy material allowed. The skater's hair needs to be pulled back away from their face and eyes. Gloves should be worn to keep the skaters hands warm, and an extra set of gloves may be brought out with them if the first pair gets too wet.
Dress for success! To reach success skaters must practice the way they wish to perform.
Skate Care - Skates must have hard plastic guards on the blades when not on the ice. When skaters are done skating, skates need to be completely dried off using a cloth or chamois, and stored in soft cotton guards. Never leave hard guards on, nor should hard guards be put on before the skater leaves the house. Hard guards left on skates for too long will cause rust, which will damage the blades.
- Skate blades should be checked periodically to make sure the screws that hold them down to the boot are tight. The soles of the skates should be waterproofed with sno-seal. If the soles start to turn black in color, water may have seeped into the soles and they may be rotting, please have your soles checked if they start to turn black in color.
- Before competitions or tests, skates should be polished back to their original white color. This helps give a professional appearance as well as helps to seal the outsides of the skates from water and snow. Riedell makes a white skate polish, check retail stores that sell Riedell products.
- Skate sharpening should be done every 3-6 months, depending on hours skated or how sharp your skater likes their skates to be. I send my skaters to a professional sharpener near the Brooklyn Park Arena, please email me for his information.
Music Selection - I will offer suggestions for song choices, but I really like when a skater has an idea of what they would like to skate to. I believe that skaters have more success if they select music that inspires them.
Costumes - I expect to be consulted on costume design prior to purchasing. It is important for the skater to wear the finished costume a few times prior to a test or competition. Therefore, please ensure that the costume is completed at least 2 weeks prior to the event. A matching jacket or form-fitting sweater, tights and clean gloves are also necessary.
Goals and Goal Setting - I expect my skaters to set goals and work toward achieving their goals. I send out regular goal worksheets(yearly and quarterly) and will often ask skaters what their goals are for upcoming events. My lessons are based on their goals, and I believe that setting goals motivates and gives purpose to everything they do in skating.
Judges and Officials Decisions - I expect all skaters and parents to respect all decisions made by judges and officials at competitions, test sessions, or critiques. If you disagree with the results, please keep your comments to yourself, you can talk to me about the issues in private. Parent's that criticize a judge's marks in public, especially if done in front of their skater's score sheets, may be banned from results areas. The old adage rings true, "if you have nothing nice to say, say nothing at all!"
- Judges and Officials are volunteers; they are not paid for their time and expertise. They choose to volunteer because they love the sport of figure skating and they want everyone to succeed. I want my skaters to respect and admire the judges, even aspire to be a skating judge someday!
Expectations for Parents
The US Figure Skating Code of Conduct pretty much sums up all that I would expect from skating parents.
