It Takes a Village to Raise an Skater

As a coach, I try to pay attention to what makes a student successful, aside from natural talent and training, and I’ve observed a number of things. Those who tend to stay with the sport have a strong support system, or put another way, they utilize their skating community.

We have all heard the African proverb, “It takes a village to raise a child”. It came to mind as I observed students who are always at the rink, how their parents are involved, and how they make use of their time and energy, and I realized we can learn a lot from this little piece of wisdom. This proverb is obviously meant more literally for an overall community such as home, schools, daycare, after school programs, etc., but within each of those are small communities. Skating rinks house directors, managers, coaches, admin, counter staff, skaters, parents, club officials, judges, and the list goes on.

As we ponder this subject, please keep in mind that it is not only the student who creates his or her own community, but the parents do as well. Skating is very demanding and doesn’t tolerate “dabbling” in it if you want to grow and be a successful skater. It demands commitment of our time and energy, which can be in low supply due to all of the other commitments and activities that load our calendars. This is for skaters and parents alike. So many days go by where I see the children running to get to their lessons on time and the parents looking out of breath trying to meet all of the obligations (and shall I dare say, grateful to have 30 minutes to just sit in the stands and catch up on a few things or rest!)

How can skaters and parents learn to take advantage of the community around them? As I mentioned above, some students and parents seem to have an easier time as they have become a part of their own skating community. What are your areas of need as a parent? As a skater?

My observations are that skaters are more successful when:

• Develop skating relationships. Make friends with others! You already have one passion in common, so take advantage of it! Without friends, skating can be a lonely and intimidating sport. There is nothing like skating with friends to try new moves and get a few chuckles in while practicing!

• Skaters are not overloaded with too many activities. Are you and your children spread so thin that you can’t really care too much about any one thing simply because there isn’t time? As mentioned, skating is a technical sport and demands attention. When skaters don’t have time to practice, they can become indifferent and bored due to the fact they aren’t growing and moving on. The limited amount of time they have on the ice may only allow them to do the same things over and over again resulting in a very bored and frustrated skater.

• Skaters get to know the people in their skating community. This can be as simple as getting to know the person who plays your music for your program or checks you in when you arrive. Say hello to them…I’m sure they would appreciate it! They will remember you when you need assistance down the road. I receive many hellos from skaters and parents I don’t teach. We have all gotten to know each other over time and honestly, it’s a nice feeling walking into work with a lot of smiling faces to greet me!

• And lastly…give back to your skating community! Care about the people you are around. Try getting involved with the Club and rink activities or volunteering during competitions. It’s a great way to meet other skaters and to get to know the people who are working hard to create successful events and programs for you!

Parents can also try to get involved in various ways as well:

• Share responsibilities with other parents in your skating community. As mentioned, schedules are tight! This is a perfect opportunity to get to know some of the parents at the rink. Down the road you may find that others are willing to share responsibilities such as driving the children to practice and taking them to school, or one week you can offer to bring healthy snacks for after school practices.

• Community goods. Once you develop relationships you will find there is an abundance of wealth out there! Skating can get expensive so it’s great when you come across a few people who are willing to loan you that perfect dress for your child’s program! Or when a young skater quickly outgrows a perfectly good pair of boots, consequently resulting into a good deal for you.

• Communicate with your coaches! They are helping to facilitate the growth of your young skater and putting in a lot of time and energy into their success. Get to know what they have in mind and what they recommend for overall growth. Have an open dialogue with them and share your concerns and ideas and be open to hearing theirs.

• Volunteer! There are many activities throughout the year that offer ample opportunities to volunteer your time or talent. Bake some goods for the Bake Sale, volunteer time at a competition, or bring a dish to the Annual Meeting’s potluck.

When I come to coach, I usually see the same skaters getting ready for freestyle and most times they are with the other skaters who practice with them. They, and their parents, know the staff and they have become a part of the “Skating Village”. They are successful and continue to grow. Their parents are informed about skating, upcoming events, and have developed relationships throughout the rink as well. Give to your skating community and I guarantee it will give back!

References:

It Takes a Village to Raise a Child, Author: Richard Waters, The School of Total Education. This article was originally published in the March 2000 edition of the SOTE Newsletter. Published on this website September 2001. http://www.sote.qld.edu.au/articles/TakesAVillage.html

It Takes a Village to Raise a Child, by Karen Fusco, Copyright 2006 Website URL: http://wwwSilkBow.com on September 4, 2007. http://www.kidsmakingchange.com/ArticleDirectory/article/ItTakesaChildtoRaiseaVillage/article.html

It Takes a Village to Raise a Child. Author Unknown. Published by PHDINPARENTING on July 31, 2009. http://www.phdinparenting.com/2009/07/31/it-takes-a-village-to-raise-a-child/#.T0-U1Hne6Sp