How I Started Coaching
Figure Skating

SKATING SCHOOL SUPERVISOR'S EVALUATION

“I have known Jackson for about a year now and serve as his supervisor at LA Kings Ice. We are an ice rink with both figure skating and hockey programs and I manage the Learn to Skate and Play program.

Jackson is one of my volunteer assistants, who gives his time to help skaters in our program who are learning to skate. Part of Jackson’s responsibilities includes preparing the ice for classes, ensuring skaters get to the proper class, attending to skaters who need extra help, assisting the coaches in executing their lesson plans, demonstrating skills, and facilitating communication between parents and their skaters on the ice.

Jackson is an extremely reliable teenager, which, I think in itself is a bit of an oxymoron. He is always punctual and has an impressive attendance record. This is especially notable considering Jackson volunteers every Saturday and Sunday!

Jackson is particularly valuable to me because he is able to anticipate the needs of the program, as well as those of our coaches and skaters, and acts accordingly. He has a commendable work ethic and is obviously very committed to the success of our program.

One of Jackson’s best qualities is his people skills. He is emotionally and socially mature beyond his years and has wonderful relationships with our coaches, who all hold Jackson in very high regard.

At the same time, he is fantastic with our skaters, who range in age from three to 73! It is very common for me to find Jackson patiently sitting down on the ice with a small, frustrated child, developing a relationship with a rebellious pre-teen, or having a laughing conversation with an adult as he is demonstrating a skill. I have also, on multiple occasions, overheard parents come up to Jackson personally to thank him for his personal attention to their child.

Part of me is sad to be sending you this letter because it means Jackson will be leaving us shortly, but I am extremely proud of him and honored to have been his supervisor and to have gotten to know him over the past year. I look forward to seeing where his path leads”

D.L.
Skating School Supervisor

JUST PASSING BY . . .

It all started as I was walking in an outdoor mall where a bunch of us high school kids go to eat and hang out after school. Something important just happened to catch my eye.

My local L.A. Kings rink had posted a flier seeking ice-skating coaches over the summer for their Learn To Skate camp for kids.

MY COMPETITIVE SKATING BACKGROUND

When I saw that flyer, it immediately took my mind back to the joy figure skating gave me over my four years of training on the ice with my brother and sister. I had the privileges and benefits of being trained by Olympians and national and international champions. Sharing those experiences with my siblings is another thing that makes us really close and our relationship extra special.

My first time stepping onto the ice I didn’t want to let go of the boards. Yet I could feel the cold wind blow against my face every time a figure skater whizzed past me. Watching them jump and spin in the air fascinated me. I pictured myself being able to do those moves, too.

Soon my siblings and I began skating and conditioning five days a week, several hours a day. Wanting to improve became addictive. Over the years, we mastered double jumps and spins, too. Our hard work paid off when we started competing. I collected medals on podiums in CT, NJ, NY, MA, and PA, advancing quickly while sharing the ice with Olympians and Nationals champions in shows at Lake Placid.

It was all cut short when we moved from Connecticut to California for my Dad’s work.

That flyer made me realize I much I missed the ice.

So I applied.

WHAT HAPPENED NEXT

This! This is what happened!

HOW IT STARTED	HOW IT'S GOING

Two weeks later, I put on my Toyota “Coach” jacket and started teaching 12 classes over three days a week, to about 40 kids in my community each day, ages 4-14. Just last weekend, I had a single class with 30 kids with only 5 of us coaching – THAT was a busy morning! I was exhausted afterwards! It really gave me a different appreciation for how hard my coached worked and had to concentrate to make us better!

I LOVE MY JOB

I’m known for working well with the smallest kids, and I'm told I am patient. I guess having younger twin siblings since I was three years old trained me well!

The part I enjoy most is teaching kids courage and self-confidence on the ice. I want them to leave excited about coming back to the rink like I used to be when I was younger. I especially like it when siblings skate together in my classes. It brings back special memories of training, competing, and just plain having fun on the ice with my own brother and sister.

I do my best to make sure all my students enjoy their time at the rink and leave feeling good about themselves and what they accomplished. It’s natural for them to start off clinging to me, hanging onto the boards, or being shy on the sidelines. I calmly encourage them to keep trying. I teach them how to stay upright, how to grab their knees when they feel they are about to go down, and the "correct" way to get back up every time they fall.

I enjoy pointing out their improvement along the way, while they learn basics like swizzles, snowplow stops and three-turns. I make sure to remind them of all the new things they have learned how to do along the way.

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POSITIVE CLIENT FEEDBACK

Parents come up to me after classes to ask when I’m teaching again, so they can make sure to bring their kids back on my workdays. I enjoy my job so much that I accepted the offer to stay on after summer ended. I now work an average of 5-6 hours a week during the school year (and many more hours during special camp weekends). It is harder to manage my time and school responsibilities, but working at the rink with children in my neighborhood and doing a good job at it feels great. Seeing my students become more relaxed and skilled on the ice is the highlight of my weekend!

How I Started Coaching Figure Skating