Choosing a coach for your child

My 10 year old daughter has been in the USFSA badge program for two years now and has asked about taking private lessons. We would like to hire one of the club coaches to coach her but don't know where to begin looking. How do we know which coach to choose and if he/she is the right coach for our daughter? JS

Amanda’sMom says:
First of all, choose a coach for your child with great care! This is an adult that you will be entrusting your child to and will have a great influence in your child's skating. Here’s a few tips on choosing a coach for your child:

a) Observe first hand the prospective coach(es) in action! Find out when your club has freestyle sessions where private or semi-private lessons are being given. Attend the freestyle sessions and observe the interaction between the coach and his/her students.....i.e. does the skater "look" happy taking lessons from this coach?

b) Talk to other parents of skaters who take private lessons to get their opinions. Inquire about coaches' reputations--both on and off the ice. If possible, talk to parents of skaters of other clubs that the coach also teaches out of. Ask the skater if taking lessons from his/her coach is fun. If it isn't, find out the reason for a child's reluctance to go to skating practice or to be with his/her coach is an indication that something maybe wrong. Remember, having fun is the biggest reason kids participate in sports.

c) Interview coaches. Make sure that his/her coaching style and philosophy matches your child's approach to figure skating. Inquire about what the coaches’ expectations of his/her students are. Choosing a coach whose coaching style matches "your" child’s learning style will benefit your child the most.

d) And lastly, find out the coaches’ credentials. Not all coaches who coach in the USFSA structure have passed the Senior level tests. With this in mind, you want to make sure the person you employ to coach your child is qualified if your child continues figure skating past the Novice level.

Side note:
Your club should have a "Professional Criteria" set for coaches wishing to coach on their Freestyle/MIF/Dance sessions. For instance, for the Freestyle sessions, some clubs’ policy requires a minimum of the Novice Freeskate test, other clubs’ policy may require the minimum of the Junior Freeskate test.