Basic Skills Page

Responsibilities as a Skating Parent

As a parent of an athlete, you want the best for your child. Here are some suggestions to make your child’s skating experience more successful. This will help to make it more fun and valuable for you and your child.

To do so, you need first to understand your responsibilities as a skating parent:
1.Encourage your child to skate, but don't pressure. Let your child choose to skate.
2.Understand what your child wants from skating, and provide a supportive atmosphere for achieving these goals.
3.Put your child's participation in perspective. Don't make skating everything in your child's life; make it a part of life.
4.Make sure the coach is qualified to guide your child. See our "Pro Corner" for qualified instructors.
5. Emphasize fun, skill development, and striving to do his or her best.
6. Help your child set challenging but realistic performance goals rather than focusing only on "winning."
7. Help your child understand the valuable lessons skating can teach.
8. Help your child meet responsibilities to the coach.
9.Discipline your child when necessary.
10. Turn your child over to the coach at practices and competitions - don't meddle or coach from the sidelines. Leave the coaching to the coaches.

Make your skater a champion for life.

Here are some valuable characteristics that are developed and enhanced in successful athletes:

Persistence Courage Concentration Self-Confidence Self-Worth Desire