Skate Canada reinvents itself

Interesting article :

http://www.canada.com/vancouversun/...260ab-2284-4af3-9da4-a421e237afbb&k=26306&p=1

Yeah, you'd think they'd continue to be a force with all that ice up there

Blame

Thanks for the post. Interesting how much blame they lay on the Salt Lake City judging controversy in killing the sport.

A series of judging scandals in ice dancing were the tip of the iceberg, but the sport's seemingly intractable culture of corruption really came home to roost at the 2002 Olympics, when the Canadian world champion pair of Jamie Sale and David Pelletier were victimized by a French-Russian result-fixing conspiracy. It thoroughly embarrassed figure skating in front of the world...

"We had no idea how big the ripple effect would be from Salt Lake City," [Skate Canada CEO] Barton said. "Everyone was angry. The audience was mad at the judges, they were mad at the ISU, they were mad at [ISU president Ottavio] Cinquanta -- they were just mad. They couldn't believe in the sport any more.:

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This was an interesting self-criticism, too. Instead of investing in the second tier up-and-coming skaters that would be their future,

there was actually a time in 2002, Barton said, when Skate Canada was paying the coaches and skaters not to attend the Four Continents championship that came before the Olympics.

"The decisions that were made these last four years were devastating to the business of skating..."

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Mathman said:

This was an interesting self-criticism, too. Instead of investing in the second tier up-and-coming skaters that would be their future,

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In fact, learn to skate classes increased in enrolment after the Salt Lake City olympics -- more people seemed to want their little ones to learn how to skate. However, few parents (or skaters) are willing to give up so much of their family life (and money) to dedicate themselves to the grueling road of a champion.

How many times have I heard - we want them to be a champion - but can only come a few days a week.....piano, soccer, birthday parties, skiing....etc. So the poor child skates a couple of hours a week if you are lucky -- and unless they are extremely talented (I've had just one) - they become frustrated because their peers on the ice are doing doubles and axels while they are mastering singles.

I have a competitive skater whose parents seem to feel that its okay to miss practice and lessons 8 x in the month of a qualifying competition ( too tired, can't get to the rink, busy with a phone call........wanted to play with friends) and then the week before the big event bring them for 21/2 hours a night. Like that will help.......the skater can't make it through a program without being exhausted.

Children these days are rewarded for mediocre performances and so expect to put little effort into learning the skills. How many soccer trophies have I seen awarded to the team that placed last? What does that teach children about working hard to achieve a goal. And what does that mean for the team, or skater who actually worked their butt's off and earned the trophy or medal.......Doesn't that diminish the success of those who accomplished something? How many parents (and skaters after a while) expect learn-to-skate badges just because they paid for the program. Forget earning the badge.

Perhaps if Skate Canada would pay more attention to the top 10 national skaters in all divisions - not just senior -- and provided them with training incentives, more placement grants, etc. and actually sent them to competitions as part of the 'team' ( they could even be US or Cdn competitions)...that would go a long way to showing up-and-coming skaters that their hard work is recognized.

We lose so many talented skaters because it just reaches a point where everyone says -- (after $25-50+k a year)- it just isn't worth it.

redhotcoach said:

In fact, learn to skate classes increased in enrolment after the Salt Lake City olympics -- more people seemed to want their little ones to learn how to skate. However, few parents (or skaters) are willing to give up so much of their family life (and money) to dedicate themselves to the grueling road of a champion.

How many times have I heard - we want them to be a champion - but can only come a few days a week.....piano, soccer, birthday parties, skiing....etc.

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Now I am curious about this. In your experiemce, of the younsters that show up for learn-to-skate classes, what percent of the parents just think this would be a fun activity for their child to enjoy, what percent have some vague thought that it would be nice if their child achieved competitive success but have no notion of what it takes to get there, and what percent (close to zero?) want to aim for the heights and have a realistic idea of what that entails. In this last group, how many of the children have any talent and/or interest beyond doing what mom and dad want?

redhotcoach said:

Children these days are rewarded for mediocre performances and so expect to put little effort into learning the skills. How many soccer trophies have I seen awarded to the team that placed last? What does that teach children about working hard to achieve a goal.

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I think it was in the 1970s that the idea of "student self esteem" suddenly leapt into pedagogical lexicon. You must give a student a B+ for failing work in order to make him "feel good about himself."

IMHO kids are smarter than that. They know when they have accomplished something of merit and when they haven't. They must think that adults are just silly.

(I was in a chess tournament once, hosted by our home club. We came in fourth out of five teams. After all the expenses of the tournament were paid we had some money left over, so we went out and bought ourselves some big fourth place trophies. I still have mine, LOL.)

redhotcoach said:

Children these days are rewarded for mediocre performances and so expect to put little effort into learning the skills. How many soccer trophies have I seen awarded to the team that placed last? What does that teach children about working hard to achieve a goal. And what does that mean for the team, or skater who actually worked their butt's off and earned the trophy or medal.......Doesn't that diminish the success of those who accomplished something? How many parents (and skaters after a while) expect learn-to-skate badges just because they paid for the program. Forget earning the badge.

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I think whether this is a good thing or not depends on the age of the children involved. It's a bigger picture than just creating champions in competitive sports. With the huge rise in overweight and obesity, beginning, alarmingly, in childhood, there is a lot of effort, particularly at younger ages, to simply get the kids to have fun doing physical activity. And I see this as a good thing, necessary even, given our society's increasing health problems from a sedentary lifestyle. There's nothing wrong with "fun" leagues where kids, and even adults, just want to get out there and play. I think all of them should be encouraged in that. At a certain point, however, there is a competitive stream for those who truly are good. And I see no problem with not giving everyone a cookie, so to speak, in that situation.

Most of the time when I show skaters a skill, like a mohawk or 3-turn and ask them to work on it while I help another skater --- they will be back in two minutes telling me they did it -- and can they get the check mark for the badge!! When I kindly tell them that their interpretation of the skill needs just a bit more work -- they whine and say why? its perfect.
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When I taught learn-to-skate in a parks & rec type program, 100percent of the skaters were there to learn how to skate and enjoy a low-cost quality activity. Many parents were new immigrants who had never seen ice before, and a few parents wanted their child to learn skill so they could move on to hockey. Just one or two were interested in figure skating. For the most part, the skaters worked hard and followed instructions well -- and as a result earned their badges. Rarely did a parent question why their skater did not get a badge -- in fact they asked what they could do to help the child practice outside the lesson.

A learn-to-skate program in a skating club is more expensive and attracts a different kind of parent. At our club, parents are generally well-educated professionals who often appear driven to make sure their child is exposed to everything. They are accustomed to results at work, and seem to expect that from their children.

However, many seem to bring their children for a year or two - and then move on to some other activity. One parent of a particularly talented child - did a year of private lessons and then decided that cross-country skiing was next.......

This is not to say that lots of skaters work hard and earn badges (and skills). I have a couple that are doing really well and finished all the badges in one year ---but the parents aren't interested in figure skating at all. The class is just a once a week outing for the skater.

A few parents are willing to move their talented skater into private figure skating lessons, and many more parents are solicited by coaches and promised the Olympic gold for their child - if only that coach can teach them!! Strange thing I have noticed is that a large number of the skaters those coaches talk into moving up to figure skating - are rarely ready for the solitary life and leave the sport within the year.

.....

rain said:

I think whether this is a good thing or not depends on the age of the children involved. It's a bigger picture than just creating champions in competitive sports. With the huge rise in overweight and obesity, beginning, alarmingly, in childhood, there is a lot of effort, particularly at younger ages, to simply get the kids to have fun doing physical activity. And I see this as a good thing, necessary even, given our society's increasing health problems from a sedentary lifestyle. There's nothing wrong with "fun" leagues where kids, and even adults, just want to get out there and play. I think all of them should be encouraged in that. At a certain point, however, there is a competitive stream for those who truly are good. And I see no problem with not giving everyone a cookie, so to speak, in that situation.

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Good points. There's also the building of an audience to be considered. The more people know how to skate, the more potential fans there are.

I can see how it would be very frustrating for the coaches though. I would have thought many children would be begging for figure skating lessons.