- Joined
- Dec 21, 2014
At my rink volunteers are usually teenage helpers who are skaters themselves. It's clear who the coaches are and the volunteers act as assistance who give demonstrations and help as needed under the guidance of the coach. They do not help skaters outside LTS classes. It seems like in your case the distinctions were not made as clear to you as they should have been up front.
As an adult skater, when I am with my adult skating friends (who are peers) we will often ask each other simple questions or ask someone to watch us to check for something (for example, last week I asked my friend to watch my sit change sit to see if I was standing up too much when I changed my foot which is something that throws me off a lot). The difference is that none of us are acting like coaches in these scenario, we are peers and even though we are at different levels we are equals. I would not act the same with minor skaters, even ones where I know them and their parents- it's an innapropriate dynamic (which gets awkward because I am a 28 year old who looks like a high schooler). Additionally, when a skater who is not my coach gives me unsolicited advice my general response is to give them the side-eye.
I think the advice given by previous posters is generally correct. If asked, watching for something like a wrong edge is generally not innaproriate but giving corrections is. When you are with your peers on equal ground it can be different but the skating world is pretty rigid about these issues (and for good reasons).
As an adult skater, when I am with my adult skating friends (who are peers) we will often ask each other simple questions or ask someone to watch us to check for something (for example, last week I asked my friend to watch my sit change sit to see if I was standing up too much when I changed my foot which is something that throws me off a lot). The difference is that none of us are acting like coaches in these scenario, we are peers and even though we are at different levels we are equals. I would not act the same with minor skaters, even ones where I know them and their parents- it's an innapropriate dynamic (which gets awkward because I am a 28 year old who looks like a high schooler). Additionally, when a skater who is not my coach gives me unsolicited advice my general response is to give them the side-eye.
I think the advice given by previous posters is generally correct. If asked, watching for something like a wrong edge is generally not innaproriate but giving corrections is. When you are with your peers on equal ground it can be different but the skating world is pretty rigid about these issues (and for good reasons).