Coaching Change?

[robosk8er7]

I’m in college and have been working with a coach here for over a year now. I think she is a wonderful person and very competent but I haven’t seen any progress since I started working with her. My goal was to land my axel again and start landing some doubles by this past December, and we hardly even work on them in lessons even when I ask. She’s very detail oriented so we will “start” with moves in the field and not move on until 45 minutes into the lesson sometimes. My issue, though, is that she is incredibly nice and I’m afraid of hurting her feelings. She’s already had a bit of an exodus of students for various reasons, and honestly those students have been excelling with the coaches they switched to. She feels people talk badly about her and that’s why her students switch, but honestly I don’t think anyone does. The most I’ve heard said is that she can be very picky and not to let it bring me down, and that she doesn’t structure lessons very well for progress.

All of that to say, I think I need a change, but I don’t know how to do it. I’ve never dropped a coach— all of my past coaching changes have been caused by something else, like scheduling issues, the coach stopping coaching, or me moving for college. If I decide to go through with changing, how do I do it? Do I tell her first, or see if the coach I want to work with even has availability first? I’m worried telling her first would lead to tension until the switch is finalized.

 

[christy]

When I initially read this I was going to suggest that you need to talk to the coach, tell her your goals, and agree what you need to focus on, but it sounds like you have already done this. It's good to develop basic skating skills, edges, etc as they are the foundation of everything else, so there is a benefit, however it does sound like this coach may be coaching within their comfort zone.
If you want to move to another coach then my understanding is that you need to tell the current coach before approaching others.

 

[robosk8er7]

When I initially read this I was going to suggest that you need to talk to the coach, tell her your goals, and agree what you need to focus on, but it sounds like you have already done this. It's good to develop basic skating skills, edges, etc as they are the foundation of everything else, so there is a benefit, however it does sound like this coach may be coaching within their comfort zone.
If you want to move to another coach then my understanding is that you need to tell the current coach before approashing others.

Yes, I started by telling her my goals and making them clear. And I definitely understand the need for strong foundations, but I also know I’ll never land a jump if I’m never able to work on it

 

[mskater93]

If you like this coach, you may need to be more forceful at the outset of your lesson. I will often tell my coach what we're going to focus on in a given session (spins, jumps, basic skating, dance) and we do exactly that. If your coach won't take a direct request regarding your lesson, then sit down with her and tell her unless she can focus on what you've set as your goals, the relationship isn't currently working.

 

[christy]

Yes, I started by telling her my goals and making them clear. And I definitely understand the need for strong foundations, but I also know I’ll never land a jump if I’m never able to work on it

Totally agree, and it sounds like you have been clear, so either you can give her one last chance by telling her that you want to focus on jumps in your next lesson and seeing if she changes, or you can tell her that you want to move to a coach who focuses more on jumps as that's your goal, but if you are moving then my understanding is that you need to tell her first. You could check the process with the club's skating director.

 

[GBs mom]

My daughter was in a similar situation a few years ago. I first confirmed availability with the coach we were considering switching to, and then communicated with her coach. It actually wasn't nearly as painful as I thought. Hopefully she will handle it professionally and only want the best for you. If not, she's probably not the coach you'd want anyway. Just be sure to express gratitude for all the work you two have done together.

 

[Diana Delafield]

If you like this coach, you may need to be more forceful at the outset of your lesson. I will often tell my coach what we're going to focus on in a given session (spins, jumps, basic skating, dance) and we do exactly that. If your coach won't take a direct request regarding your lesson, then sit down with her and tell her unless she can focus on what you've set as your goals, the relationship isn't currently working.

This was always my method too, once I became an adult and was financing my own skating. My attitude was that 1) the coach had been hired to teach me certain skills, and 2) I was paying the coach a salary to do so. Ergo, the coach was my employee, and it was my right as the temporary employer for that hour or so to dictate what tasks I wanted to be accomplished. Obviously I was more friendly and less arrogant than that sounds, but you do need to be firm. But realistic: "Today let's work on waltz jumps and try to increase my distance/height/speed." Not: "Forget little waltz jumps, today I want to start learning a double Axel !" And make sure you have someone more amenable lined up, or at least in mind as a possibility, or you'll find yourself coasting around on your own at club sessions while your erstwhile coach eyes you with a smidge of triumph. Most of the year my pairs partner and I used private ice that our parents combined to pay for, so that never happened the twice that we let a coach go and hired someone else, but in the summers we went to a summer school with more than one coach and pair on the ice and we saw it happen with others.

 

[mskater93]

Especially, while you may not feel it on the ice, you are now an adult and in charge (versus your parents paying the bills and therefore deciding the direction). It's a little tough to get used to that you are in the driver's seat.