A few weeks ago a Silver ice dance/freestyle/moves skater I know saw me after freestyle and said, "Geeze, you're doing great! You and Dance Coach were really zipping along in waltz hold and your posture was great and you had super edges!" Let's call her Miss Cheerleader.
"Was my butt sticking out?" I ask. If I'm in 'ice dance posture' I feel a crick in my lower back. I honestly can't tell if that's because my shoulders are in the right place or because my butt is in the wrong place.
"No, no! Absolutely not!" Miss Cheerleader gives me a smile that lights up the lobby.
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| Give me a an Edge! Give me a Stroke! Keep on skating! Go for Broke! |
This is one of the times 'pass it on' really comes to the fore. Even if you're low freestyle, below you is someone in LTS who looks up to you.
There's the adult who struggles on public, who would be overjoyed if you said, "Hey, you're really making progress!"
It only takes a moment to make the rink a place of encouragement and joy.
You can be a Miss Cheerleader too!
Great post! I try to fill the 'Miss Cheerleader' role at my rink. And after competitions, when the kids are discussing how everyone did, I try to focus on how I skated, how I had fun, and whether they had good skates and enjoyed themselves, rather than placement, in attempt to be a good role model.
ReplyDeleteDemon Negatron, meet Miss Cheerleader! A place of encouragement and joy a rink should be.
ReplyDeleteYou both win the "Miss Cheerleader Award"! Remember to pass it on!
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