Miss Cheerleader

Every rink needs a Miss Cheerleader. This is the person who smiles when they see you and offers encouraging words--even when you don't ask for them.

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.

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!

Fun Rink vs Tough Rink

I've always skated at 'fun rinks'. Now I'm moving to what may turn out to be 'tough rink'. (I'm still taking lessons with Dance Coach at the fun rink.)

This is my own designation, and it's kind of hard to pinpoint, except I know one when I see one.

A 'fun rink' is inclusive. None of the coaches are former world champions or national competitors.  Winning a title doesn't make you a good coach. It makes you a retired competitor.  Good coaches have good teaching skills.

In a 'fun rink' an old lady like me is welcome on freestyle. None of the coaches give me grief over skating on FS.  ISI rinks tend to be fun rinks. (TEND, mind you, TEND TO BE.)

Leading indicator of a fun rink: No high or low freestyle. Just Freestyle.

Second indicator of a fun rink: No one's going to Nationals, unless it's Adult Nationals or ISI Nationals.

Third indicator of a fun rink: People love skating.

Fun Rink interpretive program

Tough rinks on the other hand, have high and low freestyle, obscure rules on who can be on what ice. Lots of competitive skaters. Lots of team coaching. Specialized coaches. Some skaters have a chance at Nationals or have already been. You go in one day and there's famous people on the ice.

Leading indicator of a tough rink: Well, for now I'm going to say it involves the statement "Elite Freestyle requires the permission of the HEAD COACH." (This is a quote from a tough rink, just not the one I'm going to.)

Second indicator: Weird skating mom stories. I just can't wait.  I need material for the blog.

Meow Asada works on her new spiral position
at her Tough Rink

The real question should be, Why am I leaving my fun rink? I like to take group lessons, and I'm not getting anywhere in the ones at my present fun rink. The (potentially) tough rink has a greater variety of group lessons for adults,  plus an adult public. I think it's worth the effort. Plus the psychotic skating mom stories. Excellent.