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(as of 7/3/2009)
© 2009 The Skating Club of
Wilmington. All rights reserved. Photos are the property of The Skating Club of
Wilmington or the respective coaches. Permission
is required to copy any photos on this page. Please
contact
Webmaster.
GROUP INSTRUCTION & PRIVATE LESSONS
SCW Coaches are PSA professionals who follow
USFSA skating guidelines and rules. All of them
offer private lessons and you'll
see many of them teaching group lessons as well.
You can begin in any disciplines of skating such
as those offered in Basic Skills,
Freestyle, Dance, Moves-in-the-Field,
Synchronized Skating, and Hockey. Ballet is also
offered because it teaches the positions,
grace and balance that are so important in figure
skating. Once a skater has passed all the Basic
Skills levels, they can prepare
for Testing, Competition or develop an exercise
routine purely for fun and recreation. Your
coach can help you develop a program
to meet of those needs.
HOW DO I CHOOSE A COACH?
Consider a favorite coach from the list shown
above, follow a personal recommendation, or
refer to the Club Office for advice.
A printed list of coaches is also available in
the office alcove. Once you have decided,
contact one of our coaches directly to
arrange lessons either during a Public Session
or you may want to consider any of the options
open to
membership in the Club
so you may skate in less crowded regular Club
Sessions. If you want to try out a variety of
coaches to see which one is right for you or your child(ren), let the
coaches know that you are undecided. This is perfectly acceptable and a
normal process, but do communicate to the coaches that you are undecided
and will make a decision at a later date. Even when you decide on a
specific coach or coaches, let them know about your expectations and
whether they are realistic or not. It is also not unusual to decide on
several coaches for an extended period of time. Again, you are
advised to communicate your decision to those coaches to avoid mixed
signals.
WHAT SHOULD I EXPECT IN A PRIVATE LESSON?
Typically, private lessons are 20-30 minutes
long depending on the total length of a skating
session. In Group Lessons the lessons
are shared between other skaters. As the skill
level progresses, you may work with more than
one coach to cover a range of skating
disciplines and get a different perspective.
Sometimes, having one coach say something
differently from another on the same
technique will help a skater better understand
the subtlety of a specific skating move.
Payment to coaches are arranged individually
with each coach either after each lesson, once a
week, or billed monthly. Parents
or skaters pay the coach directly. The Club
Office is not involved in payment to coaches for
private lessons. Coaches will contact you
if they are unable to fulfill a private lesson
commitment. Please let your coach know if the
skater cannot make a scheduled lesson.
You are responsible for un-cancelled lessons.
Usually, if you do not show up for a lesson that was scheduled
previously, you are expected to pay the coach for that un-cancelled
lesson because they have allocated that time only for you. However,
check with your individual coach or coaches to find out what their
cancellation policy is and how to contact the coach if you do need to
cancel a lesson.
THE USE OF JUNIOR COACHES FOR PRIVATE LESSONS
Junior coaches are defined as those coaches who are qualified and certified
by the Club to teach in the Group Lessons program, but they have limited
privileges in teaching private lessons due to their younger age and limited
coaching (teaching) experience. However, they are qualified to coach because
of their skating expertise and knowledge of figure skating techniques, and
they may only teach private lessons to Group Lesson students who wish to
further improve or more quickly improve their figure skating skills. Junior
coaching fees, currently at $16 for a 20-minute lesson, are regulated by the
Club's management & Board of Directors.
The advantages of using Junior Coaches are that new skaters, who are often
young children, may relate better with a young coach than working with an
adult coach, besides the added benefit of paying a reduced private lesson
fee.
DEFINITIONS OF COACHING DISCIPLINES
| USFSA
Basic Skills |
Fundamental
movements & basic skills for beginners of all ages.
See
USFSA Skate-With-U.S. program. |
|
Ballet |
It's no shock
that most professional athletes use ballet in their training. It
improves coordination, balance, strength, posture, and flexibility.
Anyone can take classes and exercises are fairly easy on your knees
and back. |
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Choreography |
A Freestyle arrangement
of steps that connect technical jumps/spins to create body movement,
to interpret a music selection. |
| Dance |
Set pattern of
steps to prescribed music, incorporating timing, musicality
(expression, posture), rhythm structure and skills. |
| Free
Skate or Freestyle |
Combines the
technical elements found in figure skating with creativity &
movement to music. |
| Ice
Hockey |
A team sport with
fast skating movements, edges, quick turns and stops. Requires a
considerable investment in protective equipment. An exciting sport
for all ages. |
|
Interpretive Skating |
Creativity &
movement to music, emphasizing performance over technical. |
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Moves-in-the-Field (MIF) |
Skating
movements, edges and turns on a pattern without music. It replaced
"Figures." |
| Power
Skating |
Enables skaters
to develop stamina and control on the ice. Especially desirable for
those interested in competing or testing in figure skating or
playing ice hockey. |
|
Synchronized Skating |
The team
sport in figure skating. Each team is composed of 12 or more
skaters at different skating and age levels . It tends to emphasize
Interpretive Skating skills. |
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