Dealing With Conflict in Skating

This story has never been put in writing, but something that has recently happened made me remember it.

When I was a child, my family chose to take ice skating lessons from a very talented figure skating coach. He had not yet made a "name" for himself, but he worked hard and knew what it took to make champions.

I am not going to mention his name, but those in the skating world will know who he is. To make things easier, I will just refer to that coach as "X."

The problem was that "X" did not get a long with many people in skating. Even though that was an issue, our family believed it was best to work under him. We did not want to take sides and tried our best to remain neutral when it came to conflict at the rink.

Although we wanted to remain neutral, our family was affected though. When we were growing up, sometimes other skaters wouldn't associate with us since we took from "X." They would not sit with us at the rink. In reaction, those who took from "X" became their own little group. We had to do that. Other skaters just didn't want to be friends with skaters that took lessons from "X." (Maybe their coaches felt that was best? I was too young then to understad conflicts in figure skating.)

As time passed, "X" did a good job, and thanks to "X," my brother, Billy, my sister, Lynnellen, and I, became accomplished figure skaters. We worked with "X" for many years.

And...

"X" eventually trained a world champion.

Years passed. Eventually, Billy decided to change coaches and went to Colorado to work with Olympic figure skating coach, Carlo Fassi. "X" decided not to teach me or Lynnellen when Billy made the switch. We found a new singles coach.

I think about this story because I realize that children should not be subject to conflict among figure skating coaches or among other skaters. Why should we have to had dealt with other kids not associating with us at the rink for so many years? If "X" had issues that could not be resolved, why did it have to affect us? When I look back, it just does not make sense.

If there are issues among skating coaches that affect children, skaters, and their families, I believe those issues need to be resolved quickly and should not go on and on. Skaters and their families (and friends) should not have to take sides. A successful figure skating program means that there cannot be division at an ice rink or club. Rink management or the Professional Skaters Association should do what it takes to make things better, and they should do that quickly.