Adult African-American figure skater getting back onto the ice while facing the trials and tribulations of injury, illness, odd looks and being a lefty in a righty world.
Saturday, February 13, 2021
Huh??
So, I'm at the rink that is always entirely too cold and as a result, my back ends up hurting. Be that as it may, I was skating a session, concentrating on my MIF and I adjust where my path because a Coach 1 is working with a student and has veered her student into me twice already. I move more to the left and so does Coach 1, who, by the way, is looking at me the entire time.
Huh?
I move. Just as an FYI, a more seasoned coach is working with a student as I fly past doing a dance. He moved his student and waved as I went past. I'm just saying.
So the Coach 1 is working with her beginner student on forward outside three turns. What I notice is that her arms are pre-rotated, which after you have fairly good three turns is something you can work with. For this adult student, the pre-rotated arms are causing her to turn into herself and almost do a spin. I'm confused, but say nothing.
Off to jump. As you know, I'm a lefty. I usually jump in the lefty lutz corner, this way, I'm free and clear of other skaters. Or I used to be. Now EVERYONE jumps in the lefty lutz corner, seriously. Why are you doing that? We spend so much time trying to find a spot to jump, must you take ALL the space??? Anyway, I'm jumping in the lutz corner, minding my own business and wondering why it's so freaking cold in the rink, when Coach 1 skates over with her student to do what? Waltz 8. Did I mention that there were seven skaters on the ice? SEVEN. Three other corners to work on a Waltz 8. But NOOOOOO. Pick the only corner where someone is actually jumping. I move over so my jumps are in-between the two corners. What did Coach 1 do? She moved her skater to now jump in-between the two corners. I shot Coach 1 the stink eye and moved again.
Trying to collect my thoughts, I am at the boards and I glance over at Coach 1 with the adult student who is also a lefty. The student is working on back three turns. Great, I think, except she can't hold a back outside or inside edge and has rocked too far back on her blade causing her to do that crazy dance with the arms flying about more than once. I look away in case she falls back off her heels. Happily, she doesn't. Next Coach 1 has moved on to backspins. Better to learn them now, rather than later. Then to jumps. She has her student, her beginner student working on Salchows, Toe Loops, Loops, Flips and Axels. Yes, you read that correctly. A skater who cannot hold a back edge of any kind is working on axels.
Okay.
As I was about to do my spins, the skater's lesson was over and she moved to the center of the ice to chat with another skater. I continued spinning. They were bemoaning struggling with loops. Not loop jumps, LOOPS!
Am I the only person who sees that this may not end well? Am I the only one who really doesn't want to have to use her First-Aid training (skated at this very rink four years ago where a hockey skater in the studio rink fell funny and broke his ankle)? I do not understand some coaches. Some hold you back for no reason and squash your plans because they think it will reflect poorly on them. Others push you along knowing that you can very well hurt yourself. Surely there is a happy medium.
Coach 1 is NOT the happy medium.
I will remain silent, but confused. And hopeful that the office downstairs has bandages...
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