A Proud Coaching Moment
I’m not sure if I’ve ever shared this with you, but I am a registered Learn to Skate coach at my rink. I am either a coach or a helper throughout the year, depending on how full the sessions are. This winter session, I am a helper during a weeknight.
During the first class of the session, we had about 10 skaters in the Basic 1 (beginner) class. Although none of the students had ever taken lessons before, they all knew how to move. I was getting ready to help them on their 2-foot glide when one of the other helpers carried a little girl to our class.
This teary-eyed little girl was no more than 7 years old. She had been crying and it was obviously that she was scared. The helper placed her on the ice and went off on his way to help another class. I asked the little girl if she could march with me and she said no. She reached for my hand, but I gently refused and said that we’d learn how to skate together. I said that I knew she could do this by herself.
The girl was trembling and was very unstable. We took things one baby step at a time until her tremors stopped. Soon enough, she was standing on 2 feet and holding her own. By the time the 30 minutes were done, she had learned to march, do a 2-foot glide, dip, and properly stand up on the ice (after purposely trying to fall). She was smiling and laughing at the end of the class, and I could not have been prouder. She never fell or cried during our time together (note that because she was the least experienced in the class, I focused all of my time helping her out).
I gave this little girl plenty of high-fives along the way and told her multiple times throughout the class how proud I was of her. After class ended, she had the opportunity to continue practicing or go home. She excitedly chose to remain on the ice to keep skating.
It’s moments like these that make me happy to help others develop a love for the sport that I adore. This little girl was initially petrified of being on the ice, but after we broke things down into smaller, achievable steps, she was happy and excited to be skating. This was definitely a proud coaching moment and one that I will always cherish.
