Who's your coach?

It almost seems that there is a hierarchy of skater popularity, and of course, each child's personality has a great deal to do with where they stand in the club at their rink. Good sportsmanship demands we all cheer for everyone, but some kids get way more peer support than others. And don't forget, for the skater to be part of the popular crowd, the parent has a big responsibility too.



So many questions... But it seems that a super important question is "Who's your coach?" If you do not take lessons from one of the top coaches, the skater's standing suffers a bit. And often the best coaches are a bit more expensive, or require a certain number of sessions a week. And it is often hard to get a spot with them, or perhaps you started with a different coach and it's not "political" to switch coaches in mid-stream.



So, what's a poor family to do if their child wants to be a great skater and feel comfortable, accepted and known at their club? Do they need to be popular and in with the right clique at the rink? Can the skater succeed with a coach that does not have as many "successes" under their belts? Should, or even can they consider switching coaches? Will it help their child have that little extra support and loud cheering from their coaches other students, to help push them towards fun and success? If your skater is loving what they do, does any of the politics matter? How old is your skater? Is popularity is important?... Or can you insulate your skater and let them do what they love without being part of a successful coach's "kids." And can a skater succeed without their family going into masssive amounts of debt? Hmmm.....