IMPORTANT - Sanction rules when attending events or skating at competitions or exhibitions.
The Ten Commandments for Figure Skating Parents
I. Thou shalt not impose your ambitions on thy child.
Remember that figure skating is your child’s activity. Improvement and
progress occur at different rates for each individual. Don’t judge your
child’s progress based on the performance of other athletes, and don’t
push them based on what you think they should be doing.
II. Thou shalt be supportive no matter what. There is
only one question to ask your child - “Did you have fun?” If
competitions, shows, and practices are not fun, your child should not be
forced to participate.
III. Thou shalt not coach your child. You have taken
your child to a professional coach - do not undermine that performance
by trying to coach your child on the side. Your job is to support and
love your child no matter what, and the coach is responsible for the
technical part of the job.
IV. Thou shalt only have positive things to say at a
competition. If you are going to show up at a competition, you should
cheer and applaud, but never criticize your child, other children, the
judges, coaches, or officials. Always strive to set a good example for
your child.
V. Thou shalt acknowledge thy child’s fears. A first
competition (or every competition) can be a stressful situation. It is
totally appropriate for your child to be anxious. Don’t yell or
belittle, just assure your child they are ready for it.
VI. Thou shalt not criticize the judges. If you complain
about the judging or results, don’t be surprised when your child models
your behavior and acts out against other authority figures in his life.
He learned it from you.
VII. Honor thy child’s coach. The bond between coach and
skater is a special one and one that contributes to your child’s
success as well as fun. Do not criticize the coach in the presence of
your child.
VIII. The child shall have goals besides winning. Giving
an honest effort, regardless of the outcome, is much more important
than winning. An Olympic swimmer once said, “My goal was to set a world
record. Well, I did that but someone did it too, just a little faster
than I did. I achieved my goal and lost. That does not make me a
failure. In fact, I am very proud of that race.”
IX. Thou shalt place your child first above everything.
Ask yourself this question - Are your child’s goals more important to
you than they are to your child? Remember that the focus of youth sports
should be fun. Children are constantly changing, and their goals,
interests and participation in activities will change as well. Parents
should remain flexible, patient and always supportive while their
children strive to find their niche in life.
X. Thou shalt not expect thy child to become an
Olympian. There are more than 100,000 skaters registered with ISI and US
Figure Skating. The odds of your child making the Olympic team are less
than one in 33,000. Figure Skating is much more than just the Olympics.
Ask your coach why he coaches. Chances are he or she was not an Olympic
skater but still got enough out of skating that they want to pass that
love for the sport on to others. Figure Skating teaches self-discipline
and sportsmanship. It builds self-esteem and fitness.
It provides lifelong friendships and much more. Figure Skating builds
good people and you should be happy that your child wants to
participate.
