Ice coach chatting during 1-1 lesson £1 for 1 minute

[Pooooo250]

Sorry I am new bee .
Please educate me the unwritten rule and courtesy and manner on ice rink .
Today my coach’s next student Ditched her . So she persuaded me to buy 2 lessons : 2x 45 mins = 90 mins plus 30 min off ice . I paid £15 + 90 = £115 .
I was not sure this is good idea for a 7 year old .
Anyway :
We have a good relationship with her so far . She does sometimes chat with random people on ice during lesson .
But it was v brief usually .

Today is the worst experience for me and my kiddo .
I drove 2 hours return trip and paid £115 for unhappy experience.


In the last 30 mins . There is a girl turned up from no where following them for entire 30 mins .
If u don’t know u will definitely assume its 1-2 lessons .
The coach doesn’t tell the girl to go away .
Instead she saw me standing there . She came to me with my kiddo to explain herself :
Hi the girl my student from long time ago . It’s good sometimes kid can see other kid . and getting competitive .

My kid had an unhappy face (who is 7 years old and mild Asperger . Not team worker for sure hence why I pay 1-1  , ) who is too polite to say anything . I cud see kid is unhappy . But when the coach said : continue ? Kid nodded .


So the situation continues . The same .

A few times coach took  eyes off my kid completely to talk to the girl . The girl trying to ask her lots questions .
Coach Even back toward my kid who wonder away . As girl trying her best to steal coach attention . My kid meanwhile cud have fell or knocked over by the flow . As my kid is not even level 4 yet .
I actually saw coach finished chatting turned around and can’t find my kid for a few seconds .

So in the end my kid crying after lesson finished saying .””. I feel stupid that girl can do everything perfect and beautiful I can’t .

Obviously coach either fob me off with this excuse while she trying to reunite with old student or possibly promoting new potential customer at expense of my time and my money . Or she sincerely believe this tactic & failed . My kid is not competitive type . The girl is 3 years older .and ofcoz much better . As more experienced.

So we came home feeling sad . And stupid .
My kid felt stupid as some tall girl beautifully done better in comparison.
I feel stupid that I being so so polite and taken advantage of and with fobbing excuses which insult my IQ.

And it s hard to find a new experienced coach from zero again in london.

[transmissionoftheflame]

Well if you think the coach is good - competent technically and a good teaching approach that suits your child - then maybe it's worth saying calmly but firmly that lessons must be 1-1.  I have been at a few rinks and most of them have more than one decent coach.

[Pooooo250]

With music . The teacher always get pissed off If u have more than 1 teacher . Saying will be interfered  with Styles .

With ice . U mean it’s ok to have a few coaches ?
Thanks

[transmissionoftheflame]

What I meant was that if you can't work something out with this coach then you should be able to find another one.


As for having multiple coaches, some I have known would absolutely refuse to be involved, others are quite happy to share students.  My personal view is that you're the client and you choose who to employ, but the etiquette seems to be that you need to ask first.  One of many reasons why I am glad I no longer have lessons on ice, do patch or indeed have anything to do with rink politics.  I don't know or speak to anyone at the rink I skate at now.

[Pooooo250]

Had a talk with coach .

Her reply .
“
Oh, I'm so sorry, I didn't know she wouldn't like it.
I'm always introducing my skaters to each other and asking them to show something as a part of learning by watching the other skaters, this is quite common.
this girl was left by her sibling  alone on the ice and offered her to follow us and show some movements like a playing part of our session.
I'm so sorry again.
“

[transmissionoftheflame]

Sounds vaguely promising - I guess time will tell.


Hope it all works and thanks for the update.

[Pooooo250]

My kid just told me another thing :every lesson .  the coach left him alone on ice and went back to office for 2 mins saying she needs to put shoe guard away . ( she has big coat pocket ) is this even allowed to leave age 7 kid alone on ice …….as it prints : no under 8 alone on ice .
She obviously know as this is the reason she told me that girl age 10 is alone so she is looking  after her together as a favour during my lesson .

Now my kid just trying to find every excuses or reasons to not going to ice rink anymore . I don’t know whether kiddo is fed up with ice or this teacher only

[black]

Just a thought; could you get to Slough on a Sunday? -> https://spiceskating.org

[Pooooo250]

Just a thought; could you get to Slough on a Sunday?

?

[black]

Your child's current coach doesn't sound suitable, and things are probably not going to change.

I'm not sure where you are in London, but Slough Ice Arena is just outside of the M25.

You mentioned that your child thinks a bit differently to 'normies'.

Special People on Ice (SPICE) provides ice time, coaching, & social skating in a calm and caring environment.

"SPICE runs throughout the year and offers ice skating and ice hockey tuition from 11:15 am to 13:00 pm each Sunday."

[black]

Also leaving a child solo during a lesson is irresponsible, not right at all; they have a duty of care.

https://www.iceskating.org.uk/safeguarding