Right of Way

Let's talk about right of way on freestyle ice. Most kids get it wrong. One did with me today. If I weren't more concerned with spending my time in a lesson wisely (since I'm paying for it), I would have given this kid the what's what.

Coach is working with me on power 3's. These take the length of the ice, then around to take the other length of the ice. I'm working on timing and following the axis and getting the correct number of lobes down the ice plus form, carriage, edge quality. The whole gamut. A child skater is doing something in a small area in my path. As I modify my movement to go around her, I say I'm in a lesson. She back talks me, "I'm playing my music." I know for a fact she's not in a lesson. There's only one other coach on ice, and I know who's in a lesson with her. I kept skating, but here's the what's what.

A skater in a lesson trumps a skater not in a lesson, every time. A skater in a program in a lesson has first right of way. Second, a skater in a lesson. That's me, kid. THEN third right of way is a skater not in a lesson but skating to program music.

I hate summer. I hate 9 month school years. Being a military brat, I've been in school systems that were year round and others that were 9 month. As a child, I preferred year round. As an adult, seeing our future in these kids, I still prefer year round. Seriously, it's never a good idea to give a kid 3 months off from learning. Hell, it's never a good idea to take 3 months off from anything if you're serious about getting better at it.

My rink has cool camp. Basically summer day care for kids whose parents work. ugh. And with summer, those kids who normally would skate at the very early freestyle and then head to school, leaving my later morning freestyle to the adults (or better, giving me the ice to myself)...well, in summer, those kids don't have school interfering. My usual freestyle times are much more crowded in summer. The adults, oddly enough, are no where to be found. Except me.