It’s competition season!
The time is finally here! Synchronized skaters have been practicing for months learning new skills and programs. New costumes and music are finished and the first exhibitions to “shake out the nerves” are over. It’s what everyone has been preparing for. The bleachers are full, everyone is cheering on their teams, and you can feel the excitement in the air. The anticipation and thrill of a fresh season is electrifying! Bring your pom-poms and dress in your matching team colors. Here we go!
Here is my list of the top 10 things for parents to remember at the start of the competition season:
- Leave the judging to the judges. Watching lots of hours of practice doesn’t make you qualified to evaluate and place teams. Unless you’ve studied the rule book and been through judges training, all you have is an opinion. I’m always amazed at how many parents, especially at the higher levels, have become “experts” in the field because they have watched from a distance. Many times your opinions don’t match the rules.
- Leave the coaching to the coaches – it’s what you pay them for. Coaches are building programs based on a defined set of criteria, trying to put their teams’ best skate forward. Competitions are where they get feedback from judges and see how the team reacts to the pressure of competition. IJS (the international judging system) is a game of strategy and math. US Figure Skating has a wonderful program for developing coaches to learn from officials and more experienced coaches. Many use it. Appreciate that we are all continuously learning and growing as the sport evolves.
- Programs have different goals, different skaters, and different cultures. Just because one club does something a certain way doesn’t mean that will work for your program. Your team or club might be in a rebuilding year, while others always seem to be a powerhouse. You might be jealous they have more money, more ice time, or just overall more qualified skaters. Everyone’s situation is different. Focus on getting the most out of yours.
- It’s all about perspective. The team can finish in last place and still have a successful competition. Focus on what your skater has control over. Teams can only control their own performance, not who they compete against. Keeping skaters focused on doing their best, getting better at each practice, and supporting their teammates growth is critical to success. Getting a technical element “called” for the first time or raising a GOE (grade of execution) from a minus to a plus are important goals in helping skaters feel more confident and accomplished.
- Everyone is a volunteer – be nice. Competition organizers, officials, and medical staff all give their time to this sport we all love so much. Often competition organizers have spent months planning the event, and then dealing with last minute requests and changes. This is done on nights and weekends outside their normal day job. There’s no need to yell at the ticket taker because the entry price is too high or there was no parking when you got there late. It’s probably not something in their control.
- Cheer for all the teams. There is nothing worse than sitting in the bleachers to see a group of parents only cheer when their child is on the ice competing. I’ve seen major rival clubs sit on their hands and read a book while the other team is skating. That’s rude and childish. All the skaters work hard and deserve a round of applause when they finish. Putting yourself out there to be judged by officials and the public takes great personal character. Let’s reward that!
- You never know who is sitting near you. If you don’t have something positive to say – please keep it to yourself. Synchronized skating is the US Figure Skating discipline known for loud cheering and great sportsmanship. Look for something positive in every team performance you watch. Criticizing other teams doesn’t do anyone any good, and it doesn’t foster the positive environment we would like our kids to be a part of. Your good sportsmanship provides a strong role model for your skater as well.
- Ice is slippery and sometimes skaters fall down. It happens. It’s not the end of the world. In fact, how skaters handle the fall after it happens says quite a bit about them. Do they race to their spot to get back in? Do they panic and freeze? Do they take responsibility for a mistake? Do they blame their teammates off the ice? Falls happen and life goes on. No different than life in general, setbacks and falls help shape how we do better the next time.
- Don’t hover. Younger teams need parents to take responsibility for their athlete. Usually that means getting them to and from events on time, making sure they are dressed in the required apparel, and packing their skate bag so they have everything they need for the day. For older athletes, parents hand the skater over to the team for the duration of the competition. Sometimes it is hard for the parent to break away. Unless you are a designated team leader, leave them alone. Trust the team leaders and coaches will take care of them as needed. Avoid texting your athlete throughout the day unless it is an emergency. Reach out to the team leader or coach first. I know this is hard! I’ve been one of those “violate the rules” mom’s many times. (Sorry team leaders!) It just makes it hard on everyone when you do it.
- Have fun! This is a great time to build your synchronized skating parent network. Go out to dinner with the other team parents. Get to know more about them that doesn’t include talking about your children. It’s common for figure skating parents to compare credentials and experiences of their children with other parents. Avoid that talk. Share where you go on vacation, what you do in your day job, or whatever else comes to mind. You might just find lifelong friends well after your children are done with synchronized skating. I know I have!
in synch mom 