HP #18 - Going private
Usual disclaimer applies: this is an old event I'm recounting. See my first HP post for the full notes on these.
Background: Two months-ish into the 5-8 group, I'm enjoying the progress plus David and the group are nice, but...
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The time had come, I was ready to take another step on the rung towards becoming a real figure skating community member (not that I wasn't already but dramatic effect yo!) It was time to find my own coach.
We'd been doing similar kinds of exercises for a few weeks in the 5-8 group class, but, despite David's fun stretch & reach goals, I had reviewed the Skate UK skill requirements and figured I was basically at the end of it all. Sure, I could probably refine the stuff we were doing over a long period of practice, but I'd noticed so far that continuing to do new stuff helped me approach old skills in new ways, so everything got a little easier as I progressed. Sadly, in terms of progressing, the group adult class I was currently in didn't move up to the Skate Star program without me changing to a class on another day. That other class was in an evening slot and thus out of the question with the bus schedule I was bound to, so the only logical way to progress from here was to get my own coach.
I sat down and deliberated over the coaches I'd seen or had lessons with in the group sessions. I'd already confessed my desire for the Tammasaurus, but I thought about all the coaches I knew of just to check I was sure. Unlike many of the rink's other coaches, who had almost all covered one lesson or another of the group sessions, the Tammasaurus was actually quite a risky gambit by comparison because I'd never had any lessons with her. Therefore, I had no idea what her teaching style was like, however, she was one of the few free skating coaches I knew of that would have scheduling space in the session I went to currently, and she taught another adult skater so I knew she would take me on (she typically teaches the rink's young skaters - I would've assumed she worked with them exclusively if not for the adult skater I'd seen).
To get more information, I approached the other adult skater she taught, a nice lady that had followed the same progression path as me. She said that she enjoyed training with the Tammasaurus and she was worked hard, but it was the good kind of hard work. Good enough for me! I didn't know what the etiquette for asking coaches at the rink for lessons was, so I got her number from a coaching sheet at the rink's reception and called her to arrange a lesson.
Of course, I babbled like a madman in that call.
"Hey there, it's Owen from the rink, I'm the guy you've probably seen on the public session that's constantly throwing himself on the floor; how can you learn without falling I always think? You once told me I did my laces up too tightly. Would I be able to get some private lessons?"
She laughed faintly, she'd clearly forgotten that incident, but agreed to give me lessons starting next week so I went home happy!
What was life going to be like in private lessons? I guess I'd be finding out soon!
Background: Two months-ish into the 5-8 group, I'm enjoying the progress plus David and the group are nice, but...
-------------------------
The time had come, I was ready to take another step on the rung towards becoming a real figure skating community member (not that I wasn't already but dramatic effect yo!) It was time to find my own coach.
We'd been doing similar kinds of exercises for a few weeks in the 5-8 group class, but, despite David's fun stretch & reach goals, I had reviewed the Skate UK skill requirements and figured I was basically at the end of it all. Sure, I could probably refine the stuff we were doing over a long period of practice, but I'd noticed so far that continuing to do new stuff helped me approach old skills in new ways, so everything got a little easier as I progressed. Sadly, in terms of progressing, the group adult class I was currently in didn't move up to the Skate Star program without me changing to a class on another day. That other class was in an evening slot and thus out of the question with the bus schedule I was bound to, so the only logical way to progress from here was to get my own coach.
I sat down and deliberated over the coaches I'd seen or had lessons with in the group sessions. I'd already confessed my desire for the Tammasaurus, but I thought about all the coaches I knew of just to check I was sure. Unlike many of the rink's other coaches, who had almost all covered one lesson or another of the group sessions, the Tammasaurus was actually quite a risky gambit by comparison because I'd never had any lessons with her. Therefore, I had no idea what her teaching style was like, however, she was one of the few free skating coaches I knew of that would have scheduling space in the session I went to currently, and she taught another adult skater so I knew she would take me on (she typically teaches the rink's young skaters - I would've assumed she worked with them exclusively if not for the adult skater I'd seen).
To get more information, I approached the other adult skater she taught, a nice lady that had followed the same progression path as me. She said that she enjoyed training with the Tammasaurus and she was worked hard, but it was the good kind of hard work. Good enough for me! I didn't know what the etiquette for asking coaches at the rink for lessons was, so I got her number from a coaching sheet at the rink's reception and called her to arrange a lesson.
Of course, I babbled like a madman in that call.
"Hey there, it's Owen from the rink, I'm the guy you've probably seen on the public session that's constantly throwing himself on the floor; how can you learn without falling I always think? You once told me I did my laces up too tightly. Would I be able to get some private lessons?"
She laughed faintly, she'd clearly forgotten that incident, but agreed to give me lessons starting next week so I went home happy!
What was life going to be like in private lessons? I guess I'd be finding out soon!
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