11 skaters, 2 coaches and 2 minutes of music.
The first beats pulsed through the huge arena. We held our breath and watched every movement our skaters made. There was no way to help them now, like baby birds learning to fly, they had to skate this without our help. All their hard work for 5 months was coming down to these 2 minutes. I could only hope we had prepared them well enough. Their first few steps were a little shaky with nerves, but they quickly found their footing on the slippery surface. They thought on their feet and added an extra element when they realized they had skated faster than usual. They took their final pose and it was over. We could breath again.
My friend, (the other coach), and I were so proud of them. They made only one stumble but recovered quickly. They had finally come together as a team. We couldn't have asked for more.
I could see the other teams were much more experienced than we were, so I wasn't surprised when we got the scores back. We had taken 12th out of 12. But how were we supposed to break it to the girls? They had given their all. Would there be tears? or would they be proud of their effort being a brand new team at a big competition? We got them all together and my friend asked, "Did you have fun this weekend? Are you happy with how you skated?"
They all shouted "YES!"
"Can you see the things we need to work on?" We asked. They knew where it was leading, but they understood that if they wanted to be good enough to win they'd have to put in a lot more time and effort.
If we hadn't come to this competition, they never would have realized how much better they could be. Even though it's tough to take last, the overall experience of the weekend, staying as a team in the hotel and bonding was far more positive than negative. Now they are excited to get back on the ice and see how they can improve. Sometimes it takes losing big to light the fires of ambition.
Have big losses or rejections given you the determination to work even harder?
Kathy
The first beats pulsed through the huge arena. We held our breath and watched every movement our skaters made. There was no way to help them now, like baby birds learning to fly, they had to skate this without our help. All their hard work for 5 months was coming down to these 2 minutes. I could only hope we had prepared them well enough. Their first few steps were a little shaky with nerves, but they quickly found their footing on the slippery surface. They thought on their feet and added an extra element when they realized they had skated faster than usual. They took their final pose and it was over. We could breath again.
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| The team I co-coach. 11 great girls! |
I could see the other teams were much more experienced than we were, so I wasn't surprised when we got the scores back. We had taken 12th out of 12. But how were we supposed to break it to the girls? They had given their all. Would there be tears? or would they be proud of their effort being a brand new team at a big competition? We got them all together and my friend asked, "Did you have fun this weekend? Are you happy with how you skated?"
They all shouted "YES!"
"Can you see the things we need to work on?" We asked. They knew where it was leading, but they understood that if they wanted to be good enough to win they'd have to put in a lot more time and effort.
If we hadn't come to this competition, they never would have realized how much better they could be. Even though it's tough to take last, the overall experience of the weekend, staying as a team in the hotel and bonding was far more positive than negative. Now they are excited to get back on the ice and see how they can improve. Sometimes it takes losing big to light the fires of ambition.
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| Jess and Alyssa's team with their coach |
Have big losses or rejections given you the determination to work even harder?
Kathy
