Type I parents leave decisions up to the coach, rarely interfere unless
skating conflicts with their own world, i.e.. vacations, family functions,
etc.
Coaches and officials seldom have difficulty with these parents. They pay
their bills and maintain a low (or no) profile in the skating world.
Usually, coaches become surrogate parents to Type I's children, and skaters
develop a strong relationship with their coaches. Training areas, where
very little is expected of parents tend to be full of Type I Parent's
children. Coaches are very use to Type I Parents. They generally like the
arrangement, and the skaters seem to do well.
Type II
Type II Parents make coaches and officials very uncomfortable, as they are
(or seem to be) at the rink 24 hours a day. They are advocates looking for
a cause, and they usually become obsessed with their children's skating
careers, living through their children.
Type II Parents think they know more than coaches and judges, and spend
their time either at rinkside coaching their children or in the lobby
giving advice about what coach everyone should be taking lessons from.
Type II parents have no loyalty to any coach or rink, and no respect for
the USFSA system or officials. They are consumers of skating, trying to
buy, maneuver and outsmart the competition. As they lose touch with reality
(usually in the first or second year of skating) they become a coach's
nightmare, as they feel that they must have total control over the coach
and the decisions being made.
Winning and passing tests are their only priority. Anything less is usually
dealt with through threatening a coaching change. Children of Type II's
tend to flourish early on, but fizzle out from the stress of the constant
demands of parents who are sure their child is headed for the Olympics.
Type II Parents and (unfortunately) their skaters are generally eliminated
by the system. Eventually they cross the wrong official or are done in by
their own hands...given enough rope.
Type III
Type III Parents are becoming more and more rare. They are the parents who
step back and let the coaches do their job. Type III's know that their
duties as parents involve support roles that are vital to the success of
their child. They see that the skater gets to the rink on schedule, is
properly dressed for skating, and lives a happy and wellbalanced life away
from the arena.
At tests and competitions, they turn their children over to the coaches,
and do not interfere. Type III Parents monitor the progress of their
children as individuals first and within their peer group second, if at
all.
Type III Parents make appointments with coaches if questions arise and are
always ready to pitch in if a coach needs input or help. They respect the
knowledge of the coaches and listen to their recommendations. They also
have utmost respect for the judges and the USFSA system. Coaches feel
fortunate to have Type III's and their skaters within the rink.
Concerns
Coaches and officials are very concerned over the increased number of Type
II Parents and their skaters within the skating community. As their numbers
increase, they set a bad example for new parents coming into the sport, and
become a never ending source of trouble for the rink, the club and the
skating community.
The best way to avoid a problem is to set down rules early, and stand
behind them without hesitation. Parents have a right to be informed by
their coaches, and to have a basic understanding of their child's progress,
but coaches and judges must define the parent's role from the beginning.
This is the way to have a healthy situation for the skater an everyone.
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