Once upon a time there were three children skating happily at a recreational rink. They skated every day after school for an hour or two and took one or two private lessons a week and group lessons with other skaters at the rink on Friday night. They passed some skating tests and entered some beginning competitions and took part in the rink’s ice shows. They earned awards. The children loved to skate and they loved skating at that little recreational ice rink.
As time went on, they visited other rinks where very advanced competitive skaters trained. Their parents observed the coaches of these skaters in action. The entire family decided that they wanted to be serious competitive skaters too.
So, after some serious thinking and observations, the children’s father decided to approach a coach who had been highly recommended by the parents of some of the advanced competitive skaters he met.
That coach did have the time to teach all three children. He explained that before beginning instruction, that the children’s parents would have to go to the recreational rink in person and tell the children’s existing instructor that the children were now making a switch to a new coach and a new rink.
The children’s life changed quickly after that. Soon, they were skating before and after school and on Saturday mornings for several hours. Soon, each child was taking three private lessons per week. The children no longer played on the ice while they were at the rink; there was no time.
What was great was the children did improve at their skating and did turn into really good skaters. Two of the children went on to compete at the United States National Championships and all three children won many competitions and earned many trophies and medals.
