coaches who never skated vs coaches who were ex-skaters

[dewey]

Those nonskating coaches might be aware of their teaching skills/aptitude, and know that they could do better than the former olympians who were successful in skating because of their natural talent but unable to know or be patient enough to teach the sport to newcomers. it's the same with my dad. he's an exceptional electrical engineer on his own, but is never patient enough to pass on his knowledge to younger generations, especially to my brothers who are also electrical engineers aspiring to follow his path.

This. Being able to do something well does not equate being able to teach it. I have long maintained that being able to teach is its own gift.

[gkelly]

Those nonskating coaches might be aware of their teaching skills/aptitude, and know that they could do better than the former olympians

Who are "those nonskating coaches"?

There's a big range between former Olympian and can't skate at all. Almost all examples who were named in this thread actually were skaters before they became coaches -- they just weren't successful enough competitors to be widely known as skaters and were more successful and therefore more well known as coaches.

Coaches who work only with beginners may have blade skill levels not much more advanced than that themselves.

"Coaches" who help elite skaters primarily with choreography and/or mental focus may not have much in the way of blade skills either.

But pretty much everyone who learns skating skills learns them from coaches who already had experience training their own skating skills.

Aside from Gus Lussi, at a much earlier point in the development in the sport, I don't know of anyone who teaches skating technique without having developed a respectable amount of blade skills of their own.

Is the point of this thread really to look for coaches who were never as successful skaters as their most successful students? There are plenty of those. But coaches who "never skated"? Don't know of any.

[UDelpairs2012]

Pam Gregory did not have immense success as a skater but she coached Kimmie to the Olympics and a world title....but as far as not skating at all I don't see how a person could do that. The world of skating is that its on world. With its own language and everything.

[Spazactaz]

How can you even be a coach without having skated? In Canada, to even get certified to coach the learn-to-skate programs you need to have passed the first tests in freeskate, dance, and skills.

[aliceanne]

How can you even be a coach without having skated? In Canada, to even get certified to coach the learn-to-skate programs you need to have passed the first tests in freeskate, dance, and skills.

I think at the beginning levels you need a coach who can demonstrate the skills. Elite coaches may stand at the boards and direct, but never a basic skills coach. I agree teaching ability is important, but some technical skill is necessary as well.

There are usually a dozen national/international level skaters in my area and all of their primary coaches have at a minimum passed the senior skating test in their country of origin.

Did Lussi teach Button his basic skills? I thought Lussi's main contribution to skating was to break down the existing technique for jumping and spinning and based on physics improve it. His later students were already elites.

[aliceanne]

IIRC Kerry Leitch competed at the junior national level in Canada but never placed very well. Did he perhaps mean that he was never an elite skater?

I thought I read that Leitch was disqualified from Olympic eligible competition because he accepted money to play minor league baseball. Under the rules of the time he was therefore considered a professional athlete.

[fan]

The only names that come to mind of well-known coaches who never skated are Joanne Macleod (whose training is in modern dance IIRC) ).

really? no skating training? this might explain her students' technique

[blue_idealist]

I wasn't even aware that there were some coaches who never skated, wow. Maybe that's why Joanne McLeod's students have consistency issues..

[blue_idealist]

Lol I see the person above me kind of thought the same thing!

[A.H.Black]

Did Lussi teach Button his basic skills? I thought Lussi's main contribution to skating was to break down the existing technique for jumping and spinning and based on physics improve it. His later students were already elites.

Between my memory and online sources - Dick Button didn't start with Lussi but he wasn't an elite skater either. When he started to be serious about skating, it was only a few months before he was with Lussi. Same think with Dorothy Hamill - she wasn't a brand new skater but she was still quite young when she begged her parents to let her train with Mr. Lussi.

If you ever get a chance to see the short documentary - Gustave Lussi: The Man Who Changed Skating - it's well worth it.