SKATING PRACTICE + Coronavirus fears

[twizzletoes76]

This question is for coaches and other skaters: what do we do about the Covid-19 outbreak? There is no right answer here as none of us have probably experienced anything like this—but I’ve been reading more and more how the best way to prevent the virus from spreading is to socially isolate. But what do we do about our beloved practice sessions? I only take lessons once and a while but was looking forward to taking one this week—but I am now totally freaked out about this pandemic as cases of Covid-19 have been discovered in my area. My biggest fear in scheduling a lesson is: what IF I have the virus but do not show symptoms and therefore believe I’m fine—and then I book a lesson and inadvertently transmit the virus to the coach (because I’m unaware of my condition) and the coach then infects other people? Right now I have some minor sniffles—something I would ordinarily not think twice about but because of this outbreak I’m questioning everything! If I thought this outbreak was going to pass soon, I would just hold off on lessons for a few weeks but experts are saying it could last months and I certainly don’t want to go months without lessons. I know coaches also don’t want to lose income because of the outbreak—but I see no way to be in a lesson without having some contact/interaction with a coach—so I feel lessons right now actually pose a risk. Any thoughts on this? Advice? Also, is this a worry anyone else has?

 

[overedge]

My club has sent out a "wash your hands regularly" type message (copied from the local health board).

@twizzletoes76 FWIW I would suggest contacting your coach and seeing what they think. They may not want to get infected either, and I'm sure they are also thinking about the possibility of losing months and months of income from lessons.

If you are feeling sniffly right now, it might not be a bad idea to take a few days off until you're not sniffly. Coaches and other skaters probably don't want to catch the cold or the flu too.

 

[Theoreticalgirl]

Our club has sent out a message about what steps they are taking to protect skaters. One of their points is that if you're not feeling well in any form, that you stay home. I think that is a good baseline suggestion.

One more thing: I know skating coaches may touch a skater's body during lessons to assist with technique, so it's worth asking instructors to maintain a distance and refrain from physical contact. It's less than ideal, but can help.

 

[Clarice]

Dance coach here, so I can't avoid touching students. My rink is currently closed for two weeks for ice maintenance anyway, but assuming we get to go back, I was going to bring in hand sanitizer to have at the boards (more as a visual reassurance, since I carry it anyway). I'll also rotate and wash my gloves way more frequently. And, obviously, cancel lessons and stay home if I'm showing any kind of symptoms.

This is not my primary job, so if all I do is cancel some skating lessons it won't break the bank. But I also teach at a college. If we close, I don't quite know what happens.

 

[Theoreticalgirl]

@Clarice , I'm aware physical interaction is one of many methods used to assist skaters. I'm glad you're taking precautions, but that may not be adequate for your clients. I hope you'll respect the request of anyone who wishes to maintain boundaries. This is a good practice to have—pandemic or not—as there many discussions around this topic in other hands-on disciplines.

 

[Clarice]

Oh, of course! But if they want me to partner them, there's no way around contact. Thanks for the link!

 

[gkelly]

Oh, of course! But if they want me to partner them, there's no way around contact. Thanks for the link!

Fresh gloves for every student (and ask the same of them)?

When I was mildly ill a while back, I told my dance coach we wouldn't do waltz hold that day, even though that was exactly what I most needed to work on.

 

[GarrAargHrumph]

I haven't been back to practice this week, and this is the week when the concern really ramped up, locally. Prior to this week, although I thought a bit about it and did things like washed my hands more often, I still did my ice dance lesson.

 

[Spun Silver]

I think my rink is still open (it's canceled "events") and if so I'll go. It's probably considerably less risky than going to the grocery store.

 

[AxelAnnie]

Advice: Don't go.

Thoughts: I am constantly amazed at the angst about missing figure skating lessons. Let's see............figure skating lesson v. potential for being infected or infecting others.

NO CONTEST. Do your part. Don't go. Are you expected at the Olympics next week or something?
Are 2-4 missed lessons going to permanently thwart your progress in some way?

If you paid in advance for the session.....well, tough. You would have spent the money had you gone. So the money would be spent anyway. Sad you miss the sessions...........but I have to say there are a lot of people missing a lot of things....huge things.....critical things. That is life.

Do something useful with your extra time. Cook meals and deliver them to people who need it.....i.e school children from schools that are closed, and depend on the school for lunch or dinner.

Think of something you could do for a local rest home. There are so many people who have no one. Get a couple of phone numbers and get a "phone pal".

Make a difference somewhere.

 

[Japanfan]

I tend to agree with Axel Annie - just don't go. I understand that activities and social life are very important to a lot of people, especially single people who live alone. But it doesn't seem the worth the risk to me.

OTOH, Mr. Japanfan is going to hospital tomorrow to visit his father, and he works in a group home. So his risk is relatively high.

 

[Yazmeen]

Advice: Don't go.

Thoughts: I am constantly amazed at the angst about missing figure skating lessons. Let's see............figure skating lesson v. potential for being infected or infecting others.

NO CONTEST. Do your part. Don't go. Are you expected at the Olympics next week or something?
Are 2-4 missed lessons going to permanently thwart your progress in some way?

If you paid in advance for the session.....well, tough. You would have spent the money had you gone. So the money would be spent anyway. Sad you miss the sessions...........but I have to say there are a lot of people missing a lot of things....huge things.....critical things. That is life.

Do something useful with your extra time. Cook meals and deliver them to people who need it.....i.e school children from schools that are closed, and depend on the school for lunch or dinner.

Think of something you could do for a local rest home. There are so many people who have no one. Get a couple of phone numbers and get a "phone pal".

Make a difference somewhere.

THIS!!!! While my usual rink is staying open on a somewhat limited basis (no large groups), I strongly disagree with them not following our Governor's order to close at this point. I'm 62, have asthma, and my skates will be off-ice until this calms down.

I realize missing skating is not fun, but the risks are too high, especially for community passage of the disease. Even though I'm no longer in clinical practice, as a physician I took an oath to protect people, so I cannot support going out and skating if your community is at risk right now. Sorry folks, but you'll live without skating for a while.

 

[Yazmeen]

Think about it this way: https://www.nzherald.co.nz/lifestyl...fNH9OTmdSAIMVJiOJPB40__u18Ql29joC0rTIv5NHFGHQ

 

[Yazmeen]

Also - I shared this in the other post here about open/closed rinks:

A small suggestion? Support your ice pros/shops as you can online. I go through Northern Ice and Dance (Cassie Laurence) in Potsdam, NY, and I opted to treat myself to some new skating pants and tights with my accumulated AMEX points. Anything that can keep people in business while social distancing can help. https://www.northerniceanddance.com/

 

[spinZZ]

Think about it this way: https://www.nzherald.co.nz/lifestyl...fNH9OTmdSAIMVJiOJPB40__u18Ql29joC0rTIv5NHFGHQ

What language is he speaking?

 

[Yazmeen]

What language is he speaking?

Lack of selfishness.

 

[syzygy]

Honestly using this time to gain strength in places I don't have time to build it.