I sent an email to the parents of this years Regional competitors. Thought you might like to see it!
I was so happy to hear of the successes, accomplished goals, moments of rising to the challenge and I was certainly empathetic to the missed jumps, falls on bobbles, disappointments and frustration. Our sport is one that is incredibly stressful- the WHOLE CROWD IS WATCHING THE SKATER…. not like a a team when others can also be held accountable for the good and the bad. A skater who can take the ice with grace and confidence is a person who will mature into a confident, self-reliant, mentally tough adult.
What does this sport teach us? 1) Responsibility 2) Pride AND humility (that humility thing is a tough one!) 3) Teachable spirit 4) Integrity 5) DISCIPLINE 6) Mental Toughness 7) Confidence 8) Accountability- and that's just a start. For those of us who dedicated our time as a child and young adult to this sport, we certainly learned the skating skills, but it has really been the other attributes that have carried us through our professional, academic and personal lives that count the most.
To the parents, I want to say thank you. Your time, commitment to your skater, enthusiasm and financial contribution (yes, we know that's a big one) ARE appreciated by the skaters. They don't always say it, but we will. The look on their faces when they land a new jump, skate the program of their life and feel beautiful on the ice is truly priceless. Those are memories that last a lifetime. The feeling and reinforcement of all the life lessons listed above last much longer than the hours they spend on the ice. Their true grit and determination will come when they take challenging college courses, deal with less than desirable bosses and face the many challenges of life. They will know that they CAN come out on the other side & be better for it.
As a parent, I want to protect my child from the negative outcomes- I assume we all do. It breaks our hearts when silly things happen on the ice that rattle the skater, but the coolest thing happens- they get up, they keep going and they get through it. How many people can jump up in the air, twirl around and land on a 1/4 inch of steel with smile? VERY FEW. Your kid can! I've found the best thing a parent can say to their child after an event is "wow, I SO enjoyed watching you!" And really, that's all they want to hear. It's very easy to comment on the nuances of the performance but I can tell you from being on the skaters side of it, they don't hear that. The admiration in the voice of a parent will last their entire life.
Thank you for giving your daughter the opportunity to rise to the challenge. Thank you for supporting her and her dreams. Thank you for raising a person will be a force to be reckoned with in the future. JJ, Cassie, Sarah, Leah and myself appreciate your efforts and admire your commitment to your children. We look forward to the next steps and wherever this crazy sport leads us!
I was so happy to hear of the successes, accomplished goals, moments of rising to the challenge and I was certainly empathetic to the missed jumps, falls on bobbles, disappointments and frustration. Our sport is one that is incredibly stressful- the WHOLE CROWD IS WATCHING THE SKATER…. not like a a team when others can also be held accountable for the good and the bad. A skater who can take the ice with grace and confidence is a person who will mature into a confident, self-reliant, mentally tough adult.
What does this sport teach us? 1) Responsibility 2) Pride AND humility (that humility thing is a tough one!) 3) Teachable spirit 4) Integrity 5) DISCIPLINE 6) Mental Toughness 7) Confidence 8) Accountability- and that's just a start. For those of us who dedicated our time as a child and young adult to this sport, we certainly learned the skating skills, but it has really been the other attributes that have carried us through our professional, academic and personal lives that count the most.
To the parents, I want to say thank you. Your time, commitment to your skater, enthusiasm and financial contribution (yes, we know that's a big one) ARE appreciated by the skaters. They don't always say it, but we will. The look on their faces when they land a new jump, skate the program of their life and feel beautiful on the ice is truly priceless. Those are memories that last a lifetime. The feeling and reinforcement of all the life lessons listed above last much longer than the hours they spend on the ice. Their true grit and determination will come when they take challenging college courses, deal with less than desirable bosses and face the many challenges of life. They will know that they CAN come out on the other side & be better for it.
As a parent, I want to protect my child from the negative outcomes- I assume we all do. It breaks our hearts when silly things happen on the ice that rattle the skater, but the coolest thing happens- they get up, they keep going and they get through it. How many people can jump up in the air, twirl around and land on a 1/4 inch of steel with smile? VERY FEW. Your kid can! I've found the best thing a parent can say to their child after an event is "wow, I SO enjoyed watching you!" And really, that's all they want to hear. It's very easy to comment on the nuances of the performance but I can tell you from being on the skaters side of it, they don't hear that. The admiration in the voice of a parent will last their entire life.
Thank you for giving your daughter the opportunity to rise to the challenge. Thank you for supporting her and her dreams. Thank you for raising a person will be a force to be reckoned with in the future. JJ, Cassie, Sarah, Leah and myself appreciate your efforts and admire your commitment to your children. We look forward to the next steps and wherever this crazy sport leads us!