Coaches’ Corner


Kim Hansen


ISI Skating Programs & National Events Director


T


o say that the past eight months have been an anxious time for our Professional membership


would be an understatement at best. Not in recent times had the successful continuation of the ISI learn-to-skate program been more in question. Tis period of uncertainty not only gave many an opportunity to pause and reflect on why ISI programs and services are so important, but it also gave an understanding as to what losing such a program would mean to an individual coach, his or her rink and perhaps, more importantly, one’s skaters. Let’s go back in time to understand


why ISI came into being in the first place. ISI was founded in 1959 as a non-profit organization for rink owners, operators and developers of ice skating facilities. It was not founded specifically with the idea of creating a learn-to-skate program. In a relatively short period of time, however, the founding members realized that if they were to truly meet their goal of promoting ice sports of all kinds, a basic, yet comprehensive, curriculum was needed. Te ISI learn-to-skate program was born, and over the past 50 years it has exposed tens of millions of people to the joy of skating. Tis program is based on consistent and well-defined levels of achievement that have proven to guide a skater from basic beginner maneuvers through significantly more advanced and even competitive skill sets. It has literally taught millions of people how to skate and skate well. Tose of you who have taught the ISI


program probably already know and appreciate the fundamentals of the ISI learn-to-skate program and the logical and steady building blocks it provides your skaters. But do you really understand how ISI supports you, your rink and your


26


Let’s not Forget ISI’s Overall Goal


sport in general? Tere is so much more to ISI than a freestyle patch, a handbook and a friendly and furry penguin named Flip. ISI is a community of coaches, rink managers and owners, vendors and skaters — a community that understands that people of all sizes and shapes, with various levels of talent, motivation and resources, come to participate in ice sports. It’s a community that welcomes all of these differences and celebrates the passion of skating by creating all kinds of opportunities for all types of people. ISI is well known for providing


competitive events both on a local and national level — events that


literally


offer skaters hundreds of different opportunities to showcase their hard work. Tese events generate lessons for you, practice ice revenue to your rinks, and equipment sales for vendors, all the while supporting and encouraging the skater to love and grow in the sport. You all know that a motivated and driven skater, one with a realistic and attainable goal, is your best customer. When given a chance to succeed, they (or their parents) will invest their time, spend money and become loyal customers. ISI reaches beyond the learn-to-skate


and competitive programs to serve its mission of supporting the ice sports industry by offering educational opportunities for rink owners, operators, staff and coaches. In 2003, ISI developed a comprehensive educational program known as iAIM, which was created to fill a niche, allowing rink staff to become certified in different areas of the business. Today, these classes are taught by


those who have expertise and significant on-the-job experience in various areas within the industry, and they are offered online, at regional seminars and the annual conference and trade show. To


date, approximately 1,000 graduates of the iAIM program have benefitted from this sharing of ideas, techniques, policies and practices. In addition to training rink staff on


business procedures, marketing, safety and maintenance, ISI developed the weSKATE Instructor Training with the main objective being to help coaches understand the testing standards set forth for the ISI curriculum. Gaining insight into the proper teaching of the


ISI reaches beyond the learn


to skate and competitive programs to serve its mission of supporting


the ice sports industry by offering educational opportunities for rink owners, operators, staff and coaches.


ISI maneuvers, understanding their progression and being able to test students to the required standard are the fundamental goals of this program. It is true that the ISI motto has been


“participation, not elimination,” and our community has prided itself in recognizing that everyone should be given an opportunity to skate. But do not overlook the fundamental mission of ISI, which is to grow the sport. And to that end, making everyone successful — the coach, the skater, the operations staff, the marketing office, the rink owner, etc. … this is and will always be the focus of those of us who work in the ISI office. Success comes in many forms — when a coach loves his or her job, when a rink fills their sessions daily, when a skater brings home the gold. At the end of the day, all of these successes grow our sport and keep our industry strong.


ISI EDGE SPRING 2017


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