ROBERT UNGER and His Legacy to ISI
by Margy Bennett R
OBERT UNGER WAS a German ice and roller skating champion, and a star of Holiday on Ice Worldwide.
After touring for many years with the ice show, he settled in Knoxville, Tenn., where he became the manager and later the
owner of the Ice Chalet. His keen business sense and warm personality resulted in a recipe for success for his business and for developing many lifelong skaters.
I met Mr. Unger in 1967, when my
Girl Scout troop came to the Ice Chalet to earn the ice skating badge, and he was the instructor of the class. He made sure that our rental skates fit correctly and the laces were tight enough. He also made the class fun and instilled confidence in every skater in the class. I had skated a few times prior to that lesson and had an easier time than my friends in the class. His charisma, charm and encouragement were all it took for me to join the group lesson program.
All-Inclusive Competitions
After passing my Alpha test in 1968, I was on my way to becoming a lifelong skater. I participated in a group number in a Christmas ice show and soon after that my first ISI team competition. Tere
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The writer, Margy Bennett, featured in a 1980 article in the ISIA Newsletter.
were two teams of skaters — older more advanced skaters supporting younger new skaters. He felt strongly that all skaters would benefit from participating. An atmosphere of friendship and camaraderie was developed, and individual placement wasn’t as important as participation. “Winning isn’t everything” was learned early in my skating career. We did not have to travel out of town, as the closest ice rink was a four-hour drive. Tese types of competitions became known as “intra-rink” competitions, and today they are a valuable tool to grow a strong skating program.
Mr. Unger would never tolerate what
he called “prima-donna behavior.” We learned to be on time for practice and lessons or we could not participate that day. We learned to wait our turn, to show respect to everyone at all times, to look our best always, and to be a good listener. Emotional outbursts were not part of the acceptable behavior in lessons, practice or at competitions.
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