The Ending of an Era

I drove home from the rink, my heart filled with mixed emotions. "You were her favorite coach," her mom had said to me after the lesson. Do you really have to leave?

It had been a decade since I began coaching ice skating in high school in San Jose. Coaching was what I did through college to pay for ice time, and I took it with me to Alaska. 

As a younger skater, I never wanted to coach. I never thought I was good enough to teach others the art of figure skating, nor thought anyone would hire me. When I turned 16, coaching group lessons at the rink was the only option for me if I wanted to keep up my lessons with my coach and keep competing because I needed a way to pay for my ice time and lessons. And so the journey began. 

I learned that while I was not as strong with the technical side of teaching older, more advanced skaters, I found a love for teaching the basics to younger children. I also loved teaching adults.  Coaching brought to me a sense of purpose: a way to connect with the community. My heart was filled with joy when I saw a child walk the full length of the rink all by himself. The grin that spread across a beginning skater's face when she held a one-foot-glide for 5 counts. The satisfaction that both I and my skater had when she finally passed Free Skate 1 after taking the class 3 times and not giving up. 

Skating teaches perseverance. It teaches consistency. It teaches the importance of turning off the mind and just allowing the body to do what it knows how to do from all the hours of training.  

Skating teaches that when you are relaxed and in a state of peace and fun, the technical side is easier to grasp, easier to manage. I learned this when I moved to college. In a new rink with a new coach, I decided to make my skating experience different than when I was in high school: I was going to be friendly with every skater and every coach. When I skated in high school, I was always worried about being good enough and wondered if I fit in with the other advanced skaters. However, in college, my skating blossomed and my jumps became more consistent and fun because I was no longer worried about whether I was fitting in with the competitive atmosphere of my high school rink. Learning to love everyone around me and not fretting over other people's approval has taught me that I am in control of my peace and my success in life. 

Three months ago I started to feel like I needed to retire from coaching...at least while I am living in Kansas. For weeks I pondered and prayed about my decision, and after counseling with my husband, I knew I needed to stick with my intuition. As seasons ebb and flow, so does one's life. In this season of my life, I need to remove as many obligations so that I can focus on the most important: my family, my health, and my church. I'm also wanting to devote more time to teaching yoga, and I would rather dive all in, instead of dividing my time between driving into Kansas City coaching skating and starting up a new path teaching yoga. 

In the most grateful and humble way possible, I am in awe of the many skaters I have been able to work with. The great opportunities I had traveling to competitions, learning how to work with many personalities, growing my own confidence as a coach and teacher, and cultivating the moments to always learn something new.  These are the invaluable lessons I have gleaned from a decade of coaching. 

As I got off the ice for the last time this past week, I knew I had given my best. I was never a perfect coach and my skaters didn't always get on the medal stand. But I had always given my all and loved the skaters I worked with. They are all precious to me. 

Thank you to my parents for giving me the gift of skating when I was eight, all of my skaters and their parents who trusted in me, the skating directors who gave me jobs, and my husband, who always believes in me. Here's to a new adventure.