How to Become a Figure Skating Coach

Figure skating coaches must meet certification and continuing education requirements.

Becoming a figure skating coach requires more than just excellent skating skills. To coach for either U.S. Figure Skating or the Ice Skating Institute (ISI), a skater must also become a member of the organization he or she coaches for, become a member of the Professional Skaters Association (PSA), and meet continuing education requirements.

Instructions

1. Become a member of the organization in which you plan to coach. Both U.S. Figure Skating and the ISI require their coaches to be members. U.S. Figure Skating has an additional coaches' registration requirement; coaches' registration fees are used to cover the costs of performing background checks on coaches.

2. Join the PSA. Both U.S. Figure Skating and ISI require their coaches to be PSA members. Although U.S. Figure Skating has no age requirement, the PSA requires its members to be at least sixteen years of age. The PSA offers general coaching classes and skills tests as well as continuing education classes.

3. Prepare a resume detailing your skating experience. Although neither U.S. Figure Skating nor ISI have specific skills requirements for coaches, both organizations recognize that people who cannot skate are not likely to be effective skating coaches. If you have non-skating experience that is relevant to coaching, such as education in sports medicine, child development, or coaching another sport, include it on your resume.

4. Contact your local rinks and/or skating clubs to see if coaching positions are available. If you're unsure which rinks or clubs are in the area, the U.S. Figure Skating website has a "club-finder" tool that lists rinks and U.S. Figure Skating clubs. Usually, a rink will post a sign noting whether its skating club is a member of U.S. Figure Skating, ISI, or both, or the rink management will know.

5. Maintain your continuing education credits. The PSA requires a certain number of continuing education credits per year for most coaches. Continuing education classes cover the rules of competitive skating, including the details of judging systems. Both U.S. Figure Skating and ISI expect their coaches will meet the PSA's continuing education requirements. The PSA allows coaches to "test out" of required credits by passing a competency exam.

References

• U.S. Figure Skating: Recommended Steps to Becoming a Figure Skating Coach
• U.S. Figure Skating: Coaches
• Professional Skaters Association: Continuing Education Requirements

Resources

• Skate Canada: How to Become a Coach