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KIDS' QUESTIONS

February 2001

1960 Olympic champion and top coach Carol Heiss-Jenkins answers your toughest questions! The response to Kids' Questions continues to be impressive, so keep those questions and photos coming every month.

Former student Tonia Kwiatkowski and Carol Heiss-Jenkins

Q: Have you gone through different stages of your coaching career and has your philosophy or ideas on coaching changed over time? How so? Margaret, Omaha, Neb.

CHJ: I have been coaching singles skaters for 23 years and my basic philosophy regarding coaching has remained the same. I want skating, with all its hard work and discipline, to be fun. I want my pupils to feel that they have not only learned how to skate, but that they have learned the values of hard work, self-discipline, organization and the satisfaction of achieving their personal best. Certainly the details and ideas involved with coaching singles skaters have been adjusted to reflect changes in the sport, such as the elimination of figures, increased off-ice training, and the ever-expanding dimensions of free skating from the choreography to the triple and quadruple jumps.

Q: We are living in Brussels, Belgium. We are not as fortunate as the kids in the U.S., as all the skating rinks here are closed from the end of April until the end of September (due to the warm weather). What sort of practice would you suggest I do during the off-season? Tatjana, 6, Brussels

CHJ: Ballet is wonderful off-ice conditioning for skaters. Take three or four lessons a week, even when your rink is open. Pilates is a good alternative, as is riding a bike. There is still nothing that can duplicate or come close to on-ice training for a skater, but these activities will help you keep in condition and the ballet will help with body positioning and control as well.

Q: What would you say has been the greatest change in figure skating from the time you skated and now? Would you like to see any dramatic changes in the future? Bre Ann Brown, 12, Salt Lake City, Utah

CHJ: The elimination of figures and the introduction of the short program were, of course, major changes. I do not foresee that kind of dramatic change in the future.

Q: Since you have been in skating for so long, how do you keep from getting burned out? Shaina Lynn Palmere, 12, East Windsor, N.J.

CHJ: I am passionate about skating. I think I have avoided burnout by genuinely enjoying and loving what I am doing, both when I was a competitor and now as a coach.

Q: When your students are learning the double Axel, what are some of the most common mistakes that they make? Donna Vorpagel, 15, Merrill, Wisc.

CHJ: When first learning the double Axel, the tendency is to curl and jump into the circle instead of jumping up and out (straight). One of the hardest and most important things is to make the free leg come through to help produce a high and straight jump.

Q: I am at Free Skate level 2 and can't stay off my toe pick. Do you have any pointers? Kristen James, 10

CHJ: To help you stay off your toe pick, keep your knees bent and hips aligned over each skating foot. Also, your head should be held up; don't look down at your feet. Don't feel badly; even the best skaters occasionally trip over their toe picks.

Q: When your skater does poorly in competition, do you blame yourself? What do you do to prepare your skater for the next competition? Robbie Flynn, 14, Beverly

CHJ: I share the blame, because the skater and coach are a team. But most of all I try to correct what was wrong and reinforce what was good. I try to give the skater self-confidence and a good mental attitude for the next competition.

Q: When you are not coaching or traveling around the world for skating, what do you like to do in your free time? Rhiannon, 15, Bentleyville, Pa.

CHJ: I look forward to spending time with my family: my husband, and when possible, my three married children and five grandchildren. I also enjoy reading, needlepoint and knitting.

Q: I just started skating about six months ago and I'm still taking group lessons. I'd like to have private lessons, but I don't know what to say to the coach. When is the right time to approach him or her and what should I say? Clara, 17, Sydney, Australia

CHJ: It sounds to me like now is the right time to ask about private lessons. Discuss your interest and goals in skating and your present skating ability with your coach to obtain his or her recommendation as to whether you would benefit from private lessons at this point. Because you are 17, I would be inclined to start private lessons earlier than normal.

Q: What kind of characteristics do you try to instill in your students? Do you try to teach them what you learned during your skating career? Kelly, 15, Youngstown, Ohio

CHJ: I had a wonderful coach, Pierre Brunet, who taught me more than the mechanics of skating. He also emphasized personal disciplines, such as the importance of perseverance, self-discipline, accepting disappointments and defeats gracefully and being mentally and physically strong as a competitor. I try to reinforce the personal disciplines, as they are things that you can learn while skating that influence the rest of your life.

Q: How do you help your athletes get through anxiety or nervousness during performances? Mikaela Gray, 15, Beulah, Mich.

CHJ: I think nervousness and anxiety are best dealt with by a positive attitude. You should not expect to eliminate nervousness; the competitor's job is to control it and even make it work for him or her. Visualizing in your mind the whole program perfectly skated is an excellent way to create a positive focus. I remind the skaters that they have worked and trained hard and that now is the time to let muscle memory take over and enjoy performing; that you deal with nervousness by skating through the nervousness and not backing away.

Q: What do you tell your students when they're having a hard time on a certain move or struggling with consistency? Mary, 13, Chicago, Ill., and Maria Beti, 14, Venice, Fla.

CHJ: I encourage my students to try not to think of too many things to do at once. I try to choose one or two things on which to concentrate that will encompass correcting other mistakes as well.

Q: If you had not won Olympic gold, would you have regretted being a figure skater? Mandy Meyer, 13, Valley Falls, Kans.

CHJ: Not at all. I enjoyed the training and being with my friends at the rink, meeting new people all over the world, and traveling to places I would not have seen otherwise. Also, just being a member of an Olympic Team is very special and an honor in itself.

Q: What do you think is your best quality as a coach? Luke Mafazy, 16, Cincinnati, Ohio

CHJ: I try to be patient and supportive with my pupils, because I know how difficult and demanding skating is as a sport.

Q: How do you know when it's time to hang up your skates and stop competing? How old is too old to give up one's dream? Katie, 13, Springfield, Mass.

CHJ: There is much more to be gained from competitive skating than winning medals. But when you no longer enjoy competing or the time spent training, or feel the sacrifices outweigh the many benefits, then it is possibly time to back away from competing and turn to recreational skating and other interests. You mention "one's dream." I suggest that you put your short and long term dreams on paper so that they become goals. Then discuss them with your coach. When the goals are realistically listed in writing, you will have not only a clearer idea of what you are working toward and a time schedule, but it will help you decide if that is what you want to do.

Q: As a youngster, who were your skating icons? Brandon McGee, 15, Wichita, Kans.

CHJ: When I was very young Sonja Henie was still performing in her ice show and I loved to watch her skate with her lavish costumes when the show would come to Madison Square Garden in New York City. Then later, Dick Button dominated competitive skating, introducing a more athletic style, which made me want to skate more than ever.