Best time for a coaching change?

My daughter is 5 yo - PreFS level. She currently has a coach, but she is very new to coaching and coaches mostly recreational skaters. I was approached by the top pros at our rink. They offered their services and advised “the sooner the better” so she doesn’t develop bad habits. The question is — I had still planned on my daughter doing 2 more Basic Skills competitions with the current coach. We will be traveling in Russia this summer and won’t pick up skating again until August. The top pros seemed okay with this arrangement, but I’m questioning my thought process. Stick with the current coach and finish off the season? It seems like that’s the most usual way it’s been done. Please correct me if I’m wrong! Thank you

mishulyia said:

My daughter is 5 yo - PreFS level. She currently has a coach, but she is very new to coaching and coaches mostly recreational skaters. I was approached by the top pros at our rink. They offered their services and advised “the sooner the better” so she doesn’t develop bad habits. The question is — I had still planned on my daughter doing 2 more Basic Skills competitions with the current coach. We will be traveling in Russia this summer and won’t pick up skating again until August. The top pros seemed okay with this arrangement, but I’m questioning my thought process. Stick with the current coach and finish off the season? It seems like that’s the most usual way it’s been done. Please correct me if I’m wrong! Thank you

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If your daughter is 5 only, I would advise that you stay with the current coach the next 2 Basic Skills competitions and take your time to do a good research on the "top pros" coaches. Of course, if you have serious plans for continuation, you should not stay with the recreational coach. The top pros probably see the potential in your daughter and want to take her as soon as possible so that somebody else doesn't do it. It is a competition between them of taking the more talented, promising kids with the most devoted parents. But you should try to understand who amongst those top pros coaches fits the best your kid's character and needs. Also research what are the results of this coach's students on a longer term, etc, etc. Of course you never know, but my point is that the best coach in the world may not be the best coach for your kid, so the more you try to research and figure out in advance, the better chance you would have that this is the right coach for you.

I agree with everything DonP just posted.

If the current coach has a good skating background she will give your daughter solid foundational skating skills and I too suggest sticking with her.
If your daughter sticks with the sport and progresses you will need to change to a high-level coach, but I don't think you're quite at that point yet. Anything can happen with a 5 year old.

DonP hit most of the key points.

"The sooner the better" is a bit ambiguous, but I highly doubt they mean "within the next 3 months." Maybe don't wait 3 years. In the grand scheme of things, 3 months to a 5 yo is nothing in your child's overall development as a skater (if he/she does indeed continue with skating). And disrupting the season at this point is counterproductive.

In addition to researching the high level coaches, you may also consider taking trial lessons, to see who might be a good fit for your child. Caviat, if you do this, be VERY clear of your intentions to the current coach. Y'know, Politics.

Finish the season with the current coach and in the meantime, research top coach and their reputation and then reach out them to discuss what they see in your daughter and what they see for her future in skating. If they want to correct issues they see from current coach sooner than later (which is very good), and they obviously see potential in her then I would base on that and see what they can provide you and her with as far as the future.

Good luck to you both!