RATINGS Cheryl Faust MFS, MM
What’s Your Why? W
hat’s your why? That phrase is all abuzz in the self-help world. But more importantly, I think we should ask- what’s your why NOT? Why not start or take the next step in your ratings journey? I don’t have the time. I always say when you want something done, give it to a person who is already busy. You were a skater. You may have even been a student athlete. You know how to manage your time well. Take 10-15 minutes a day to study or research for an exam. Use your lessons to think through exercises to develop your skaters’ skills and make corrections. I don’t know what questions will be asked. Good news! The study guides are FREE online for you to download and start reading. Just as you would prepare your students for their skating tests by telling them what is on the test…we have everything laid out for you to easily access. Even better—you can ask us questions at any time! The examiners are really tough. Well…no. They are thorough. You should think through your answers and video yourself walking through the elements you are trying to teach the examiners. See if your demonstrations are clear. See if your answers are succinct. If you are not sure…ask a Master-Rated examiner! Remember, we are also coaches so we love to coach! We will be more than happy to help you. I got a retry on an exam. Well…so did I! During the Ratings Quest presentation at the recent Summit in Chicago, Denise Williamson and I shared our very different ratings journeys. Mine included a retry on the Senior MIF exam—I didn’t deserve to pass. I am very open about this and grateful because it made me a better coach by going back to the grindstone and making sure I knew everything on that exam and took nothing for granted. I promise it will only make you stronger! Although we are professionals and clients look to us to be knowledgeable about our sport, no one knows everything and you should always keep learning and getting stronger.
6
JULY/AUGUST 2022
It is too expensive. You don’t even have to leave home! Traveling to and from exams used to be the biggest expense. Now you can take the exams virtually. We have taken extra care to make this experience top notch and accommodate as many people as possible. We have seen participation in ratings exams grow exponentially since we started offering virtual rating sites. Don’t be left out in the cold…start or continue your ratings journey now. You won’t regret it.
