Window to the Past. Door to the Future.

Heidi Thibert (MC, MFS, MM, CF) is the PSA Senior Director of Coaching Development and staff liaison to U.S. Figure Skating.

Think back to when you first started coaching and you were handed a list of group lesson names, or maybe when you got a referral for your first private lesson. How did that make you feel? I’m guessing it made you feel pretty good, maybe a little nervous, and it was undoubtedly a feeling you’d never experienced before.

Do you remember those first couple weeks when you were trying to find your way as a new coach and learn as much as you could so you could feel confident? If asked about it, I’m guessing most people would say it was “pretty hard,” “kind of intimidating,” and “a bit overwhelming” trying to meet the expectations you had for yourself and those you felt others had for you.

What if, when you were given that first coaching job, you were also given a handful of letters written by coaches that had come before you? What if you could write a letter to a new coach in the future and you could put into words, “Why I Coach?”

Even though it may have been difficult at times, if you can think of yourself in that “new coach” situation, you might remember that there was also something very magical about those years of discovery, learning, and striving to prove yourself as a coach. And now, as a more experienced coach, maybe you look at younger, newer coaches on their first day of group classes or freestyle sessions and feel an immediate kinship with that person despite not knowing them well at all.

But what if they did know who you are? What if, when they came to report for their first day, they were handed a notebook of letters written by people who had coached before them and had already been down that path they were about to embark on?

Legacy Letters

To pass on the experiences and traditions in a positive way, allowing for future coaches to learn from current and former coaches, I propose that we—as PSA coaches—create a collection of stories, letters, and coaching journeys. These letters would be ones that define our legacies, both the ones we inherited and the ones we are leaving.

This year’s overarching education theme has been Window to the Past. Door to the Future. Following this theme, we can:

• pass on the experiences and traditions of the evolution of coaching figure skating in a positive way;

• allow for future members to learn from former and current members; and

• learn the history of the organization, and preserve the passion for coaching.

Writing a Legacy Letter is an excellent way for us to pass on the lessons and traditions learned while coaching in the sport we love. Between the time you get this magazine to the time you get the next one, I would encourage you to sit down and write a letter. Here are a couple ideas to get you started:

• Write a letter to any fellow coach or group of coaches (past or present, still living or to those who have passed on) to express one or more of the following:

› How did the person you’re writing to inspire you or impact your coaching journey?

› Who made you discover something in yourself that you didn’t know was there?

› Who would you like to express gratitude to for something they did for you or said to you?

› What is one question you would like to ask of the person you are writing to? Why?

› How did the person you’re writing to impact your decision to coach and/or your coaching philosophy?

› How did the person you’re writing to, whether athlete or mentor, help you discover the “why” you coach?

• Or, as a long-time, experienced coach, write to future generations of coaches expressing one or more of the following:

To submit your Legacy Letters, please email it to us at magazine@skatepsa.com or send a physical copy to our office at 3006 Allegro Park Lane SW, Rochester, MN 55902.

› What is your own personal story? How and when did you find your passion for coaching and for the PSA?

› Describe your history with the PSA, including any roles you held or how you served the PSA. Why was that important to you?

› Identify who helped you along your coaching journey. What did they do for you, personally? How did their actions impact your future in coaching?

› Reflect back on what you know now but wish you knew in the past.

› Explain how you would like to help the next generation of coaches succeed.

› What are your hopes for the future of coaching?

› What words of advice would you give or do you feel is essential to pass on to younger coaches?

Write as many letters as you desire of either type. Your letters can be any length, from a few sentences to a few pages. Type it, email it, or hand-write it. If the person you are writing to is still living, send that person a copy.

I also encourage you to send a copy to the PSA. It is our hope to collect and curate these letters to create an actual legacy letters publication, Window to the Past. Door to the Future. If you have photos of you with the person you are writing to, or feel comfortable sending your own photo, please include those, too. We can all grow from reading each others’ letters, and should cherish what has been written by our membership for the treasure that it is.