BEST BUSINESS PRACTICES
To Tell the Truth S U B M I T T E D B Y T H E C O M M I T T E E O N P R O F E S S I O N A L S TA N D A R D S
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SA Code of Ethic Rule #2 – No member shall represent themselves using false or deceptive statements intended to mislead. We all know the feeling when seeing a sign in big bold print that says “half-price sale” only to find out you need to purchase something at regular price before you get the half-price deal. Is this clever marketing or intent to mislead? Below are some of the misunderstandings being used in the field of marketing coaches. No PSA member should use deceptive information that might confuse or mislead the skating community. It is our responsibility as PSA members to be honest and forthright with our clientele. • Personal Credentials | PSA Member vs. PSA Accredited? Coaches should only include credentials that can be easily verified by the consumer. Many coaches use “PSA Accredited” as part of their bio information on websites, seminar brochures and business cards. Accreditation is a review process to determine if educational programs meet defined standards of quality. The PSA accredited programs include Ratings, Rankings, Excellence on Ice and Hockey. These accredited programs are for coaches who want to validate their skating skill and teaching experience. Ratings, Rankings, Excellence on Ice and the PSA Hockey Program are verifiable and an assurance to clubs, rinks, skaters, parents, and the general public that the coach(es) they hire are technically qualified to instruct at the level in which they are rated or ranked regardless of personal background and skating achievement. Including “PSA Accredited” without proper qualifications could be misinterpreted by the consumer. • Ratings | are you a PSA rated coach with inactive ratings? Once a rating has been earned, a coach must maintain a minimum of 28 educational credits over a three-year period through attendance at educational events to keep the rating active. An affidavit must be submitted to the PSA office so that the credits can be recorded. A coach may not advertise as a PSA rated coach unless the rating is active. • Sports Science Exams or Ratings? | there are no Sport Science ratings and coaches should not advertise as having a Master Rating in Sport Science. Sport Science online exams are a pre-requisite and only one
component to taking an oral rating exam, but they are not a separate rating credential. Passing a Sport Science exam is not a rating by itself. • Technical Specialists | are you an IJS technical specialist or are you a coach who 'specializes' in technique? They are not the same but calling yourself a 'technical specialist of jump technique' may mislead a customer into equating you to an 'IJS technical specialist.' Remember, U.S. Figure Skating Technical Specialists go through extensive IJS training and examinations to become accredited officials. To adopt this title without an official designation by U.S. Figure Skating is misleading and could create confusion with skating parents. • CER exams | are you a U.S. Figure Skating certified coach or have you completed the Continuing Education Requirement? Many coaches misunderstand and misuse the acronym CER. It is not a certification credential and should not be used as one. Representing yourself as an U.S. Figure Skating ‘Certified’ coach is inaccurate. U.S. Figure Skating requires the mandatory yearly Continuing Education Requirement (CER) for all coaches at U.S. Figure Skating sanctioned events. • Athlete and Parents | a “claim to fame” pledge is a very slippery slope. Coaches cannot control many aspects of the sport or the athlete’s physical development. Making promises like a placement in a competition, making final round, making it to nationals or passing a test is deceptive and misrepresents the authority of a coach. According to the Cornell Law School website, the term “misleading conduct” means— (A) knowingly making a false statement; (B) intentionally omitting information from a statement and thereby causing a portion of such statement to be misleading, or intentionally concealing a material fact, and thereby creating a false impression by such statement; (C) with intent to mislead, knowingly submitting or inviting reliance on a writing or recording that is false, forged, altered, or otherwise lacking in authenticity; (D) with intent to mislead, knowingly submitting or inviting reliance on a sample, specimen, map, photograph, boundary mark, or other object that is misleading in a material respect; or (E) knowingly using a trick, scheme, or continued on page 39
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