Parents of figure skaters should follow certain behavior guidelines.

A parent must be a positive role model for those new to figure skating. For example, it is unnacceptable to stand at the barrier and yell at your children or other coaches during practice sessions.

Many parents don't know that it is wrong to solicit private lesson students for another coach. A parent should not encourage a skater to leave his or her existing coach for someone else.

Parents need to teach their children to support other skaters and to respect coaches and rink personnel.

Parents should show good sportsmanship and pass a positive attitude on to their children.

Of course, the most important guideline is to get along with everyone involved in figure skating.

• Figure Skating Parent Behavior Guidelines  
• Your Responsibilities as a Skating Parent from U.S. Figure Skating  
• U.S. Figure Skating Parents Code of Conduct

Everyone has a reason to figure skate. Some people just like the feeling of gliding on the ice. Other people like getting exercise inside an ice rink.

Most figure skaters like spinning and jumping. Many say that figure skating is challenging and there are always new things to learn.

There are a few people that skate because they have a parent that forces them to do it; there are others who wish they had the money to skate.

I feel sorry for people who can't skate or live in areas where ice skating does not exist since figure skating has given me so much pleasure.

Why do you skate?

• Join the Discussion - Why Do You Like to Figure Skate?

1968 Olympic Figure Skating Champion Peggy Fleming relocated to Colorado Springs before the 1968 Olympics.

A photo from 1966 shows her graduating from Hollywood Professional School, but the Colorado Springs Sports Hall of Fame says she graduated from Cheyenne Mountain High School in Colorado Springs.

Did Peggy Fleming graduate from two high schools?

_{Peggy Fleming 1966 Hollywood Professsional School Graduate - Photo © Seeing.Stars.com}

When the US Women's Ice Hockey Team won the Olympics in 1998, I got a bright idea!  I decided to try skating on hockey skates.

I bought a good pair of ice hockey skates and was pleasantly surprised!

I found that skating on hockey skates was easy for me because I was a figure skater.

Eventually, I was teaching hockey players to skate. I helped them with their power.  They found that the figure skating "secrets" I taught them made them better, stronger, and faster.

Then I got brave -- I began trying figure skating moves on hockey skates. I was really excited when I realized I could do sit spins, ice dances, and figures on ice hockey skates.

When I was pregnant, my feet swelled up. My feet didn't fit in my figure skates, but I skated on hockey skates until the day my daughter, Annabelle, was born!

• Top 10 Figure Skating Moves on Ice Hockey Skates

_{Jo Ann Schneider Farris Doing a Spiral on Hockey Skates - Photo Copyright © Jo Ann Schneider Farris}

Drama can take place in an alternative "not so healthy" skating world in an ice arena's stands.   Figure skaters and their parents should do their best to not participate in skating rink gossip.

_{Skating Rink Bleacher Gossip - Photo Copyright © JO ANN Schneider Farris}

Social ice dancing is a great way to have fun on the ice.  It's also a great way to make friends.  When I was growing up, social ice dance sessions were everywhere.  I miss those days!   

• What is Social Ice Dancing?
• How to Become an Ice Dancer

Some pair skaters also do ice dancing, and some ice dancers also do pairs. In the past, skaters who did not like to jump, chose ice dancing, but in recent years that is changed. Both disciplines require strong skating skills.

• What Is the Difference Between Ice Dancing and Pair Skating?
• All About Pair Skating
• How to Become an Ice Dancer
• Elements of an Ice Dancing Free Dance

"Once, long ago, everyone in the world ice skated. In fact, everyone worked ON the ice. Then, someone came up with the idea of working OFF the ice. A new word was then formed by combining the words OFF and ICE. That is where the word OFFICE comes from. This is why the majority of people in the world don't ice skate and work in OFFICES."

- Concept Copyright © by Jo Ann Schneider Farris

Today, our family decided to check out Janet Champion's new website. 

The videos and photos on the site are amazing!  My daughter, Annabelle, commented that Janet perhaps skated better than Michelle Kwan!

Last night, my family went to an ice skating party in honor of 2-time Olympic Pair Skating Champion and 6-time World Pair Skating Champion, Aleksandr Zaitsev.  We had so much fun.  It also made me realize that figure skaters forget to have fun at the ice rink.  I recommend that every once in awhile, that serious figure skaters go to a public ice skating session and play!