Skating on Thin Ice by Juliette

Skating on Thin Ice by Juliette - May 2026 Scholarship Essay

Being a competitive figure skater for most of my life, I am used to self-motivating and being solely responsible for how I perform. All decisions fall squarely on me, and I can be assured of the outcome based on how well I train and prepare for each competition. I thrive on challenging myself and overcoming obstacle. I often function as my own leader and have confidence in my decisions on the ice when performing. However, when working in team or group environments I find it more challenging to be confident. While I know how I would do things, I realize that others may have different methods and styles of working together or achieving a goal. We all have our own ideas, preferences and biases. Assuming a leadership role does not always feel entirely natural to me, and it is something that I have found to be a challenge. There is always uncertainty as to how to approach an obstacle and how I can work with others to achieve the goal. One such instance is when I decided to take on a leadership role at my skating rink.
Shortly, after first starting high school, I was offered the opportunity to apply my figure skating knowledge by volunteering at my ice rink as an assistant coach for the beginner skating school classes. I was initially nervous about working with small children as I haven’t been one for quite a while, but I really wanted to give back and help others as I had been helped as a beginner. My responsibility was to teach a large group of students how to perform basic skating skills. Here, I experienced a learning curve that ultimately showed me how to lead with confidence.
During the first few lessons, I was shocked by how unorganized I felt as a leader. Even though the rink is like a second home to me, it suddenly became an unfamiliar and uncertain place. The kids were sliding and crashing around everywhere and seemingly ignoring my instructions. Normally I am very confident on the ice, but this feeling was new. Many of the kids struggled to learn basic skills, interact with each other, and maintain a positive attitude while doing so. Staying organized amidst chaos is one of my strengths, but I found it difficult to not internalize the kids’ frustrations. While I was happy that so many kids wanted to learn how to skate, I was upset with myself because I was not connecting with them. I needed to better engage with them and try to remember what motivated me when I was their age.
This realization caused me to reevaluate what was working and what was not. I experimented with various teaching styles to see how the kids responded. To help the students who struggled mastering basic skating skills, I worked with my supervising coach to adjust the lesson plans to make them more accessible to the most challenged students. To instill a sense of teamwork and inclusivity in the class, I used creative games like “red light, green light” and “tag” to teach my lessons. The kids responded quickly, were more engaged, and the results were like night and day.
I also learned how to collaborate well with the other volunteers to put these changes into use. I shared my learnings and ideas with the other assistant coaches who had their own groups and in turn they were happy to share their ideas with me. Being able to give and take feedback helped to bring my coaching to the next level. This was the moment I viewed myself as a successful leader. I opened my mind to change, prioritized my students, used my creativity to solve problems, and established a cooperative community. Figure skating may technically be a solo sport, but coming out of this experience, I consider it to be a team effort due to all the amazing connections I made with my students and the other staff members.
This experience has inspired me to work as a figure skating coach while I attend college this fall. I know that my newfound strengths will allow me to thrive in this leadership role. I recently went from volunteering to being a working coach with my own classes. It is with great pride that I can say I am equipped to teach the next generation of skaters and do so in a way that keeps them engaged and curious. The things I have learned from coaching and my understanding of collaboration and adaptability is what will allow me to excel in my desired field of study in college, which is film and television production. Ultimately, I have realized that change is constant, uncertainty can be overcome, and the confidence I have on the ice can translate anywhere.