Is The Grass Greener on the Other Side?

My whole skating career with the exception of three or four years when I was younger, I have been an individual member of US Figure Skating. I would say that there weren't any clubs in the area but actually, the exact opposite is true. Within a 40 minute range there are about six clubs. Because there are so many, none of them are very strong. There are three synchro teams, each with barely enough for an open juvenile team. If we put all of the clubs, all of the synchro teams together, we could have one very strong, very popular club. But no one seems to want to work together, after all, it is the skating world. So instead we scrape by with our six clubs, each of which are always on the verge of sliding under. In addition to this there are also three rinks that do not have a club. No club means cheaper ice time, but it also means less ice time in some cases. I  spend most of my time at the rink closest to where I live but I often have to drive to several other rinks in order to get all of my skating in.

To be honest, I really wish my "home rink" had a club present and I wish it was a massive, extremely popular club with exciting skaters and famous coaches. I hope for something like Broadmoore, SC of Boston, All Year FSC, or SC of New York. But we can all dream. I could join one of these clubs, the one closest to me, just to have the name announced at competitions but it wouldn't be the same. 

What I long for is the closeness of the skaters at the rink. At my rink, the coaches are very territorial. It's as if there is an unspoken rule that you are only allowed to talk to other skaters taught by your coach. This creates a drama vortex. It seems that the coaches hate one another so much that it more often than not, ends up only hurting the skaters.

I know that at this point there is no changing the way that the rinks and coaches in my area operate. But I hope to one day, after college and traveling, come back to my hometown and start coaching. When I do I will make it my goal to create a warm environment for not only my skaters, but others too. I want to bring in an independent coach to teach off-ice classes and begin to make my home rink like those rinks I have envied my whole life.

When I was younger my parents would always tell me "The grass isn't always greener on the other side". This meant that sometimes we think someone has it better, but come to find out, they actually have it the same or perhaps worse. As I'm getting older I'm beginning to realize that sometimes in fact, the grass is actually greener on the other side. But rather than wallow and mope about how much you hate the grass on your side, you can do your best to water and feed  what your given and sometimes, just sometimes, the grass on your side will get green up. Don't give up on what you're given. Make the best of what you have because all the moping and the whining and the pouting won't change a thing. What will change something is hard work and dedication. In the end, when you put in effort to change something for the better, the feeling of satisfaction you get when you succeed will be worth your while. In the words of Drake, "Started from the bottom now we here". Just thought I'd throw that in there.

Best of Luck!!