Chapter 11: The Leaders of Figure Skating: Mothers of Pink Skirts

Figure skating characterises itself as a unique, aesthetic sport that attracts little girls and boys from their childhood on. This enthusiasm often extends into their adulthood and then persists throughout their entire life span. On their way to athletic mastery, they may often change coaches or clubs, and in couple disciplines changes of partners are a common thing; but one person accompanies athletes the entire time; the skating mom. The role of a skating mother is a leading and guiding one and at the same time it represents a unique phenomenon that can be observed at every ice rink around the world. Multiple interesting peculiarities can be noticed within figure skating mothers, such as an intersection of individuals and the specific environment, which they were not initially meant to be a part of but became crucial actors within. In this position, the figure skating mother fulfils different roles—as organiser, as sponsor (and thus costumer), as a parent and strictest and most subjective judge. The multiplicity of those roles and their relevance within the life of young figure skaters, as well as the leadership position of figure skating mothers shall become the central focus of this paper. A small empirical study with three figure skating mothers shall be conducted to explore their positions within the highly competitive and demanding figure skating environment.