Coaching Professional Requirements

All FSCM coaching professionals must:
  1. have achieved at least the Intermediate USFS Freestyle test level in their own skating and the minimum PSA coaching standards
  2. be a member of  the Professional Skater’s Association
  3. have professional liability insurance
  4. complete an interview with a FSCM board designated coaching professional and board member
  5. submit to a background search*
  6. maintain continuing education credits as required by US Figure Skating and PSA
  7. sign Coaches Code of Conduct Agreement

*Effective July 1, 2008, all professionals shall have a background search completed as a condition of membership in US Figure Skating.

All FSCM teaching professionals, as members of Professional Skaters Association, must adhere to the PSA Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct:
  1. Members of the Professional Skaters Association, (hereafter referred to as "Members") shall at all times exercise the greatest care and discretion in their relationships with other members, pupils and pupils of other members.
  2. Prior to acting as a coach the member shall determine the nature and extent of any earlier teaching relationship with that skater and other members.
  3. No member shall in any case solicit pupils of another member, directly or indirectly, or through third parties.
  4. Members shall dress neatly and in a clean and appropriate manner as is becoming a member of the Professional Skaters Association. Members shall be ever mindful of the influence they exercise over their pupils and under all circumstances this trust should never be abused.
  5. Members shall at all times be mindful that he or she has the responsibility to influence his or her student to act with dignity, ethically and with high moral conduct. The members shall never place the value of winning above the value of instilling the highest desirable ideas of character in his or her student nor shall the member act in any manner inconsistent with a high standard of ethical and moral conduct.
  6. The members shall take an active role in the prevention of drugs, alcohol and tobacco abuse and under no circumstances should authorize the use of such products.
  7. All members recognize that they shall act in a manner which avoids verbal or physical abuse of any skater, other coach, parent or official. Members shall not engage in, nor shall a member permit, any skater with whom they are charged with the responsibility of coaching, to engage in any offense in violation of federal, state or local law, or laws of a foreign government.
  8. A member shall at all times avoid conflicts of interest which can be considered to exist at any time when the actions of the member for his or herself or on behalf of a skater, would involve the obtaining of an improper advantage.

In addition, all FSCM professionals must adhere to the PSA Tenets of Professionalism, a framework of conduct above and beyond the minimum standards provided by the Code of Ethics.
  1. As coaches of skating, we will conduct ourselves in a manner which demonstrates respect for the rules under which our skaters compete and that we will preserve with decorum and integrity of the testing program and competition.
  2. Professional Skaters Association recognizes that professional courtesy is consistent with the role of the coach . As members of the Professional Skaters Association, coaches will be civil and courteous to all with whom we come in contact and will endeavor to maintain a collegial relationship with other coaches.
  3. As skating coaches, we acknowledge that from time to time the students with whom we work may wish to leave us as the coach and seek coaching elsewhere. We acknowledge that we will cooperate with other coaches when conflicts arise and will be willing to make such changes on behalf of the students as will complement the further performance and progress of that student.
  4. When competitions or testing situations arise, we agree to keep our students and the parents of those students well informed and involve them in the decision making that affects their interest while at the same time avoiding emotional attachment to our students and their activities both in skating and out of skating which might impair our ability to render professional service.
  5. As professionals, and as members of the Professional Skaters Association, we will honor our promises and our commitments, whether oral or in writing, and strive to build a reputation for dignity, honesty and integrity in the skating profession.
  6. As professionals, and members of the Professional Skaters Association, we will not make groundless accusations of impropriety or attribute bad motives to other coaches in bad faith or without good cause.
  7. As professionals, and as members of the Professional Skaters Association, we will not engage in any course of conduct designed to harass another coach, skating organization official, another skater or the parent of another skater.
  8. As professionals, and as members of the Professional Skaters Association, we will strive to expand our knowledge of skating and to achieve and maintain proficiency in our area of expertise.
  9. We will never allow race, gender, religion, age or other suspect classifications of persons to improperly motivate our actions.
  10. At all times and in all things when dealing with the skating public, officials and other members of the coaching profession, we will adhere to the proposition that our practices shall be governed by the principals of honesty and integrity.