Every Thursday I teach a set of seven-year-old identical twins - or so I thought during the first few lessons a year ago. They look the same, walk alike, and share the same voice. They seem to be equally strong and even share medical problems (although sometimes the timing is offset a bit). It took a while before any differences became apparent, and for a while I hardly ever called them the right name. But, now that they have been with me for a year of skating, they have turned into two completely different athletes who just happen to look alike until they skate.
- On skates, one is dainty and graceful, while the other is powerful and more aggressive.
- The girls have totally different tolerances for falls.
- One is a hugger and the other likes high fives.
- They like different music, and are evolving into different taste in clothing in spite of their day-to-day twin outfits.
This twin coaching experience is always fun. I thought that the big challenge would be to find some separation to give them each their own space in the skating world, but they were one up on it and became individuals on their own. Now, the challenge is the same as it is with all of my skaters... to make sure they can see the merit in their individual skating accomplishments and accept the things that need improvement... even when those goals and achievements vary a lot from athlete-to-athlete or sister-to-sister.
Why the twin talk? Just a reminder to myself and other coaches and instructors that every skater comes with a unique set of skills, goals and physical attributes to work with in building an accomplished athlete. We can't clone them - but we can help develop them.
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