Deer Lake figure skating club withdraws coaching for girl, 8

Halfyard is upset her eight-year-old daughter, Brooklyn, can no longer avail of the coaching of Mandi Coish and Patti Fitzpatrick as a member of the Deer Lake Figure Skating Club.

Halfyard received a letter and email last week from the club informing her that the two coaches will no longer provide coaching to Brooklyn.

There is no clear explanation as to why the young skater would be denied coaching, but it states in the letter that it’s due to recent events and interactions at the Deer Lake Skating Club. It also states the two coaches are within their rights to not provide those services.

Brooklyn is an active participant in two sports: gymnastics and skating. Coish is a familiar face to the young girl because she is the program director for Gracia Gymnastics Club and head coach of the skating club.

According to Halfyard, things started to go awry following a meeting she attended for the gymnastics club. At the meeting, Coish asked Halfyard to have a talk with her daughter because she had lied about her placing in a skating competition in Corner Brook a few weeks before.

She talked to her daughter afterwards and says she was told that was not what happened. Halfyard asked around to see if anybody else could shed light on the situation, and says a parent told her Brooklyn was telling the truth.

She relayed that message back to Coish to clear up any misunderstanding.

Halfyard said she didn’t get a pleasant response. 

In one text to Halfyard, Coish wrote: “I will no longer coach Brooklyn because of your intruding. You need to let your child be herself and if that means she is average you need to deal with it.”

Halfyard's daughter will skate in Corner Brook for the remainder of the skating season because, but she wonders what would happen to the next child in her situation if they can’t train at another club.

Halfyard plans to express her concerns to the top brass with the provincial figure skating body with hopes of never seeing another family encounter what she’s had to over the past little while.

She wants a meeting with the provincial executive where she is willing to provide her side of the story and share the information she has regarding conversations she’s had with Coish.

Fitzpatrick would not comment on the matter and directed The Western Star to talk to club co-presidents, Melissa House and Angela Johnston.

Messages were left with Coish, the co-presidents and several executive members seeking comment, but nobody responded as of press time.

Halfyard is upset her eight-year-old daughter, Brooklyn, can no longer avail of the coaching of Mandi Coish and Patti Fitzpatrick as a member of the Deer Lake Figure Skating Club.

Halfyard received a letter and email last week from the club informing her that the two coaches will no longer provide coaching to Brooklyn.

There is no clear explanation as to why the young skater would be denied coaching, but it states in the letter that it’s due to recent events and interactions at the Deer Lake Skating Club. It also states the two coaches are within their rights to not provide those services.

Brooklyn is an active participant in two sports: gymnastics and skating. Coish is a familiar face to the young girl because she is the program director for Gracia Gymnastics Club and head coach of the skating club.

According to Halfyard, things started to go awry following a meeting she attended for the gymnastics club. At the meeting, Coish asked Halfyard to have a talk with her daughter because she had lied about her placing in a skating competition in Corner Brook a few weeks before.

She talked to her daughter afterwards and says she was told that was not what happened. Halfyard asked around to see if anybody else could shed light on the situation, and says a parent told her Brooklyn was telling the truth.

She relayed that message back to Coish to clear up any misunderstanding.

Halfyard said she didn’t get a pleasant response. 

In one text to Halfyard, Coish wrote: “I will no longer coach Brooklyn because of your intruding. You need to let your child be herself and if that means she is average you need to deal with it.”

Halfyard's daughter will skate in Corner Brook for the remainder of the skating season because, but she wonders what would happen to the next child in her situation if they can’t train at another club.

Halfyard plans to express her concerns to the top brass with the provincial figure skating body with hopes of never seeing another family encounter what she’s had to over the past little while.

She wants a meeting with the provincial executive where she is willing to provide her side of the story and share the information she has regarding conversations she’s had with Coish.

Fitzpatrick would not comment on the matter and directed The Western Star to talk to club co-presidents, Melissa House and Angela Johnston.

Messages were left with Coish, the co-presidents and several executive members seeking comment, but nobody responded as of press time.