--- In SkateFans@yahoogroups.com, "mirabrett"
>
Speaking as a parent who was always nervous when my daughter
competed, I don't think this is "freak show" behaviour at all.
While I was always in the arena when my daughter skated, I know a
number of parents who headed for the hallways when their kids skate,
and many of them were otherwise reasonable and rational people.
>
> Liz

I didn't want my parents lurking close by so that I could spot them
out of the corner of my eye when I was on the ice ....

They were sent up to the rafters of the old Olympic Arena in Lake
Placid (which isn't high enough to cause nose bleeds) ... and
positioned three-quarters of the way up any bleachers in local comps.

One time I arrived at the rink just as my group was called out for
warm up ... got my skates on in time to take the ice to compete ...
finished (and won) by the time they came into the rink from the
parking the car.

Ben Currie

Yeah, so there, I am the 1974 Eastern Connecticut Pre-Pre-Pre-Pre-
Sub_Ante_Open-Junvenile Boys Free Skating Champ ... quite an
honor ... but the truly AMAZING thing was there were two other boys
in the comp so there's a full podium shot. The equivilent girls event
had probably 35 girls ...

The poor kid (tyke) who came third ... his parents couldn't say "you
didn't lose the silver, you won Bronze" <GGGG>