What has life been like for Mark Howard after your artistic roller skating days?
When I retired from competitive skating, I went into coaching and have so since then. The family sold the rink as an investment and I took a step away from coaching for 3 years. I went back to school to get an Education Degree along with my Business Information Systems Degree. I have been teaching High School Mathematics at a local private college prep school in the area. I teach Calculus all the way down the math scale.
I am now coaching 3-4 days a week and plan, I hope, to pull myself back into the skating world on a regular basis.
Do you remember when the last time you had a pair of roller skates on?
Oh Geez! I had them on Saturday morning at 8am! Part of keeping myself healthy is running some W.C. Dances and W.C. Figures......LOL
If we challenged you, do you think you could make it through an old school 5 min. long program?
Hell NO! Well, give me a week or two to work on the endurance, I may give it a shot. I always like a good challenge!!
Who was your role model when you were skating?
I had so many role models roller and ice! I would say the person that made a huge difference in my skating was Peggy Yambor. She was my soul for thought and as we all know, Mind over Matter. Others: Jane W, Warren Danner and of course my parents who got me skating at 14 months old.
What motivated you?
See above!
Who was your favorite skater to watch?
Back in our day, 80's, there were so many inspiring skaters to watch that not only entertained through their talents, but executed skating the way it way it was meant to be skated. Outside of Dance, Tim McGuire was incredible along with Paul and Tina.....before then Michael Jacques and Ray & Karen in WC Pairs.
What was your favorite skating moment?
The first time we won the World Championships, I remember each and every moment of the Star Spangle Banner. There were emotions going through my body I didn't know existed.
What was your least favorite part of skating?
Sometimes during training, the downs that that happened, mostly freestlye, that made if feel more of a choir than love. But then again, the love of the sport is what got most of us through all the training. Hated running programs.
Any fun stories you would like or are able to share?
Looking for Cindy at 3am to leave worlds in Altenau, Germany. The team had to leave to drive hours for our flight home. We found here wrap up with Michale Butske. LOL.......
What other event in skating would you have loved to excel at other than your own?
I wanted to be the first skater to go to World's in figures and dance. That one year it would of happened, I was holding 2nd very close to winning against Tony. I had taken off 2 years from figures after all my years doing much better in figures than dance. In finals that year during my paragraph back loop, I lost my balance and did a pinhole loop, that sucked!! 4th.
Do you coach or have you ever coached? if not, what was your reasoning?
I've been coaching since 1983 and have successfully coached many national champions mostly figures.
Have you watched a US Nationals in the past three years? (if so, your opinion)
Yes I have.......on the internet. The past 3 years are the first years I have not been present at the National meet since 1965. Depressing isn't even a word for it. It saddens me that our sport has not excelled better than it did in the 70's and 80's. We need to put our worth of the sport into the purpose instead of the amount of money...... this sport did very well when we ran a week of Nationals (either you worked your butt off for the age level you had or you didn't) and left the beginner events at the regional level. I've said that since we voted on the JO Program when I was on the Board of Directors and USOC/AAC. Today's society is wants to reward each and everyone.....there are no longer unique standards to differentiate the best from the one's that want to be the best.
What is the one thing you hope every generation of skaters learn and take away from this sport?
It may be to late, but to learn the sport as it was originally skated years back with the defined progress most sports take to become a more challenged sport. Stop taking short cuts......learn the clean precise process to make the elements in routines exciting and executed for excitement.
Look at the Italians in past years and how they have accomplished this.
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