 Figure skating coaches are typically private contractors paid directly by the skaters for their work, rather than employees of the skating club or rink.However, skating clubs can effectively make hiring decisions by requiring coaches to go through an approval process before being allowed to work on practice sessions controlled by the club.Some national skating federations such as the United States Figure Skating Association and Skate Canada define a graduated series of skill tests which are used to measure and reward skaters' progress, and to classify them into competition levels.