Check Out Eric Showtime Tate Jr’s Story

Today we’d like to introduce you to Eric Showtime Tate Jr.

Hi Eric Showtime, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
Hi my name is Eric Showtime Tate Jr, I’m from Cleveland Ohio, I’ve been roller skating since 2006, I officially started teaching rollerskating classes in 2019. My home rink is (Pla-Mor) roller rink in Euclid, Ohio. There I began giving skaters, tips and advice to complete certain skate tricks and combinations. The love I have for skating had me traveling to other areas in Ohio to see different skaters and styles. I enjoy the creativity and practice that it takes to become a good skater. The advice and my teaching skills improved as I began to work with many skaters at different rinks in the nearby cities. United Skates of America in Wickliffe, Ohio. North Canton skate center in Canton, Ohio. Brunswick skate station in Brunswick, Ohio just to name a few. Maurice Cooke who was my skate teacher, before he passed away, he gave me an idea to create a skate space of my own to teach skaters how to skate. This created an atmosphere to practice outside of normal skate hours if certain rinks weren’t open due to their specific schedules. Giving skaters even more time to learn and develop their craft without being intimidated, because skating isn’t easy and sometimes trying to learn can be overwhelming at times. So I found a studio, gave it a name and “Showtime Skate Studio was born. I began teaching skaters from all over the city, then I got an opportunity to be interviewed by a reporter (Kierra Cotton) from WKYC Channel 3, I happily accepted the opportunity. Prior to that interview, people from all over began to contact Showtime Skate Studio about skating lessons and classes. Which has brought me to where I am today. Outside of my teaching success, I’m following in my skate teachers footsteps as he was an entertainer and skater. I’ve skated as an extra in movies such as (White Boy Rick). I Performed at the Universoul Circus and for the Cleveland Cavaliers. I was also featured in the United Skates documentary on HBO. It’s been a blessing to be apart of the skate culture and community and to have the ability to teach someone else how to roller skate. I love it!

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
The road wasn’t a smooth one. The pandemic in 2020 made skating classes difficult because of masks and social distancing at the time. Being able to build confidence in skaters who had never skated before, but wanted to learn was an obstacle. Having faith in my vision as a skate teacher in a studio space and not the traditional rink setting was unknown and a struggle within itself at the time. But the biggest struggle for me was building trust in skate staff, because my last assistant was only around for personal benefit and gain. But these struggles kept me motivated to continue to push forward with my vision as a rollerskating teacher.

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I’m currently a local truck driver part-time and a group home operator. I also served in law enforcement for some time as well. I’d say I’m known for having an extreme amount of patience and being able to communicate with people from all walks of life. My demeanor and personality is what sets me apart from others for sure.

So maybe we end on discussing what matters most to you and why?
I feel that trust and character matters the most to me. In any situation whether it’s roller skating or work. It’s what you do when someone isn’t around that means the most. That goes a long way when you know you can depend on someone for those reasons. I live by those standards, it’s very important to me.

Pricing:

• Group skate classes $25 per hour
• Private skate classes $40 per hour
• Kids skate classes $20 per hour

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://linktr.ee/showtimeskatestudio
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/100064367426490/posts/pfbid034aYbFtnfr1t8asi8mejzn8GTFAXsgq2FR7pbd6EhVcCr8GvSpXoiATskxwvR4JYNl/?app=fbl

 

Image Credits
Image Credits: London McNair Derek Jones