Comments on: How Do I Start My Kid in Figure Skating Competitions?

By: Ruth

Ruth — Thu, 15 Jul 2010 11:43:55 +0000

Kiddo's just turned 7, and I wish there were more social guys at the rink. His coach is female, and she's good with him. (I had to love her deep accent when she said, “I like zeh boys.”)

Right now he thinks zuca bags are for the girls, and it's so weird to walk into the rink lobby during synchro practice and wade amongst them like yachts at a dock. Maybe if they had one with trains and railroad whistles he'd change his mind.

Thanks so much for the encouraging words, everyone!

By: Ruth

Ruth — Thu, 15 Jul 2010 11:43:00 +0000

Kiddo’s just turned 7, and I wish there were more social guys at the rink. His coach is female, and she’s good with him. (I had to love her deep accent when she said, “I like zeh boys.”)

Right now he thinks zuca bags are for the girls, and it’s so weird to walk into the rink lobby during synchro practice and wade amongst them like yachts at a dock. Maybe if they had one with trains and railroad whistles he’d change his mind.

Thanks so much for the encouraging words, everyone!

By: niuiceprincess

niuiceprincess — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 13:16:52 +0000

Agree. Our rink isn't strict at all. However I definitely change up what I work on depending how many people are there and what I observe to be their behavior. Teenagers tend to congregate and socialize on one side and hardly venture to other areas of the surface, so I stay ont he other side and work on freestyle. If there is a reasonable number of people and the crowd seems to be “moving” in the same direction, then I work on forward stroking (since you can always get better/more speed) for Moves, cross rolls, power pulls etc. No matter what I do, the hockey kids (yes you know who they are) are always way WORSE than figure skaters. They have no regard for who is around them and sadly this applies to older kids too, not just the little ones. You'd think the older hockey kids would know better about better public ice etiquette, but unfortunately they don't seem to act like it. Figure skaters get a bad rap in public skate if they run into someone but really it's the hockey skaters who should be kicked out in my opinion.

By: niuiceprincess

niuiceprincess — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 13:09:04 +0000

I've been told that a good rule of thumb is an additional hour of practice for every lesson…so if she has a lesson once a week, another hour on the ice (public skate) would be a good idea. 5 years old is awfully young though so if you can skate too, accompany your DD on a public skate and she can practice her swizzles and stuff?

By: Badstagemom

Badstagemom — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 09:14:32 +0000

D'oh!!!!
I'm guilty of “making do” with 1 single lesson/practice pw (no other ice time).
5 y/o DD did come 2nd in her one comp so far … out of 3 entrants in the baby division – lol.
So how often do people think she should rreally skate pw to be reasonable????????

By: sk8rmomp

sk8rmomp — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 04:11:38 +0000

Welcome to you and your son. I hope he has a blast! I don't know how old your son is, but it sounds like he's younger… I would defer to your coach as to how long it will take get competition ready. Just be sure that you choose a coach that know what your son's goals are and agrees to get him there or has a good plan to eventually get him there (might not be as fast as you all would like to go .

My IceBoy was older when he started, 9 going on 10. He competed in his first competition a year and 4 months after he started, but he participated in two ice shows before that. Maybe while your son is waiting to be competition ready, there will be opportunities to participate in group numbers at little exhibitions and shows. That's a good way to keep him occupied while he gets better.

I have to tell you that my son started with USFSA, and went directly to the non-test competition rather than any basic level competitions. He took one group class series, then started with a private coach. Like I said, he was older at the time.

On a lighter note, LOL, I have to disagree with IceMom about the Zuca bag. If your son wants one, get him one…maybe for Christmas or Birthday. My IB loves his, it's amazing what fun the boys can get up to with those. You know, the Y chromosome and wheels thing…He's had it for more than three years I think, and still has fun. It has been the best investment we have ever made (plus I got a real deal at a department store, not a specialty skating store). There is something to be said for getting a Zuca bag for pure fun and entertainment value LOL.

By: Lynne

Lynne — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 02:22:42 +0000

Since he already has a private coach, let that coach know that your son wants to compete. Find out what his/her policy on music is (I give my son's coach 8-10 songs on a disc and the coach picks from that) There aren't too many boys in the ISI world, so your son may find himself the only skater in the flight for his free skate. But for artistic, solo compulsories, interpretive, footwork and the others, they mix the boys in with the girls. He can compete in more than one event if he wants. The free skate, artistic and footwork programs are to music and would need the coach to choreograph the programs. Solo compulsories is not to music and there are 3 required elements, a mixture of jumps and spins depending on the level. For interpretive, which usually has a theme, the skaters in a flight get taken into a room and listen to the music which is played 2 or 3 times, then they all go out on the ice together to have a warm-up in which they choreograph their own routines. Then they're all taken back into the room and come out one by one to skate their routine (they keep the skaters who haven't skated in the room so they can't get ideas from other skater's routines) Some kids love this and some don't. My son gave it a try and hated it.

Then you get to pick out material and make the skating outfit and play chauffeur while your son practices. Good luck and I hope he continues to have fun with the skating. My son has been skating 7 years and still loves it.

By: newbiemom

newbiemom — Tue, 13 Jul 2010 23:48:12 +0000

The post mentioned 6 months or so to get ready for the first competition…from my (recent) experience with my new skater, I'd say that may be a bit long. My skater decided she wanted to compete back in September, but decided that her first competition would be this month (9 months away when she set this as her goal)…no amount of cajoling, suggesting, etc. from me or her coach would convince her to sign up for anything sooner.

So the coach put together a program back in September, but kept having to change it around as my skater advanced through basic skills levels into freestyle. As a result, my skater missed the opportunity to compete at the “basic skills” level, where she might have gotten a confidence boost, and now is competing for the first time at a level where (I assume) many of her competitors will be more experienced with the whole competition thing (she'll be competing test track beginner). And it seemed like my skater did not really step up training her program until just a couple of months ago anyway, when she could see the competition approaching.

So, from where we sit right now, I'd say setting a nearer goal (3-4 months out), even if it means competing at a lower level might be better (although my skater is perfectly happy and has none of these concerns herself, thank goodness)

By: helicopter mom

helicopter mom — Tue, 13 Jul 2010 21:06:32 +0000

Sounds like an ISI competition is a logical next step!! You may have to do a couple more private lessons for the coach to put together a program, but in the early levels at some rinks, you can even choreograph at a public session. In any case, your coach will tell you what to do. I would have your son tell his coach how much he enjoyed watching the competition and that he's interested in doing one himself. I think it's always good for the coach to know it's coming from the kid and not just the mom. Then you can follow the coach's lead in terms of the choice of competition, event, music choice, costume, etc. The great thing is that you already have a coach who is nurturing his love of skating and he's having fun. Good luck to both of you!!!!

By: SuperSkater

SuperSkater — Tue, 13 Jul 2010 20:15:51 +0000

Yes, very good point. Every rink is different, some could care less what kids do on public sessions, others are quite strict! Our main rink used to be pretty good, many public sessions there would only be 5 or 6 skaters, mostly figure skaters and the kids could work on anything, even double jumps. Then they began to have problems and started enforcing strict rules about not being able to do jumps, spins, etc. unless in a private lesson. Luckily for us this happened about the time we were ready to switch to strictly freestyle sessions anyway. But if you can find a rink that is not strict doing a lot of public ice when your child is working through the lower levels is a big money saver. And the higher level skaters on the freestyle sessions really don't like the lower level skaters on their ice anyway. :~)