Skating Careers | Golden Skate

Skating Careers

macy

Record Breaker
Joined
Nov 12, 2011
Anyone here have a skating-related career that isn't coaching? What other avenues can you take to be involved in, but also have a job, in skating?

Being a skating director is intriguing to me, although i don't really know much about the job other than you have to be PSA certified. I have no idea what the pay is or what kind of things a director does on a day to day basis.

Obviously being someone who was never anyone special in the skating world limits your already limited opportunities, but I'm curious if anyone knows any other ways to work in the sport!
 

Mrs. P

Uno, Dos, twizzle!
Record Breaker
Joined
Dec 27, 2009
Public relations and marketing
Feeelance writer (usually skating with other sports)
Videography/Photo- See Jordan Cowan’s “On Ice Perspectives.”
Finance (for a federation, ISU, skating rink, skating show/tour)
Choreographer (cruise ship, professional tours)
Nonprofit development/fundraising (working for organizations such as Figure Skating in Harlem/Detroit)

You should job shadow the skating director at your local rink!
 
Last edited:

Ic3Rabbit

Former Elite, now Pro. ⛸️
Record Breaker
Joined
Jan 9, 2017
Country
Olympics
Choreographer, music editor.

Also, many top Skating Directors are national, world or Olympic Champs.

Be aware that there are opportunities for freelancing in choreography (do competitive programs) but that also requires you have extensive experience and also are more known in the figure skating or dance worlds.
 

Ic3Rabbit

Former Elite, now Pro. ⛸️
Record Breaker
Joined
Jan 9, 2017
Country
Olympics
you mean at a more prestigious club? such as broadmoor for example?

Many of them are: Broadmoor, DSC, Boston and so on. We aren’t talking about mom and pop middle of nowhere unknown rinks: Unless you want to be paid in donuts. They’d still have to have extensive skating experience though.
 

Arwen17

Final Flight
Joined
Jan 20, 2017
Many of them are: Broadmoor, DSC, Boston and so on. We aren’t talking about mom and pop middle of nowhere unknown rinks: Unless you want to be paid in donuts. They’d still have to have extensive skating experience though.

Yep, I skate at a tiny rink. We have a skating director, but she makes very little money for that role. Though I think with that role plus her coaching she’s one of the only ones who does support herself on skating stuff alone. For all other coaches, they have a “real job” outside of coaching in order to support themselves. Except for the rink owner and director, staff at a rink are making minimum wage, or they volunteered to do it for free. Coaches make more money, but still not enough sustain themselves without a real outside job.
 

SmallAminal

On the Ice
Joined
Jul 26, 2016
In addition to Skating Director, some larger clubs have club administrators (typically does not require you to be a certified coach or to actually have technical skating ability, although familiarity with the sport helps). Basically, that person does a lot of the administration at the club, including processing registrations and payments, answering the phones, and general customer service. I have only seen this as a part-time job though.

You could also get involved in the music editing side (this could be for dance/figure skating/gymnastics/other).

If you look at big productions (Stars on Ice, Cirque du Soleil shows, etc.) you have similar positions that would exist in any theatrical production - production assistants, set designers, lighting technicians etc.

Working at or owning some kind of figure skating business - a figure skating boutique, becoming a fitter or manufacturer rep, making figure skating stuff (like soakers)

I would note that a lot of the coaches in the learn to skate programs are not the same coaches for high performance (i.e. national and world level) athletes. You likely don't have to be a "somebody" to teach gliding and marching, but you do need to get certified as a coach. I have seen people who have learned to skate later in life but who were never "competitive" teaching the learn to skate classes.
 

SmallAminal

On the Ice
Joined
Jul 26, 2016
You could also try working for e.g. US Figure Skating (many types of jobs in such a large organization) or one of the section offices (do they do that in the US?).
 

gkelly

Record Breaker
Joined
Jul 26, 2003
The US doesn't have "section offices."

Yes, there are jobs to be had at Headquarters if you have the relevant experience. Some employees are former skaters, others aren't.

For the original poster, what do you mean by "someone who was never anyone special in the skating world"? There's a big difference between someone who has past only a few test levels if any and only competed at nonqualifying levels if at all, vs. someone who has competed at regionals (or pairs/dance/synchro sectionals) but never advanced, and who has passed one or more gold-level tests.
 

ribbit

On the Ice
Joined
Nov 9, 2014
Another way to approach this question: start by assessing your strengths. What skills would you be drawing on most heavily or prioritizing in any job application or career choice? What can you bring to the figure skating world? Then look into possible applications of those skills in the skating world.

For example, if you enjoy designing clothes for or styling yourself and your friends, and you have some skills in sewing and tailoring, you could begin to research costume design for figure skaters and opportunities to learn about the particular challenges involved in designing costumes for figure skating. On the other hand, if your strengths are primarily organizational or managerial--if you're really good at coordinating teams of people and making projects happen--then an administrative/marketing/financial/developmental role at a rink or club, or in USFS or ISI, or nonprofit, of the kind that Mrs. P describes, might be a better fit for you.
 

Ducky

On the Ice
Joined
Feb 14, 2018
Maybe ask the skating director at your local skating club for an informational interview regarding what their career is like on a day to day basis and what skills or qualifications are needed to do that job well?
 

macy

Record Breaker
Joined
Nov 12, 2011
For the original poster, what do you mean by "someone who was never anyone special in the skating world"? There's a big difference between someone who has past only a few test levels if any and only competed at nonqualifying levels if at all, vs. someone who has competed at regionals (or pairs/dance/synchro sectionals) but never advanced, and who has passed one or more gold-level tests.

i am meaning i never made a name for myself. i competed at regionals at the middle levels several times but never made it outside of that.
 

VegMom

On the Ice
Joined
Aug 25, 2017
I like lists so let me try to just list what’s been said already and then maybe add a few options too:

Coach
Choreographer
Learn to skate program director
Rink manager
Photographer
Marketing director
Zamboni driver or Skate guard or other jobs at a rink
Entertainment professional (be in ice shows or work behind the scenes etc)
Costume maker
Sales (boots, blades, equipment)
Dance instructor for skaters (or yoga etc)
Personal trainer for skaters
Inventor (make a new skate or protective gear)
Architect that designs rinks (many architects specialize)
Musician/ composer/ editor
 
Top