What would it take?

I'm new to the world of competitive figure skating. My daughter truly loves to skate, so I want to make sure I support her in achieving her goals to the best of her abilities. She is 8 and has been skating a little over a year. She's somewhere in the middle free skate levels. She has her singles through a flip and seems to have natural aptitude for the sport. She'd of course love to make it to nationals some day and says her long term goal is to be able to compete with a double axel. My question is what would it take for an eight year old to progress from where she is now to the point where she'd be competitive say at the regional level in juveniles in the next 3-4 years assuming sufficient though not Olympic-level talent. Is this at all realistic? How many hours would she need to train a week to even have a shot?

GBs mom said:

I'm new to the world of competitive figure skating. My daughter truly loves to skate, so I want to make sure I support her in achieving her goals to the best of her abilities. She is 8 and has been skating a little over a year. She's somewhere in the middle free skate levels. She has her singles through a flip and seems to have natural aptitude for the sport. She'd of course love to make it to nationals some day and says her long term goal is to be able to compete with a double axel. My question is what would it take for an eight year old to progress from where she is now to the point where she'd be competitive say at the regional level in juveniles in the next 3-4 years assuming sufficient though not Olympic-level talent. Is this at all realistic? How many hours would she need to train a week to even have a shot?

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Most of the kids I know who make it to the final round of Juv/Int at regionals, and have a realistic hope to make it to sectionals, train before and after school, either 2 on ice sessions or one on and one off, 5-6 days a week, with a lot of lessons. It's a big commitment for both kids and parents.

Did they have that level of commitment even at the no test level, or does it ramp up at a certain point? We've quickly gone from a half hour group lessons once a week to multiple private lessons with about 5 hours on ice / half hour off ice per week. It's hard to see how we could ever get her for more than 10 hours of on ice a week.

GBs mom said:

Did they have that level of commitment even at the no test level, or does it ramp up at a certain point? We've quickly gone from a half hour group lessons once a week to multiple private lessons with about 5 hours on ice / half hour off ice per week. It's hard to see how we could ever get her for more than 10 hours of on ice a week.

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A lot of their parents tell me it is mostly the kid's desires that drives wanting to get very serious about skating, and I think a lot of that is kicked off by getting the axel, for kids that love to jump. A lot of kids get really motivated once they start getting their axel and first doubles, putting together programs, and start to compete pre-pre.

Each year the amount of training increases as the skater gets better and better. The increases are incremental but they do add up quickly.

If you read the paperwork that USFS sends to the schools of skaters that compete at the Juv level (for an excuse absence), it reads that the "average" juv puts in ~11 hours a week. I think that is both on and off ice. With a group size of 20 at Regionals, I expect that the average skater would get about 10th and I do not expect that skater to have a double axel.

To be at at top (typically those with a double axel) expect at least 2x the amount of commitment of the "average" skater.

Desire and training increase as progression occurs and free time and many other things go out the door completely or significantly decrease. I lived at the rink and when I wasn't there I was doing off ice or dance, then food and sleep at home, schoolwork and rink again. Former elite here.

I wouldn't think 3 years for her to juv. I'd think more 4 to 5 years is more reasonable at her age and progression. There is going to be a point in her training where she will hit a plateau with something she is working on technically, and it may take awhile to push past that.

Anything you need, my inbox is always open.

Good luck to you and your daughter.

My skater is 10, and is where yours was 18 months ago. Now she has a solid Axel, inconsistent 2s, 2t and 2Lo. This year she will compete Pre-Preliminary at first and later Preliminary (we hope). She skates about 6 hours a week (with 3 weekly 1/2 hour lessons) and that's all we can do until she chooses between ballet (another 6 hours per week) and skating. I think we have another year before she has to concentrate on one if she wants a shot at regionals.

FYI, The better skaters at our rink (who do compete at Regionals/Sectionals/Nationals, Juv-Sr.) are there twice a day 5-6 days a week. They have multiple lessons per day @$60 per half hour. Be aware that the financial commitment is extraordinary, and the time commitment is as well. Many of the skaters are home schooled, many are not. Mine is about middle of the pack talent wise, is a very hard worker, but I frankly can't see her ready for Juvenile until she has already aged out, and Open Juvenile is non-qualifying. We have 2 years before that happens, so we'll see. The biggest issues are practice time and coaching costs. She'll be in Middle School next year so we should be able to get a P.E. waiver to free up more time and that should help a bit, but coaching $$$ add up really fast. One of our best (former Olympian) skaters was practicing this morning, her coach (well, one of them anyway) is her mother, that must really help with the cost! Sadly not the case for us.

Oh, and if she hasn't started USFSA M(oves) I T(he) F(ield) testing yet she'd better get moving. Mine passed Pre-Juv today and is already one level behind her skating friends, though she has most of Juvenile MITF down already and should take that test with a couple of months work on her backward power 3's and forward double 3's (3's are her weakness!)

Good luck to you and your skater.

We could not get a PE waiver until middle school (7th and 8th grade). To qualify when my daughter was in 7th grade was, a skater had to skate at Regionals and make the finals as a Juvie or skate as an Intermediate. They then bumped up the requirement and now for 7th graders, the requirement is to make Sectionals as Juvie or the final rounds at Regionals an Intermediate.

concorde said:

We could not get a PE waiver until middle school (7th and 8th grade). To qualify when my daughter was in 7th grade was, a skater had to skate at Regionals and make the finals as a Juvie or skate as an Intermediate. They then bumped up the requirement and now for 7th graders, the requirement is to make Sectionals as Juvie or the final rounds at Regionals an Intermediate.

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That's a pretty big demand, really makes no sense to me. Yeah, we are really making it up that our children are on the ice before and after school and do more in one day than most MS/HS kids do all week. We're at a private school and I know they've done something for one of the dancers at my daughter's ballet school, whether it was a waiver or early release "study hall" I'm not sure. I've been looking around and I've seen some schools have Intermediate MITF and FS to qualify for one. As far as ballet it's attendance at a high level summer intensive and a number of hours dancing. We'll see what we get when the time comes. I'm not counting on too much, but if she even gets a break and can do her homework before the afternoon sessions it will be a help. Mine actually loves p.e., so she doesn't really want it!

The PE criteriaI references is for a very large public school district. They work with USFS to set the criteria and their view is the waiver is not for average skater but more elite skaters. From what I gather, about 5 skaters per year meet the criteria and are able to take the waiver

FWIW- there are similar criteria for other sports.

Hi There,

There are a lot of serious skaters at our rink - skating x2/day!! But, they are amazing skaters and I really admire their (and, their parents') dedication...

My daughter really just wants to get all of her doubles (eventually), get more spins and do some ISI (recreational) competitions. She has her Axel, Double Sal and just got Double Loop, likes the big skills. And, isn't much for details. Thinking about MITF - though - as it would be good for her. We're really only at the rink a few hours a week - because she does another sport. Sometimes, though, I feel like just doing this little - is a lot...and I must be crazy for going along with this!!!

This is really great info, I appreciate everyone's comments! Not sure if she'll get beyond local competitions, but it's good to know what it would take, if that's the route she (and we, her family!) decide to commit to.

Gigi99 said:

Sometimes, though, I feel like just doing this little - is a lot...and I must be crazy for going along with this!!!

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So true!!