How long does it typically take to pass senior MIF? | Golden Skate

How long does it typically take to pass senior MIF?

wendyzhu

Spectator
Joined
Jan 13, 2020
I wonder how long it would typically take a skater from "learning to skate" to "passing senior MIF". I think somewhere USFS mentioned it would take quite several years. But looking at the records of skaters from the competitions, it seems they hardly spent any time to pass MIF. Use this particular skater as example, who actually participated in JGP this year (without any commendable placement). She started skating with the club at 5, attended first Juvenile Regional at 7 with 2Lz, attended Intermediate Regional at 10. Since most Juvenile has passed senior MIF, it appears she went through all MIF in 2 years. Is this a typical timeline for well-balanced track skaters to follow?
 

gkelly

Record Breaker
Joined
Jul 26, 2003
That's very quick.

A skater who 1) is naturally talented at skating skills and 2) takes several lessons per week focusing on MIF and practices many hours per week might be able to pass all the tests that quickly.

Most will take much longer.

Don't use elite competitors as examples of what the average skater will be able to accomplish.

From the "All About U.S. Figure Skating Tests" PDF under Resources at https://www.usfigureskating.org/clubs.aspx?id=84107:

Athletes move at their own pace through the Moves in the Field tests, some preferring to spend a lot of time working their way up, and other athletes choosing to devote a lot of their skating time to them early, thus progressing more quickly. There is no “right or wrong” amount of time that it takes to advance to the next level, nor is there a perfect amount of time each week to practice them. Skaters and their parents should discuss their goals, desired time commitment and budget with their coach to develop a plan that works for the skater.

Generally, the higher a skater gets, the more time it takes to complete a level, and the more likely they are to have to “retry” a test. For example, at the pre-preliminary level, the middle range of skaters take approximately six months to pass the test, and spend 1 hour – 1 ½ hours per week working on it. Nearly all skaters will pass on their first try. By the time a skater reaches the novice or junior level, the middle range of skaters spend about three hours per week working on Moves in the Field, it will typically take between eight months and one year to pass, with the average skater taking about two attempts to pass.
 

hanyuufan5

✨**:。*
Medalist
Joined
May 19, 2018
In addition to the above, it also depends on the income level and other responsibilities of the skater. I might be able to pass in 2 years if I had a time turner and free coaching and ice time, but sadly I do not. ;)
 

iceskating21

On the Ice
Joined
Jan 10, 2018
She is really fast. In my rink, most skaters took 5-6 years from PP MIF to Senior MIF, if they got there. I would say, probably 1/10 or even less. And most ones competing at Juvenile are 10-13 yr old.
 

wendyzhu

Spectator
Joined
Jan 13, 2020
Is this kind of pace the typical one for those who medal at the usfsa qualifying events? I agree this kind of speed is exceptional, but wonder whether this kind of "exceptional" is expected for those winning qualifying events.
 

JSM

On the Ice
Joined
Dec 11, 2011
I’ll bet that even though the skater joined the club at age 5, the skater was taking lessons and started on the ice at an earlier age. Most skaters only join the club when they are ready to compete or test.
 

ayb2

Rinkside
Joined
Jan 2, 2018
I would say that coaches tend towards 2 paths - go through moves as soon as possible, or keep moves more in line with freeskate tests. The girl you mentioned may not have gotten through senior moves. Karen Chen in her book started skating around 5 and finished senior moves at age 10, so probably around 4-5 years for all 8 tests even for elite skaters. My older kid is a more recreational skater and tries to get through tests about once a year, although has been as little as 4 months and as long as 1.5 years (pre-juv) to pass individual tests. She started taking pre pre mitf around 9 years old, our hope is to be finished with senior around 15 years old, she's testing intermediate next month. Probably will take her 6-7 years to finish all her moves. Younger kid doesn't have enough of a track record to tell, but started pre pre mitf at age 6 and probably on track to finish senior moves at age 11 or so if she keeps it up, so maybe 5 years in total?
 
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