Rink distance too far? | Golden Skate

Rink distance too far?

luvtoskate49

Spectator
Joined
Jan 18, 2020
My daughter is taking LTS lessons and one of the coaches came up to us the other day and asked if she wanted to do more in skating. Well she was excited and said yes. Well the coach mention of a couple rinks that are open all year and have a club she could join along with getting private lessons. I looked the rinks up and they are either 2 or 3 hours away. If we went to the one that is 2 hours away, is that crazy to drive that far? The rink she goes to now is going to close in a couple months and then open back up in the fall. I don't know what to do or if we should maybe go over and see the other rink. Any advice?
 

Tavi...

Record Breaker
Joined
Feb 10, 2014
My daughter is taking LTS lessons and one of the coaches came up to us the other day and asked if she wanted to do more in skating. Well she was excited and said yes. Well the coach mention of a couple rinks that are open all year and have a club she could join along with getting private lessons. I looked the rinks up and they are either 2 or 3 hours away. If we went to the one that is 2 hours away, is that crazy to drive that far? The rink she goes to now is going to close in a couple months and then open back up in the fall. I don't know what to do or if we should maybe go over and see the other rink. Any advice?

Your daughter is in LTS and you are contemplating a four hour round trip one or more times per week, plus her ice time? Frankly I think it’s a bit odd that any LTS instructor would suggest something like that to your daughter rather than having a private talk with you (for example to say she’s unusually talented and would benefit from more intense training) but only you can decide if it will fit your life and if you want to make such a significant commitment of time, energy, and money.
 

sandraskates

Final Flight
Joined
Oct 31, 2006
Country
United-States
LTS group levels go up to students learning axels. Are we talking Snowplow Sam? Low Basic? Free Skate?
It would be helpful to know the level and age of your daughter. (If you don't want to divulge that info, that's fine).

Perhaps the coach noticed some natural talent and enjoyment within your daughter. It is a big investment of time and money, but if she truly loves to skate and is progressing up the levels you might consider it.
 

luvtoskate49

Spectator
Joined
Jan 18, 2020
My daughter just turn 9 and she is learning the basic of going forward, backward and stopping. The LTS program at this rink is small so you have 3 years and up in this class. They do split the class up after they work on a few things and then work with the ones that are doing good to teach them more and the other coach works with the younger beginners. I don't know if she figures she will learn more at a different rink that groups them by age and ability. That is why I am asking. I am new at this.
 

sandraskates

Final Flight
Joined
Oct 31, 2006
Country
United-States
It's a good question. Sounds like she is in Basic 1 or 2. A 4 hour roundtrip is a tough call in this case.

She has put in 3 years at a seasonal rink. You could try the other rink options for a couple of months and see how your daughter progresses- if she improves quickly and shows some dedication and ability, or if her interest fades because she has to deal with long trips to skate.
 

Scout

Final Flight
Joined
Sep 5, 2009
Are you willing to consider finding a different rink that offers what you are looking for (year round skating? an actual figure skating club? private lessons? more ice time? ability to eventually participate in club competitions?) that is closer to home, even if it isn't one of the specific ones the coach mentioned?

Only you can decide what is right for you and your daughter, but to me, a four hour round trip for a 9-year who is just learning how to skate is way too much of a commitment.
 

karne

in Emergency Backup Mode
Record Breaker
Joined
Jan 1, 2013
Country
Australia
I think a four hour round trip for a nine year old that is just barely learning how to stop is a bit much.
 

Ic3Rabbit

Former Elite, now Pro. ⛸️
Record Breaker
Joined
Jan 9, 2017
Country
Olympics
Your child is in LTS, not training to become the next national champion, so there is no way I would suggest driving her 2 hours each way to learn basic skills. <and no I'm not trying to be rude or snarky, just honest.>

I would try to find a rink closer to where you live that can give you everything you need and more year round.

Good luck!
 

Ducky

On the Ice
Joined
Feb 14, 2018
Are you willing to consider finding a different rink that offers what you are looking for (year round skating? an actual figure skating club? private lessons? more ice time? ability to eventually participate in club competitions?) that is closer to home, even if it isn't one of the specific ones the coach mentioned?

Only you can decide what is right for you and your daughter, but to me, a four hour round trip for a 9-year who is just learning how to skate is way too much of a commitment.

From my reading of the situation, it seems as if the nearest year round rinks are 2 to 3 hours away which doesn't seem to be that uncommon (heck, I'm from WNY and the nearest seasonal ice rink was the next county over with year round rinks being about an hour and a half away. Guess who did not get to skate in the summer?).

But driving that far is a lot, especially for LTS lessons. My first question is whether or not you and/or your partner likes to drive. Because if you enjoy long drives and your daughter doesn't mind them that is a very different situation than you being indifferent or hating to drive. After all, you'll be spending just shy of a 10th of your weekend in the car.

But other factors are when is club ice time and when are LTS lessons? How long are the lessons? Because what if the club ice is at 8:30 am on a Saturday. Saturday is prime sleep time but now you'd have to get up at 5:30! Are you and your partner willing to make one day a week all about driving? How is this going to affect your child's schedule and friendships (weekend sleepovers and birthday parties will basically be DOA.) Is there anything for you to do while she's having a lesson?

As others have said, it's really up to you to decide what's right for you and your daughter, but also what is right for you as a person who, I assume, is a working parent who only gets two days off a week and still has to deal with chores and laundry and possibly going to a religious service and meal prep and a lot of other stuff.
 

Nimyue

On the Ice
Joined
May 15, 2018
LTS group levels go up to students learning axels. Are we talking Snowplow Sam? Low Basic? Free Skate?
It would be helpful to know the level and age of your daughter. (If you don't want to divulge that info, that's fine).

Perhaps the coach noticed some natural talent and enjoyment within your daughter. It is a big investment of time and money, but if she truly loves to skate and is progressing up the levels you might consider it.

This REALLY depends on the area. Where I am, LTS stops around 3 turns and two foot spins. No jumps at all. After that it's private lessons. Most of our LTS instructors are NOT coaches. We don't have enough coaches to teach LTS. Most LTS kids here end up playing hockey if they keep skating. If this is an area where the rink closes in the summer and the nearest other rink is 2 hours away, I doubt they have a robust LTS.
 

sandraskates

Final Flight
Joined
Oct 31, 2006
Country
United-States
This REALLY depends on the area. Where I am, LTS stops around 3 turns and two foot spins. No jumps at all. After that it's private lessons. Most of our LTS instructors are NOT coaches. We don't have enough coaches to teach LTS. Most LTS kids here end up playing hockey if they keep skating. If this is an area where the rink closes in the summer and the nearest other rink is 2 hours away, I doubt they have a robust LTS.

Yes, good points Nimyue and her seasonal rink is probably limited in LTS. Your rink is obviously different to the rinks I've taught at and observed at. If your program is under US Figure Skating LTS then anyone who teaches the classes (can be an accomplished skater) should have gone through the certification and SafeSport to be compliant.

My replies are simply geared to the fact that the child has dedicated herself to 3 years of seasonal skating and seems to enjoy it. If there are other options for her to continue and they have the means to do so, I think they should give it a whirl.
 

Nimyue

On the Ice
Joined
May 15, 2018
Yes, good points Nimyue and her seasonal rink is probably limited in LTS. Your rink is obviously different to the rinks I've taught at and observed at. If your program is under US Figure Skating LTS then anyone who teaches the classes (can be an accomplished skater) should have gone through the certification and SafeSport to be compliant.

My replies are simply geared to the fact that the child has dedicated herself to 3 years of seasonal skating and seems to enjoy it. If there are other options for her to continue and they have the means to do so, I think they should give it a whirl.

I agree with you, but I just wanted to point out that staying in LTS through axel isn't always possible. Our programs are US LTS and Instructors are compliant, but most are NOT PSA coaches, and aren't really qualified to teach spins and jumps. If it's similar to OPs area, her skater might need to go to a proper club to continue progressing anyway. But 2 hours each way is A LOT.
 

NanaPat

Record Breaker
Joined
Oct 25, 2014
Country
Canada
I don't know where the idea that the child has spent 3 years in LTS is coming from. Maybe from this?

My daughter just turn 9 and she is learning the basic of going forward, backward and stopping. The LTS program at this rink is small so you have 3 years and up in this class. They do split the class up after they work on a few things and then work with the ones that are doing good to teach them more and the other coach works with the younger beginners. I don't know if she figures she will learn more at a different rink that groups them by age and ability. That is why I am asking. I am new at this.

I wasn't sure what this meant: if it means the class has students from 3 years of age and up, or if it means that some students spend 3 years in the same class. I certainly didn't interpret as meaning that the OP's child has been in the class for 3 years.

Or maybe the OP said somewhere else, that I am not seeing, that her child has been in the class for 3 years.

Perhaps the OP can clarify this for me/us.
 
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