If I started ice skating at 15 can I possibly become a professional or do anything with it as a career?

[mayskates]

I started ice skating in January right after my 15th birthday and started with the learn to skate basics, right now I'm still in it at level 3 but very close to passing (it's the backward one foot glide that i cannot hold for 5 seconds.) I recently started the aspire to figure skate and are working on spins and jumps. I enjoy skating a lot and want to continue down this path. I'm homeschooled so I can put more practice/dedication in. But I was wondering if I started too late to become a a coach, professional or anything that can be a job in figure skating? If its not possible or a very low chance, is there any thing I could accomplish?

I've asked a few adults online who said I'm way too old to start and accomplish anything so I wanted to come to an actual forum about skating

 

[moonvine]

I don't know what the actual skaters will tell you, but I will tell you if you enjoy it do it, even if you can't make a career out of it. If you can't, maybe you can still be close to the sport by doing something like photography or videography. But if you don't do it, you'll never know.
You can accomplish having fun doing something you enjoy, you can accomplish competition on some level (local competitions, not the ones you see on TV), maybe you could do synchro or adult competitions. You're 15, you may not even want to do something professional with it, you might want to keep it as a fun hobby.
I'll get out of the way now and let the actual skaters speak

 

[WednesdayMarch]

Speaking as a person who started lessons at the grand old age of 14 and attained a high level of qualifications and ice dance skills, I'd say that yes, it is possible. I only ever really wanted to coach and that's what I did. It took me a long time, as my parents were definitely not on board with it and I had to work and pay for all my training, ice time, equipment, etc but I was very determined and did it. (We'll gloss over the fact that my career ended at 31 with a game-changing accident, other than to say that you must have another string to your bow for earning a living!)

It's not easy and you'll find that there are people who won't take your ambition seriously but can be done. I know of other "late starters" who went into shows, too. You will, however, need a decent amount of talent and plus massive determination and self-discipline. And money. Depending on where you are in the world, the path into coaching has differing qualification levels. In the UK, for example, you only need BIS level one in any discipline to start the official coaching training, but it requires 100 mentored hours of coaching on the ice plus a lot of other off-ice learning modules and costs several hundred pounds. That level has to be completed in 2 years and qualifies you as an "Assistant Coach", which is to say you can basically assist during group lessons for the Skate UK levels, ie the lowest stuff. And you absolutely cannot be paid for it. The next level requires a Level 3 qualification and you are eventually allowed to teach the Skate UK levels unsupervised and, I think, be paid. To become a "Level 2 Coach", you need to have BIS Level 6 in 2 disciplines, one of which must be National Skills (Moves in the Field) and there is another 100 hours (down to 50 if you have those 2 Level 6s when you start). It's a long, slow process and costs hundreds of pounds to the skating association at each stage, plus whatever you need to pay out for ice time and your own coaching. The chances of actually earning a proper living at it are slim and only one coach at my rink survives without another, "proper" job. She lives very frugally and with her mother. Even our British Champion and worlds competitor has an excellent other career and teaches because he loves it. I know the pathways are different in other countries and I think the US and Canada both have opportunities to teach the LTS levels without massive amounts of money and training being given to the skating association. (I could be wrong there.) I also found that when I had pupils with the talent to go far in skating, they almost always came from a family who couldn't afford it and I ended up coaching them for free on top of their paid lessons. I didn't resent any of it but it didn't pay my bills!

My advice to you is to hold on to that dream and work for it but don't lose the joy of skating. It's an ambition that can be achieved but isn't worth sacrificing the love of the sport for, if that makes any sense. Skating as an adult is wonderful and there are so many opportunities to compete and enjoy yourself these days. And, as I said earlier, make sure you have another earning string to your bow!

Good luck and happy skating!

 

[Ic3Rabbit]

Hello and welcome! While yes, it is in rare situations, possible. More than likely you will not reach the level of pro or being able to use it as long career where you are in demand for pro shows etc.
There is alot that goes into the sport (as WM has mentioned above such and money etc). And unless you are that one in a million super talent then probably not. I say this as someone who has reached the highest parts of the sport and am now a Pro skater (I started skating when I was a toddler).

Now, do not get discouraged: Skating is still a wonderful sport to get involved with at any age and you can still have fun and enjoy and love the sport. You at some point may be able to coach at a lower, local level and participate in club shows, adult competitions (when you reach that age), and more. Don't come into the sport hoping to be an Olympic Champ or World/National champ and let it get you down if it doesn't happen. Just start skating with small goals and see how it works out for you, and just enjoy it for the awesome sport it is.
Good luck!

 

[theblade]

You've gotten great feedback so far from knowledgeable people!

I personally know a European guy, about 21-22, who started skating at age 15 after many other sports (natural athlete) and is now training for senior international ice dancing with a partner at a top facility. (Whether or not all the ducks are in a row to compete is an ongoing matter at the moment.) This is an extreme example.

Your journey will be very personal. Look at how different people are involved in skating and see what appeals to you.

Frankly, a lot of skaters that start late can also stay in the sport later through volunteering, judging, being a club administrator, etc. Their strong foundation in skating and love for the beauty and athleticism of this sport makes them a great addition to the skating community.

 

[gkelly]

If you're asking whether you can become an elite competitor, the answer is probably no.

If you're interested in becoming a coach for lower-level skaters, the answer could be yes.

But first you have to put in the time over a number of years to become a moderately accomplished skater yourself.

How much you can accomplish in your own skating will depend a lot on your personal physical talents and background, how hard you work, how many hours a week you can skate, how much and how good instruction you get (some of which depend on how much money you have available for training), etc. Your options for how you can advance will also depend on things such whether you're male or female, what country you live in, and what discipline you're interested in skating.

Look at skating as a hobby, rather than as a career path for earning a living (keeping in mind that even most high-level competitors end up spending a lot more money on the sport than they ever earn from it).

Keep skating, find out what skating opportunities are available as you move from lower to maybe middle skill levels, what opportunities will be available for skating as an adult, and what aspects of skating you like and are able to make the most progress in. The more time you spend in the sport and investigating how it works in your area, the better sense you'll get of what reasonable short-term and long-term goals might be for you.

 

[Vicki7]

I took around 18 months of group lessons from age 6 to 7, then was away from the sport until 23. I got back into serious regular skating in 2017. For full context I am registered as partially blind - also known as sight impaired in the UK or low vision in the USA. Basically have no peripheral vision past my shoulders.

Skating is a wonderful sport, and there are a lot of opportunities outside of elite competitions. Another option, once you have a good foundation of skills, is working with skaters with disabilities - look for programs in your area, they may be called adaptive or inclusive skating programs and they will usually be in need of volunteers to assist the skaters on the ice.

I’m actually training as a coach through the charity Inclusive Skating, unfortunately when I do qualify I won’t be able to teach until I also hold one of the British Ice Skating qualifications mentioned by WM above.

 

[MiraiFan]

So many good responses above... I was a gymnast in high school--never super high level, but I loved it. I have a full time day job but teach gymnastics for a few hours every weekend--it is one of my favorite things and a way to stay connected to the sport. I fell in love with skating in my early forties and when I retire, I could imagine teaching beginner levels. There is so much you can do in the sport that doesn't involve elite competition. The adult levels are actually really fund and also competitive--in a good way. Good luck!

 

[La Versaillaise]

I started ice skating in January right after my 15th birthday and started with the learn to skate basics, right now I'm still in it at level 3 but very close to passing (it's the backward one foot glide that i cannot hold for 5 seconds.) I recently started the aspire to figure skate and are working on spins and jumps. I enjoy skating a lot and want to continue down this path. I'm homeschooled so I can put more practice/dedication in. But I was wondering if I started too late to become a a coach, professional or anything that can be a job in figure skating? If its not possible or a very low chance, is there any thing I could accomplish?

I've asked a few adults online who said I'm way too old to start and accomplish anything so I wanted to come to an actual forum about skating

Hi Mayskates !

I know à former professional skater who started late (at 18 if I’m right). He was very gifted for the sport and loved it, advanced quickly and was able to have a career in Holiday on Ice shows.
He could do double jumps but never did triples. He could still do fantastic pirouettes at 50.

Another skater I know started at about the same age. He is not a professional but reached an advanced level too. He does quite high level ballet on ice competitions and teaches figure skating group classes (probably for free).

Keep working hard, enjoy all of it. I wish you the best !

 

[vixen0089]

Hello! An adult skater here! I started very late (in my 30s) so I don’t have as high aspirations as you have, but I just wanted to write that I got to know coaches who started figure skating very late and they get to coach adults and children + one of them is competing in synchronised skating. So everything is possible <3 Check coach Hamish on Instagram, he started late (age of 14) and he accomplished quite a lot