Is it typical that a choreographer and the primary coach are rinkside at a preliminary and a pre juvenile competition? I'm getting charged $48.00 per competition from my daughter's primary coach and $58.00 by the choreographer. This is only for the event fee. I also get charged for practice ice by both of them, but for $28.00 and $38.00 for a 20 minute session. It seems excessive and unnecessary for a skater at this level. My daughter has only been skating 2 years and is being moved up to the Juv level (free skate) and intermediate level (short program) soon because she has a double axel, but I am not going to do 2 competetions a month at these costs!!
What are typical figure skating costs??
- Thread starter skaterlor
- Start date
- Joined
- Mar 4, 2018
Those costs don't sound unreasonable but not sure if you need the primary coach AND choreographer or if you need to be doing two competitions a month.
By saying two competetions, I mean 1 competetion with 2 events - the juvenile free skate and intermediate short program.
- Joined
- Mar 4, 2018
I would imagine you only need one coach at a competition at your level. I'm sure the choreographer likes to be there and likes to get paid but if cost is a concern I'm sure you can just use one coach at a time.
Two coaches there at the same time & both charging you seem excessive for a prelim and PJ free skate competition. Do they do that for all their students? Maybe it's normal for them. Did they give a reason why both of them have to be rink side?
When my daughter was competing at this level, she had 3 coaches (head coach, secondary coach, & choreography/MIF coach). Any one of the 3 can go to a competition, but only one would be "putting her on the ice". The coaches would decide amongst themselves who would be rink side at these low-level competitions. Even when my daughter's choreographer was there at the competition and watching her performance, we did NOT pay that coach. I always felt that I could've said that I wanted only one coach rink side, but that was never an issue for us.
This goes the same for practice ice lessons at competitions. Only one coach would be giving my daughter the lesson at a time.
They never said why they both are there at the same time. I just wanted to see what was typical before I say anything about it. I try to just be the mom (supporter, bill payer, driver, etc.) and not question the coaching decisions, but I guess this might be the time to speak up
We only pay for 1 coach per slot (practice ice and event). The coaches work out who is going to be "main" person for each slot and it is can vary over the course of the competition.
For practice ice, we pay the normal coach's rate. The actual competition is a flat fee which is separate from the practice ice fee. Fees really skyrocket when there are both qualifying rounds and final rounds for both the short and long program. On top of those, I get hit with mileage, food, hotel, air fare, etc. for the coach but that is split between all the coach's skaters who go to the competition. My typical bill for coach's fee only for a competition is several hundred dollars.
For practice ice, we pay the normal coach's rate. The actual competition is a flat fee which is separate from the practice ice fee. Fees really skyrocket when there are both qualifying rounds and final rounds for both the short and long program. On top of those, I get hit with mileage, food, hotel, air fare, etc. for the coach but that is split between all the coach's skaters who go to the competition. My typical bill for coach's fee only for a competition is several hundred dollars.
- Joined
- Aug 1, 2003
You don't need both of them there; only the coach. You also don't need to do two competitions per month, unless you really want to.
Yup
We pay for our coach to travel. And fees for competitions are usually several hundred also.
Just found my bill for Regionals last year. It was a "local" competition so we paid for mileage and tolls only (no air fare). Coach stayed overnight with friends.
Practice ice was $289 - I cannot remember how many practice sessions but it was at least 4. The event fee was $300 - covered QR plus both short and long in the final round. Then $75 in expenses. Total (if I did my math correctly) $664.
That is about average for us. Some competitions do not have any final rounds while others have QR for both the short and long.
Practice ice was $289 - I cannot remember how many practice sessions but it was at least 4. The event fee was $300 - covered QR plus both short and long in the final round. Then $75 in expenses. Total (if I did my math correctly) $664.
That is about average for us. Some competitions do not have any final rounds while others have QR for both the short and long.
There was a recent article in Money magazine about the cost of figure skating.
Here's what it says:
"It’s true in nearly every sport. Coaching fees, travel expenses, and physical therapy and athletic conditioning to keep the body operating at elite levels add up. But figure skating is among the priciest, with costs running more than $35,000 a year and as much as $50,000 annually by some estimates."
The article details the various costs here: http://time.com/money/5136679/olympic-figure-skating-costs/
Ways to cut costs:
- barter system (I think my coach gives lessons to one family as a trade for hair styling services)
- crowdfund
- limit ice time and do most off ice
- get figure skating scholarships (most clubs offer something, but it's usually not much)
- pay for skating instead of private school (homeschool or do online school instead)
- skip vacations or combine vacations with competitions
Here's what it says:
"It’s true in nearly every sport. Coaching fees, travel expenses, and physical therapy and athletic conditioning to keep the body operating at elite levels add up. But figure skating is among the priciest, with costs running more than $35,000 a year and as much as $50,000 annually by some estimates."
The article details the various costs here: http://time.com/money/5136679/olympic-figure-skating-costs/
Ways to cut costs:
- barter system (I think my coach gives lessons to one family as a trade for hair styling services)
- crowdfund
- limit ice time and do most off ice
- get figure skating scholarships (most clubs offer something, but it's usually not much)
- pay for skating instead of private school (homeschool or do online school instead)
- skip vacations or combine vacations with competitions
I see no reason to have two coaches there. In fact, my daughter decided to do a competition kind of far away a few weeks ago and we didn't even take her coach -- she put herself on the ice. She'll be doing a couple more like that this season due to scheduling conflicts.
My daughter's coach currently only has one other skater at a similar level (but she does test track and is usually not on the same day), so it doesn't work out often to share expenses. It was kind of nice not to have to pay a coach at all!
My daughter's coach currently only has one other skater at a similar level (but she does test track and is usually not on the same day), so it doesn't work out often to share expenses. It was kind of nice not to have to pay a coach at all!
Just to clarify -these are coaches fees / expenses only. This does not include competitions fees, competition practice ice, or expenses for my family.
Having a kid competing at the IJS levels does not come cheap.
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