My Oldest Daughter is Moving Up a Skating Level
By Steve Helmer
@srhelmer (7047)
Beaver Dam, Wisconsin
July 19, 2016 6:16am CST
We were discussing this with her coach last night and, instead of competing in the free skate level as we originally discussed, she is going to train to compete at the compulsory level instead.
This is a harder level because it draws in a wide range of skaters, some with more experience than others. As a result, her coach pretty much told her she shouldn't expect to be competing for medals right away.
The advantage of the move is, unlike Free Skate, which requires her to perform specific jumps and spins in her routine, compulsory is much more open-ended. She has to perform a certain number of jumps and spins but can choose which ones. This allows her to skate using her strongest moves and add the more complicated moves as she masters them. Plus, it never hurts to have her compete against skaters who are better/more experienced than her because it gives her motivation to keep improving.
Of course, this does mean more training for her, both on the ice and off of it. I told her there's no more spending her day playing on her tablet, she needs to start getting a couple hours worth of exercise each day so she builds strength and endurance.
4 people like this
4 responses
@DianneN (254926)
• United States
19 Jul 16
Hard work and dedication are key for figure skating. My 8 year old granddaughter has been competing since she was 3 years old. She trains with two coaches and does off ice training and tap dancing to improve her rhythm. She performs for compulsories and artistic merit. She has competed in Lake Placid, Florida, and of course NYC where she lives. She's at camp right now for her second summer, and skates five days a week up there with a coach. She loves skating and has the medals to prove it. I wish your daughter success, and most of all, pleasure in this highly competitive sport. How old is your daughter?
2 people like this
@srhelmer (7047)
• Beaver Dam, Wisconsin
19 Jul 16
She'll be turning 12 in a couple weeks. She had a late start and didn't start skating until she was almost 8 and didn't move into the competition side of it until a couple years ago. She won the Basic 8 Wisconsin Basic Skills Series gold medal last year (her younger sister won the gold medal in the Basic 2 category) but has only been skating a part-time schedule this year because of school conflicts and a number of competitions being cancelled on her (right now, it looks like she'll have to wait until November to compete again and that might be the last one for the year).
She also always loses some ground this time of year because all the local rinks shut down for 5-6 weeks for maintenance. Skating is expensive enough without driving her an hour or more each way to a rink. Plus, I like her having some down time so she can be a kid.
2 people like this
@DianneN (254926)
• United States
19 Jul 16
@srhelmer 8 is not too old to skate. I'm sure she loves it. If my granddaughter decides she doesn't want to skate anymore, we're all good with it. Unlike your daughter, my granddaughter skates before and after school, and her coaches have her practice even when she goes away on vacation. It is a very costly sport, including the custommade costumes. She finds time to read voraciously, gets all A's in school, tap dances, water skis, horseback rides, goes to religious school, has sleepovers, plays with her little brother, who also competes, has a slew of friends, tap dances, and has performed off Broadway in Peter Pan. No one knows where she gets her energy.
It's nice to meet you, and hope to hear more skating stories!
1 person likes this
@much2say (57760)
• Los Angeles, California
28 Jul 16
Hope she is liking her new training routine! If she loves the sport, she'll be up for the challenge! I started way late (in my mid 20s) but I loved training, competing, and performing. If anything for us skating addicts, all we wanted to do was stay on the ice at all hours of the day (but this was of course before anyone ever had tablets and smartphones). Best of luck to your daughter and all her skating endeavors!
1 person likes this
@srhelmer (7047)
• Beaver Dam, Wisconsin
28 Jul 16
She seemed to enjoy learning the new routine, even though they only managed to get about 20 percent of it done so far. The hard part will be keeping her motivated. She's at that age where her moods swing pretty often and rapidly.
1 person likes this
@much2say (57760)
• Los Angeles, California
28 Jul 16
@srhelmer I have an 11 year old daughter - I know how that goes 
. And I remember skating with kids at that age. I hope she finds what truly motivates here - every kid/person is different. For me personally, I was a showy show off . . . so I had better be very prepared or else I knew I was going to look like a goof out there 
.
. And I remember skating with kids at that age. I hope she finds what truly motivates here - every kid/person is different. For me personally, I was a showy show off . . . so I had better be very prepared or else I knew I was going to look like a goof out there .