Is 13 yrs of age to old to start training for figure Ice Skating?

Question

My daughter is very upset because she wants to be a professional Figure Ice Skater, however I told her that at age 13 with no past Ice Skating training it is to late to start to train.I told her she can do it for fun but I will not invest the Thousands $$$$$ it would tke considering her age. I am am very much the type of person who encourages dreams, but this one is just not vesable for the investment......Any thoughts on this, from people who either train in figure skating or are ice skaters themselves??????
she will read your answers. Thank you everyone-

By the way,
I want people to understand to train to go pro is more than $40,000 a year in training. This dream came upon my daughter when she watche Sasha Cohen perform at the Olympics. So I know it a fasination.

I really need direct answers from exprienced skaters and coaches who understand the requirments for Pro Skating. Please dont give me your opinions of crushing dreams.I believe if you want anyting in life it can be achieved however this one is tough .
$40,000 and possibly more is alot of money.I would rather see her go to Med School-

Answer 1

Good day.

Hope I can give you some detailed info on figure skating. I was a former competitive figure skater and have been coaching figure skating for 15+ years in the DFW area. My students range from beginning level through national competitors.

There are two recognized organizations in the United States for figure skating: USFSA (United States Figure Skating Association) and ISI (Ice Skating Institute).

USFSA is the road to the US Figure Skating Championships, Worlds and the Olympics. The levels in USFSA are pre-preliminary, preliminary, pre-juv, juv, intermediate, novice, junior and senior. In the qualifying competitions, there are specific age restrictions for the appropriate levels.

For example: to compete at the regional level in juv girls the age limit is 12 years. Keep in mind that even at the pre-preliminary level the girls are doing axels.

Initially, the skater would do learn-to-skate classes and private lessons to get them through the basic skill level. Then they would move up to pre-preliminary levels and begin a series of tests: field moves (replaced school figures) and freeskate tests. Successfully passing these tests qualifies the skater for their competition levels.

I would highly recommend that your daughter skate through the ISI program. There are numerous competition opportunities for your daughter's age range.

Check with the local skating rink in your area to see if their skating classes follow the ISI curriculum. It is geared primarly for recreational skaters and even goes through adult levels for competitions. It is a great organizations and they even have their own "Worlds" each summer with no qualifying, unlike USFSA. Any eligible ISI skater can compete at ISI Worlds. It is being held this year (July) in Boston. One of my skaters is competing at that competition. My students range from ISI to USFSA skaters and both organizations are wonderful!

She should start with learn-to-skate classes and supplement a private lesson once a week. Repetition is key in figure skating and she should be practing twice a week. This would be in addition to her learn to skate class.

Please purchase her a pair of skates. The rental skates are HORRIBLE....no support and they never sharpen the blades, making it difficult for the skaters to even hold an edge. Skates can be expensive.....however, the 'Riedell' boot & blade can be purchaed for around $150. You don't need an expensive boot & blade until the skater starts landing double jumps and requires a strong support to hold the edge.

ISI is lots of fun....competition events range from the traditional freeskate program to the "spotlight" where technical merit is not awarded and the more creative you can be as far as character, footwork, etc., you will do well.

ISI's headquarters is in Dallas, TX. She would need to join the ISI organization (around $15/yr) to become eligible to compete in ISI competition events. The private lesson coach would test her ($5/test) so she can compete at that skill level. The levels in ISI are Pre-alpha, alpha, beta, gamma, delta, Freeskate 1 through Freeskate10.

ISI is lots of fun, affordable and give your daughter the opportunity to see if she likes it or not. Skating is NOT easy and the more your practice, the greater the improvement.

Have her practice initially on a public skating session (less $) and her private lesson to begin with can be conducted on that type of session. If you are preparing for a competition and she is at the Delta level, then it's the right time to move to a freestyle session for practice/lessons.

If you reside in the DFW area, I would be more than happy to speak with you in person.

Thank you and I trust this was informative.



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Answer 2

1) Well it is not to late to start figure skating even adults start figure skating when they are like 30!! 2)Ya you can do any competitions lke me im 12 and my friend I share this account with my friend is 13 and skates and do shows an competitions. Shows are fun because it isn't a competition but its for fun. As long as you practice you can win a medaland stuff in small competitions. 3) Well they should be half a size bigger than your shoe size or whatever fits the best to the point where it is snug but not to tight and if you still don't know the people that work at the store they would help you out. Jacksons are probably the best beginner skates that usually only cost $60-120 dollars.When you get to higher skatting levels they will cost more and more each time about 200 or more dollars but beginner skates aren't that much. 4)Well I know how ya feel i started skating when I was 10 and there was another 10 year old and everyone else was like 7! Private lessons depend on how long your lesson is and who your coach is. I pay $40 for half an hour but other places cost $40 for a whole hour.So it depends. 5) When I started skating I didn't have a dancing background and I am doing very well. As long as you are coordinated and have pretty good balance you will do pretty well. You don't need dancing experience but if you want you could take ballet lessons but it isn't mandetory. Other qualities you need to have you can gain during your experience of skating like flexibility and stuff. I hope you consider figure skating because it is really fun!!!

Answer 3

Hey...Its never too late to start skating. I took my first lesson two days before my 21st birthday. I had always wanted to skate and I'm glad that I started. Once you are over 21, you can compete in adult competitions. (There are national and ever international competitions.) So, while she might not become an Olympic medalist, she can still pursue her gold medal dreams of glory. Plus, there are always professional skating shows, such as Disney on Ice and other touring companies that can yield a future for skaters.
Let her take a few lessons, maybe for a year or so, and if she shows an aptitude for it, and a real passion and drive, then the sky really can be the limit!!!

Answer 4

I started figure skating when I was 3 years old. You ought to ask your daughter if she's sure she wants to start so late. Take it from me it is not as easy as it seems. As for expenses... You will definately pay thousands. The equipment alone might be 1,000 at least. Not to mention doctors fees. I can't count how many times I've been in the hospital because of injuries. It's costed us hundreds. Ice skating is serious business. It's not all fun and games. There'll be happiness and fun, but there will also be pain and major costs for you. You must also take into consideration that she may not be up to 4 hours of practice a day. Even during the school year, and for someone starting so late, she might have to work double to catch up with her age group. Figure skating coaches are not easy or cheap. Tell her she may want to reconsider. But if she is sure, and you will allow...

Answer 5

Wow...no offense, but I can't believe you told her that you would NOT invest in it and that it's too late for her to be good. That would've hurt my feelings when I was a young lady.
Kudos for asking for advice tho.
If she's that interested in pursuing this dream, she will most likely put EXTRA effort in to overcoming the "obstacle" of starting a bit later than MOST of the other skaters. It will be harder, but worth it for her to TRY.
As far as the $$ aspect, have you looked into local churches and sports venues for scholarships and/or financial assistance? Many places provide that.
I say let her go for it. Too many kids are wasting time and money doing NOTHING with their lives. It's refreshing to here a 13 year old wants something MORE than to be Paris Hilton.
If it turns out to be too hard for her, she'll know right away and the financial burden will be short-lived.
Best of luck!

Answer 6

I started figure skating when I was five, and I stopped skating the beginning of this year, when I was 12. Right now, I am 13. After not practicing on the rink for 5 months, I tried to start skating again, and it was really, really difficult for me to do spirals and stretching became really hard for me. I had been skating for SEVEN years, and I was still only working on doubles. It really just depends on how fast your daughter learns the figure skating moves, and how fexible your daughter is. My dad spent a lot of money for my figure skating lessons, but it's really up to you for you are willing to make those sacrifices for your daughter. If figure skating is what she wants, then I'd say she should start.

Answer 7

Yes, it is kind of late. If and only IF your daughter develops ice skating fast, and competes in competiton, and wins greatly, let her. . . THough, considering that she is 13 years old, I would think 8 or 9 could be one of the best choices of ages to start.

-OR-

No, Not only that 13, is kind of late, she should be studying at school on concentrating on academics to get a good career and succeed.


sorry, have 2 sides on this question

Answer 8

I am neither of those but the way I see it, it is better to get a good start. That way, she gets a good background and it is still good to pull out if she does not wish to continue. An early background means more time to train and improve. Overall, it is good for her to be interested in some athletic activity, which betters a persons physical and mental health.

Answer 9

well its gonna be very tough because most skaters at that age can ddo double axels and double toe loops and she will still have to learn singles. if she does she has to be very devoted to it and remeber figure skating cost a lot of money so prepare to spend thousands

Answer 10

anybody can do anything,i think she would need a ton of commitment to the sport!....my friend is a skater and i think she started at like the age of 10-so maybe that shows some hope.