I'm homeschooled actually, I spend most of my day lolling around. I detest homeschooling, but it's a choice between skating and going to public school.

I'm never going to train every single day, or constantly be in competitions. I can't, and never will be able to, afford $50K a year of lessons and competition fees. At the most, I might skate two or three weekdays (I currently skate Thursday and Saturday mornings, and all other days are free. If I had the money/transportation, I'd public skate on weekdays more often.) I do not know how many managers would understand that I am not the type of person who would need to constantly skip out on shifts.

14 year olds are legally allowed to work in a business in the US, but it also depends on state law. They are very restricted in type of job and hours worked, but they are allowed. And, yeah, 9 year olds should not be berry picking unless their parents were with them.

The type of job I was thinking of was one that I did on days where it's tough to get people to work, for example, almost all of a lunch diner's employees go to church and it's next to impossible to get them to work Sunday lunch shift. An extremely minor part of the payroll, but a part nonetheless. Teenagers are more likely to accept minimum wage, too. My brother got a job at Quizno's when he was 15- why not 14? The problem now, is that so many kids are spoiled and given cars, that they won't stick with a job or do it properly. I wouldn't care how badly a customer was treating me- I'd do my job, because I honestly needed the money. Any independent child with common sense could make a sandwich, stock shelves, etc., but unfortunately very little children are brought up that way now.

There are some age restrictions. You have to be 16 in order to run machinery, so slicing meats for sandwiches, using commercial mixers to make ice cream or batters/doughs, and mixing cement are definitely not available. If your rink has a snack bar or a front desk, they might be willing to give you chance at those jobs. Ask if they need a day camp counselor. For babysitting, one of the best credentials to have is the Red Cross Babysitter certification. Check your local YMCA or Red Cross for courses - it's usually a week long.

What's interesting is that some adults have told me that they were turned down for jobs because the manager knew they'd leave as soon as they got something better. Everyone has a different perspective.

People still hire kids off-the-books, but you have to know someone. Start telling all the adults you meet that you're hoping to get a summer job. Ask nicely if they know of anyone that's hiring. Contact the key people right away.

I started working at 14 in a dry-cleaning/tailoring store, just taking customers clothes, tagging them, and putting bags on them once they were finished. The job paid for my first skating expenses. (I started skating in my late teens.)

Personally, I loved the Medallion series skates for my kids when they started doing freestyle skating. I think they were good quality and well-made. I'd suggest changing blades around FS4.

__________________

Yup, I've been through all those laws. Mixers.. really.. what can really happen to me- do they think I'd fall in it and get my leg crushed?
And, well, I can't help with the day camp, because I've been enrolled in it, actually. Great camp, really. They've got ice dance classes and jump classes for whatever your level. And off-ice, in which our butts are kicked by the instructors.

Hmm, never thought of that before. If I got a job, I'd hang onto it for my life.

That's what I was thinking, to change blades at FS4. I'll see if I get through FS3 week after next. Backspins..

Yes, please be careful about saying adults are taking teenagers jobs because many of them are working those jobs to help make ends meet...not because they want to keep teens from working. Looking for a job right now is not easy. My husband has been in and out of work for the last year and a half. He's been turned down from "teenager" jobs due to being over qualified, He's currently looking at working 2 jobs while he looks for something closer to what he was being paid before. So yes, think twice about what you say to others about adults taking teens jobs. Trust me... most of them would likely want to be somewhere else but have no other choice.

My daughter has been skating for 3 years now. We pay for most of her skating costs, but she helps as much as a child of nearly 12 can. One thing she does is help out at our rinks Learn to Skate sessions. By doing this, she earns free freestyle sessions. She does this at least 4 times a month and I consider it her way of helping to pay for figure skating. I would see if your rink offers anything like this. Oh and part of the reason my daughter gets to do this is because it is her club's home rink. Anyway...just a thought.

__________________
skating mom to 3 angels on earth and 1 in heaven

As for the comment re: competitions. You don't need to spend 50K a yr for lessons and comps in order to be in them. My daughter competes and is in shows, competitions, takes private lessons and is in a club and we spend FAR less then that in a yr. To be an elite skater, you would need to spend that(and more I am sure) but to do smaller, local competitions you don't need to spend that much. Just thought I would mention it just in case you were interested in competing and testing.

__________________
skating mom to 3 angels on earth and 1 in heaven

My DD was being approached by people asking her to apply for part-time jobs (note: she does not work for money by our direction, as she is fulfilling other expectations that we have in terms of academics and volunteer work, and thus, we fund her skating for her). Why was she approached?

1. Attitude. She has a reputation for being positive, innovative, creative and hardworking.
2. Reliability. She is always on time, prepared, and willing to do what is asked.
3. Communication skills. She speaks well, and is able to listen and respond effectively.
4. QUALIFICATIONS ****** (note the stars): She went out and qualified in First Aid, and as far up the lifeguarding qualifications as her age permitted, and is knocking off the rest as the age requirements are met. She further took every seminar, course and workshop offered at our skating club, participated enthusiastically, and ignored the comments from other skaters about how "boring" it was.

How did people know about her abilities? From observing her in a variety of volunteer and other situations. A teenager's reputation is what will really help get them work, if they want it. A teenager's reputation will also prevent them from doing work if that applies.

Thus ... the purpose of my rant/diatribe. If you can't get paying work, go out and volunteer at the local hospital, animal shelter, or at your rink. Establish a strong reputation, practice in working steadily at a job, and get a resume that shows your commitment to a role, plus, of course, references (being homeschooled, you lack the teacher references that many teens can use). Once you have that reputation, you too may get the phone calls we do from people looking for a steady proven individual with a great proven track record. Plus, look for every course you can take (some are free or nearly free) - and add the skills and knowledge one. That will put you at the "top" of the pile when it comes to job applications, and may also help you get jobs that pay ABOVE that minimum wage.

Just a suggestion. I'm a high school teacher, and I see what succeeds for my students; some are spoilt brats, but, there are also lots of really good teenagers out there with good work ethics and who are definitely NOT getting everything handed to them on a platter by their parents!!!! Pretty much the same as it was when I went to school many many many years ago

Not always. Some employers like athletes because they know that although there may be scheduling issues, they are going to usually be dependable and reliable because being involved in sports teaches them to manage their time, and usually the competitiveness of an athlete carries over into work and they want to do better than everyone else there, too. (Plus the OP mentioned she is homeschooled. I know I'm opening a huge can of worms with this comment but I don't really care. A lot of homeschooled kids tend to be a little more independent and mature for their ages.)

I grew up in the 90s when it was a little easier for a teenager to find a job, so it was a little different. But I had my first actual on-the-payroll job at 14, and once I turned 15 and was able to get my lifeguard certification [followed up by swimming instructor certification at 16 and then I got certified to teach lifeguarding/CPR], I worked one job all year, and usually 2 jobs in the summer when outdoor pools opened. I also picked up various odd jobs (mostly when family friends who owned or ran businesses needed extra help, i.e. dad's friend who owned an indoor sports facility would have me work concessions when he had a big tournament, or if a friend who owned a business had a big mailing to go out I'd come in and stuff envelopes, I'd ice monitor in the summers to get my ice time free, one summer I vacuumed an apartment complex pool at 7am 3 mornings a week under the table and then went on to my regular jobs). I skated synchro on a senior team from age 14-18, and we practiced almost year round and traveled to about 5 competitions in the winter, sometimes internationally (plus I was in marching band at school that competed in the fall and went on a big trip once a year, like to Disney). Finding people to cover when I was out of town for skating was never an issue, we ALWAYS had people looking for more hours, especially on weekends when teenagers were able to work. And if you were just as willing to help other people when they needed someone to cover, it was generally never a problem. You just need to find an employer (or employers) who are willing to work with teenagers, which in this economy may be more difficult, and be aware of state laws and where you can work at a certain age.

__________________
2010-2011 goals:
Pass Junior MIF test
Don't break anything

To OP, have you heard of Sittercity.com? It is a website for babysitting/petsitting/housesitting/etc, you can type in your zipcode and find job postings in your area. At you age, 13 almost 14, I think babysitting/mother's helper type jobs are the only ones you could apply for.

Your attitude is great, but I think you are just a little too young for all these plans about how much money you will save for skating and a car. Even if you were to find a job, finding a job that will schedule you for 40 hours a week over the summers is just not realistic.

40 hours times $8/hour times 12 weeks of summer only gives you about $3800 and then if it is a payroll job, you still need to account for all the taxes that are taken out. Working during the school year will certainly add to that total, but it still is a bit of a stretch.

I do understand where you are coming from I am in college and I fund about 98% of my own skating as well. I purchased my second pair of boots, pay for all my own lessons, ice time, most of my test sessions, competitions, and show fees. I don't think my parents even know how much one lesson is. I did a spring show a couple weeks ago, I don't think they realize that there was a fee associated with it. But the deal was, they would take care of whatever tuition/room/board after my student loans, but books and extra curricular activities were my responsibility. (Sometimes I will ask for skating related things for Christmas and that helps a bit.)

This season, I have done one test session, one show, and two competitions and I can tell you that I have not spent anywhere close to $50K. There are tricks to saving money, used dress sales, LTS helper to get ice time, etc.

I am also able to trade services with my coach. I hope my eventual career is in radio and television broadcasting, so I am rather handy at sound editing. My coach will give me music to edit for people and in exchange I get a lesson. (I think she still charges them, but just keeps the money rather than paying me only to have me use that money to pay her for my lessons.) I have even done show music for my coach's program.

I use a program called Audacity. I downloaded it from the internet. I find it very easy to use. So maybe see if some coaches need help editing music for the upcoming season?

__________________
~Always Dream!~

Check my progress at www.freewebs.com/sk8tegirl06

Sadly my parents just do not like skating. They never thought I'd become obsessed with it when they signed me up for the cheaper homeschool lessons my local rink offered. They probably have the money, they would just rather use it on something else. They've spent lots on buying stuff for me and my brother (horses, computers, birthday gifts). It's not like we're poor, we certainly aren't rich, but they've always made sure we're happy without spoiling us. We've got mortgage payments and such, but they still find money to buy extras. Even if I got more lessons at the rink, I don't know how I would get there, since Mom complains just about driving me twice a week (she usually works part time three days a week, and half the time Dad drives me on Saturday.)

And I'd like to volunteer. I've asked my parents many times if I could volunteer at the animal shelter, but they have to transport me there and they have to stay there with me since I'm under a certain age and everything. I've volunteered in 4-h type stuff before, doing charity car washes and recently I volunteered to help serve food at an Area F horse show, but the only reason Mom drove me there is because it was 5 minutes away.

At the pig barn during fair, the barn manager and his assistants absolutely adore me, though of course I only see them once a year for a week.
My academics are always A's, and always have been. I do plan to go through First Aid courses and maybe some babysitting ones, though I'm not going to if I'm the one paying for them, seeing as I am still in debt to my mother from buying my own skates. I need every penny for the next pair.

My parents just aren't willing. That's all there is to it.

I do compete a few times a year, but not very often, since my mother begrudgingly doles out the money for private lessons. She'll probably be less willing this year seeing how badly I did last year. It's hardly the coach's fault, it's quite obviously mine, but maybe Mom thinks it's not worth it if I place last again. Life lessons, right? Though I can imagine how frustrating it must be to coach me. "Jump!" I don't jump. "Jump!" I don't jump. "Jump-- before I kick your butt!" Still don't jump. It's hardly my fault if my muscles simply won't listen to me, is it?

My sis started working at a fast food counter at 14. That was in the early 80s in CA. Laws may have changed. As for your availability, explain that in your cover letter or at the interview.

My parents did not like skating either. Here I am 43 still skating and coaching.

You may also be able to work as a LTS helper and earn free ice time if not much $. I know a lot of kids who did this at 14.

Kay

__________________
Visit my figure skating journal
http://www.skatejournal.com/

I really admire your ambitiousness and drive. Such self-motivation to make a long-term towards a goal will take you far in life. Now, if you will forgive my “old-person” advice…

First, your priority must be academics. A college education will serve you well in getting a job that will pay for skating! I’m sure the adults in this forum will agree.

Secondly, am I correct in assuming that you have not joined your rink’s Club? I realize that this another expense, but for someone in your position it may be a good move. Some clubs, like mine, try to help our skaters go to competitions and tests with small scholarship grants (admittedly we can do this because we’re small). You have a better chance of getting some help if you build trust between yourself and the club members (especially the officers). Volunteer to help out as needed, always have a smile, and be disciplined about your skating. Clubs feel good about themselves when they can help a dedicated skater in need.

Clubs are invaluable for networking and meeting people who might provide favors. We swap competition dresses, search for used skates, carpool, and generally try to support one another. If you “prove” yourself as a hard worker, someone in the club may know someone looking for teenage employee, and of course, people are always looking for reliable and responsible house sitters, pet sitters (my husband and I can always find a club member willing to look after our pet babies), and babysitters. Believe me, folks would rather hire someone they know.

Thirdly, take time to get to know the rink manager. She or he can easily discern a good employee from the local skaters, and most prefer to hire skaters they know. Some rinks may exchange ice time for work (but don’t let yourself be exploited). At a bare minimum, working at the rink will allow you to build work experience to get a better job at some point down the road.

I hope this helps. Please let us know what happens.

Coronation ace will last you through most of your doubles which for a lot of people is as far as they'll ever get anyway, provided it doesn't get screwed up by a bad sharpener and provided the blades can be mounted on whatever boot you need for your feet (size and stuff). They really are good blades. They don't seem to carry them at pro stores in my country anymore which more than a little vexes me. Luckily mine should still be good for a while.

If finances are a problem, blades like mk21 and 35-euro price range blades last most people through the singles up to the axel (but not including) so if you didn't buy the blades yet, don't mount them, get them as late as possible (basically, when you notice you don't have enough edge stability on the landings and/or not enough toepick to get height).

Can't comment on Riedell, it's not carried by pro stores here.

I agree to focus on academics since it will pay for your skating in the future. It might seem like far away at your age but believe me it's not at all. As for paying for private lessons - try explaining to your mom it's the JOY IN THE PROCESS for you, not the result. Sheesh. Sounds like someone's got issues about their kids excelling in everything...

As for how long skates should last, I think it depends a lot on fit. If there is no space inside for a break-down crease to form, it literally never does, though the leather eventually gets soft; but some people like a looser fit. I think it also depends on what type of skating moves you are doing, how deep your edges are, how tight you lace, and how good you are at landing jumps "softly" (which means you absorb the impact in many different parts of your body, rather than forcing the boot and more limited parts of your body to take it all).

So you see people who keep skates 3 or 4 months, and people who keep them for decades, both using them 3-7 days/week. Maybe I'm wrong, but I think that when they only last a few months, something has to be wrong, either fit or technique. A growing child won't fit anything for very long, even if you do things like remove the insoles, and stretch the boots - and you are about the right age for that to be a significant issue. It makes sense for you to buy a little large, and use a variety of stuff to take up space in the boots, which you remove as you grow.

You might ask around to see if anyone (skaters or coaches) has used skates in good condition, that just happen to come reasonably close to fitting you, and adapt them so they fit perfect. I wouldn't worry too much about the exact brand or model - with a little work, you can adapt skates to fit if they are reasonably close. With a lot of work, if there is enough space inside, you can glue in reinforcement to make insufficiently stiff boots stiff enough, but it isn't worth the effort if you can avoid it.

P.S. Someone once told me that (in my state), kids could work if they had their parent's written permission, which explains all those young child actors and models, from infants on up. Slightly older kids often mow lawns or baby sit (yuk).

You could ask the figure skating director at one or more rinks, and you are good, ask if they take volunteers to help with group lessons, with the possibility of eventually becoming a coach yourself. Most places even LTS group lesson coaches earn more than people who work the snack bar, skate rental or who take people's money at the admissions area. In the USFSA, you can teach Basic 1 - 8 (group or sometimes private) without certification, if a coach registers you with the USFSA as a Basic 8 coach. But I think most want you to be 15 or more to be paid. Maybe you can barter with your coach - she sort of refunding you the cost of your skates out of her lesson fee, in exchange for help.

Given that the director is your coach, if you don't feel comfortable enough to ask her, that seems pretty strange. You should be able to talk to your coach about anything related to skating. How can it hurt to try?

__________________
Mitch Grunes ModifyingBoots FallingGently HomePage

Thanks! And, yes, I will be going to college, I have been looking into athletic degrees, sports science, etc. since I plan to become a coach. (Or perhaps a business degree.) I'll be completing my basic classes in a dual enrollment program in a year or two, also. And since the college is across the street from the skating rink.. well, that's very convenient And I would absolutely love to coach LTS classes but as mentioned before I simply don't have a way to get to the rink, so the most I could do is maybe convince my mother to stay longer on Saturday so I could coach one or two Saturday classes after my lesson. I did find a bus system that will take me to the arena from a bus stop that is a few minutes from my house, but I don't want to pay for bus tickets until I have a solid job, not just a coaching job that wouldn't pay much. My only coaching experience is teaching my mother, and once she's pretty good maybe I will have her demonstrate for the skating director, to prove my coaching abilities (when I'm 16 and can drive myself.)

I've been trying to convince my mother to let me join the local figure skating club but it's a work in progress. I shall ask her again soon. I've proved myself as a hard worker in the pig barn (on cleanup day after the fair, most kids sit around and chat, I actually clean..) and the pig barn manager completely adores me, however I only see him once a year. I bet anyone in my 4-h club would recommend me.. hmm. Maybe I should try Craigslist, though last time I looked on there I was scared off by the millions of adults with much more experience than I.

Is the rink manager the same as the skating director? The owner of the rink is a rich guy that also has car dealerships and such, and he owns the hockey team as well. The skating director is my coach actually so she knows me well, though that could be either bad or good, considering what a hesitant student I am .

At a guess, coaching experience would look very good on your college applications, if you go into sports science. Even as a business major - if you have worked as a coach as an independent contractor, maybe that would look good too. Say that to your parents.

Any ice skate coaching job will pay way more than anything else you can find now. In my part of the US, they start at about $45/hour for group lessons, and are $72-$80/hour for privates. That's very good, especially as part-time jobs go. Probably better than anything in the sports science field unless you get a medical degree or become a college professor (which is very competitive to get). I bet it's more than pig barns pay, though it is possible you might get less as a coach in a rural area.

But if your parents think skating is taking up too much of your time, compared to what they think you should study, and wouldn't like the idea of your aiming to be a coach, that could be a more serious problem. Realistically, a very small fraction of athletes in any sport make a living from sports performance (as opposed to teaching), and your parents probably know that. In the mean time, talking to your coach about the whole issue still makes sense. If your coach tells your parents you could make a decent living as a coach, that could make a big difference in how they support your desires.

Good luck, and have fun.

__________________
Mitch Grunes ModifyingBoots FallingGently HomePage

HOLY CRAP! We get paid between $12-$18/ hour for group lessons. (And it's nearly impossible to get a raise. If you're still in HS you start at $12, so when you graduate, even if you have multiple senior tests, you're likely only to get a raise to $13 or $14, even though you'd command $18 if you came in with those tests as a college student. And you need multiple senior tests to get the high number. It's ridiculous.)

Privates are lower, but along the same line as what you cited, between $30-60/ hr. But a 14-year old isn't going to be able to do that. I don't think they could get the insurance, and unless they had a national championship under their belts- the students.

At 14, I think baby sitting is your best option (or have you looked at grocery store/walmart bagger/greeter positions? I know multiple HS students who do that). You generally can't charge real good baby sitting rates until you can drive, but I started baby sitting at 12. If you can find a full time summer family, you can make good money. Honestly though, if the situation is such that your family may be out on the streets soon (I hope that was an exageration) it might not be the time for skating. I had to stop lessons when I lost my job (I get free ice as an LTS helper. I didn't take a paid position when it was offered years ago because it wasn't worth the trouble of the taxes. Ice worked out to be a better deal). And let me tell you, as an out of work adult- it's not easy to get the "teenager" jobs. No one wants to hire someone overqualified. They don't think they'll stick around if something better comes up. (And in most cases, unless someone is trying to change industry, they are probably right.)

__________________
-Jessi
What I need is a montage...
Visit my skating journal or my Youtube videos (updated with 2 new videos Sept 26, 2009)

Hmm well she intimidates me quite a bit, which is why I chose her as my coach actually because I need a coach to kick my butt. And all the young coaches I see in LTS are all college-age, I've never seen a 16 year old even, I'd feel silly asking when it seems sort of obvious that they must have an age limit. And since I'm in three group lessons, that'd make me feel more silly, can't coach the lesson that I'm in!

I'm pretty sure my feet have stopped growing actually; they're nearly the same size as my mother's, except hers are a little bigger from pregnancy, they spread a little bit. We wear the same size sandal, she just wears wider shoes. My height is still catching up, unfortunately I'm likely to be 6', horrible for skating, right?

I really prefer buying new, I just think that I get my money's worth that way. I have no way of knowing what's been done to used skates, whether the leather could be rotting from the inside out, how they may have been potentially mistreated, etc.

All she wants me to excel in is showing my horse, which I mainly have an interest in training and trail-riding her, I'm not big on the idea of showing her every weekend. I know that the minute I said that I'd like to start showing her, my mother would immediately go get memberships at the local show club and buy tack and show clothes for me, whatever the cost.

Really? A few group lessons would pay for new skates!

Nah, we're not going out on the streets anytime soon! We're slowly getting back on our feet, Dad got a job, hmm, last December I think? But we do have big mortage/credit bills.

There is so many adults that don't have a degree or anything, though, they do manage to get those jobs sometimes, I think. It's pretty hard convincing a manager that a teenager will stick around, though.

When paying for group lessons we get free public-skate cards, though, maybe I will be needing a Freestyle card this coming fall.

Just to let you know I was brought on to teach snowplow sam right after I finished Basic 8. I was a preschool teacher at the time and they just needed someone who was good with kids. None of the parents have ever questioned my abilities, and many have asked if I give privates (I don't) even though they see me teach two classes, and then skate off to join the class (FS3) I'm in. Maybe you could barter like that- be a "helper" in exchange for free group lessons. Then set aside the money you used to pay for group lessons for the skates. It's probably more likely then getting an actual coaching/instructor job.

Glad to hear your family is recovering. It's tough.

__________________
-Jessi
What I need is a montage...
Visit my skating journal or my Youtube videos (updated with 2 new videos Sept 26, 2009)

It would depend on your club program and the caliber of skaters they have available. One place I teach allows a FS 2/3 skater to help with group lessons, while another place probably wouldn't let a skater of that level help. I have been at other rinks that allow low level freeskate skaters to help with lessons, mostly with Snowplow and Basic 1/2.

The $45/hour I cited was for fully certified adult coaches who lead the lesson. Don't know what teen age helpers get.

Child through young adult labor practices are often exploitive. Decision makers know you are likely to work for less, and do unpleasant duties too. Not always fair, but that's the way it is.

I'm sorry if I dragged the thread off-topic.

__________________
Mitch Grunes ModifyingBoots FallingGently HomePage

Yeah and I'm still OMG about it- the $18/hour here is for people who are full-time certified coaches, with multiple senior level tests, a few of whom have international skating experience, and have taken students to nationals.

Our rink does not pay teenage helpers. They pay teenaged instructors- but the only HS student I can think was an instructor had gone to nationals (as novice) and has his senior MITF. He still got $12/hr. I am an unpaid instructor because it was a better deal for me- I sometimes am "helper" if another instructor does the class too- I was offered $12.50/hr out of Basic 8. However, I was a certified childcare provider with CPR training, and what they wanted me for was toddler classes. Still I can't imagine a skater of the HS student's caliber deserved to make less than me (though he did shadow me when learning to teach tots).

__________________
-Jessi
What I need is a montage...
Visit my skating journal or my Youtube videos (updated with 2 new videos Sept 26, 2009)

Query, I sent you a PM about re-inforcing boots, any help would be appreciated!

Ice stalker, how far away is this rink? You you cycle there within an hour or so? (would be good cardio!) Can you go by bus?
Are kids your age allowed to drive a scooter in your country?

Consider that whatever you do, it may not be possible to convince your parents that skating is something you should do. I know of a woman (the mother of a boy I sorta know) who had to stop ballet as a teenager after an injury, and her mom protested heavily that she get back to ballet at the time. She started ballet again only in her 30's and continued to practice afterwards with much joy. When her son grew up, she told her mother she'd quite like him to have a ballerina or a figure skater for a girlfriend because they're so graceful, to which her mother started spitting poison, saying they were all prostitutes and dressed indecently and only wanted to show off their naked rear ends. At this point, this woman realised the injury might even have been the work of her mother's hands, even though she doesn't know of course. Needless to say, their relationship is now nearly nonexistant.

On the other end of the spectrum, I know of a muslim girl who convinced her parents to let her skate - first public sessions, then lessons - by adressing their concerns about clothing and behaviour appropriateness. They're supportive of her skating now.

Try to get to the core of why your mother wants the horses for you and not the skating, and address that issue in particular. Until you know what her problem is with skating specifically, your efforts to convince her are likely to be inefficient.

30 miles of interstate highway.
There is a bus system but I don't want to have to pay to ride it until I have a job to pay for it. Even then I'd have to walk about two miles from the closest bus stop from the rink, strange, they stop at the library and the college but they won't stop at the rink? Also the closest bus stop to my house is a few miles away (also a highway), and somebody would have to drive me, seeing as Mom thinks I am incapable of walking along a highway and going over a bridge and through a block of two of town streets, many cars go by, it's not like somebody's going to nab me in broad daylight. It's not like I don't have leg muscles either.

She wants the horses because she made a life out of horses, she had a boarding barn and trained horses and bred them, and she won quite a few championship type things. I love my horse and I like riding/training her, but I don't want to make a life out of it.

She likes skating, she public-skates with me and I've been teaching her. She doesn't have a problem with outfits, injuries, etc., it's not like skating is any more dangerous than riding. Mom's had quite a few riding accidents in her day. She would just rather pay for saddles than skates I guess, and driving to the rink is an hour round-trip, plus the time spent there. Probably doesn't want to be sucked into driving to the rink five times a week for freestyle ice.. she's very supportive when I compete and such, she complains about driving to the rink more and such, but she buys pictures and videotapes me and tells me I did great even though the last comp, I placed last .

She also wants to move to Kentucky as soon as possible, whereas I don't, the nearest rink is 45 to 1 hour away, and I don't want to move away from my coach, the new rink might not have a coach that can make me skate as well. I suppose skating takes away from the savings account for a log house on her Kentucky property.

I mostly think that she really just doesn't want to spend so much time and money on skating, she doesn't really understand that I'm not going to become bored with skating.