Freestyle / Patch sessions are where people go and practice figure skating. Public sessions are where anyone can come along. Some rinks may have policies about what you can do on these sessions (like no hockey, no figure skating jumps, etc) because they are trying to look after the safety of all users.
As a beginner a public session is probably the safest place to be as freestyle sessions have lots of fast moving skaters doing double and triple jumps and you may not feel confident about getting out of the way (and it can be quite intimidating).
I would have a look at the rink timetable for your local rinks and see what prices they charge and at what time sessions are. Quite often you get more hours for your money on a public session which will be the most cost effective way when you're just starting out.
I'd also suggest that you ramp up your skating hours slowly. Start with one lesson a week and a practice session and if your legs can cope add a second session in. Initially the list of what you need to practice is quite small as you're trying to get moving. As you progress the list gets longer so you start wanting more lessons to cover everything and more time practicing.

Even still, jeans aren't a great idea, as you move inside them, rather than them moving with you. Plus they do get wet and cold when you fall over. Far better to wear sweatpants while you're actually skating.

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Mrs Redboots
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I love my computer because my friends live in it!
Ice dancers have lovely big curves!

I never wear jeans to skating. They make me feel heavy and hug me too tightly.

Deleted.
This post was done in haste and due to ''The Heat of The Moment'' in which it was posted; it came out rude, childish and ignorant. I apologize whole-heartedly to anyone I mistakenly offended.

Don't quite know what you mean by that. Many of us chose coaching and either never competed seriously or knew even during the competitive years that coaching was a worthy goal.

As for what's possible - no one knows for sure. Even the most talented kids who started young don't all make it to the top. Talent and hard work are certainly necessary, but they are not the whole story. Rather than speculating on what you might possibly achieve, I recommend focussing on the process itself. Enjoy what you are doing and set short term goals for yourself. If you don't think you would enjoy coaching at some point then be sure to also work towards a different career. We already have plenty of coaches who were competitive skaters and don't know how to do anything else. It's pretty sad to see what was once a source of joy become just daily drudgery for those who did not plan for a life after competition.

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Everyone has given you some very sound advice in this thread so far, and has done it kindly.

I'm going to be blunt.

No, you will not make it to the Olympics if you start skating at 16.

Maybe, if you show incredible talent, hard work and a good deal of luck, you can make it to Nationals. Most likely in ice dance, where the field is far thinner and male dancers are in shorter supply.

That said, there are many, many fine and admirable pursuits in figure skating that do not involve the Olympics. In fact, most all of figure skating is about everything but the Olympics. There are many excellent posts above detailing just what you can accomplish. I would suggest not repeating the bit about coaches, because you may have a hard time finding one to teach you skating with that attitude.

One last note regarding the last thing that I quoted: If you are only interested in figure skating as a meal ticket to something "bigger and grander", I suggest either revising your expectations or finding a different sport. Figure skating will chew you up and spit you out if you do not truly love it or you're in it for the wrong reasons.

The thing is, enjoy the journey. You may never get as far as you wished, but you can enjoy each stage as you come to it. Don't focus too intensely on the future, instead, focus on the present. Actually, you'll find when you're on the ice you can't focus on more than what you're actually doing!

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Mrs Redboots
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I love my computer because my friends live in it!
Ice dancers have lovely big curves!

Ya know, I'm going to add to the last few posts -- let's not get so focused on the eventual outcome before you've even begun. Your posts sound as if you've only ever stepped on the ice a few times - and in rental skates, at that. If this is so, your muscles have not even had a chance to figure out what skating is. There's nothing wrong with big goals, but give yourself a chance to conquer at least some of the basics before you set yourself up for disappointments.

Have you trained in any other sports? Say gymnastics, equestrian, skiing ? how about dance? Or have you played any team sports? Any other experience in sport/physical training is going to help in learning to skate. So what is your background? Any activities you'll be able to relate back to when training your body and brain in this new sport?
Have you studied music at all? Skating has a rhythm that can be enhanced by an understanding of music.

I'll echo the advice above to watch the derogatory remarks about the value of a coaching career. You won't get far in the skating world w/o a good coach. Coaching is harder than skating because you not only have to know how to DO it yourself, you have to know how to TEACH it effectively to a zillion different learning styles and body types. The skating world has many fabulous former and current elite-level skaters who skate beautifully, but can't teach worth beans. A coach must be able to tear every movement down to minute details that you never even imagined were part of the finished product. Coaching is a skill that takes far more study than learning to skate yourself. Good figure skating coaches deserve DEEP respect.

Good luck to you. I hope you enjoy your skating journey and come back here often to share with us your triumphs and frustrations.

No no no please don't think I meant anything rude at all about coaching! I actually think coaching would be amazing and I'd love to do it. What I meant was could I myself (starting so late and because of how hard it is) be a good coach and not the one that noone wants. I honestly didn't mean for it to come out rude. and for the Olympics and so on I don't plan on that being why I get into it, I just put it there as an extra option that I don't care all that much whether it happens or not. I did ballet and soccer when I was younger and I currently play classical piano...if that counts for studying music. Going bigger and grander is definitely not why I'm getting into figure skating, anything I went into I would just want to try my all at progressing as much as possible in it. What I really want to do is be able to do more than pace back and forth on the ice! I know that there's no excuse for how rude and idiotic I sounded in my previous post but I really am sorry and I meant nothing rude at all.

I think I told you in my very first response that the Olympics were highly unlikely. I said it was highly unlikely even for people who started when they were 5. That means that people who have been training since they were little with the same kind of dedication you plan to give are the people you will have to compete against. They'll have years and years of experience on you.

You also need to know about the age limits in the US for qualifying competitions. There are local club competitions all the time, with events for every age and ability level. You can start competing in those practically right from the beginning (but expect to be the only one in your group, or to be competing against kids much younger than you). There are several levels of Qualifying competitions - Regionals comes first, then skaters advance to Sectionals, and from there to Nationals. To compete at Regionals, a skater has to be at least at the Juvenile level (that means they've passed 8 USFS tests). The thing is, you're not allowed to compete as a Juvenile once you've turned 13. So, for you to even go to Regionals, you'd have to be at the Intermediate level (pass 2 more tests). Intermediate level skaters are attempting double axels and triple jumps. And you can't compete as an Intermediate once you've turned 18, so you only have 2 years to get to that level. After that comes Novice - there are no more age restrictions from that point on, but you definitely need the triple jumps by then if you intend to be a top competitor. And remember, it's not just about the jumping - you have to pass Moves in the Field tests for each level, which are all about edges and turns, to even be allowed to take the corresponding free skate test. These things cannot be mastered quickly.

So I'll echo what I said in the first place: Welcome to the sport! Enjoy the journey! It's so much fun learning new skills, and there are so many things to do in skating. Very, very few people become top competitors. The odds are overwhelmingly stacked against you. Don't worry about that, and just have fun!

Thank you.
And once again, the Olympics and World team was purely there as an extra option to the list. I didn't mean to sound so idiotic by posting what I said but my friend that used to figure skate kept saying "Oh, well it's not like you'll make it somewhere! At your age it's like trying to become a professional ballet dancer. You'll never compete so why do it?" Which I didn't believe because of all the amazing skaters on here that started when they were alot older. So I logged on and posted a hasty and poor written post packed full of idiotic ranting and unintentionally rude remarks. I think that what matters is just getting up in the mornings and doing it; not "What if" but for some pathetic reason I got sucked into my friend's comment. So if anything at all can sum up my bad post it would have been: "Is competing and being able to coach a possible goal at my age? Because I'm not sure where age comes in to play." I hope that I still don't sound ridiculous and I've cleared up the misunderstandings.

This "friend" sounds like a downer - I'd tune him out.

Age is just a number. Unless you have an infirmity, anyone can learn to skate well. There are competitions, albeit separate from the kiddies, that are challenging and exciting. They're also all around the world. There's also a hell of a lot more good sportsmanship among older skaters than among the kiddies with their 'skating parents.'

US Figure Skating separates the standard track as "under 13" and "13 and older." US Figure Skating also has an adult track, which is for people 21 or older.

You're 16 and haven't even set foot on the ice yet. I think you need to set some realistic goals for the next year or two before you worry about the Olympics. You might put on skates and find that you hate the sport, so all this worry and aggravation is for naught.

Coaching is another skill entirely. The best skating coach for beginners that I know is a woman whose day job is as a pre-k teacher. She never got beyond single jumps in her own skating, but she's coached students up through axels.

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Haha! Yeah, I don't know why I listened to her when she definitely doesn't have the knowledge of everyone on here. She skated 3 years with no lessons and never competed compared to you guys who are (atleast to me) awe-inspiring professionals. I mean, If you can jump, I'm amazed. haha! Yeah, the Olympic team is definitely not my goal. I just want to do tricks and compete, if that's possible I'll be more than happy.

If I had a dollar for every child or parent that came to me and stated: "I want my child to be a champion...can you guarantee she/he will make it to nationals or the Olympics?" I'd retire!!!!

Or - "We really want her/him to be a serious competitive skater - oh, btw - we can only skate once a week on a 15 minute lesson -- but we expect you to have her/him at nationals next season"

Or - 'We don't want to discourage her/him, so unless she/he is going to win/pass the test......we don't want to enter or try. It is too hard on her/his ego to lose......." My favorite!!!!!

My top skaters, the one's who have passed the highest tests and competed at nationals -- never had to be urged to skate nor were concerned about passing tests or winning competitions. They sucked up information like a sponge, worked their butts off all the time, kept their heads down and did their own thing rather than letting others get to them when things got tough. They looked at every test or competition as a personal challenge and wanted to push themselves to excel. Not many skaters out there like that -- except all the ones at the top at nationals! That's the common denominatior between Olympic and National competitors.....they are focused, determined and inwardly motivated to excel personally despite setbacks and defeats.

That said - one of the most accomplished skaters I ever had was a 14-year old who came to me with few skills. She skated once a week with me and did as much public skating as she could fit into her tight, multi-tasking schedule. By the time that skater graduated from high school - she had mastered all her doubles and had become a very good skater. Her goal - to be the best SHE could be given her time restrictions and finances. Did she make it to the Olympics or nationals? Of course not, but she left the sport with a lifelong love of skating and a sense of personal accomplishment.

So skate because you love it and want to learn -- not because there are rewards or medals. You might surprise yourself along the way. And, yes there are adults who manage to turn their skating skills into a coaching career as well.

Don't forget adult skating competitions as a viable option, too!

And may I add ... some of the best coaches I know are ones who were not "natural" skaters or at the top level of competition. Being able to teach a discipline is very different from being able to perform it.

Sometimes, those who are slower to learn have had to focus on the mechanics of knowledge acquisition and development more than those who simply stepped on the ice and "did it". They also have likely experienced more approaches to teaching or learning a skill, and they can draw upon this in teaching others. They are often more understanding of those who need to try often and differently to succeed, and may have more patience.

I also know some natural skaters who are wonderful and effective coaches, and who competed at the highest levels including the Olympics and the Grand Prix Circuit, however, I want it to be out there that you can be a good coach without that history being part of your portfolio.

BRAVO Sawyer!! So happy you clarified your intentions.
Yes! It is VERY possible to start at your age to compete (to what level remains to be seen) AND to become an excellent coach. Many are doing just that, some starting much later than you.

Good to hear too that you have some athletic and music background. It will serve you well.
You'll do fine, Sawyer. Welcome to our wonderful, lifetime sport!

Yay!! to Sk8mum's entire post. You said it so well. Skaters who struggle to learn a skill so often absorb a better understanding of the skill than those to whom the skill came easily and naturally.

And not to mention that coaching can be FAR more stressful than being the one out there skating. I competed synchro at the senior level, went to nationals many, many times over, and even competed internationall. NEVER did I suffer nerves as bad as I did when I was coaching at the open junior and collegiate levels and my teams were out on the ice competing. At that point, you have NO control, all you can do is stand there and hope all goes well. My stomach was in some serious knots all day until after they were done skating and I practically heald my breath the entire program. My alternates would stand next to me while the team was competing and I squeezed their hands so tight it wasn't even funny.

One of the top coaches in the history of figure skating, Gustav Lussi, was NEVER EVEN A FIGURE SKATER. He was a ski jumper. And we all have him to thank for that tight position over the R shoulder that your coach tells you to focus on in backspins and in the air, and for flying spins.

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

Apology accepted I'm glad you clarified your goals. I just hate to see people go into skating with all the wrong reasons and expectations and get crushed.

That's a shame that your friend said that. Thankfully, unlike ballet, there are many options for skaters to enjoy and excel in the sport for years and years. I would say a good goal for you right now is to pass Basic Skills level 10. I'm not going to put a length of time on it, because everyone learns and progresses differently. But I think this is certainly a reasonable first step, and perhaps after you skate for a while and see how you're progressing, you can reevaluate.

Basic Skills 10 ???

Oh my bad, 8. I mostly teach under a different program that goes up to 10!

Oh whew! I thought maybe our area got passed over when the updates were issued adding 2 more levels. (We do tend to slip thru the cracks at times )

Sawyer365,

Just for your information, this is what our club puts out at my rink for new or prospective skaters and parents. It may be helpful to let you know what you are in for:

http://gafsc.org/forms/new-to-skating.pdf

Also, this is what US Figure Skating has as the progression of skills in the Basic Skills program (Group Classes):

http://usfsa.org/content/BS-Overview.pdf

Each of the levels must be mastered before moving to the next level. However, at my rink, if they see someone progressing faster than the rest of the skaters in the group, they will move them up, even in the middle of a session. Back when I started as a 37 yr old male, the rink was teaching under ISI levels, and I skipped from Pre-Alpha directly to Beta. Which would be like skipping from Basic 1 to Basic 3. Or, Adult 1 to Adult 3.

At my rink, you aren't allowed on Freestyle sessions until you've passed Basic 6 (or Adult 4) in group classes. And, then there are freestyle sessions that are limited to High level skaters. Trying to take Dance lessons on a Public session will be difficult.

Skating can be a lifetime sport, lots of fun, and great exercise. Rushing it will cause you lots of grief.

Rob

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"I'm too old to die young, and too smart to be happy" - Kinky Friedman, The Mile High Club

2010 Adult Nationals - earning a gold - "Priceless"
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Well, first of all you sound totally enthusiastic and committed and that's half the battle! It's harder than it looks and you have to really want to be on that ice and work hard if you want to be competitive. I wish you all the luck in the world. I am so envious of your youth - I didn't get to start til age 46!

Now, it sounds like you have a ballet background.....that will help you immensely. If you don't, you might want to get some lessons....

Public sessions are open to the general public and you will be on the ice with a lot of people. It's a bit difficult to navigate and practice when there are a million little kids zipping here and there, teenagers horsing around, etc. It's less expensive than freestyle ice. If you can get on the ice the minute the session starts, you can usually get about a half hour of pretty good skating in. Most rinks don't allow jumping and spinning during public sessions. Freestyle sessions are for skaters who are a little more advanced, and serious about their skating. Those skaters are usually practicing for tests and competitions and some are having private lessons. There are less skaters on the ice and the session is more expensive than public ice. At some rinks you can buy a "punch card" that will allow you to buy sessions in advance and therefore the sessions are less expensive.

Hope this helps. Good luck and keep us posted!