Just wondering. I know Caroline skates at East West, Kimmie obviously skates at UDel, but what do you think, from personal experience or from reading articles or something are the best rinks to train at? In terms of available freestyle sessions, off ice programs, quality of coaches and quality of the rink?

I'm asking because my father put the idea in my head of after graduating, taking a year off and pursuing figure skating seriously(not like.. Olympic seriously.. but only focus on skating) and I might take him up on that offer. So I'm just looking around for information but it's hard to tell unless you go there. I'm not just talking in the NY/NJ area, I'm willing to go to CA or AK if that's what it takes. Just trying to figure out my options. this is cross posted like.. 4 times.. I just wanted maximum exposure.

__________________

Not making a specific recommendation here, but why not combine a year's skating with being abroad for a year, too - come to Europe, where there are also good rinks (especially in Germany - Oberstdorf springs instantly to mind, but there are others, too), and you'd have the benefit of absorbing a foreign culture and, possibly a new language, too. Even here in the UK we do have some great coaches and year-round ice rinks....

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

I mean, to each their own, but if you're not seriously seriously training, why take a year off from school? Skating's not forever, and you need an education. And training full time is going to be expensive. I dunno.....JMHO.

__________________
"Where are we going and why are we in this handbasket?"

Mrs Redboots makes a good point, if you are going to take time off school, might as well tour as much as your budget can take you!

Otherwise, I don't see why you need to take time off school to train for a year. You could just do a lighter course load and train after school/on weekends no?

You don't need a whole day to train, even one hour 5 times a week is going to be amazing for skating progress.

__________________
~
Tidesong

I second the suggestion. Never, EVER give up on school!!! You'll need that security! Of course, if the idea is that you are just gonna take a year off to just "bum around" anyway, then yes, Mrs. Redboots suggestion about training somewhere out there would be good. And you can absorb a different culture/language too while you're at it.

What are you hoping to get out of the experience? Just to be surrounded by skating greatness?

__________________
Cheers,
jazzpants

11-04-2006: Shredded "Pre-Bronze FS for Life" Club Membership card!!!
Silver Moves is the next "Mission Impossible"
(Dare I try for Championship Adult Gold someday???)

Thank you for the support, you guys!!!

Couldn't have said it better.

Another option within the US is intercollegiate competition. There are schools across the country with figure skating programs, UDel is not the only one around, though probably the best known. Search USFSA, intercollegiate requirements include being a full time student (usually only 12 credits) and at least preliminary level free skate test. We have 2-3 competitions a year plus nationals, if your school qualifies. I'm aiming to compete at nationals before I graduate, have 2 years left, right now I have passed pre-pre moves and free. I work at the rink so I'm there a lot, but I only really practice maybe 3, on a good week 4 times a week for an hour at a time. It is a lot of fun because it turns figure skating into a team sport. I'm kind of surprised that a parent would suggest that idea, both with regards to education and the financial issue, but to each their own I suppose.

__________________
~Always Dream!~

Check my progress at www.freewebs.com/sk8tegirl06

Working in Higher Education, I am a big advocate for staying in school and furthering your education. As others have said, what you learn is going to last a lot longer than any sport, and that doesn't apply to just figure skating...look at Alyssa Cizny, she is a junior (I believe) at Bowling Green State University...that shows that one can train and go to school at the same time...but that is just one example.

But, if you are looking for some intense training opportunities, maybe look into some summer programs for now. Also, as sk8tegirl06 said, there are plenty of schools with skating opportunities, which includes competing at collegiate nationals or competing with a synchro team. Synchro at the collegiate level is becoming more and more popular, particularly with the University of Miami in Ohio senior team being a fully supported NCAA varsity sport.

Keep your options open and don't write off going to school just yet...

Different cultures, different views - over here, what she's planning would be considered totally normal. We have a culture of taking what's called a "gap year" between school (high school) and university (college) - not everybody does, but probably well over 50% of students do. The universities encourage it, because students, when they arrive, are a year older, have had a year's experience in the wider world and are, apparently, about 75% less likely to have problems during their first year! The drop-out rate is also less, too, I believe.

I think xofivebyfive's idea is a great one. It needs a bit of refinement, though - as someone said, how are you going to finance your skating? With the best will in the world you won't be able to train more than 3 or at most 4 hours a day, so that leaves plenty of space for a part-time job, even if that's just an evening shift in a supermarket. I gather college students in the USA are encouraged to take that sort of job, and they're beginning to here, too, so that shouldn't be a problem.

I repeat that I think travelling is a great idea - either to part of the USA you don't yet know, or perhaps to Europe. The thing you don't want to do is stay at home, living with Mum and Dad, and just training at the same rink every day! That won't let you do the growing and changing that's part of a gap year.

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

This is what I was going to say. I think taking a gap year is slowly getting more popular in the US. It's usually done to travel, do volunteer work, or work to save money for college. As long as you have the motivation to attend college a year after your friends have started, I think it's a great idea. Especially if you combine the skating with travel or a job.

Off the top of my head, other well-known rinks/clubs include Lake Arrowhead, the one in Canton, Michigan, SC of NY, SC of Boston. It might be good to research the coaches you're interested in to see where they are, visit the club to see if you like it, and visit the city to see if it's a place you'd be comfortable living & what other opportunities (jobs, etc.) are available there.

If I was 30 years younger and a better skater, I would give my eye teeth to go here: http://www.skatemariposa.com/index.php?content=main.htm

__________________
Dianne
(A.O.S.S.? Got it BAD! )

If they have a summer program, could someone add it to this year's camp thread? Thanks.
http://www.skatingforums.com/showthread.php?t=25626

__________________

What disciplines are you looking for? If you are looking for ice dance or pairs, you can join us at Arctic FSC (Canton, Michigan - just west of Detroit Metro). We have Tanith/Ben, Charlie White/Meryl Davis, Brooke Castile/Ben Okolski, and Scott Moir/Tessa Virtue all training at our rink (among many other Junior/Novice level dancers as well). The dancers/pairs get their own ice surface for most of the day, and train with Marina/Igor (who coach all the ice dancers), and Johnny Johns (Pairs). There is also a full off-ice training facility on-site where all our high level skaters train.

And if you are looking for singles FS/FM's, we have many excellent technical-minded coaches like Theresa McKendry, Lisa Kirby, Adrienne Lenda, & Tammy Liptak. All have worked with beginner through Senior competitive levels. Also, all our coaches have very high passing rates on FM/FS tests.

All ice is 6am-5pm Monday through Friday, 6am-11am Saturdays. We consistently have 2 ice surfaces on all those days.

If I won the Lotto today and I no longer have to work for a living anymore... I would alternate between my coaches that I have but either head South (LA-la-land... I always wanted to try out Frank Carroll myself... ), the Hack at Hackensack, NJ, or my NYC coach at Chelsea Piers. And the deciding favor for which one would depend on whether I'm training in very cold weather (LA... where it's slightly warmer...) or spring or late fall (go to NYC!!!) Summer, I would stay home!!! Love nature's AC (aka the fog)!!!

__________________
Cheers,
jazzpants

11-04-2006: Shredded "Pre-Bronze FS for Life" Club Membership card!!!
Silver Moves is the next "Mission Impossible"
(Dare I try for Championship Adult Gold someday???)

Thank you for the support, you guys!!!

You expect responsible advice from people on a skating board? Wow!

(Not from me.)

If you can afford it, have fun now, study later!

If you want to get really good at skating, you pretty much have to do it now, but you can learn academic things later, for at least a few years. As far as I can tell, the people who get hurt most are those who try to do both seriously at once. You can't do academics well with other major league demands.

Besides, if you are good enough, being a figure skating coach looks to me like one of the best part-time jobs out there. Ask your coach if you are good enough, and maybe for advice on this question too.

If you went abroad, and decided to go to school there, US students stay one year less in public or private schools than Europeans and some others, and get less profession related training in high schools - which places you at a disadvantage. So you could take some of your time to study the parts they'll have that you won't in your field (e.g., for math and science students, more linear algebra and calculus, differential equations). On the other hand, some European schools let you get credit or even a degree by thesis and examination. Find a way to do a project on figure skating?

Think "Ice Princess"!

That said, one of the cheaper ways to travel abroad is to do it in connection with a college (even a cheap community college), many of which have study abroad programs, or study programs for visiters. I'm sure they vary in terms of how much free time you have to skate.

Social relationships at college will be a problem if you are much older than the other students.

P.S.

It's not the rink; it's the coach. There are lots of rinks near most major metro areas; plenty of ice time available. I've thought of moving out to the country where living is cheaper, but even if I found a rink, I'd have trouble finding anyone like the classy coaches who live near the big city.

P.P.S.

For the US, you could look at the standings of people in your discipline who do well at nationals on the USFSA site, and look up where they come from (e.g., near Boston, L.A., D.C.). Do something similar to find where the good international skaters come from.

The World Arena in Colorado Springs is a great training facility and produces National skaters every year.

__________________
- Ashley

You people need to chill haha. I'm not dropping my education. I've had lyme disease for more than 2 years so I haven't been able to skate as well as I'd like to, and if I'm still sick when I graduate, I'm still going to have cognitive problems, and I want to be a teacher, so if I'm still sick I might wait a year to go to college. That's why my father suggested that. Plus my dad just got a major promotion and they don't mind paying for my skating for me. Growing up I wasn't able to have a lot of nice things because we didn't have much money at all, but when my dad started making more money I was able to start skating, and they didn't have to worry about paying for my older brothers' college tuition because one got a full academic scholarship to Rutgers and is going to Harvard Law next year, and the other gets paid to go to college(at the Naval Academy). So yeah, sorry if I made it sound like I was totally dropping education.

Thanks for the suggestions. I'll probably end up going to UDel for college anyway.

__________________

>I've had lyme disease...

That's a tough roll of the dice.

I hope you get better. It's great you can still work on

>axel, double loop, flying camel, layback, backsit.

Wish I could do those things. Maybe if I had studied young... or maybe not.

Would a physical training program, like skating, help keep good coordination? Would mental exercise, like taking courses part-time too, help keep that? Ask a doctor.

Maybe you are eligible for Special Olympics. Some pretty good coaches teach for that for free. You may be too good.

I think U of Del is a pretty top school. A good rule of thumb is that community colleges and other easy schools require about 3 hours of study per credit hour (for a total of 4 including class time), whereas difficult schools, which make you use multiple textbooks/course, take more tests, and sometimes add enforced group study labs, require up to about 5. So full time 12-16 credit hours/semester study takes 48-96 hours/week, including class time, depending on where you go. Very tough for someone with extra problems or interests.

IMHO, multiple texts, tests, and enforced study labs just waste time. I've studied at various difficulty level schools, and think the easier schools are the best to learn at. Of course all colleges are offering group lessons, which aren't any more efficient ways to learn than group skating lessons are, but that's the way the world works. The U of Del has a lot of interesting looking programs, has it's own ice rink (though not many uncrowded public sessions), there are a couple more nearby (pricey), and the beach (self evidently a necessary therapeutic treatment) is a few hours away.

If I were you, and I'm not, I would think part-time study gave me better options if I got sick again.

If you want to skate, you might inquire with the coaches you want, whether they have the time and inclination to teach you, before deciding where to go. Be honest. Maybe take a trial lesson first.

It's a lot easier to give advice than to take it. Adults are always giving useless advice about what they wish they had done when younger, but didn't. Besides, it's your life. The decision should be one you are comfortable with, not one we are.

May you find your rainbow.

P.S.

A lot of high level skaters come from the D.C. and Boston metro areas. They also have a lot of world-class coaches from all over the world (even a klutz like me can get an Olympian coach, though I've switched), a huge # of ice rinks, and a huge # of colleges and universities. Delaware has the world class coaches, but fewer choices in the other things. Don't know about L.A., Colorado, Lake Placid, Ottawa, Montreal, etc. If D.C. interests, say your skating discipline, I'll send you the names of some really good coaches.

First off, I am sorry about that you've had Lyme disease.

That said, if you'd explained that in the first place, maybe you wouldn't have gotten the reaction you'd gotten....so don't be tellin us to chill, mmmmkay? I still stand by what I originally said. You're VERY lucky if you have parents willing to pay for full time training for you. But I still wouldn't take a year off if you don't have to. UDel is a fabulous school with a great training center. If you can do both at the same time, why not?

__________________
"Where are we going and why are we in this handbasket?"

I didn't mean to be rude at all, so if I came off that way I'm sorry. Again I have some cognitive issues and it's hard to put sentences together sometimes, so I apologize for not having said what my actual position was in the first post. That was my fault.

The reason for taking a year off, is if I am still sick with lyme, I will most definitely not be able to function in college. I was just on home instruction for two months because I wasn't sleeping so I couldn't go to school. After I get out of high school, if I still have cognitive issues, my dad figured that instead of killing myself in college, not remembering things and flunking ever class, that maybe I could take it easy, and concentrate on the fun things in life that I love, like skating and gymnastics.

Again, I apologize for not originally stating all of that.

__________________

Looking to the future, some state mandated health insurance programs cover people with pre-existing conditions. E.g.,

http://www.marylandhealthinsuranceplan.state.md.us

I don't know whether Maryland is better than anywhere else this way, or what the insurance covers in terms of lyme's disease. No doubt some other states do the same thing. Depending on elections, the whole country might do it soon.

U.S. government employees, and some state employees (including in MD), can also get insurance, regardless of pre-existing conditions. It's easier some places (like metro DC and Boulder) than others to get government jobs.

Who knows - near DC you might get a job advising a congressman on health care. Howard Community College, in Maryland - relatively easy - has classes for people interested in medicine; some others probably do too. If you need a profession where you can choose your hours depending on current health, HCC also has the best web developer program I know. A decent gym, though not comparable to the nearby U of MD (which you can get into by joining the alumni association), or the The Prince George's Sports & Learning Complex Fitness Center, also nearby. No skating program, but lots of good coaches and rinks with nearly empty daytime public sessions nearby.

Within the US, DC metro is only behind NYC, LA and Boston in terms of lots of dance - you can dance or get lessons in scores of styles any day of the week.

BTW, MD and DC have a few public gymnastic facilities, a private gym where Michael Weiss's parents [I think] teach, and some of the best bootfitters and blade sharpeners on the east coast. (But NYC has Klingbeil, who also make boots.)

I'm not pushing DC or MD - the traffic is awful, verging on terminal, the streets impossible to follow, the prices high, it's an obvious international target, and people are competitive about everything. It's just what I know.

Don't convince yourself you could never learn anything academically, even if you are sick. You'll have to fight, but almost anyone can learn almost anything, given the motivation and the right teachers.

This sounds like a pretty serious disease. Would you be healthy enough to take the physical and mental stress of training skating full-time?

Yeah. I don't want to compete, I just want to skate as much as I can. it's the one thing that takes my mind off of the pain.

__________________

I really don't know much about training centers- but here's my advice:

You might look instead at an area of the country (world, can you go international- that might depend on your insurance plan) that you just want a chance to go to- with an ice rink that has lots of available ice. I think a strong national training center might not be the best place, because you won't necessarily be able to get onto all the sessions- the ones reserved for elite competitors (or at least dominated by them!). It's more about the coach and the availability of ice time.

AND my unsolicited education advice, while I understand the idea of a gap year, I'd recommend taking at least one or two courses at a community college. You've mentioned you have cognitive disabilities that are related to Lyme disease and I wonder if a year off would make it more difficult to get "back in the swing of things" when you decide to continue your education. Taking one course a semester will keep your mind fresh, keep your study skills up to date, and won't let all the information you already know just slip out of your brain because you have left the classroom environment.

Whatever you do- good luck!

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

It seems like an unusual plan to take a year off, I know people who graduate from HS and audition for shows and then spend a few years traveling with shows, that might be an option that would make you money.

Also I know Dartmouth, Colorado College, University of Denver, University of Colorado, Berkeley all have intercollegiate skating programs. I am sure there are others, its just in Colorado we have seen the collegiate skating comps grow and we are seeing more, and they include skaters from all levels.

If you are going to take a year off it should enhance what you think you want to do with the rest of your life, working a full time job and skating is very difficult when you are just starting out, an education is important, and if it were me I would do something that added to my life...maybe spend a year in Mexico becoming fluent is Spanish or China if you are thinking about business or the financial sector. I mean I love skating but taking a year off to just skate...

JMHO good luck, maybe the Peace Corps? I did that and loved it.

__________________
Who me? Couldn't be....
http://www.youtube.com/bouldersk8r