If they were filming it here, I could pass on the names of several suitable families I know of one family with a 7 year old skater and to accommodate her perceived skating needs the family have moved around the country to find the "best" coaches and rinks. The mum regularly rings me to talk about her "gifted" child and just recently told me that their current weekly skating bill is $900 + !!!!!!!!!!!!!!! not including travel, competitions entries and costumes. Granted the family is very well off but am wondering why if she is gifted that amount of expenditure is required at such a young age and low test level.

About 3 years ago I was in another state with my daughter for a competition, I was sitting outside the rink just watching the world go by. I was watching cars pull up and drop skaters off for the official practice...it suddenly dawned on me that every car that pulled up was a Mercedes, BMW, Porsche etc etc, I then glanced over to my 7 year old 4 cylinder teeny Korean built budget car. It was at that point it dawned on me that the majority of competitive skaters come from families with a reasonable income. Not all of course but certainly a significant number.

Yes I am a skating mum but I almost cringe if anyone refers to me as one given the reputation some have. I am just a mum who loves that her teenage daughter is passionate about her sport no matter whether she finishes on the podium or not.

aussiemum, that clip of the mom was just FREAKY. I have to say, that lady looks more like a satan worshipper than a christian (see her EYES , they're EVIL!!)

hahaha, just by luck, I found the profile of that woman on the video on the wife swap site:

the freaky one
Lawrence Family
For Karen "Big Mama" Lawrence (41), her husband, Derryl (45), and their three children, Jessica (14), Amber (9) and Derryl, Jr. (8) of North Carolina, life revolves around their Christian beliefs and the word of the Gospel.

Although Big Mama works full-time as a bank teller, she always makes sure to get home in time to cook dinner for the family and take care of all the household chores. Derryl and Derryl, Jr. refuse to do housework on the grounds of the "Man Law," which states that chores are for women, while men should lie back and relax.

The Lawrence kids live their lives under the watchful eyes of their parents. Only thirty minutes of pre-approved television per day can be watched, and surfing the web and watching music videos is forbidden. Big Mama and Derryl have even told their kids that, if they watch music videos, demons will come out of the television to corrupt them -- and the kids do what they're told because their parents and the Bible tell them so.


the other one
Caddel Family
Marlo "Jinxi" Caddel (35) and her husband, Steve (34), live as proud atheists with alternative values, yet Jinxi is compulsive about her career. Jinxi is constantly on her computer, selling items online for her home business. Steve gave up a career in law to assist Jinxi in her business and to wait on her hand and foot.

However the Caddels are not your typical business people; they are both covered up to their necks and above in tattoos and hang out with a unique crowd they describe as "lesbians, strippers and freaks." They are encouraging their three children - Taylor "Brynn" (11), Aidan (9) and Shea (9) -- to find their individuality, and do not shelter them from adult themes like nude artwork and even a stripper pole - both of which are prominent in their living room.

haha, I can just imagine 'big mama' hanging out with the freaks and strippers! LOL

__________________

Taking a page from "Trading Spaces," ABC's version called "Wife Swap" is also casting for figure skating family episode. They're looking for a family that has: "two parents and have at least one child, between the ages of 7 and 17, living at home." One or more of the children has to be a competitive figure skater. The honorarium is $20,000.

The casting director says that s/he is a former figure skater.

http://abc.go.com/primetime/wifeswap/casting.html

__________________

I know that $20,000 sounds like a lot of money to most people (even me) but what a scam, that they can get away with paying that little. No wonder networks like "reality" TV $40,000 for two families is a LOT less paying a cast for a real show.

j