Oh, what the hell!!! Here's one for the Pre-Bronze skaters too!!!

How many of you are former child skaters? (And as a former child skater, I mean you had a coach (or coaches) and/or started skating competitively when you were under 21...)

If you don't fit into either category (i.e. in my case, I skated as a child for two years as a recreational skater, but I seriously can't consider myself a child skater b/c I did not have proper coaching. I learned everything from a book I borrowed in the school library.)

Also, please post how many years you skated as a kid and how many years you skated as an adult. By that, I'm mean how many years you've competed standard track.

BTW: I put myself down as an adult skater b/c I never really had lessons before when I skated as a kid (age 10.) I only skated recreationally then. ALL my real training I did as an adult skater. I started back skating again as an adult at age 31 and I'm now 38 and haven been getting ready for Bronze for a good 5.5 years. I think this year might FINALLY be the year!

Thanks much!

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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!!!

I started skating with a coach when I was 19. But it was on and off, because of school comitmentments, travelling that I did in the summer, hockey tournaments cancelling the ice, etc. I'll be 21 soon, so I think that's a bit less than a year and a half? My coach expects me to test pre-bronze and also the first test on the standard track this summer, or in the fall, depending because I'll be away for 3 weeks this summer. So I'm not sure what I am. Maybe somebody could help me out on this? But I haven't competed yet, so I guess I'm a nothing right now?

I started in group lessons at 28 (the month before The Whack Around The World). I stayed in them for 4 years then went to privates. At one time, I was driving two hours one way for lessons, and only getting to skate then.
It took me 3, yes THREE tries to pass the Pre Bronze Free test (the first two times, I had some very difficult judges!).
For the Bronze free, I took that and failed 4 times before the moves requirement kicked in. Maybe I'll get the moves test and that passed by the end of the year.

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Adult Nationals, 2009 "The Time of My Life"

I began skating at 24 and have been skating with a coach since then for 1 1/2 years. I'm ready to take the pre-bronze FS but first I need to get my MITF of course. this new 3 turn pattern is killing me, I hope to take both tests in late summer/early fall.

Started group lessons at 29. Started private lessons at 31. Passed Pre-Bronze MIF (with the now-defunct alt 3's) and FS at the same test session 8 months later at age 32. I've been working on Bronze MIF for about a year and a half (deducting time I've taken off from skating). Tried the test twice, hoping the 3rd time will be the charm (dare I follow doubletoe's suggestion in the Bronze MIF poll thread? ). The most recent time, I was very close to passing with a tough judging panel but blew the power 3's. Still, one judge passed me - all I need is one more!

I'm hoping to pass MIF in early summer, and then take FS in the fall. One of the reasons I'm thinking about waiting on testing FS is to compete at Skate Wilmington (DE) in July - last year, they didn't get enough entries to have Bronze FS, but there were 7 (!) skaters in Pre-Bronze FS - hey, I want a real competition!

Began skating 2 years ago at the age of 38 because it looked like fun. Started by taking adult group lessons and about 3 months later took some prvate lessons to put together a program with my daughter to compete in the rinks ISI Open. Went back to solely groups till a month or so before the next competition and so on until Sept. last year when my coach switched rinks. I followed him to the new rink and since they didn't have adult group lessons I switched to solely private lessons with him, half an hour once a week with additional practice time 1 1/2 hours 3 times a week. Moved in February, found a new rink in March and am now skating twice a week 1 1/2 hours each... no new coach or lessons yet.

Passed ISI FS2 sometime in Dec.2005 (or around there) and was working on ISI FS3 before the move. There is no ISI program here and I'm not sure I want to switch to USFSA so who knows whether I'll even bother with lessons... might just practice on my own until we move again in a year and a half and see if I can find an ISI rink in our next town.

I skated as a child with no formal training, on our neighbor's rink that was built by their dad, who was a very good skater. Stopped at about 11 years old. Fast forward to Febraury 2001 at 43 years old. Started group lessons, good stroking and crossovers were my end goal. Cross overs and stroking are good, thought I was done.

But noooo, ever addicted and struggling w/ back inside edges, sit spins and salchows and stuck on FS 4. A level I thought I would never reach. Now I am aming for pre-bronze moves. Maybe by 50?

I started at 28 and took and passed adult pre-bronze free before the moves were implemented. I also passed standard track pre-pre moves and free. I was going to take adult bronze free before the rule change but was injured (stress fracture). I since failed preliminary moves due to nerves and am now too scared to take bronze moves! It sucks because I skate at silver level in terms of my freestyle, have all my spins and single jumps except Axel (which I'm working on). Tests.... I would never compete at pre-bronze level, even if I got the courage to compete, because if anyone saw me practice, the word "sandbagger" would come to mind!

Well I checked "child skater", but I do consider myself as more of an adult skater. All my skating was done after I hit the teenager years. I started at 14, did basic skills program until I was about 16, then passed pre-pre. Mostly basic skills competitions, and I did one Boston Open.

I quit my senior year in high school and picked skating up again my senior year of college. I skated seriously for about a year, but then graduated and moved back to New England from Michigan. I had no car and little money, so I was lucky to skate once a week for the next two years. Then I finally got a car and a better job. I've been skating seriously again since last summer, 3 days per week on a good week.

Well, I had skated on the frozen ditch across from my house and on a frozen cow pond one winter (total times=10; highlights of this type of skating-figuring out on my own a 2-foot spin, jumping over a log, going really fast and realizing I didn't know how to stop!!!, as well as hitting sticks in the ice <OUCH>) and rink skating about 10 times until the age of 20.....

Then started taking lessons at the very ripe age of 40-something (so I could learn to skate backwards without embarrassing myself on public session ....... so I really am an adult skater!!

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Skate@Delaware
Ah, show skating!!! I do it for the glitter!