I need some advice here...I have tried to start skating again after quitting 8 years ago. I am 18, and I am having a very hard time. I stumble around on the ice, barely able to propel myself. I keep rationalizing..."the ice is bumpy", " my skates aren't sharp enough" and stuff like that...I really want to skate again...it's totally my dream to skate! Also, if someone doesn't skate with me, even if I am surrounded by other skaters, I feel quite alone,and leave the ice.
I want to start taking lessons, but I am unsure if I will have the money in time for them. Is something wrong with me that I can't skate anymore, and fear skating alone?

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There is nothing wrong with you, all that has happened is that you have grown up and with it comes the fear factor, the only cure is lots of skating.

The rink can be a lonely place if you don’t have a friend with you, cant you recruit one to come with you? If you can just bear with it, I will guarantee that you will make some skating friends as all of us do, I used to go alone and now I know all the regulars as they do me.

In a way it is good that you are not partnering anyone yet because if you do so too early you will find yourself totally dependant on them and not learn as quickly as those without a partner, but do invest in some lessons so you don’t develop any bad habits.

Good Luck and keep at it, it's worth it, trust me.

I agree, there's nothing wrong with you... you've simply grown up. Not just do you have to deal with the fear factor now (mostly on a subconscious level so you might not even be aware of it) but your body has grown up along with your mind. You're center of gravity is totally different than 8 years ago bthrowing off your sense of balance and coordination, so is (more than likely) your flexibility and your body shape over all... all factors that effect your skating. Be patient, give it time and most importantly don't push yourself too hard otherwise you'll just become discouraged! Skate for fun and the rest will come all on it's own.

Actually I prefer skating alone, since my friends are a good distraction and then we spend more time talking than skating!

Bringing my non-skating friends also makes me feel guilty, since I always want to help them out, but I also want to work on my spins too! Oh, decisions, decisions....

It's nice seeing the same people at the rink though. You'll get to see familiar faces once you go more often. It's having the security without the distraction.

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"The ice is finer when the zombie goes over it!" - said by an excited 5-year-old at the rink

"The life you've led is in fact not the totality of what is possible for you." - John Partridge of Wheaton College (and a Matrix philosopher )

I recommend getting in the adult LTS class and making a friend or two in there. It's nice to have friends at the rink with you so that you can push each other to be better each day you skate without taking time away from your own needs on the ice. Also, if you are anything like me, having friends (and potentially rivals ) at the rink with you will only spur you to work harder and be better. It DOES come back, but it also requires work on the mental aspect of the sport (want to, drive, etc)

Lydia, comfort on the ice comes with time. Just keep on skating and eventually you will start to feel confident about it. LTS classes are the best for getting started right, and you probably don't need private lessons just while you're getting into it. I started doing private lessons in feestyle 2 or 3 b/c I need more personal attention for jumps. LTS classes shouldn't cost to much depending where you live.

best of luck and don't give up.

welcome to skating! you definately have the first ingrediant which is the "want" to skate. i highly agree with the other posts to sign up for an adults group lesson, your peers are your best cheerleader second to yourself! these days I actually much rather skate by myself so I can work on my MITF and FS elements (without the distraction of friends who just want to skate around and talk and/or ask me to do some jumps/spins for them a zillion times over) but to get to that point I had to work on a bit of my self esteem and the feeling that "who cares what everyone else thinks at the rink, I'm here to work have fun and work to be the best skater I can be!"

oh and practice practice practice there is no substitute for practice on the ice!

happy skating and good luck!

I am also 18. I started LTS when I was 2 and by the time I was 5 years old I was in FS 1 and could do all of the stuff in FS 2. I quit skating when I was 7 or 8. Ten years went by...I picked up another sport and competed nationally with it, joined a precollegiate university music ensemble, etc. Then when I was 17( only a few months shy of being 18) I decided I wanted to skate again.

So I signed up for LTS classes again, just assuming that I would be put in the PreAlpha class. Surprise surprise...they had my old test records and were like "you're in the freestyle class!" Great, I thought. I got on the ice...I hadn't been on ice in TEN years. The instructor (now a favorite coach of mine) was like ok let's skate down to the end of the rink. I could still stroke, but halfway down the rink I thought, oh my God...I don't think I can do a snowplow stop! What am I going to do? I feel like a fool, and especially because I'm in this freestyle class!

To make a long story short, and believe me- this has been a long journey that has only lasted a year and 3 months- I love skating. I'm almost ready to test FS 4. I went from having horrible, scratchy back crossovers to working on headless and layback spins. How did it happen you ask? A lot of work, and meeting people who have been nothing but wonderful to me. It wasn't easy. For the first few months back to skating I was shy and embarassed. I felt so old compared to the young kids...I was intimidated. I would get on the ice and feel like everyone was laughing at me or making fun of me- but they weren't. It finally took me getting to know people and coming out of my shell that made me a better skater. I have tons of high freestyle friends who love to teach me new things! They're like ooooh! I want to teach you this! It's amazing. I went from being one of the "not so good" to a much much better skater!

Another thing...I like skating with the kids now. They are vibrant and enthusiastic, plus they fall a lot too. When I learned to fall I became so much better literally over night. So often adult skaters won't fall- and believe me, I can understand that- but we're 18 and still young. Getting your bum wet won't kill you. Just try your hardest and if you REALLY want it you can do it. I promise. I'm proof!

Cheers!

Lydia, I know EXACTLY how you feel! And it is perfectly normal.

I skated seriously from age 14 to 19. I like to think I was a fairly accomplished skater before life got in the way. It was 36 years before I returned to figure skating!

In my mind, I still know how to skate but the first time back on ice I could hardly stand up - I was devistated! How could I have been "good" once and "a novice" now? There are 10 year olds who skate better than I do - MOST 10 year olds LOL!

With about 20 hours of ice time since my return, things are slowly coming back. I have my LF edges so-so and working on the RF and just starting backward stroking.

Yes, it is slow - slower than I'd like - but I love skating, I have a coach who understands my frustration, and I have the determination to re-learn everything and see how far I can go this time around.

I understand your frustration, believe me, but it's perfectly normal. Don't give up and try not to be discouraged! {{HUG}}

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

We are all afraid when starting something new, especially where we don't know anyone. When I was 12 years old, I let that get in the way of taking figure skating classes. 15 years later, I finally got up the nerve to do it, at age 27. If only I had just had the courage to do it when I first wanted to! I am 41 now, but the friends I met my first day of class (when I was 27) are still my friends, and all it took was one day to feel at home on the ice with my new friends. Do it! You won't regret it!

Sorry but just had to laugh here... you're still pretty much a kid yourself.

Thank you all for the encouragement...I am going to keep trying and trying to skate until I get it right. I have classes starting this wednesday hopefully. I hope that I can get good enough to get back to the level I was, and beyond that. Thanks again!

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It makes my day that you still think I'm a kid!!!!!!!!!!

You have no idea! Some days I just don't feel like a kid anymore because I don't live at home, pay own bills, etc etc etc.

Wow- I seriously miss those kindergarten days of coloring in the pictures!!!

Heeehee!

In my head I'm only 12, the trouble is - my body doesn't belive me!!

I start my lessons today at 5 pm. I am sooo excited! I hope everything goes well...

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Well, I went to my first ice skating class today. It was a bit hard, but it was fun! My feet were absolutely killing me in my new skates, which I have only worn a couple times, and I was told by my teacher that I need to get my skates sharpened. Overall though, it was great!

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