I really do not understand this.

At my rink, private lessons are £8 for 15 minutes.
PLUS you have to pay £2.70 for ice time (this is if you are lucky enough to get the cheapest after school session, the ice time cost only goes up up UP after this session)

Why can't they just make the lesson cost something like £10/£11 pounds for 15 minutes and subtract a pound or two to give to the rink for ice time?

For a half-way decent lesson, I need at least 30 mins. So the best outcome for me would be £18.70

For 30 minutes!!!!

I am not even going to get started on multiple privates.

I do realise that for £18.70 I will also get 30 minutes or so practice time. But still!

So do you think that maybe I could write to the rink management asking them to waive the ice time fee if you have a private lesson? Would it work?

And also, do coaches generally accept split lessons in the same day, such as:
After school session

• 15 minute lesson to learn techniques
• *30 minute practice by myself*
• 15 minute lesson to see what I have learnt and how I have improved

and why is it so expensive?

also, is it morally wrong to try and dodge the ice time fee? I am not dishonest - I always pay my ice time fee (not always before a session if the queue is too long, but I always go back and pay the money when I could really get away with not doing so) but this idea of private+ice time seems a bit steep to me.

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The ice time is paid to the rink and the lesson fee is paid to the coach. I doubt you could get them to waive the ice time fee, and no you shouldn't NOT pay.

The ice time is paid to the rink and the lesson fee is paid to the coach.

yes, I know =)

no you shouldn't NOT pay

I doubt that I could do this anyway (my morals and conscience would kill me) but thanks.

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As techskater says, you are paying the rink for the ice, and the coach for his/her time and expertise. Sadly skating is a very expensive sport. You have to make sacrifices if it's something you want to do seriously.

Nicki

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www.myspace.com/insatiableskater

Sadly skating is a very expensive sport.

BTW, why is this? If, for example, interest faded really quickly, do you think that the cost would go down? or would it always be high?

You have to make sacrifices if it's something you want to do seriously

Yes... it's just a bit shocking.

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It is always expensive. Even if interest goes down, prices won't Rinks are expensive to maintain. Coaches have to pay rent to the rink to teach, they have travel and other expenses etc.

If it makes you feel better, my private lessons range between £16 -£20 for 30mins and practice ice is £4.50 for patch ice and £9 for public sessions. So 30mins plus ice time ranges from £20.50 - £29.

BTW, Katherine, have you found yet? Do lawyers have enough time to skate? Because I would like to become a lawyer.

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Lol! Not sure - not a proper lawyer yet. I have found that you CAN work in a law firm and skate though. I'll tell you in Sept if you can be a lawyer and skate

It is the way it is for private lessons, as the others have said you pay the rink for the ice time and the coaches for their time. As they are all self employed and giving up their time to teach, I think that is fair enough. For cheaper lessons you go for group lessons, but there really is no comparision.

My group lesson is £5 per week, exactly the same as entry to the rink which I think is way too cheap. My private lessons however, are £5 entry plus £14 to my coach for 30 minutes. What I learn and do in my private lessons compared to my group lessons however is so vast I could not even explain it. This is what you are paying for, and it is totally up to you if you pay the extra, or have cheaper lessons. If you want to get better, unfortunately you do have to pay for it in one way or another. I once read somewhere that if you are serious about skating, the price of your boots is the least of your worries, and that is so true.

Rinks have to make money to stay in business, and it is very expensive running ice plant machinery and even running the overhead lighting costs a fortune. One rink manager told me his energy bill is running at £400 per week. At times like the present, when figure skating is popular in the UK, the management are prepared to subsidise the cost of running training ice. But let's face it, they make big bucks running a Friday night disco, or a hockey match, but training ice often operates at a loss.

Believe me, I've seen what happens when interest fades - and no, the cost doesn't go down - all that happens is that management cuts down on available training ice, and gives it instead to corporate events or hockey practice.

So, use it or lose it, and please pay for it willingly.

We skaters have to work out how to save money - this may be, by sharing private lessons, or by doing group classes, or maybe by volunteering as a steward to get free ice time.

Doing a rough translation from pounds to dollars, what you're paying looks to be about what I pay also. Skating is expensive. Sometimes there are ways to find discounts for practice time - volunteering at your club for a discount or free ice time, working at the rink, using public sessions for practice, etc. I practice on public sessions and buy a pay-ahead 5 session punch card for the price of 4 sessions.

Yay! Another almost-lawyer skater I graduate from law school in May. I'm taking the bar exam this summer, and hopefully, will be an actual licensed lawyer by September. (And will also hopefully be earning more to better pay for skating!)

Haha put me on the lawyers-to-be list. I'm finishing my bachelor in a few months and then I'm off to do the master to get the required diploma that I need to do a working education (like, you work and study, about 50-60 hours a week in total eventually) for 3 years to become a lawyer that can practice in court.
I'll probably only graduate 2 years from now though because I want both the master Dutch law private law accent and Dutch law Information technology accent.


I've got 40 euro per month for group lessons - 2,5 times a week september - march, 1 time a week in april and nothing in may-august. I do ballet, 1 time a week group lessons, 20 euro per month. I've got a 100 euro ticket for a half a year (october-march) of public hours - which are often too busy to practice well. Only by daytime they're really free.
There's a rink in a neighbouring time which is alledgedly open from 9 o clock till 5 o clock and is much less busy, there the entry ticket is 7 euro per day - no matter how long you stay. People who work usually skate the public hours there.

If I'd want private lessons, that'd be about 15 euro for an hour - but private is relative, if there's only 3 of you they call that private already. ALso it'd be from a coach that I dislike - not personally, but as a coach. She can't explain things in a way that I understand them. Kids seem to like her lots, but I don't get these lessons for that very reason.

If I want something else, I've gotta join another club in a neighbouring town. Another 50 euro a month and 25 euro for 20 minutes private lesson or 30 or something. And they don't allow jumping in group practice, you must take private lessons for that. Ridiculous. They also skate through summer, 1 time a week summer and winter, except 2 months in summer break.
I don't do that because a) I haven't got the money b) I haven't got the time to go to that town every week and c) travelling there in itself will cost me more than the lessons would.
I might do that when I have a real job.
Though frankly, from the people who do skate there and take private lessons, what I gather is that the coach who's giving those private lessons isn't good either. He has people try to jump doubles as soon as they land their singles, even if their singles are technically a mess. And from what I gather he's completely unable to say "AND NOW YOU LAND IT ON 1 FOOT OR ELSE!" which is really the approach I need.

I had one teacher who was doing private lessons, total cost 30 an hour excluding entry fees for her and me and her parking ticket, she was good, but she didn't do it this year due to rink and personal problems. She's saying she'll be doing it next year again and then I'll be taking those lessons again for sure.

I'm thinking the only thing that will make figure skating cheap is either if global warming turns into another ice age (it's happened in history before) or if artificial ice takes a high flight and becomes cheap to manufacture too.

The ice I am registered for is about $8.00/hour. My lesson fee is $13/15 minutes. I have a half-hour lesson, so every time I step on the ice it costs me $34. I pay a drop-in rate of $13.00 at the club where I am a member. So if I were to get a lesson on that ice, I would pay $39. For one. Hour. Of skating.

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~No thinking, breathing, or hesitation!~

In Canada, for the most part, public ice is just that...public. No coaches giving lessons, no freeskate.

this means you must buy your ice time from a club. You can do buy ons but they become more expensive if you skate every week at the same place. Usually its group as fall/winter, spring, summer.

Private coaching is on top of your club ice.

Figure skating is expensive...there are many reasons why.

It is expensive...my private lessons are $44 per half hour- but I feel that my coach is worth it. I am lucky that I can take my lessons on uncrowded public sessions for $5 vs. always on freestyles which are around $15/hr.

Officially, this is the way it is here too. But skaters know when there's very little people with these ice racks on ice (also, tuesday night 10 o 'clock public sessions are pretty much beginner-free, but there's a lot of hockeyers) and some coaches teach on public skating sessions anyway. It's frowned upon, but they tolerate it as long as it takes place during the quiet hours.
Also those public skating sessions entrance fees are often over 5 euro, around 8 US dollar too. And then you have to pay the entry for yourself, and for your coach and there'll be like at least 30 other people on the ice getting in your way. It's not that cheap.

As for buying ice time just for practice, that's not even possible at our rink. You have to go to Belgium for that, where our club rents some ice for private coaching.

Dutch rinks will gladly rent out ice, for 110 euro an hour for the entire rink. What on earth would anybody do with an entire rink and how are you gonna pay for that. Sometimes, a school or a club will rent one for a fun afternoon.

This is a very interesting thread that clearly illustrates some of the costs of skating but as a former qualified trainer in industry/commerce/armed forces I am slightly perturbed to think that skaters are prepared to pay good money for a session lasting only 15 minutes. If one subtracts from that 15 minutes the time taken to carry out the basic elements of a training session i.e. review of previous session, explanation of the content of the current session, demonstration by the trainer of the manoeuvre to be taught, debrief of the trainee's performance in carrying out the manoeuvre and finally a word or two about the content of the next session, there is very little time left for the student to actually skate under instruction.

Quite simply 15 minutes is not long enough - 30 minutes should be the minimum.

I dont' know who teaches you ice skating but I can assure you that plenty can be learnt in 15 mins and when I started it was about all I could manage to concentrate for anyway as a beginner.

Most skaters have done some sort of warm up on or off ice (or they should to get most benefit from a lesson) and coaches know what their pupils are working on so lessons can start pretty much straight away - it's not like a workout with warmup and cooldown time. Pupils know what they are working on too so no explanation needed.

You can get an awful lot of jumps and spins in to 15 mins and each programme (at beginning level ) is only about 1.5 mins long - plenty of time to run through (several times) and work on anything needing attention. Even in a 30 minute lesson we would rarely spend even 15 mins on the programme - maybe would do edges then of what was left, half on jumps and spins and half on programme. So splitting that into two 15 min lessons would make no difference to what was accomplished. The only time I ever felt 15 mins was too short was when trying to choeograph a programme and then I would do a 30 minute one as that does take time.

It's a totally different situation to any sort of fitness training (I used to be an aerobics instructor!)

Dances are less than a minute each so even working on two at a time I could accomplish lots in 15 minutes and then you go away and practice what you have just been taught. Daft to waste money paying for a coach to watch you practice too much - though obviously you want them to keep an eye on progress (through 15 min lessons) so you don't get into bad habits.

If money is tight then 2 x 15 mins lessons a week is a better way to go than
1 x 30 min lesson.

Just for reference: our ice for patch (freestyle) is £1.10 per 15 mins and is usually in 1 hour or 1.5 hour blocks. Public session is about £4.30 for two hours. Lessons are £8 per 15 minutes. I do do 30 minute lessons now, so pay £16 plus ice fee, so about £20 a time, three times a week.

To the OP : please don't skip paying for the ice. If people dont' pay and the rink is not making money on the ice, they won't hesistate to give it to someone who will and that usually means discos or hockey. So if you want to be able to figure skate at all, then please pay your way (as I am sure you would!)

As for the split lesson - that depends on who else the coach is teaching. If the coach is doing all 15 minute lessons then they probably wouldn't mind but you have to work around the other students. If your 30 minutes is from someone who no longer has lessons then that is the available slot and you'd have to find out if the person who has the last 15 minutes would mind changing their lesson times to accomodate you. They may or they may not.

If you have limited funds though, then I'd go for 2 x 15 min lessons on 2 different days - even though this means paying two lots of ice time it would probably be more beneficial than 1 x 30 min lesson and then one pure practice session.

It's not a case of what we are 'prepared' to pay, more a case of what we can afford to pay.

At £8 per 15 minutes, I can manage 2 15 min free skating lessons and 1 15 min dance lesson per week - and that's stretching myself to my financial limits. I could do with two solid 30 minute lessons in each, but unless anyone comes up with a solution for funding that funding that on a publishing salary, it ain't gonna happen.

S xxx

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There is a very fine line between "hobby" and "mental illness"

At our rink, the situation is slightly different as you pay your coach to use the training ice; the coaches are charged "rent" - a capitation fee, I think - by the rink, which includes the cost of the ice, so they have to get it back from their skaters. The coaches have agreed a packet whereby if you use three or more sessions a week, you pay a flat fee, but you must pay this fee 52 weeks a year, even if you are away, even if the rink is closed for a week, whatever. If you skate four or more sessions a week, you come out ahead!

Plus some of the coaches arrange a "package" with their most dedicated skaters which includes ice time and the cost of a daily, or possibly several-times-weekly lesson.

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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!

We are lucky at our rink that even though the lessons are expensive, the ice time is very reasonable. I'm praying that they keep it that way.

S xxx

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There is a very fine line between "hobby" and "mental illness"

In an ideal world maybe bu I get 10 minutes a week of freestyle - it's my daughter's left over lesson because she has to leave for school. Would I like a half hour? SUre, but I already pay for two half hours of FS for her and a half hour each for her and me of dance and I pay $370 a month for ice time for both of us so there's no more money for lessons. But I have done quite well in freestyle for 10 minutes a week. Depends on the coach, she's a good one, she can really accomplish a lot with me in 10 minutes. Frankly I'm better at learning one or two things, working on it myself for a week and then something else. I will get an hour this week because it's school break, her schedule is open and I decided to splurge since I'm going to adult mids this week.

also I just read your description of what should happen in a lesson and that's not how it goes at all. SHe says "What do you want to work on?" I say I'm having trouble with something, she tells me how to fix it and I fix it. If I can't, she gives me excersizes to work on it. Or she'll notice something I'm doing she doesn't like and suggest working on it. I've been really pleased with how much I can do in ten minutes.

reading the above posts I have to say that I feel quite fortunate as it appears that my rink at telford seems quite cheap. I usually skate on a public session which is set aside for adults and usually not too busy. I pay £3.70 for 2.5 hours which includes a 1/2 hour group lesson (a good quality one, I might add) I sometimes have a private lesson during this time at £12 for 30 minutes, or I can use the patch for the private lesson which is charged per 30 minutes (it works out about £1.20 for 30 minutes) so If I have my lesson on the patch, then stay for the adult session I pay £16.90 for 3hours ice, 30 minutes private, and 30 minutes group lessons- oh, and a cup of coffee thrown in. A bargain methinks!

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Level one Field Moves......PASSED 05.06.08
Level one Free dance.....PASSED 02.10.08

GOALS FOR 2009

• Level One Compulsary dances.......PASSED 19.02.09
• Level One Elements.....................PASSED 10.07.09
• Level Two Free dance.................PASSED 19.02.09
• Level One Free...........................
• Level Two compulsory dances.......

Loving it, Loving it, Loving it!!!!!

I've gotta say... Well when I was a teenager, we lived in a bad neighbourhood even though my mom made a lot of money, because she danced, on national and international level and the cost of dancing, surprisingly, isn't much lower than the cost of skating. Even though there's no ice involved and dancing shoes are cheaper than skates.
Before mom really got into dancing, that money was being spent on my private piano lessons, which is also a very expensive undertaking... Plus, I did some dancing myself and took some private lessons. So I'm not that shocked at the prices of skating...


I think the "problem" is that skating is a sport - like dancing - where very miniscule details are very important. Running is - well there's a basic technique to running, but most of it is just practicing and practicing and practicing to train your body to the maximum. Same for swimming or soccer or whatever. Not in skating, not in dance. You won't ever get triples plain practicing if there's nobody telling you what you're doing wrong. So it's very intensive in coaching and that's why it's so expensive.

Basically, dance - figure skating - they're arts, and learning arts well is expensive. Very expensive.


I'd rather go for 1 half-hour lesson per week than 2x15 minutes by the way, for all those taking 15 minutes lessons. Even 1 half-hour lesson per two weeks rather than 15 minutes each week frankly.