New World Order – What A Night!

[bems]

I have just finished watching the Men’s Free Skate from Tokyo. What a night!

The Canadian Men did their very best. As a Canadian I am so proud of their efforts. Unfortunately, their very best was not enough. The benefits of youth, knowing the true pressure of competition and training with Canadian specialists to take their best and integrate it with the European and Eastern psyche have won the day!

This author is on record for saying that the Canadian system protects the top 12 and regularly allows last years best to opt out of competing against all on comers. The cracks are now being to show in the Canadian system.

We can talk about injury, attitude and needing to develop our skaters under the protection of a calculated development strategy but many World skaters are doing more than talking. Lambiel has dealt with injury, Verner has harnessed attitude and Joubert has worked on his presentation with Browning to develop himself into a great skater!

The statistics show the average age of the World’s top four men is 21 and the top Canadians competitors is 25. In the sport of figure skating youth is leading the way.

This year’s top four in the World have always known competition. There are no guaranteed top 12 in their World like at Canadians. Each year is a new year, each year, they must prove themselves. In his interview tonight Joubert said, “I gave everything but I can do better”. He won the gold.

The top four take nothing for granted. They travel the world to get the best training and development. They know to be the best they must see the world and beat the best at their own game.

Our pairs have earned three spots but appeared defeated in their attitude during interviews. The tiny details required to beat the competition and make the podium elude them.

For the moment only our Ice Dancers appear prepared, balanced and aligned with mental preparedness.

Canada has never been able in spite of its large number of women to mount the podium. Joannie is our best chance and we will be cheering for her!

So what are we talking about here? Canada has led the world in the past because after World War Two there were hardly any ice rinks in Europe and Asia. The air crash that took the US team in 1961 took years them to rebuild. Quietly Europeans, Americans and Asians came to Canada to help build and learn about one of our great National Sports. In true Canadian fashion we shared our expertise and everyone grew this marvelous sport.

The World however, has moved on while we still consider ourselves to be the leaders and experts in the sport this is no longer the case.

Skate Canada needs to find a new rhythm that develops youth, creates a true platform for competition instead of protecting existing skaters and draws from the skating knowledge of the populous of this great land.

This new rhythm can be accomplished through focus groups with skaters and coaches to talk about the challenges they face. It can be accomplished by celebrating our achievements in the development of a new judging system and educating the skaters, coaches and public so that the new system is not a black box. This new rhythm is about true competition where public support comes from knowing anyone can reach the podium. Nothing drains public support and advertising dollars like the perception that nothing changes. People move on out and away. They look for new excitement elsewhere.

Our Canadian skating fundamentals remain strong but I am concerned that if we do not engage in a continuing dialogue on continuous improvement that we like Russia are on our way to becoming a lesser player in the sport.

[Logan3]

ok, I might be wrong since I do not really have official statistics about this but what about lowering the cost of skating so you get to choose from a wider base of talented skaters?
Skating is a very expensive sport and a lot of families with talented skaters opt out very early in the game. I have north european friends that they skate for a fraction of the money. I met a family that recently immigrated to north america and I was told that the money that they spent in Europe for their kids to skate a 7day program are hardly enought to skate TWICE a week here. Those kids although not particularly talented they were a class above of all other skaters in the rink my family skates.

I am not compering the money elite skaters spend, I am mostly concerned about the money a family needs to pay early in the game so the kid has a chance.

as I said I might be off, just an idea.

[Virtualsk8r]

Let's take the discussion down to the provincial or sectional level in Canada.......Why is it that more Quebec skaters seem to make it to nationals? Ignore the fact that Quebec as a section gets to send twice as many skaters to Eastern Challenge (the whole province is one section - sends 8 skaters per level while Ontario is considered 4 sections- which means they have 16 skaters at Challenge---8 east and 8 west -- per event).

In Quebec skaters pay far less for icetime than in Ontario, for example, and the school system supports skating with their ecole sportif.....while in Ontario most skaters have to battle it out with their principals to get enough time to train or fill in the credits with either correspondence -- or the dreaded 'victory lap' of a 5th year of high school.

In Quebec skaters pay far less for lessons from top coaches -- $8-12 per 15 minutes in comparision with $18-22 in COS. That's $32-$48 per hour for Quebec vs $72-$88 in central Ontario.

For comparison across the country, a high level coach in BC is about $62 per hour - $15.50 per 15 minutes.

All quotes are plus or minus gst.......just to get the picture.

So is figure skating a sport just for the wealthy and those who are willing to sacrifice ? Any wonder why there are so many skaters in Quebec at sectionals that are so good -- and only the cream makes it out.

Now for a twist to the cost argument ---- let's look at the USA.......Lessons from a moderate level coach less certified than the Canadian coaches quoted -- range from $100USD - $160USD per hour.. That's $25USD ($29 cdn) - $40 USD ($46+ Cdn).

I've seen skaters quote $65 per 15 minutes for lessons on forums in the States!!

So the cost issue in the USA is not really an issue then....take a look at their success level on the international stage! But in Canada, it seems to be another story. Joannie is from Quebec and Mira from BC - where coaching rates are lower than the Toronto-area region where most of the country's population resides -- and the coaching seems to be the most expensive.

Any thoughts?

[jinglebells]

I have heard many skaters in the US opt for home/correspondence schooling, which greatly simplifies the training schedule. Etude Sportif progam in Quebec again helps by coordinating schooling, simplifying scheduling, as well as transferring the skaters to the arenas.

[Lark]

So is figure skating a sport just for the wealthy and those who are willing to sacrifice ?


In my opinion, yes.

I would like to do things in life. So would everyone I know. A lot of us can't afford it. Whatever "it" is.

When a family allows their child the luxury of skating, they know what they are in for. The talk to other parents at practices, hear horror stories. But they hang in there for the hope that their child will be the next Kristi Yamaguchi or Brian Boitano.

If you as a 2-parent family are making, for example, $70,000.00 a year, why would you introduce your child to a sport that may well cost that much per year for training and supplies if your child shows real promise?

Most likely a family will have to move to allow their child to further grow in the sport. Or send a child away to live with someone else if moving the family is out of the question.

I compare it with playing the lottery. If you can afford to spend 10% of your salary in the slim hopes of winning millions, that is your call. The odds of you becoming a millionaire are nearly zilch.

Still, that is much better odds than investing 80% of your income, and your child medaling at a senior, or even junior, skating event.

My thought: Find a sponser!

[bems]

Who would want to sponsor a sport in decline? With the protection of last years top 12 it is not a comptetion or a sport. In skiing, golfing, speed skating swimming and rodeo the odds are better because you are only as good as your last result.

Let's face it as skating is composed right now in Canada, Champions come from elite schools where money has staying power. There is nothing national about our champions.

[loveskating]

Who would want to sponsor a sport in decline? With the protection of last years top 12 it is not a comptetion or a sport. In skiing, golfing, speed skating swimming and rodeo the odds are better because you are only as good as your last result.

Let's face it as skating is composed right now in Canada, Champions come from elite schools where money has staying power. There is nothing national about our champions.


In decline or not, skating in the US still has ratings up there at a level with football. I think I read somwhere, however, that market share has not increased over time for advertisers and that's the name of the game.

So I think its the wrong advertisers is all because I am a fan, I watch almost everything that comes on, and I buy a LOT of stuff.