Hangin' Up the Skates for College

[WeBeEducated]

The latest news I heard from Colorado is that Ryan Bradley is very very seriously considering hanging up his skates so that he can enjoy/experience a full and normal freshman year on campus.
I completely understand this.
Skating competitively drains most of a young persons' time, energy, money, and focus. For those skaters who have continued to attend highschool full time while also training at a high level , college without skating can seem like a vacation!
I wish him the best.
Anyone know of any others?

[cupcake728]

BTW, which top skaters also attend colleges/university presently?

Michelle goes to UCLA but is taking some time off.
Sarah is heading to an Ivy League school in Sept (most likely).
From what I can remember, Ann Patrice finished high school and is currently attending a college (??).

What about Sasha? Has she finished high school yet?
and Angela Nik?

[Trillian]

Quite a few U.S. skaters have done "some" college, but degrees are pretty scattered. I can't think of any current national-level ladies competitor who has one (especially since most are so young), but of course since I said that it's almost a sure thing I've forgotten someone. ;) The last one I recall, though, is Tonia Kwiatkowski, whom I'm pretty sure did have a degree. Savoie and Delmore both have degrees from good schools (Bradley and Stanford respectively); Weiss has an associate's degree IIRC. I can't think of any top pairs or dancers off the top of my head, but again, that's a sure sign I'm forgetting someone.

[Canadian Chick]

Sasha graduated last year and I've heard her say something about maybe taking some courses in fashion in the future.

AP currently is attending University of Colorado at Colorado Springs. :)

[jeb]

Jeff Buttle is studying Engineering (Chemical) at University of Toronto, although I believe it is part-time.

[StarshineXavier]

Originally posted by jeb
Jeff Buttle is studying Engineering (Chemical) at University of Toronto, although I believe it is part-time.

This is true. He attends classes 3 times a week for a half day. Or so I'm told.

[cupcake728]

Yup, Jeff is studying Chemical Engineering part-time at UofT. I still haven't bumped into him yet!!!:cry:

[mikey]

Tonia Kwiatkowski has 2 bachelor degrees.

[sk8nbabe]

There is an ice dance team from Finland who both attend Harvard. Off the top of my head I think the girl's name was Jessica Huot, but I can't remember the guy's name.
They were at Worlds this year.

[snowflake]

jessica's partner's name is Juha -------
david mitchell is attending tufts presently
kevin o'keefe is attending northearstern
kendra goodwin is at Univ. of Delaware
augie hill will be attending SMU after graduation this year
kirsten frisch is giong to villanova but will be transferring to a college near her new training location of dallas

i cant think of too many single skaters (female) who are even old enough to go to college...lol...most of them have been mentioned

pairs?? do any pair skaters attend college?

[Trillian]

Jessica Huot and Juha Valkama? Jessica is actually from the Boston area but I believe her partner really does come from Finland. I didn't know they were students at Harvard--very impressive!

[Sylvia]

Originally posted by Trillian
Jessica Huot and Juha Valkama? Jessica is actually from the Boston area but I believe her partner really does come from Finland. I didn't know they were students at Harvard--very impressive!

They both attend MIT, not Harvard. Here's a fairly recent article:
http://web.mit.edu/giving/spectrum/winter03/amazing-grace.html

[melbo]

Aaron Parchem has an economics degree that he completed in December...after seven years. ;)

And this is going back a few years, but Paul Wylie went to Harvard. ;)

[Proudmom]

Tiffany Scott is in her Junior year at the University Of Delaware. She attends part time.

[WeBeEducated]

IceDancer Phillip Lichtor(4th at Nats this year) is a full time student at MIT...very impressive.
Robert Shmalo,icedancer,...graduated and attends Law School, and his partner Kimberly Navarro is a student at Columbia University! also very impressive

I have tremendous respect for those who are able to balance full time academics with serious training. Derrick Delmore once told me that at Stanford University there are many highly competitive, nationally ranked athletes in a huge variety of sports there , from tennis, swimming, and golf to gymnastics, diving, and skating. He said most of them were full time, and were expected to maintain the highest academic standards. And they do!

But I also understand how a young person gets weary of the whole skating scene. Among their other college bound friends skating can seem heavy on the sequins and silliness...especially for the guys.
I would advise any skater to go to college and graduate, with skating taking on the part time role, if any role at all.

[terisalyn]

If I were the parent of a skater going off to college for the first time, I would definitely want him or her to put the skating on a back burner. College is not just the classes. I think I learned as much from the people I sat around with and talked with after classes as I did from the professors in the classes. Also, college gives young adults a great opportunity to broaden their interests, instead of focusing on one activity.

When I was going away to school, someone I really respect told me, "Choose one subject each semester that you're only mildly interested in, and audit a class in it. Or just sit in on a couple of lectures. You never know what you might learn." It was the best advice; if I hadn't done that, I probably would have spent my entire college time locked up in the Art department! I learned a lot about a lot of different subjects, and even more about myself.

So I would say Go for the whole college experience!

[pittypat]

Matt Savoie and Derrick Delmore also have their college degrees.

[kgl2]

I think for those highly motivated student athletes, giving up a sport they love to attend college would be terribly difficult. I think the best plan for any skater beginning college would be to make sure there is a rink on or near campus so that they can make decisions as the school year unfolds. If they can't live without the daily exercise or the thrill of landing their favorite jump, set a budget and let them skate recreationally. And skating is a great way to ward off the freshman fifteen!

[roogu]

Obviously a lot of things factor in ..... especially for skaters who attend college full time while skating .... discipline and time management would be the two most important factors .... there is literally no spare time to kick back or go out for a crazy night with the friends ... it's just impossible but the most successful skaters are willing to sacrifice that for skating.

But I have no problems with a student wanting to take a year or two off before entering college. Skating is always changing ... your abilities also change with time ..... so it must be taken advantage of at the proper time .. school will always be there in the end. It just depends on how comfortable you are taking classes at an older age than other people.

Or if you take part time, are you comfortable in finishing the program in twice the amount of time? Lots of things to consider.

[QualDir]

Originally posted by snowflake
jessica's partner's name is Juha -------
david mitchell is attending tufts presently
kevin o'keefe is attending northearstern
kendra goodwin is at Univ. of Delaware
augie hill will be attending SMU after graduation this year
kirsten frisch is giong to villanova but will be transferring to a college near her new training location of dallas


Cheryl Russell and Kenny Metzger are both in UC Berkeley

[GreekGoddess85]

aww
I really wanted to see him skate
I wish him the best too

[QualDir]

Originally posted by GreekGoddess85

aww
I really wanted to see him skate
I wish him the best too

GreekG,

I do know that Russell-Metzger have not officially split up as a dance team and neither one is actively searching for a partner at the moment. Kenny has only recently been cleared by his doctor to skate again. They have skated a few times at the Berkeley rink.

On the other hand, both are deeply involved in UC Berkeley activities. Cheryl is majoring in Mathematics and is volunteering as a Physical Therapist Trainee for the UC teams (football and baseball). Kenny is majoring in Business and wants to get into the Haas School of Business his Junior year. I believe Berkeley's math department is #1 ranked in the US and the Haas School is in the top 3 or 4 in the US; so both Cheryl and Kenny focused quite heavily on their studies while Kenny's knee injury healed.

Their intentions for skating this season will become more clear once the Winter semester ends. While I don't think either is ready to give up ice dance, I do believe that college is going to continue to be be their first priority.

[Sylvia]

QualDir, I don't think GreekGoddess was referring to Cheryl and Kenny (only "he" was mentioned), but I appreciated the update nonetheless! :)Glad to hear they're leading fulfilling lives at UC-Berkeley - best wishes to both of them!

[QualDir]

Originally posted by Sylvia
QualDir, I don't think GreekGoddess was referring to Cheryl and Kenny (only "he" was mentioned), but I appreciated the update nonetheless! :)Glad to hear they're leading fulfilling lives at UC-Berkeley - best wishes to both of them!

Hi Sylvia,

I wasn't sure either -- but I did get an email saying there was a "reply." They do keep themselves busy, but you can also tell that they miss the skating too.

[Harris!here!]

Originally posted by sk8nbabe
There is an ice dance team from Finland who both attend Harvard. Off the top of my head I think the girl's name was Jessica Huot, but I can't remember the guy's name.
They were at Worlds this year.




No, not Harvard. They go to M.I.T. Jessica Hout and Juah Va.... Some thing that starts with a "Va" I can't remember how to say it. But any way, it is M.I.T.

[Harris!here!]

I think of Ryan as a very very close friend, but I have not talked to in about a month. I only heard the news here. I will miss hanging out with him at comp's. I am sure I won't be the only one!;)

[IceDanceSk8er]

Originally posted by WeBeEducated
IceDancer Phillip Lichtor(4th at Nats this year) is a full time student at MIT...very impressive.
Robert Shmalo,icedancer,...graduated and attends Law School, and his partner Kimberly Navarro is a student at Columbia University! also very impressive

Phillip Lichtor, who skates with Samatha Cepican in Boston, is on the ice at 5:45 each morning to skate. You have to admire his dedication to the sport as well as to school. Rob Schmalo is getting ready for final exams and a bar examination.

[NAdancefan]

Originally posted by IceDanceSk8er
Rob Schmalo is getting ready for final exams and a bar examination. Any word on whether Navarro/Shmalo plan to continue competing next season?

[WeBeEducated]

I do indeed admire Phillip. I admire all the skaters who have attended school, developed their social skills with their peers in the real world, skated competitively, and remained humble and kind hearted. Phillip is a great example of that. Plus, I have always liked the way he skates with Samantha. They dont pander to the judges. They dont load their programs with pretentious, and insincere drama.

[skaterdujour]

I quit skating when I went to college. I went to an Ivy League. I thought it would be too intense trying to do both. I grew to regret giving up skating. I should have done it a least a little. There was even a rink on campus! LOL

Living a full college life for most kids means studying but partying too hard. Skating is good because it keeps the kids focused...and out of trouble. But unless you are nationally ranked, it is probably too much to pay training costs and tuition at the same time.

[kgl2]

If more colleges had teams, more skateres would stay involved and maybe there'd be a few less kids drinking their way thru the weekends. Skating could be as intense as the student/athlete desires.

[Rogue]

Originally posted by NAdancefan
Any word on whether Navarro/Shmalo plan to continue competing next season?

I believe they have announced their retirement. If you search back for February/March posts, you should be able to find a thread about this which includes a link to the retirement statement.

[Aidan]

Elvis Stojko attended York University in Toronto part time, but I don't think he ever completed his degree.

[jwcardinal11]

Collegiate skating is still a growing sport - it is fairly new. As a collegiate skater myself at Stanford, I can attest to the fact that it is very worthwhile to continue skating while in college. The competitive environment is much more relaxed and team-based (if you are competing in the Intercollegiate Team competitions) - so it's much more cohesive and fosters the college environment and experience. For those who don't know what collegiate skating has to offer, here is a quick overview:

Collegiate competitive skating is split into two levels: National Collegiate Championships (once a year) and Intercollegiate Team competitions (held 3-4 times as qualifying competitions to the National Intercollegiate Team Championships). National Collegiates are open to junior and senior level skaters (and novice may be added soon), and Intercollegiates are open to skaters of all USFSA levels. This allows those who did not really make it up the ladder to still play a large role within their teams.

National Intercollegiates this year were held in March - Cornell won it and last year's champions, University of Delaware, placed second. I definitely suggest anyone interested in this to take a look at the collegiate skating section on the USFSA website: www.usfsa.org/programs/collegiate.htm (http://www.usfsa.org/programs/collegiate.htm)

www.stanford.edu/group/figure-skating

[what?meworry?]

Originally posted by Rogue
I believe they have announced their retirement. If you search back for February/March posts, you should be able to find a thread about this which includes a link to the retirement statement.

i don't think so. if you check their web site: http://www.navarro-shmalo.com you will see that is was updated in february, and there is no indication they have retired.

they went through a rough time after nationals, but so far, it seems that they are ok.

anyone at their rink who can report?

[classcaptain200]

wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww

[lotusland]

As posted by cupcake728:
Yup, Jeff is studying Chemical Engineering part-time at U of T. I still haven't bumped into him yet!!!
You haven't seen Jeff on campus because he withdrew last Spring when he decided to go to Arrowhead to train. He intends to return to his studies in the future.

Tugba Karademir (Turkey) attends York University in Tronto part-time.

Lenny Faustino (Canada) went to Georgian College, then to York University part-time while he was skating.

Both Wing & Lowe (Canada) have been attending university in Windsor, Ontario. Aaron is taking his Masters in something similar to Kinesiology, Megan is going to be doing her Masters in Child Psychology (I think? Someone correct me if the subject is wrong)

Lots of the Canadian skaters who are reasonably successful but not at the Worlds level are attending highschool and university fulltime and skating "around" their studies.

[fadedstardust]

I would advise any skater to go to college and graduate, with skating taking on the part time role, if any role at all.

But what exactly would quitting skating in order to achieve a degree of some sort give a person who wants to be a skater? Skating days are limited. I don't see what's wrong with people going part time, or not at all, while living their athletic career, and then going to school when they retire, if they can afford to do it that way. Most skaters who go to college are studying for degrees in a field they don't even plan to have a profession in. I really don't see what good that does. Most just end up going back to the rink as pros, choreographers, or coaches. And if that's all they want to do, I don't see why they would need to get a degree in the first place. Four years of college equals the downpayment of a house, these days.

[caser]

FADEDSTARDUST, there are many reasons for attending university and getting a degree. It's not just a conduit to a particular job. If it were, why would anyone take Arts? Studying at university opens up whole new ways of thinking. It means becoming educated, not just in the formal sense, but understanding more about the world itself. It helps to develop critical thinking. It gives you self-development habits that you might otherwise not tap into. You can carry on a conversation that isn't limited to your own little world. You can help your own children understand that a broad base of learning is important. Please don't think that just because someone is going to spend their career time around a skating rink that they don't "need" to be educated in other areas. An education is never wasted.

[snoopysnake]

Let's not forget Dr. Debi Thomas, M.D.!

[Tapper]

Skating days are limited. I don't see what's wrong with people going part time, or not at all, while living their athletic career, and then going to school when they retire, if they can afford to do it that way.

I agree. There's nothing wrong with it. Obviously, your point about limited time is correct. If an individual wants to skate then they need to do it while they are young. The same is true of many professions where the body is the essential instrument of the career. In some careers you simply have to do it while you are young.

I also agree with Caser, that an education is more than just a practicality. It broadens your mind and takes you out of your limited world view. A good education can only lead to a richer life (not necessarily monetarily).

Everyone has their priorities, and that's what they have to pursue. I remember people whining because Sarah Hughes gave up skating to go to Yale. Well, duh... it's her choice. No one can argue with her decisions. And the same holds true for those who decide not to go to college. College isn't the answer for everyone. I'd also like to add that these elite skaters have been all over the world and have associated with people from all over the world... gone to museums all over the world... which provides them with a wealth of education some of us can only dream of... and read about. Not every college student gets to go to Moscow, Nagano, Turino, etc. Get my drift?

[Isk8NYC]

I didn't know Debi Thomas became a doctor! How impressive!


I can see the point about seizing the day and letting college take a part-time role because skating time is fleeting. However, I don't think I would have finished my bachelor's degree if I had tried to do it part-time. Studying for a master's degree part-time while working was so tiring and difficult -- no skating time allowed. I was truly glad that I had done my undergraduate degree full-time. Skating and part-time work on the side worked for me.

I have a friend who spent a few years "finding himself" before going to college full-time. He has said that he would go right on after high school if he had to do it over again. He was older than his college peers, which made it difficult to have really close friends in college. He had to worry about health insurance, because he had "aged out" of his parents' policy. When he graduated, he was three years behind his same-age peers in experience and salary. It's tough going to school later.

I also know a wonderful woman who is a skating pro. She was a Senior USFS and a Freestyle 9 ISI skater. She is the director of two skating programs, has done program management consulting, and manages a LTS program. She's also very young. At a conference last year, I asked her how she learned about the business side - breakeven analysis, ice utilization, etc. That's when I found out about her Sports Management degree. All of her studies and papers were relevant to skating, so she really made college valuable to her skating career.

Whatever you decide about college, make the best choice for yourself.

[WeBeEducated]

FADEDSTARDUST, there are many reasons for attending university and getting a degree. It's not just a conduit to a particular job. If it were, why would anyone take Arts? Studying at university opens up whole new ways of thinking. It means becoming educated, not just in the formal sense, but understanding more about the world itself. It helps to develop critical thinking. It gives you self-development habits that you might otherwise not tap into. You can carry on a conversation that isn't limited to your own little world. You can help your own children understand that a broad base of learning is important. Please don't think that just because someone is going to spend their career time around a skating rink that they don't "need" to be educated in other areas. An education is never wasted.

Excellent points Caser!
Plenty of Olympic bound athletes attend full time college while training.
I have never understood why many skaters feel it is too demanding to train and get an education, yet serious swimmers, runners, divers, etc., almost always are enrolled in full time college. My feeling is that skaters are often coerced into believing that they don't have "time" for education by coaches who are seeking scheduling convenience.
Anyway, I sure was surprised to see this thread revived! I think it was started more than a year ago!
As for Ryan Bradley, is he training again?

[Artemis]

Gary Beacom has a couple of post-grad degrees, one in physics, one in philosophy. Kinda explains his skating, doesn't it. ;)

[Tennisany1]

I agree that it is important to look at education as more than just job training. When I graduated from highschool the rule was "complete first year then you can take time off." That was what I did and I think it was much easier to go back to second year rather than start at the beginning. There are also two very practical reasons for getting an education. First, the ice is slippery and hard and a bad fall could take you off skates for life. Second, if you decide to take time off to spend with you kids it is way easier to get back into any kind of work with a piece of paper behind you. Most important, it is an individual decision and everyone is different so once you've put in your two bits you need to let people run their own lives.

[MannyisHOT]

Joannie Rochette goes to University.... I don't know where though... Probably somewhere in Quebec.

[roza]

Joannie Rochette goes to University.... I don't know where though... Probably somewhere in Quebec.

No, Joannie goes to Cégep, which whilst refered to as "college" is not actually university; it's a 2 year program between grade 11 and University. However Joannie definitely plans on going to university in the future to study something in the medical field, possibly pharmacology but currently she's studying natural sciences at collége André-Grasset.

[Gary Cochran]

Melissa Ralph, 2002 Silver Medalist in Junior Dance, decided to "hang up her skates", and attend Pepperdine University in California. She's completing her Sophomore year in Florence, Italy, as part of the Pepperdine University program for study abroad. She's been on supervised trips with classmates to London, Paris, Greece, Switzerland, Rome, Ireland, and Austria all on weekends while studying and taking classes during the week!

Melissa is coming home this fall! She's been accepted at the University of Michigan. Her fields of interest are Foreign Affairs and Political Studies (think Condelezza Rice speaking Italian!).

High level skating is a full-time job although most skaters or their parents pay for their right to work. But attending a major university is also a full-time job. Very, very few people have the ability to do both; one or the other will suffer. I applaud Melissa for making a difficult life choice, in favor of education!

-Gary