How I came to be at home on the ice…

Before I begin commenting on various aspects of my skating life, you may be curious as to how I came to be involved in the sport in addition how I reached my current involvement. My first memory of being a fan of figure skating was during the pre-1994 Olympic saga of Nancy Kerrigan’s knee bashing arranged by fellow competitor Tonya Harding, with 13-year-old Michelle Kwan’s Olympic hopes caught in the middle. Even though I went ice skating for the first time the summer of 1993, it did not occur to me that this seemingly 20-something-adult-dominated sport was something young children could learn and master.

The scandal’s brought unprecedented media attention to the sport that winter, and reports made it clear the annual training expenses in the tens-of-thousands-of-dollars for elite competitive figure skaters. Coaches who charged over $100-an-hour; two pairs of custom skates annually which cost over $1,000 each; designer skating outfits in the hundreds or thousands; private tutors for home schooling; over $100 a week just to skate on ice reserved for competitive skaters; along with competition entry fees and travel expenses for competitions which resulted in no monetary awards with the exception of national or international medalists.

Growing up on a stay-at-home-mom and factory-working-father home struggling to recover from the Reagan/Bush recession prevented any thought of beginning a child in a sport reserved for the rich. As a seven year old, I remember not understanding just how “rich” we weren’t, and was frustrated because I took the ice like a fish to (non-frozen) water.  

Fast forward to the winter of 1996: my mother discovered group lessons for around $40 per 6-week-session offered through Indy Parks (Indianapolis’s parks department). After the first 30-minute class, I jumped into level 3. I rapidly progressed through all 12 pre-competitive levels in less than two years of lessons, including a summer off. I continued to train in downtown Indianapolis at Indiana / World Skating Academy (also known as Pan-Am Plaza). I also began competing, and for the first few years I almost every event I entered. If I didn’t win, I medaled.

But unfortunately, puberty is as unforgiving in figure skating as it is in gymnastics, and a combination of constant growth spurts, a final 5’7” frame, health problems, lack of money, having to keep a job at age 15, and multiple school commitments all combined to derail my mastering of the axel and most double-jumps for years. A skater cannot progress competitively without the mastery of the more difficult jumps, despite how strong their spins, footwork, presentation, and overall skating skills are. So, I sat for years in only the second (preliminary) of the 8 competitive levels because I could not master consistency on the moves necessary for levels 3-5 (pre-juvenile-intermediate).

Not only had I hit my first unthinkable training plateau, but I also lacked the time, money and energy to properly train for the sport. (It’s ironic that I even after not skating for six months I can land a jump that I struggled with for years to get consistent). In the last half of high school, we could no longer afford the sport and I no longer had the time and energy while fulfilling the role of the massive-overachiever student struggling to get every opportunity to earn every scholarship possible for college.

I continued to train just a mere couple of hours a week, while my moves-in-the-field coach helped me find ways to afford skating so that I could hopefully pass my Senior (Olympic level) test by the end of college. I’m close to passing the test: I took the test for the first time in August and failed by only a couple of tenths of a point with a major error. (I anticipated failing it by about -.5-.7.)  

COACHING: One of the ways I was able to earn additional money for skating, was by beginning to coach Learn-to-Skate beginning ice skating group lessons. I had already been identified as a good potential coach early on, and began assisting with the pre-school class and being an apprentice for the advance levels. I have been coaching Learn-to-Skate for over 3 years now, and I definitely enjoy it for all of its rewards and challenges. Currently I coach group lessons at two area ice rinks, I/WSA and Perry Park—and may begin at a third rink next month. I additionally coach private lessons to a few students—and last spring I had a dozen students entered in one competition alone (which was a little chaotic)!

RETURN TO COMPETITIVE SKATING… SORT OF: In the process of working full-time to earn enough money to study abroad, I was able to earn enough extra money to train a few extra hours for fun. I decided to compete for the first time in over 6 years, but this time as an adult. Since I had turned 21, I was eligible to enter the 2007 Adult National Figure Skating Championships which were held in nearby Chicago last April. I entered in the second of the four main adult levels, and placed 2^nd in my age 21-28 division. Nationals was a really inspiring event for me. Not only because I was able to watch each individual’s struggles and triumphs, but especially for seeing adults who have mastered most of the very jumps I struggled with as an older teenager.

My next (and only second adult) competition is less than three weeks away. I’ve entered the third level (Silver) at the 2008 Midwestern Adult Sectional Championships, to be held at Ann Arbor, MI, March 8-9. This event is just one step under the national championships, and will draw skaters from Colorado to Texas to Ohio, and all states in between. I cannot attend the National Championships this year, since my study abroad trip last fall prevented me from taking my Silver-level freeskate test prior to the deadline.

TRIAL JUDGING: I’ve always wanted to become a figure skating judge since I first became involved in the sport. The majority of judges seem to be middle-aged or retired, and I’ve often felt that I could judge as well–if not better-than the judges I encountered. While I could have begun working towards my certification at age 16, I did not have the time or money until 2007. I’m actively attending many test sessions to meet my trial judging requirements, and hope to attain my bronze level appointment by the end of this summer. Since judges’ commitments generally take place on the weekends, this is the one way I plan to remain active in the sport regardless of my career commitments, and physical or financial shape.

~ by rochelleonice on February 19, 2008.