2017-18 State of U.S. Ladies Skating

[brightphoton]

Our new novice champ, Beverly Zhu, is almost 3 years older than our junior champ! Whoa!

(Actually, Alysa is also younger than every other novice lady! Wow! This is my first time paying this close of attention to the ladies below senior, so I'm not sure how typical this is!)

I remember reading a local article about her and it said she's being homeschooled (same school program as Vincent Zhou) because she missed too many school days at regular school due to skating competition.

But I'm also reading that she's too young for the junior grand prix. What? What did she miss so many school days for?
Alysa hasn't even graduated elementary school yet. I feel like skaters as young as her shouldn't be at the junior level.

 

[andromache]

I remember reading a local article about her and it said she's being homeschooled (same school program as Vincent Zhou) because she missed too many school days at regular school due to skating competition.

But I'm also reading that she's too young for the junior grand prix. What? What did she miss so many school days for?
Alysa hasn't even graduated elementary school yet. I feel like skaters as young as her shouldn't be at the junior level.

She's only at the junior level nationally, and clearly more than ready for it. She won by a lot, so at least Ting gave her a challenge in the LP!

It's pretty normal for athletes of a certain level of seriousness to be homeschooled. I do wonder what kinds of competitions skaters this young are able to compete in that she would be traveling so much.

 

[frida80]

I remember reading a local article about her and it said she's being homeschooled (same school program as Vincent Zhou) because she missed too many school days at regular school due to skating competition.

But I'm also reading that she's too young for the junior grand prix. What? What did she miss so many school days for?
Alysa hasn't even graduated elementary school yet. I feel like skaters as young as her shouldn't be at the junior level.

Going to regionals, sectionals and nationals means you have to travel and take a lot of days off from school. There’s also club competitions that start in April and end in September. Not mention seeing choreographers, specialist like jump and spin specialist, camps and what not. Even being a juvenile level skater requires you to travel a lot. It’s not for the faint of heart.

 

[Shayuki]

I remember reading a local article about her and it said she's being homeschooled (same school program as Vincent Zhou) because she missed too many school days at regular school due to skating competition.

But I'm also reading that she's too young for the junior grand prix. What? What did she miss so many school days for?
Alysa hasn't even graduated elementary school yet. I feel like skaters as young as her shouldn't be at the junior level.

There's time for school. It's far more important to pursue something like this when you have the chance. And is being home schooled even a problem?

There are competitions significantly earlier than the junior level, of course. If there were none, the skaters would be completely overwhelmed by the sudden competitions.

 

[Jammers]

If Ashley isn't in the top three, I don't think she will be on the team. This isn't 2014, where she was the previous years' two-time National Champion and bronze medalist at the recent GPF. She has had a lackluster season so far, lucking into a bronze at Skate Canada (with a lower score than Mirai had at NHK). She didn't do well at Worlds last year, either. I think Ashley a lock as long as she is at least third. Beyond that, the only way she should be on the team is if one of the top three is too young (and she is fourth).

If Ashley doesn't make the podium but the USFSA tries to put her on the team she should swallow her pride and refuse. That would make 3 straight Olympic Nationals that she didn't get the job done.

 

[brightphoton]

There's time for school. It's far more important to pursue something like this when you have the chance. And is being home schooled even a problem?

There are competitions significantly earlier than the junior level, of course. If there were none, the skaters would be completely overwhelmed by the sudden competitions.

I dunno, that doesn't sit right with me. She's a fifth grader. The default policy in the US is being a student-athlete, not athlete-and-you-can-finish-elementary-school-later. Don't most American skaters at least wait until high school before doing the courses by correspondence education?

If this is happening, our federation should try to set more competitions on weekends.

 

[Shayuki]

I dunno, that doesn't sit right with me. She's a fifth grader. The default policy in the US is being a student-athlete, not athlete-and-you-can-finish-elementary-school-later. Don't most American skaters at least wait until high school before doing the courses by correspondence education?

If this is happening, our federation should try to set more competitions on weekends.

Well, again, in my opinion it's far more important to dedicate yourself for something like this than finish school 1-2 years earlier(She even skipped a grade, right?). Whether you in the end work for 42 or 41 years really will not matter, you'll have plenty of time to. But something like this is an opportunity to generate memories and experiences that will stay with you for ever, if not more.

 

[TontoK]

If Ashley doesn't make the podium but the USFSA tries to put her on the team she should swallow her pride and refuse. That would make 3 straight Olympic Nationals that she didn't get the job done.

I thought we had reached a sort of board consensus that Ashley (and all others, barring an age ineligible medalist) would need to be Top 3 to make the team... with the obvious note that we don't pick the team.

Now, I'm picking up a hint of waffling on that, and I'm not sure why. Perhaps Brennan's article, whether misread or not, has sparked some resurrection.

A subplot to the Ashley/Marai controversy in 2014 was that silver medalist Polina Edmunds should have been booted to make room for Ashley. After all, she was young, and she had time.

But now it looks like Sochi may be the only Olympic moment Polina might have. None of us are promised tomorrow, and in retrospect, what a shame it would have been for Polina to have been left off the only Olympic team she is likely to make.

My hope remains that all skaters perform on judging-neutral ice, and that the Three top podium finishers are spectacular, and that their selection to the Olympic team is non-dramatic. No matter who those Top 3 may be.

 

[brightphoton]

Well, again, in my opinion it's far more important to dedicate yourself for something like this than finish school 1-2 years earlier(She even skipped a grade, right?). Whether you in the end work for 42 or 41 years really will not matter, you'll have plenty of time to. But something like this is an opportunity to generate memories and experiences that will stay with you for ever, if not more.

It's not the kind of life choices I would want junior American figure skaters to make.

 

[andromache]

I dunno, that doesn't sit right with me. She's a fifth grader. The default policy in the US is being a student-athlete, not athlete-and-you-can-finish-elementary-school-later. Don't most American skaters at least wait until high school before doing the courses by correspondence education?

If this is happening, our federation should try to set more competitions on weekends.

Plenty of 5th graders are homeschooled and don't even have the good excuse of being athletes.

And in all honesty, if we want lady skaters who will one day be able to hold their own against the Russian and Japanese ladies, it's important to take your athletic career seriously at a young age - the younger you are, the better outcome you're likely to have (as long as the child isn't being pressured or forced into the sport by parents). I am specifying ladies because the apex of men's careers come a few years later in life - and it might be why our men are doing great, while our ladies aren't.

In addition, she's in 8th grade (which is junior high or middle school, not elementary school) and one of the subjects she is studying is high school level Mandarin. A lot of figure skaters tend to be academic overachievers, and Alysa might be one, too. She's evidently not behind.

 

[Spirals for Miles]

I dunno, that doesn't sit right with me. She's a fifth grader. The default policy in the US is being a student-athlete, not athlete-and-you-can-finish-elementary-school-later. Don't most American skaters at least wait until high school before doing the courses by correspondence education?

If this is happening, our federation should try to set more competitions on weekends.

Have you ever heard of Dance Moms?
These girls were being homeschooled at age 7 for the sake of this TV show about a dance school run by an abusive, obese woman who is now in jail...
I'd be more concerned about that kind of thing than Alysa Liu, who is obviously a talented skater but also an academic star.

 

[Sam-Skwantch]

Well, again, in my opinion it's far more important to dedicate yourself for something like this than finish school 1-2 years earlier(She even skipped a grade, right?). Whether you in the end work for 42 or 41 years really will not matter, you'll have plenty of time to. But something like this is an opportunity to generate memories and experiences that will stay with you for ever, if not more.

A lot of skaters (all ages) in my area only go to school until 10 or 11am and do the rest via online/correspondence education. They are at the rink doing homework all the time. I also think most skaters tend to tire of the competitions by the time they are 17-19 and prefer to go to college even if they’ve made it to and even beyond sectionals. I don’t know...I think we’re hitting a point where skaters need to hit their peak before turning 18 or 19 and assess their chances. Let’s face it...without a serious resume and experience with success and considering the lack of scholarships for figure skating the athletes need to be tested early in order to find the best path. Not only for skating but in life.

So many kids are home schooled nowadays it’s rather convenient to do classes that way. The skaters in my area seem to enjoy and benefit from it.

 

[Sam-Skwantch]

Have you ever heard of Dance Moms?
These girls were being homeschooled at age 7 for the sake of this TV show about a dance school run by an abusive, obese woman who is now in jail....

What what???? :eeking:

Didn’t know that.

 

[concorde]

I dunno, that doesn't sit right with me. She's a fifth grader. The default policy in the US is being a student-athlete, not athlete-and-you-can-finish-elementary-school-later. Don't most American skaters at least wait until high school before doing the courses by correspondence education?

If this is happening, our federation should try to set more competitions on weekends.

Given her age and date of both, she should be a 7th grader, not a 5th grader. I can see bumping her 1 grade either way but not 2. If she really is a 12 year old in 5th grade, I would be concerned.

Whether a child is home / internet schooled is really a parent's decision. It would be easier to home school but traditional school and skating can work. Polina Edmunds went to traditional school.

 

[andromache]

So many kids are home schooled nowadays it’s rather convenient to do classes that way. The skaters in my area seem to enjoy and benefit from it.

I'll just add to this that not all home schooling experiences are created equal. Some online home school programs are flat-out bad - the priority is on making money off of school districts who just want to see kids passing without having to spend too much money on an online option, rather than on actually providing an education (http://www.slate.com/articles/news_...ourses_are_underregulated_in_many_states.html).

I'd also say that I'm not thrilled about home schooling kids for no real reason - like, if they're healthy and spending all their free time playing video games, no, they should be in school. But pursuing a sport? That's a GOOD reason to home school, especially if parents are attentive and involved in making sure the education is adequate and the kids are keeping up (and I'm pretty sure most figure skating parents are VERY actively involved in their kids' achievements).

Anyway, based on the Mercury News article, it sounds like Alysa's dad is doing everything he can to provide his daughter with a balanced life (not only academically, but socially) while still seriously pursuing skating.

 

[klutzy]

Interestingly, Polina Edmunds who, of course, stayed in school, recently retweeted this story:

https://www.mercurynews.com/2017/12/29/teen-skater-is-following-the-path-of-a-san-jose-olympian/

Edmunds clearly sees some value to having stayed in school. Even in the Bay Area, though, she's an exception--Karen Chen, Vincent Zhou and Alysa Liu are all home-schooled. Vincent did attend public schools as a kid and, honestly, knowing what I know about Palo Alto schools, I can see why he didn't continue in them--they're brutally competitive and pretty rigid.

 

[drivingmissdaisy]

If Ashley doesn't make the podium but the USFSA tries to put her on the team she should swallow her pride and refuse. That would make 3 straight Olympic Nationals that she didn't get the job done.

Maybe we should see how things turn out before instructing Ashley what she should or shouldn't do

 

[pearly]

Maybe we should see how things turn out before instructing Ashley what she should or shouldn't do

Based on how much she is discussed, I would say Ashley Wagner is number 1 US lady.

Now if only someone had an opinion on 2014 Nationals results and team selection and Ashley's choice to repeat programs because, remember, she said how her concussions make it difficult to learn new choreo...

 

[drivingmissdaisy]

Interestingly, Polina Edmunds who, of course, stayed in school, recently retweeted this story:

https://www.mercurynews.com/2017/12/29/teen-skater-is-following-the-path-of-a-san-jose-olympian/

Edmunds clearly sees some value to having stayed in school.

I think Polina recognizes that it's tough to make a decent living in the sport. It can be done, but there are far more lucrative opportunities in other fields (business, medicine, politics, etc.) where her experience training to be an Olympian will allow her to contribute a unique perspective.

 

[russianfan]

Our new novice champ, Beverly Zhu, is almost 3 years older than our junior champ! Whoa!

(Actually, Alysa is also younger than every other novice lady! Wow! This is my first time paying this close of attention to the ladies below senior, so I'm not sure how typical this is!)

I just checked the results and was very surprised to see such score from Alysa (184). That is a pretty strong score, like Eunsoo Lim got in this year's JGP for example. Is she really that good? And if so, is there any videos?