newby to the system need help | Golden Skate

newby to the system need help

kafehr

Spectator
Joined
Oct 9, 2012
Hey everyone hope your all doing good
Please forgive me for asking a stupid question, my daughter has reached the level in points where she would like to start competing for a position on "TEAM USA", I have been trying to get a understanding of what it takes to skate on this level. Some place I read you need to be seeded but which competitions do you have to go to to do that? If they are the grand prix competitions how do you get entered into them or is it just mail them a check and your in? I am in the U.S. so naturally I would prefer to do the quals in the states if possible to save some of the expense.
 
Joined
Jun 21, 2003
Is your daughter a member of a figure skating club? Does she have a coach or instructor?

That would be the place to start, by asking at your local rink.
 

Tonichelle

Idita-Rock-n-Roll
Record Breaker
Joined
Jun 27, 2003
As a non-skater I am not an expert in any way, however I think Mathman is correct in that you need to talk to your daughter's coach/club and find out the steps...

http://www.usfsa.org is another good resource as that gives all the info on the USFSA/"Team USA" and what it takes.

btw, welcome to the boards! Post often, post long!
 

kafehr

Spectator
Joined
Oct 9, 2012
good ideas

yes we are part of a club but they have no experience with skaters on that level unfortunately neither does her coach. They have been very generous and helped as much as they can but I am finding i need some answers that they just dont have. I have been reading that you need to go to certain competitions to qualify for other competitions but they never say how to get enrolled in the for example Skate America competition.
Thanks
 

Tonichelle

Idita-Rock-n-Roll
Record Breaker
Joined
Jun 27, 2003
yes we are part of a club but they have no experience with skaters on that level unfortunately neither does her coach. They have been very generous and helped as much as they can but I am finding i need some answers that they just dont have. I have been reading that you need to go to certain competitions to qualify for other competitions but they never say how to get enrolled in the for example Skate America competition.
Thanks

you have a long way to go before you need to worry about Skate America, that's the elite competition. you need to worry about regionals, sectionals and nationals first.
 

gkelly

Record Breaker
Joined
Jul 26, 2003
Here's an overview of the US qualifying structure:
http://www.usfigureskating.org/Events.asp?id=490

The regional competitions, for juvenile through senior level, are taking place this month (October). The entry deadline is September 1. So, assuming your daughter's test level by next August will be at least juvenile (under 14) or intermediate (under 18), or at least novice if over 18, she would be able to register for regionals next year. It would be a very good idea to work with a coach who is familiar with the US qualifying system and good at designing programs to fit the rules, and to enter some nonqualifying competitions at her level between now and then. If she hasn't passed the tests yet, that would be the first priority.

What tests has your daughter already passed? What is her general skill level -- what kind of moves is she working on? That will give a better idea of what her next step would be.
 

mskater93

Record Breaker
Joined
Oct 22, 2005
Your coach should really be able to help you with these things and if your coach doesn't know, he/she needs to become informed or you need to shop for a new coach. If your skater is ready for Regionals (next season since you have missed the deadline for this year and you'd know if you were going to Regionals), the coach can't go and put the skater on the ice unless they are CER-A and that has quite a few requirements from a test standpoint and backround check.
For the short of it, you have to qualify from Regionals (top 4) at your level to move on to Sectionals and then qualify from Sectionals (top 4) to move on to Nationals. There are age restrictions domestically for everything under Novice and there are age restrictions internationally at the Novice and Junior levels (can't be older than...) and Senior (can't be younger than...). At the Junior and Senior levels, you can get byes to Nationals by placing in the top 5 the previous year or by having an international within a certain amount of time or qualifyng for the JGP Final. JGP and GP events are based upon last season's results and whether you indicate you are continuing to compete. JGP events are granted by USFS. SA is granted by USFS as they choose from eligible lists of skaters for the international and seeded skaters and domestically based on who has what events elsewhere and so on...
 

carriecmu0503

On the Ice
Joined
Jun 16, 2008
yes we are part of a club but they have no experience with skaters on that level unfortunately neither does her coach. They have been very generous and helped as much as they can but I am finding i need some answers that they just dont have. I have been reading that you need to go to certain competitions to qualify for other competitions but they never say how to get enrolled in the for example Skate America competition.
Thanks

I am very curious as to what kind of a club you belong to that the coaches don't have a clue about the competition system in the US. It sounds like it isn't a US Figure Skating affiliated club, because any club, even a tiny one in a small town, would know about regionals and sectionals. Have you ever seen Skate America? That is an international competition for elite level skaters, who are invited based on past international results. It sounds like your perception of Skate America may be that it is a national event anyone can attend. Even skaters who compete on the junior level do triple jumps in combination. You might want to go see a competition to see the level of skating required to compete at that particular level. Depending on where you live, if Sectionals are close to you, you may want to go see the competition.

To get a realistic idea of your daughter's future potential in the sport, you really need to get to a coach who knows what s/he is talking about, asap. I don't meant to sound discouraging, but only a VERY TINY percentage of skaters EVER make it to competing for the US on an international level.
 

treesprite

Final Flight
Joined
Feb 16, 2010
It sounds like your daughter has a long way to go, regardless of her skating level, simply because she doesn't have a coach who knows what to do, meaning the coach probably doesn't have the necessary qualifications to ensure your daughter's advancement to her fullest potential.

My stupid question is, what does "the level in points" mean in terms of figure skating level?
 

loopy

Final Flight
Joined
Nov 13, 2012
What level skater is your daughter in US Figure Skating?

Step 1 - hire a coach who can prepare and put your child on the ice at a USFS test and competition
Step 2 - follow that coach's advice
Step 3 - practice, test, compete repeat
Step 4 - participate in a qualifying regional competition
Step 5 - qualify
Step 6 - participate in qualifying sectional comp
Step 7 - qualify
Finally - place well in nationals.

I will tell you though, step one is really to have a very nice income. Then you can move to a rink where you have qualified coaches to help you with all the steps. And you can afford lots of ice time, good coaches, costumes, choreographers, equipment, etc.
 

Ladskater

~ Figure Skating Is My Passion ~
Record Breaker
Joined
Jul 28, 2003
As many have stated here getting into the competitive world of figure skating takes lots of time, patience and MONEY. A good place to start would be right in your own FS club. Has your daughter competed in any club competitions? That is a good place to start. It does sound strange that her coach would not be able to advise her on this, but not all coaches have been involved in competitive skating. Here in Canada we have Skate Canada (formerly called the Canadian Figure Skating Association) to find out any information we need about figure skating. Perhaps you could get in touch with the US Figure Skating Association to ask your questions. Anyway, I hope this helps and all the best to your daughter.
 
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