Need information on learning skating in Russian | Golden Skate

Need information on learning skating in Russian

Sugar

Spectator
Joined
Dec 17, 2013
Thanks for getting sending me some information about seven years old girl learning skating in Russian. My daughter has learned five one jump. And she is practicing one Axel now. But I want her to improve her step and basic gliding very much. I found step in Russian is top of the world. So I am thinking about finding a right coach and place to train for one year.

I will be very thankful for anyone's helping me with improving my daughter's skating!

Sugar's mum in China
 

karne

in Emergency Backup Mode
Record Breaker
Joined
Jan 1, 2013
Country
Australia
Moving to a completely foreign country for a year when your daughter is only on singles is a massively huge step that really, I don't think is necessary. Not to mention, such action would inevitably be extremely expensive, and it's a very risky investment when you don't know if your daughter will even want to continue.

There are some very fine coaches in China who have produced very fine skaters with good edge and flow quality. Look at Han Yan. He is very clean, very crisp, with lovely soft knees.

Frankly, you are talking about the sort of step that a skater in their young teens who displayed a mighty amount of talent might take, not a seven year old.
 

Sugar

Spectator
Joined
Dec 17, 2013
Thanks Karne very much! I have read your words seriously. Your point on skating abroad is not simple was accepted by me. And what you said at last was impressed on my mind, I am thinking about it. Actually my daughter has a young coach now,but in China coaches of figure skating are like kind of less resource. So my daughter's coach trains more than ten kids at the same time. At least he won't have enough time to focus on each child in one hour training every day. And the most trouble thing is the Coaches here fixed one oppinion in their mind, that is they will not allow their students to practice out of his control,that means we don' have the right to choose another coach for one to one class. And we even don't have the right to choose other teacher for other class such as off ice training. It gives me no hope and driving force. To be true as a parent I feel frustrated now. But I can't find the way out.

However, my daughter and I don't want to quit. Cause sometimes I myself can't imagine how I love figure skating. And I also believe children are likely to be influenced by the one who is around them.
 

concorde

Medalist
Joined
Jul 29, 2013
What your concerns are also are true in the US. Many good coaches have a waiting list so it can take awhile for you to get a permanent spot - let alone multiple spots in any week. Even when you do, the good coaches are in high demand so usually have about 15-20 kids that they are also coaching. From what I hear, even elite skaters share their coaches with other elite skaters.

Also, a good coach will be particular with who they want your child to work with because they want to oversee the "total program." My head coach tells me who/when I need to add my daughter "collection" of coaches (both on and off ice). I think the concerns from the head coaches point of view are 1) they have a particular way of teaching and they want the second (or third) coach to compliment that style and 2) they want to be able to work with that person. Although I never seen it, I do know from conversations that my coaches coordinate with each other so each has a particular focus (i.e., edging, jumps, strength, stretch). Oh yes - and these are my Russian born coaches who now live in the US.

My question is who really loves to ice skate? you or your daughter. In my case it is my daughter. While she is only 8, she goes to bed at 7:30 each night, sets her alarm for 4:15 each morning, and then wakes us up so that we can drive her to the rink - she skates from 5:15 until 6:30. She then skates after school for another 1.5 hours each day. It is not uncommon for her to complain that she does not get enough ice time. For a skater to be really good, the passion has to come from within.

I also think you may be unrealistic on the quality skating that you can expect from a 7 year old. Flow and edge control come with time and ALOT of practice. Some rare 7 year olds have it but very very few.
 

concorde

Medalist
Joined
Jul 29, 2013
I have found that most ice skating parents will not share what they have learned in fear that another child will get better their own. I disagree - a talented child with a passion for skating will rise to the top regardless. Here is what I have learned along the way:
- you want a coach that focuses in good technique. Bad habits are very hard to break.
- In addition to your freestyle coach, she needs an ice dancing coach. That person will help on the glide and edges.
- she need lots of TIME on the ice. When my daughter was little it was tough because she did not know what to practice. We could not write it down because she could not read. We finally figured out that drawing pictures with the number of time each worked. To be good at anything, you need lots of practice - some say 1 30-minute lesson needs at least 1 hour of practice.
- Boots. We tended to "underboot" her because she did not have the weight to break in a pair of boots - meaning when she landed, good boots would not let her bend her knees so it hurt her back. She stared to learn her axel with plastic boots with rubber soles with a beginner blade. Still she is underbooted because she does not have a lot of weight.
- Blades. We tend to put her in really good blades because the coach wants a certain size rocker.
- a good off-ice coach is required because they will help prevent injuries
- little kids progress at a slow place. If a child starts when they are older, they are bigger/stronger, more coordinated, and their brain is more developed so they can progress much faster. You should never compare a 7 year old progression rate to that of a 12 year old
- early competitions mean nothing (when kids are under about 9). They are only giving you practices for competitions for later competitions.
- ice skating is a subjection sport and it all depends on what the judges see on that particular day. Sometime they like what your child does and sometimes they do not. You just have to hope for the best and love your child regardless of how they do.
- the sport is horribly expensive and time consuming to the entire family. You must understand from the beginning that your child will probably not reach the upper elite level. We have decided to let my daughter persue her dream because I don't want to take away the dream from her. Realistically, she will not reach it but I want her to know that she tried.
 

mskater93

Record Breaker
Joined
Oct 22, 2005
You don't necessarily need an ice dance coach if you have a good technical coach for stroking/power/moves/choreography. That coach could be someone who is a former gold medalist in figures (both of my coaches fall in this category, and one is in his early 40s) and understands strong FREESTYLE stroking mechanics and edge/turn quality.
 

backspin

On the Ice
Joined
Dec 30, 2003
Keep in mind that if you move for one year to train to another country, your daughter will spend the first several months trying to learn the language to even be able to understand what the coaches are saying!

I agree with the others, seven is too young to know what kind of talent/drive the skater has yet. Unless you have money to burn, it's an immense gamble--not to mention, at that age/level, what she learns in that year would be forgotten in another few years back home at home. Wait until she is older--or go permanantly.
 

Brandenburg

Rinkside
Joined
Jul 26, 2003
If I were you I would get in touch with Chen Lu and her husband Denis Petrov in Shenzhen - they were both brilliant skaters/competitors and Denis is a product of the Russian system and the traditional Russian approach to technique. Here is a recent article on them http://szdaily.sznews.com/html/2013-07/12/content_2548825.htm I would think that they could be very helpful in evaluating what would be best for your daughter and a great connection to the finest resources anywhere in the world. I would definitely start with them.
 
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