How often do you take lessons ?

Annelegato · Jul 22, 2017

In a week? If you can afford it? Please share how many lessons do you take in how many lessons do you take in a week a week, with specific days if possible. I'm taking Tuesdays and Thursdays for an hour because I don't skate on weekends ( we only have public session) . I missed one lesson last week because of wisdom teeth removal surgery. Do you think I can fit in Mon wed fri for next week? Or should I put one on the weekend? (Since it's jumping lesson we won't take up that much space?)

Seren · Jul 22, 2017

I take 3 lessons a week- 2 in freestyle, one in moves (I see 3 different coaches- I take a moves and freestyle lesson from one, and a second Freeskate lesson from the other). I take lessons on 2 different days but skate 4 times a week.

I am an adult skater working on Gold MITF and Silver Freeskate (working on axel and double sal). I follow a budget to be able to afford skating. It is the thing that makes me the happiest so I make it work.

Annelegato · Jul 22, 2017

Seren said:
I take 3 lessons a week- 2 in freestyle, one in moves (I see 3 different coaches- I take a moves and freestyle lesson from one, and a second Freeskate lesson from the other). I take lessons on 2 different days but skate 4 times a week.

I am an adult skater working on Gold MITF and Silver Freeskate (working on axel and double sal). I follow a budget to be able to afford skating. It is the thing that makes me the happiest so I make it work.

What's the in-between time for your freestyle lessons?

cl2 · Jul 22, 2017

I have two 25-minute lessons, spaced out in the week, one lesson each with two coaches who work together as a team. I skate 4-5 times a week, about an hours each time. I, too, am on a budget, and would have loved to skate more and take more lessons if I had the resources. So instead, I have to become as efficient and independent at learning as possible.

25 minute lessons is plenty of time if it's used efficiently. It is enough to get the student to understand what to practice; the point of lessons isn't to be watching the student practice. My lessons are jam packed with information, the moment my coach senses I kinda get what I should be doing, we move on, with the understanding that I practice it outside of lesson. In fact, my lessons are so fast-paced that I have difficulty covering everything I need to practice during my practice sessions.

In my 7 years of skating, I have had a grand total of 6 coaches (not counting my current coaches, whom I started working with a few months back.) None of them were as efficient with lesson time, and I used to fall in the trap of wanting to always increase lesson times. Only now do I realize it's not only about the amount lesson time, but how efficiently the time is used, and how independent you are at practicing.

ETA: I should put this in context of my skating goals. I am an adult skater, with Gold MITF and moving up to Silver FS, and I try to do a couple of adult competitions each year.

CanadianSkaterGuy · Jul 22, 2017

During high season (Fall to Spring) I skate twice a week (Sundays and Thursdays usually), for 50-60 mins. Now, during summer, I only skate once a week (Wednesdays), for 50-60 mins. I don't do any coaching (can't afford it, nor is it really worth it, since I'm not training for any competition or test at the moment). I probably should get a coach, because my basics/spins could use more improvement, and I'm hoping to eventually get some of my triples back... but before getting a coach, I need to get my core/body fit enough for that. :laugh:

When I skated competitively during my teens I would skate twice a week for about 60-90 mins, with 15-minute coaching, and then do off-ice classes (1 hour pilates, 1 hour ballet per week). Prior to test days and competitions, I'd usually add a few guest skates on other sessions. It was a relatively meagre amount of ice time, especially compared to elite skaters, but I was grateful to skate as much as my folks could afford. Certainly as an adult, now paying for everything, I feel how expensive skating can be! Not to mention, with work and other extra-curriculars, it's hard to afford the time. If I could afford it, I'd love to skate 3-4 times a week, but money/life does get in the way, and I love skating a lot, but not enough to have it be the only thing I do and shell out $100+/week in ice-time and lessons.

As far as your own skating goes - it really depends on whether you can afford it financially and time-wise, and what your skating goals are. It sounds like you're pretty dedicated, so 3 times a week is sufficient to progress, I'd say. But if you're looking to improve specific aspects of your skating, like jumping (especially now that you're starting to learn axel/doubles), it might be good to have a day where a freestyle coach can guide you so you don't develop bad habits and learn new moves safely and confidently. If you miss a session (hope your mouth is feeling better!), it's not the end of the world, and you could make it up. I know that I go into a season anticipating to miss a couple sessions here and there (working overtime, away on vacation, sick/injured, etc.).

cl2 · Jul 22, 2017

CanadianSkaterGuy said:
During high season (Fall to Spring) I skate twice a week (Sundays and Thursdays usually), for 50-60 mins. Now, during summer, I only skate once a week (Wednesdays), for 50-60 mins. I don't do any coaching (can't afford it, nor is it really worth it, since I'm not training for any competition or test at the moment). I probably should get a coach, because my basics/spins could use more improvement, and I'm hoping to eventually get some of my triples back... but before getting a coach, I need to get my core/body fit enough for that.

When I skated competitively during my teens I would skate twice a week for about 60-90 mins, with 15-minute coaching, and then do off-ice classes (1 hour pilates, 1 hour ballet per week). Prior to test days and competitions, I'd usually add a few guest skates on other sessions. It was a relatively meagre amount of ice time, especially compared to elite skaters, but I was grateful to skate as much as my folks could afford. Certainly as an adult, now paying for everything, I feel how expensive skating can be! Not to mention, with work and other extra-curriculars, it's hard to afford the time. If I could afford it, I'd love to skate 3-4 times a week, but money/life does get in the way, and I love skating a lot, but not enough to have it be the only thing I do and shell out $100+/week in ice-time and lessons.

As far as your own skating goes - it really depends on whether you can afford it financially and time-wise, and what your skating goals are. It sounds like you're pretty dedicated, so 3 times a week is sufficient to progress, I'd say. But if you're looking to improve specific aspects of your skating, like jumping (especially now that you're starting to learn axel/doubles), it might be good to have a day where a freestyle coach can guide you so you don't develop bad habits and learn new moves safely and confidently. If you miss a session (hope your mouth is feeling better!), it's not the end of the world, and you could make it up. I know that I go into a season anticipating to miss a couple sessions here and there (working overtime, away on vacation, sick/injured, etc.).

Wow, CSG, you must have been super efficient to get your triples with only 2-3 hrs/wk!

I also second the importance of off-ice classes, strength training and other complementary activities like ballet or pilates. They serve to develop the strength and body awareness necessary for succeeding as a skater. Off-ice classes that are tailored to jumps are also a good way to develop some aspects of jumping technique that can be learnt equally well on a gym floor as on ice, without having to spend money on ice time. I try to do off-ice class once a week, but yeah, life does get in the way, sometimes.

Vanshilar · Jul 22, 2017

I'm going to be in the extreme minority here. Less than an hour a month. But I work mostly on MIF and I only skate about twice a week, as an adult.

Having said that, I also do take each lesson seriously, After each lesson, I typically spend about an hour and a half to two hours writing down everything my coach said, typically ending with a page (or sometimes more) of things to work on. That becomes my "to-do" list for the next month or two. Thus, each lesson is crammed with information and in between each lesson I improve by a lot.

Looking at my lesson record, I had 1 hour of lessons for my Adult Pre-Bronze MIF test (I already had exposure to them from group lessons). I had 2.5 hours of lessons for my Adult Bronze MIF test. Thus far I've had 4 hours of lessons for my Adult Silver MIF test; my coach says I'm already practicing it at a passing level. (Performing it in front of judges at a passing level is another matter entirely, of course, especially with my nemesis, LBI 3-turns. I freak out when trying it in front of people watching, although I do it just fine when I'm practicing on my own. I would rather do the Adult Gold test with its brackets than the Adult Silver test.)

This is admittedly quite extreme, but that's because as an adult I don't need a lot of constant repetition from the coach. It also takes a lot of practice for my body to "get" something as an adult.

It's also because I focus primarily on MIF and very little on jumps. If you want to work on jumps, you *need* to have a coach there frequently so that you don't build up bad habits, which are very hard to undo. Every skater has their own individual quirks for jumps which you need to have a coach watching to recognize and fix. But for me, doing MIF, a lot of it is just practicing and getting a better feel for each move.

ifshehadwings · Jul 22, 2017

I have one private lesson a week (Mon) and one group lesson (Wed), 30 min each. And I practice for a while afterwards. I also practice by myself at least one other day of the week, usually Friday. I'm with you, avoid weekends at all costs.

Honestly, unless you have a competition coming up soon, I don't see why you need to cram 3 lessons into a week. Why not just go out and do some independent practice?

CanadianSkaterGuy · Jul 22, 2017

cl2 said:
Wow, CSG, you must have been super efficient to get your triples with only 2-3 hrs/wk!

I also second the importance of off-ice classes, strength training and other complementary activities like ballet or pilates. They serve to develop the strength and body awareness necessary for succeeding as a skater. Off-ice classes that are tailored to jumps are also a good way to develop some aspects of jumping technique that can be learnt equally well on a gym floor as on ice, without having to spend money on ice time. I try to do off-ice class once a week, but yeah, life does get in the way, sometimes.

Hah, well I did push myself off-ice and I spent most of my sessions jumping. My ballet instructor, a former skater herself, in particular was great at developing my jumping ability. It kinda compromised my basics though since I just liked jumping, but that was less important back when I skated. I wish I had competed at the time of COP because I would be more well rounded and now I'm playing catchup.

Which is a good point in that now skating requires more well roundedness which means more ice time and coaching time to develop all areas.

Seren · Jul 22, 2017

Annelegato said:
What's the in-between time for your freestyle lessons?

I have my lessons on Tuesday and Thursday before work. I usually skate for 2 hours twice a week, and 1 hour twice a week. I am also a runner so that influences my skating time too.

gkelly · Jul 22, 2017

As young teenager I skated 10-15 hours per week usually with half an hour or an hour of lessons split between figures and freeskating.

In my 30s and 40s when I came bac, I skated 3-5 hours a week with usually on 20- or 30-minute lesson, sometimes two when I was doing both dance and freestyle.

Now I can't really do freestyle any more and probably won't be able to test any more moves, but I still want the exercise, so I usually skate 2 hours a week with two half-hour lessons, one with a dance coach and the other with my singles coach but just working on different combinations of steps and artistic programs. I should go to at least one more session just for practice, but it's been hard to find time and motivation lately.

maddieonice · Jul 22, 2017

I have 4 lessons a week, group lessons on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturday mornings for 30 minutes and a private on Saturday nights for an hour.
I skate about a total of 12-18 hours a week in the summer and when I have school I only skate about 7-9 hours a week and I don't skate on Sundays. I have a budget for my skating and am still able to have 4 lessons a week

Babbette1 · Jul 22, 2017

1 freestyle group lesson and one private lesson a week. I usually skate 6-7 hours a week--due to no rink in town.

karne · Jul 22, 2017

One 30-minute private lesson a week, on Mondays, with additional practice sessions on Wednesdays (if I can make it due to work) and Saturday mornings.

You say you are taking two one-hour lessons a week. That's nice, but where's your practice time? No point taking two lessons a week if you're not practicing outside that!

jf12 · Jul 22, 2017

I take a lot of lessons - each week I try to take two 1-hour freestyle lessons, one 30 minute moves lesson, one 1-hour shared moves lesson, and one 1-hour dance lesson. I practice about the same amount as this so I'm at about 1:1. I've advanced quickly but I know this is more lessons than I need. I take so many lessons mostly because it's fun and interactive, it's easier to wake up at 5am when there's someone else waiting for you, and it keeps me pushing hard. My primary goal is fitness, learning body control, and enjoyment.

Annelegato · Jul 22, 2017

ifshehadwings said:
I have one private lesson a week (Mon) and one group lesson (Wed), 30 min each. And I practice for a while afterwards. I also practice by myself at least one other day of the week, usually Friday. I'm with you, avoid weekends at all costs.

Honestly, unless you have a competition coming up soon, I don't see why you need to cram 3 lessons into a week. Why not just go out and do some independent practice?

It's for my jumps and I don't wanna mess it up so I only do off ice by myself

Annelegato · Jul 22, 2017

karne said:
One 30-minute private lesson a week, on Mondays, with additional practice sessions on Wednesdays (if I can make it due to work) and Saturday mornings.

You say you are taking two one-hour lessons a week. That's nice, but where's your practice time? No point taking two lessons a week if you're not practicing outside that!

I'm practicing whenever I'm not taking lessons haha so 2~3 hrs a day 5 days a week

treesprite · Jul 23, 2017

I can only afford about $100 a month for lessons, and have one of the most expensive coaches, so I let her decide whether I should do a half hour lesson every other week, or a 15 min lesson weekly... she picked the 15 min lessons. The lessons are short, but the time is not wasted at all. I am re-learning lost skills, and at this point have no plan to take any more tests. I am struggling with my current skates, and in a couple months my new customs will be needing to be broken in, so spending any more time and money with a coach right now wouldn't be very sensible. I work part-time at the rink so my ice time is free, but I also have a full-time job, so I have very limited free time to practice. I have in my schedule to practice for 2 hours every Mon, Tue, Wed, and Fri (lessons are on Wed), but for various reasons, I have only actually been practicing a few hours a week. I do rink guard skating Tue, Thur, and Fri, but am mostly just skating in circles during those times (if nothing else, it does keep me used to the feel of the ice under my feet, and I get paid for it so I can pay for the lessons).

davincisoprano · Jul 23, 2017

I have two 30-minute lessons a week: One with my dance coach, and one with my primary coach (MITF, Spins, etc). Right now because it's summer, the days change around due to scheduling, but when kids are in school and sessions in the morning aren't crazy, I take Fridays at 11:15am with primary coach, and Thursdays at 10:30am with dance coach.

renla · Jul 23, 2017

Wow, I'm not sure if I would like having more than one lesson a week. I like to have time to practice by myself so I can feel like I'm not just rehashing things with my coach. My lessons are on Friday, so I aim to have two practice sessions during the week, with at least an hour of practice after my lesson. It's hard because 4 out of 5 days during the week, public ice closes at 5pm. I'm just starting an 8 to 4 job, so until I get to FS4 to gain access to their morning practice times, I'll probably have to practice on the weekends now. I wish the rink would stay open even just one hour later.

How often do you take lessons ?

Annelegato

Seren

Wakabond Forever

Annelegato

cl2

CanadianSkaterGuy

cl2

Vanshilar

ifshehadwings

CanadianSkaterGuy

Seren

Wakabond Forever

gkelly

maddieonice

Babbette1

karne

in Emergency Backup Mode

jf12

Annelegato

Annelegato

treesprite

davincisoprano

renla

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