Do they REALLY want to do this?

[IceSkatingGeek]

Now here is something I've been wondering about. Do skaters train like crazy for themselves, or is it the parents? I have heard stories about that before, where the kid isn't all that into it, but the parent insists on them making it big. Ouch. And it may not even be the parents either, sometimes its the coaches. I have seen many clips of coaches just yelling like mad, and watching the skaters just look miserable. [ like John Nicks at Sasha Cohen ]. Or, maybe skaters think they can be famous at skating, but the truth is, they just don't have natural talent to take them places after learning the basics. [ for example, all those junior skater stars that fall apart in seniors and just fade away ]. But, I do know there are plenty of skaters that adore the sport [ Michelle Kwan, Mao Asada ]. Perhaps figure skating isn't for just everybody......

 

[PolymerBob]

I have never heard of a skater that was forced into the sport. My guess is that most parents would rather not have to go through the expense that skating incurs.

 

[Mathman]

I read once (I think it was in Christine Brennan's book, The Edge of Glory) that Michelle Kwan's father once offered to pay her in cash the equivalent of what they were paying for skating lessons, etc., if she wanted to quit.

(Michelle said, nah.)

 

[attyfan]

I have never heard of a skater that was forced into the sport. My guess is that most parents would rather not have to go through the expense that skating incurs.

From what I hear, Ann Patrice McDonaugh (sp?), if not forced into it, came pretty close to it.

 

[jennylovskt]

Whoever being forced into this sport in the early childhood, they may either grow to love it, or fade away. They can never climb very high and be a champion if they don't love it. I know Alexei Yagudin and Brian Joubert were put into this sport by their mothers. I think without their parents' passion for this sport at first, not many children would choose this path, especially the boys.

 

[GoldMedalist]

I WISH my parents would have forced me to skate when I really young. Unfortunately, it was a passion I had to find for myself and it may have come too late in life for me to get to the level where I can be on the World team before my body decides to say "No more".

 

[CzarinaAnya]

Alexei Y. got started at 4. And the only reason his mom chose to get him into skating was because he needed to build up his poor immune system. He was sort of a sickly kid. She prob picked skating in particular prob, because the lessons were free.

 

[Tonichelle]

there are a slight few that might have been forced... Katia Gordeeva suggested in My Sergei that Sergei's idea of fun was not skating and he saw it more as a job not as a passion... but then I think he grew to love it... or he was one of the best actors out there...

for the most part, though, the ones that go far and are remembered were never forced into the sport.

 

[calica]

I have never listened that the mom of Brian was forcing him to skate. I know that I take it because his sisters already were skating and this way she them could take care to the three simultaneously.
In addition with 4 years and a kidney was a more healthy the artistic skating than the hockey

 

[Tinymavy15]

I WISH my parents would have forced me to skate when I really young. Unfortunately, it was a passion I had to find for myself and it may have come too late in life for me to get to the level where I can be on the World team before my body decides to say "No more".

well said. Agree here. I began later, and sometimes when i was younger i didn't really try hard and i feel that if my parents or my coach had pushed me more i would be much better by now. I think that even when you see the moms yelling and the coaches looking stern it's still the kid who wants to do it. Just becasue they like it and want to do it dosen't mean they are going to be all sunshine and flowery all the time. There will be tough times and headaches and frustation, but underneath it all there is a love of the sport that pushes them to try that element one more time until they get it.

 

[Joesitz (RIP)]

I can't give enough praise to competitive Adult Figure Skaters. To have to take all that punishment in training which is geared to the young and then come forth with a program and face the music, audience and judges is super remarkable.

Joe

 

[_Ladybug_]

I don't know about skaters but I've read awful stories about psycho gymnastics moms who pushed, bribed, threathned... even blackmailed and made the kids feel guilty. And some girls even made it big. Others just crumbled under pressure. I'm curious about skaters...

 

[passion]

I can't give enough praise to competitive Adult Figure Skaters. To have to take all that punishment in training which is geared to the young and then come forth with a program and face the music, audience and judges is super remarkable.

Joe

As an adult, you have to love it cuz there are no "parents" pushing you. Every adult I know loves to skate and are there because they want to be. It's a beautiful thing!

 

[calica]

I have never listened to things like those in the skating, but I believe that it will depend on the skater and the country that is.........
I believe that nobody would force a boy to slide because it is a considered sport “feminine”. To almost no father they like too much that the children skate, however if she is his daughter the one who skate, does not matter to him
Most of the parents they would prefer that their children were soccer players (they gain many more million)
In addition it will influence the origin country, perhaps in the U.S.A. or Russia it is worth the trouble because in these countries they gains money and they are very famous. But in the rest of the world the skater has to be very good.

 

[Jimmy Hoffa]

I think there are many cases where a skater or other high-level-anything started out loving what they did, and were pushed or pressured to the point that they not longer like what they are doing. It's one thing to love skating because you feel like you're flying through the air and another when that comes in last behind being expected to win medals, or win for your team/school/country, or beat your rival. Even MKwan, who by all accounts loves skating and competing, was once at a point where she felt she needed to "learn to love the sport again" because she was under so much pressure to always win and be perfect.

 

[Antilles]

I think I remember reading that Elena Berezhnaya felt forced into it as a child, more by the skating school tha her mother. She's made comments about having to be away from her mother as a child, and not being happy.

I think there are some overzealous parents out there, but I also think very few people who really dislike the sport would go very far.

 

[bekalc]

I don't know. I think that in the US or in a wealthy country, probably if you don't really love the sport, you won't go as far...But I think in the case of the Old Soviet Union, Russia where people have literally nothing and being a star athlete for the state can provide your family so many basic opportunities...(and lessons are free) there's plenty of motivation to do really well. IMO.

 

[Ptichka]

I think most successful children are "pushed" by parents in one way or another. A child may love skating, but I doubt they always want to spend hours practicing on the ice rather than, say, chatting with friends. In such situation, it is perfectly OK for coach/ parent to push the child to practice. It is only NOT ok when the whole thing becomes something the child doesn't want to do.

 

[Ladskater]

Barbara Ann Scott of Canada who went on to become a World and Olympic champion always claimed her parents insisted she skate. I am sure Barbara enjoyed figure skating or she would not have kept at it. She did later in life take up a different sport - equestrian riding.

There is a difference between skating for the joy of it and competing. Perhaps you are confussing the two. Most skaters love to figure skate, not all love to compete. Sometimes parents push their kids to compete. Usually the skaters who really do not love competing don't stay at it that long. It does not mean they give up figure skating though. They either join an ice show or teach.

So in answer to your question: Do They REALLY want to do this? I would say the majority do - or they would not be there.