Skating at 13 - What can I learn?

[alicebeatrin]

Hi! I'm 13 now and I'm going to get serious about figure skating. When I was 11, I dreamed of becoming an Olympic skater and I couldn't accept the fact that I would never make my dreams come true because it is simply too late for me. Now I know that I don't have to be a pro skater to get satisfaction from it. I just love this sport and it gives me honest and pure joy.



When I was younger, I took lessons with a coach for a few months, I have been skating since I was six, but it was never training, just a simple skating of a small child. However, it made me feel great on the ice, I have a good balance, I can do a few tricks, interweave back and forth and a fairly confident pirouette. I am not afraid of falls and I am ready for hard training. I train volleyball, so I have some strength, flexibility and explosive muscles. My vertical is fine too. I've been stretching a lot. Right now I can do about one and a half turns in the air. I used to do pole dance.



And here is my question - How much can I learn with a lot of commitment and love for skating? I emphasize that I know that I will not be an Olympic skater.



I have fairly good skates and save money for inline skates to exercise all year round several times a week outside the rink. I also plan to buy a spinner. There is an rink quite close to me, open for six months, where I would skate in a group with a coach 2-3 times a week for two hours every time.



What are realistic goals that I could achieve? Is there any chance that I will jump a triple someday?



Thanks for answers showing interest!

 

[mskater93]

Hi! I'm 13 now and I'm going to get serious about figure skating. When I was 11, I dreamed of becoming an Olympic skater and I couldn't accept the fact that I would never make my dreams come true because it is simply too late for me. Now I know that I don't have to be a pro skater to get satisfaction from it. I just love this sport and it gives me honest and pure joy.



When I was younger, I took lessons with a coach for a few months, I have been skating since I was six, but it was never training, just a simple skating of a small child. However, it made me feel great on the ice, I have a good balance, I can do a few tricks, interweave back and forth and a fairly confident pirouette. I am not afraid of falls and I am ready for hard training. I train volleyball, so I have some strength, flexibility and explosive muscles. My vertical is fine too. I've been stretching a lot. Right now I can do about one and a half turns in the air. I used to do pole dance.



And here is my question - How much can I learn with a lot of commitment and love for skating? I emphasize that I know that I will not be an Olympic skater.



I have fairly good skates and save money for inline skates to exercise all year round several times a week outside the rink. I also plan to buy a spinner. There is an rink quite close to me, open for six months, where I would skate in a group with a coach 2-3 times a week for two hours every time.



What are realistic goals that I could achieve? Is there any chance that I will jump a triple someday?



Thanks for answers showing interest!

MODERATORS: Can you move this to the correct area?

In all likelihood, you will not jump triples some day. Most skaters that start LTS don't learn triples no matter the age they start. There are some plateau points: Single Axels, double jumps that rotate over the jumping axis (2Lo, 2F, 2Lz), double Axels are all plateau points.

Assuming you don't quit before you get there, you can learn a nice set of singles, single axel, maybe a few doubles or all doubles through Lz.

 

[miina]

Hi! I'm 13 now and I'm going to get serious about figure skating. When I was 11, I dreamed of becoming an Olympic skater and I couldn't accept the fact that I would never make my dreams come true because it is simply too late for me. Now I know that I don't have to be a pro skater to get satisfaction from it. I just love this sport and it gives me honest and pure joy.



When I was younger, I took lessons with a coach for a few months, I have been skating since I was six, but it was never training, just a simple skating of a small child. However, it made me feel great on the ice, I have a good balance, I can do a few tricks, interweave back and forth and a fairly confident pirouette. I am not afraid of falls and I am ready for hard training. I train volleyball, so I have some strength, flexibility and explosive muscles. My vertical is fine too. I've been stretching a lot. Right now I can do about one and a half turns in the air. I used to do pole dance.



And here is my question - How much can I learn with a lot of commitment and love for skating? I emphasize that I know that I will not be an Olympic skater.



I have fairly good skates and save money for inline skates to exercise all year round several times a week outside the rink. I also plan to buy a spinner. There is an rink quite close to me, open for six months, where I would skate in a group with a coach 2-3 times a week for two hours every time.



What are realistic goals that I could achieve? Is there any chance that I will jump a triple someday?



Thanks for answers showing interest!

i won’t speculate on any progress but i would like to say this is a very good and mature mentality. work from your love for the sport and you’ll find happiness no matter what you achieve <3

 

[flanker]

Try to look at some youtube channels and vids where skaters with later start document their progress to get the very basic idea what can be achieved in a year, two or three.
E.g. here, here or here.

 

[silver.blades]

A triple or two might be possible. I know someone who didn't learn to skate until their early 20s and they landed a couple. (I mean that literally. They landed one or two triple attempts in their lives.) However, it is very unlikely to reach that level given where you are at.

You seem to have a good head on your shoulders and are being realistic about things which is a good start. I recommend finding a coach and starting lessons before you start setting your goals. That will give you an idea of where you are as a skater and help you figure out what realistic goals are for you as a skater. Without knowing you and seeing you skate, I can't give you specifics. I work with a skater who started at 3 and is now 10 and is still on level 2 CanSkate. For them, passing CanSkate is their triple. I also work with a skater who started skating at 22 and 3 years later, we're working on her doubles.

The answer to what is realistic for a skater is completely based on the individual. For some, landing their axel is a huge accomplishment for others, only being able to land an axel is underachieving. Talk to your coach and they can give you a realistic idea of what's achievable for you and your skillset.

 

[gliese]

It really depends on you individually. You're still very young. How much time you can put in, your baseline athletic ability. Your background in volleyball and pole will help you a lot (especially those jumping muscles).

If you end up being a natural rotator, a triple is possible. This is true whether someone starts at 13 or 3.

Get yourself a coach and go go go!! You'll probably accomplish a lot if you love it.

 

[Sunshine247]

I’m sure you know from the training you do, you get out what you put into it. There are so many ways to participate in skating. You might just fall in love with ice dance, synchro, theater on ice. Maybe you’ll find you love spinning, creating deep edges. it really is more than just the jumps. I know, sacrileg! lol. Try it out, get reasonable equipment, some coaching and see where it takes you.

 

[aceofblades]

I know this reply is quite late but wow this hit close to me. I'm a teen pole dancer who started figure skating at 7.
I gave up the sport for a few years because of school and other hobbies I wanted to pursue and started again once I was around 11.
Theres always the saying "Dream big or go home." Even single rotations let alone double require extreme amounts of hard work to master, even for those who started very young, however, it's not impossible to land a triple starting at your age. If you're willing to put in an incredible amount of hard work on and off ice, your chances are still pretty good. Good luck and remember to never give up on your goals! Nothing is impossible if you really put your mind to it.