Most US skaters are not earning much from endorsements but last time I checked they are making hundreds of thousands of dollars as "amateur skaters"
Hardly "most US skaters." Maybe a dozen US skaters (rough estimate) each year place well enough in international events that offer prize money to come out ahead financially after training expenses. The rest are losing money every year they compete.
I think when you use the word "most" you're only thinking about 20 or so US skaters that you see on TV each year and not
Most US skaters, including most who compete internationally, spend much more money on ice time, coaching, choreography, equipment, costumes, and travel (to Nationals and other domestic events) than they ever earn through envelope funding or prize money.
I won't argue with you here because I don't know how much US skaters get from the various team envelopes or how much they earn at GP', s Natls, club shows, B events or basically - almost everytime they take they ice.
Skaters earn nothing at Nationals. It's all expense -- a big expense for most participants -- no income.
For those who place well there, it's the gateway to opportunities they wouldn't have otherwise -- international competition assignments (some of which do have prize money), team envelope funding, and potentially invitations to perform in shows that will pay more than their travel expenses, or sponsorships/endorsements. But Nationals itself is not a money-making opportunity.
Even an international event where the travel expenses, hotel accommodations, etc., are paid for by the skater's federation and host federation can end up costing the skater money if they have to pay for their coach's time. Earning prize money might cover more than that week's expenses, but unless the skater medals at pretty much every international event entered,
Do you really think Ross Miner, for example, made a profit on his skating this past season? And he was much more successful than "most" US senior men.
It is easy enough to challenge what I wrote before by saying I was talking about the top skaters and not the less successful skaters.
No doubt skating is an expensive proposition for families in USA but it is also hard to deny the "pot of gold" that is there for the most successful skaters.
Most skaters will never reach that pot of gold, though. It's one incentive for skaters to aim for, and for the lucky few who do get there and are able to maintain that level of success for more than one season, it's a good incentive to continue competing. But for the majority of skaters, ever earning back the years' worth of training expenses is pie in the sky. It's not a safe investment. That's why so many pretty good senior skaters end up leaving competitive skating when they get to college age, except for the very very few who are already at or near the top.
) but in America it is not called "TEAM USA" just because it makes it sound more like a real sport. 
