Hey everyone! I'm new here. I had some questions about how far I can go with skating. I know, sigh, another want to be Olympics skater. Hahha, but no. I'm a little bit more realistic than that, I think.
So background on myself.
I started skating around 8 or 9, I believe. We used to skate on and off, twice a week, with group lessons until I was i think 14 or 15? I got up to learning my flip jump. My rink calls it FS4? The level before learning axel. I used to do twice a week and then when I started 8 grade and made more friends it became around once a week for my lessons because i just wanted to hang out with friends instead.
And then in high school, I had to deal with bullies and became really depressed (don't worry this story has a happy ending i promise haha) so my weekly group lessons got replaced with weekly therapist visits and completely stopped skating for good; I believe this was 15 or 16. After I graduated I started going to work and hanging with friends but skating was always in the back of my head, I always wanted to get back into skating but I could never find the time.
But here I am at 20 and in the process of getting back into skating. I went skating for fun about 3 to 4 times last year and the year before that too. I can still do the basics but I lost all my jumps and spins up until a scratch and a salchow :sad21:; and while it makes me sad to know I've lost that much I'm also pretty optimistic about what I can learn.
I live in between 4 rinks so accessibility isn't a problem. I want to do lessons at least once or twice a week if i do group lessons and private lessons. with one or two extra days a week for practice. So about I would be on the ice 3-4 times a week, a few hours each.
I feel like on forums and articles for skating it's either being recreational or trying to go for Olympics, when considering there is only like 40 or slightly more mainstream figure skaters, that there has to be some gray matter inbetween right?
Being completely honest (feel free to tell me I'm out my skate-loving mind), what could be the farthest I can go with skating?
Obviously I would never make it to the Olympics, nor do I think I want to, regardless of how much I love skating.
I want to eventually compete, but I don't know if nationals could be in the cards for me. Anyone have any insight or advice on how far can I go with skating if I don't want to train as if I'm trying to get to Olympics?
Thanks for any response I get!
So background on myself.
I started skating around 8 or 9, I believe. We used to skate on and off, twice a week, with group lessons until I was i think 14 or 15? I got up to learning my flip jump. My rink calls it FS4? The level before learning axel. I used to do twice a week and then when I started 8 grade and made more friends it became around once a week for my lessons because i just wanted to hang out with friends instead.
And then in high school, I had to deal with bullies and became really depressed (don't worry this story has a happy ending i promise haha) so my weekly group lessons got replaced with weekly therapist visits and completely stopped skating for good; I believe this was 15 or 16. After I graduated I started going to work and hanging with friends but skating was always in the back of my head, I always wanted to get back into skating but I could never find the time.
But here I am at 20 and in the process of getting back into skating. I went skating for fun about 3 to 4 times last year and the year before that too. I can still do the basics but I lost all my jumps and spins up until a scratch and a salchow :sad21:; and while it makes me sad to know I've lost that much I'm also pretty optimistic about what I can learn.
I live in between 4 rinks so accessibility isn't a problem. I want to do lessons at least once or twice a week if i do group lessons and private lessons. with one or two extra days a week for practice. So about I would be on the ice 3-4 times a week, a few hours each.
I feel like on forums and articles for skating it's either being recreational or trying to go for Olympics, when considering there is only like 40 or slightly more mainstream figure skaters, that there has to be some gray matter inbetween right?
Being completely honest (feel free to tell me I'm out my skate-loving mind), what could be the farthest I can go with skating?
Obviously I would never make it to the Olympics, nor do I think I want to, regardless of how much I love skating.
I want to eventually compete, but I don't know if nationals could be in the cards for me. Anyone have any insight or advice on how far can I go with skating if I don't want to train as if I'm trying to get to Olympics?
Thanks for any response I get!