~~figure Skating Moms, Unite!~~

[disney[xo]sweetie]

http://www.usfigureskating.org/Programs.asp?id=47
type in your zip code, and you can find a club near you.

 

[mickeylove2]

Thanks for the link, there is actually an ice rink 14 miles away from my home! It's in Delaware, I know it's a longshot...but do any of you know anything about this place, it's called The Pond Ice Arena??? I may look into it. My girls are (almost) 7 & 5, this spring. They currently are both involved in ballet and tap, they twirl (they compete) my oldest plays piano and is in Girl Scouts, and unfortunately, I can't homeschool them, so they spend a lot of time away from home, but they have so much fun and want to try EVERYTHING! They both played t-ball, neither liked it, my oldest played soccer, didn't like it either, and in the fall they cheer for a youth league, not competitive. I want to let them do everything, even if they try it for a while and don't want to continue... anyway, if anyone knows anything, good or bad, about this place, The Pond, I'd like to hear it! Thanks

 

[weregoingtodw]

It's in Delaware, I know it's a longshot...but do any of you know anything about this place, it's called The Pond Ice Arena???

I don't know anything about it personally. I just checked out their website and it looks like they have a US Figure Skating Basic Skills LTS. The coaches' resumes are here, if that helps you --

http://www.thepondicearena.com/figure/coaches.html

Their rates look REALLY reasonable for private coaches --

$11.00 - $33.00 per 20 minute lesson

I'd say it's at least worth checking out. I would recommend that new skate moms really pay attention during LTS, see which coaches interact well with your child, which coach your child seems to naturally gravitate toward, ask other parents, etc. Finding a coach is easy. Changing coaches, well, not so easy.

 

[mickeylove2]

I was reading through the info on the website, but honestly, I have no idea was PSA, USFSA, LTS, or AFAA even mean. Also, what's the difference between freeskate, freestyle, or basic levels? I assume, basic is just that, like beginners?? Th price for basic classes don't seem too bad...$116 for 8 sessions. (I pay $135/month for twirling lessons for both girls and $18 each lesson for piano.)

 

[mickeylove2]

I don't know anything about it personally. I just checked out their website and it looks like they have a US Figure Skating Basic Skills LTS. The coaches' resumes are here, if that helps you --

http://www.thepondicearena.com/figure/coaches.html

Their rates look REALLY reasonable for private coaches --



I'd say it's at least worth checking out. I would recommend that new skate moms really pay attention during LTS, see which coaches interact well with your child, which coach your child seems to naturally gravitate toward, ask other parents, etc. Finding a coach is easy. Changing coaches, well, not so easy.

Personal experience?!?

 

[wtpntigger2]

My dd5 just started skating lessons a few weeks ago and loves it! I think this may be something she wants to do for a while. I'd like to get her moved out of the tots class into pre-alpha, though, because there are too many kids in her class that need a lot of attention so since she can skate fairly well (although not correctly) they leave her be. I just don't want her to keep skating incorrectly (she doesn't bend her knees - I don't know how she manages to skate, but she does and she's pretty fast).

I do have a question, do any of you know where I can find soft knee pads to fit a kindergartener? Over the weekend she was starting to "bend" her left leg, but she was picking it up too much and when she was bringing it down, she would end up hitting her toe pick, and down she went on her knees. They are so bruised up right now - poor kid.

I have also starting taking lessons again. I've only taken them as an adult, but I am loving it. I learned my first "jump" last week - a waltz jump, and I am just tickled about it

 

[Aneille]

Tigger2 - My 2 DD's (6 & 4) both play hockey.You can get hockey knee pads that cover the knee down the shin at a used sporting good store (play it again sports), or at a local rink with a pro-shop. If its a rink that has a lot of young kids skating they seem to carry the smallest size.

At 5 years old your DD shouldn't have a problem finding hockey pads that fit her. My 4 year old is tiny and has pads that right size for her knee/shin.

You could also go to Walmart or Target and get a pair of bicycle/rollerblade/skateboarding knee pads. They will work as well.

Both my little hockey players want to figure skate too but I couldn't deal with anymore time at an ice rink!

 

[lillielil]

ok, so this thread is for all parents of figure skaters, the moms of ice princesses, that can do so much on little blades it makes your head spin. we spend our precious hours at the cold rink, make it through the "last place" meltdowns, drive hours on end to competitions, spend the $$$ on a dress that she "neeeeeds" and we dont have a place to chat!!
so here it is!

some questions to get started
1whats your daughters age? dd6 twins, dd13
2.how long has she been skating? they all started at 3yo
3what level is she skating at? dd6's- pre-juvenile dd13-novice
4.what was the "best moment" in figure skating when dd6 landed her first axel and the other dd6 landed hers next practice!
5what was the "worst moment" in figure skating? when dd13 had a nasty fall on a layback spin and broke her arm.

lets have some fun!

Hehehe... this thread brings back the memories. I'm not the mom of a skater, but I'm the big sis of a former skater. I remember the long, dark hours driving my brother (yes, that's right) to practice in the early morning.

He left the sport when he was a teenager (started at about 4 yo), but he was really good as a kid. He was always being hounded to get into doubles since he was the only really competitive boy who practiced at that week. He finally couldn't take the teasing and joined the football team! He hated that and left after a week, but the damage was done and he never went back to skating.

 

[Aneille]

Tigger2 I just saw you said you wanted soft knee pads. Hockey knee pads are a hard outer plastic, similar to soccer shin guards but they cover the knee and more side coverage of the leg. They aren't cumbersome but they aren't soft.

I would go to Walmart and pick up a pair of small rollerblading knee pads.

 

[mickeylove2]

How about volleyball type knee pads?? The are soft, I think.

 

[disney[xo]sweetie]

I learned my first "jump" last week - a waltz jump, and I am just tickled about it

woohoo! good job!!!
waltz jump! wow! i could never even imagine doing that!

 

[scrappinmom]

Can I join in here?

I saw a link in disneyxosweetie's siggie on another post to this thread.....

I'm the mom of a skater too

oldest dd is 13
tests passed: juv fs, intermediate moves, silver dance (will testing this one next week actually so almost passed)

skates 4 days a week
highest jump: a double toe I think?

has skated on the Chicagoland Ice Theatre - theatre on ice team for 3 years

Started when she was 8 I think

She was competiting individually up until this year, now she's focused on passing senior tests before the end of hs. Plus the Theatre on Ice team won the gold medal at the 2007 International TOI Competition, and she said that winning, or placing in the little individual competitions doesn't even compare for her...

So hi there!

 

[disney[xo]sweetie]

hi! wow theater on ice sounds cool!!
and yes you can join!!
and congrats on the big competition for TOI! thats so cool!

 

[scrappinmom]

Yea TOI is really fun for them...it doesn't necessarily really improve their skating abilities....BUT it does allow them to participate on a team. In Europe I guess it's pretty big - it's called Ballet on Ice there. There are several US teams, the ones that have been at it forever are in Houston (the HITS - they're amazing), ACT 1 of Boston (again amazing), Philadelphia Skating Academy, Vermont CHildrens Theatre, there s big one in California too...can't remember them at the moment though . The nice thing about it is they really only travel once a year, where ever the International Competition is being held so far we've been to Boston, and Vermont. So it makes it an "affordable" - relative to skating costs which can never be said to be affordable - option.

Last year, they did STOMP on ice - it was pretty cool to watch.

It sounds like your girls are pretty involved as well! ALthough now that mine is 13, I literally pull up to the rink, hand her a check and say - "see ya in a few hours"...no more waiting and sitting at the rink! unless I want to

 

[disney[xo]sweetie]

It sounds like your girls are pretty involved as well! ALthough now that mine is 13, I literally pull up to the rink, hand her a check and say - "see ya in a few hours"...no more waiting and sitting at the rink! unless I want to

that would be so nice to just drop them off, but one of my 6 year olds, cannot and i mean cannot be at the rink without me. she flips out! i trid dropping her off and her sisters tried to calm her, but 5 minutes later i got a call from dd13 saying "mom, come back, mission failed." its so weird, she doesnt have seperation anxiety otherwise, at school shes fine, at a friends, etc. but i dont know, the thought of being on the ice without me watching just shakes her to the core!

 

[disney[xo]sweetie]

wow. here is one example of skating drama.
my daughter is in a number for the annual ice show that our rink holds for the public, kind of like an exhibition, and my dd13 is in a number with 4 girls, her, michela, destiny, and lauren. michela and destiny are very very sweet girls, but lauren seemed to have a bad reputation with the other skaters. my dd had heard this, but never really had the chance to get to know lauren. so, she thought this would be an oppurunity to see for herself if she was as bad as they say.
this was their 1st practice on the number, and they took the first 30 minutes to get to know eachother, and lauren seemed really nice. so, life is good, right? wrong. they had a move to do, which kind of resembles synchronized skating, at a point in the program they all hook together and do a
mohawk. side hop, 3 turn and then lift up their left leg in a combined spiral. my dd wasnt getting this move and said "oh my gosh im sorry!" and lauren went into this angry tone and said "well GET IT RIGHT!" my dd then got really nervous and self-concious. she tried it again, but then michela acidentally tripped over her toepick, and bumped into my dd causing her to fall, dd got right back up and micela said "oh, im sorry, are you alright?' dd laughed it off. but then lauren stepped up to michela and said "its all Kaylee's (dd) fault! god michela! not everything is your fault! shes the one whos screwing the whole thing up!" dd13 then said "oh, uh,sorry" held back tears, and kept working. michela however ran off the ice crying. a coach saw this had happened and pulled lauren over to the side. apparently this has happened many times before, and one more outburst and she was suspended from the club for a month. well, this was the one more outburst.
so, who knowswhats gonna happen.
i now have a crying dd13 and she has to go back to practice tomorrow with her. oh joy.
**all the names were changed

 

[scrappinmom]

oh no! Are you sure you're not living my life? That happened to my dd 3 yrs ago for our ice show! UGH, all I could tell her was that SHE knew what kind of skater she was,and SHE knew whether or not she could do the routine, and that one of her coaches(who also happens to be the show director) knows what she can/can't do...to just suck it up and smile and not let the moron ruin her moment.

I'm so sorry this is happening to your dd! 13is a rough age anyway, and the drama is unreal...sometimes when mine is sobbing, i try to remember that it's 85% drama, 10% hormones depending on what time of the month it is, and 5% real, and that for the most part she will not know ANY of these nasty people within the next 5 years of her life.

 

[wtpntigger2]

Scrappinmom,

I live just south of you (literally). Does your dd skate at the Ice House or the new Leafs Ice Centre?

 

[sandramaac]

Thanks for the link, there is actually an ice rink 14 miles away from my home! It's in Delaware, I know it's a longshot...but do any of you know anything about this place, it's called The Pond Ice Arena??? I may look into it. My girls are (almost) 7 & 5, this spring. They currently are both involved in ballet and tap, they twirl (they compete) my oldest plays piano and is in Girl Scouts, and unfortunately, I can't homeschool them, so they spend a lot of time away from home, but they have so much fun and want to try EVERYTHING! They both played t-ball, neither liked it, my oldest played soccer, didn't like it either, and in the fall they cheer for a youth league, not competitive. I want to let them do everything, even if they try it for a while and don't want to continue... anyway, if anyone knows anything, good or bad, about this place, The Pond, I'd like to hear it! Thanks

Hi there

Where do you live? My dd trains at the University of Delaware (UDel)just a few miles from The Pond. However, at this time there is no figure skating at The Pond. After Johnny Weir left his training there, the rink is going through some issues. Most of the skating staff has now moved to the Skate Club of Wilmington, the Ice Works in Aston, Pa, or are just coaching at Udel. All of these rinks should have Learn to Skate Programs.

 

[mickeylove2]

Hi there

Where do you live? My dd trains at the University of Delaware (UDel)just a few miles from The Pond. However, at this time there is no figure skating at The Pond. After Johnny Weir left his training there, the rink is going through some issues. Most of the skating staff has now moved to the Skate Club of Wilmington, the Ice Works in Aston, Pa, or are just coaching at Udel. All of these rinks should have Learn to Skate Programs.

I actually live in MD, but literally about 10 minutes from Newark, DE. Do you live in DE? Thanks for the heads up about The Pond, I was going to look into that but, since you mentioned the school, I might have to check into that. Can you tell me more about their skating prgram?? I would be fairly close to therel, maybe 20 minutes or so. I'd appreciate any info you have! Thanks