DD's 2009 Skate Milwaukee Video

[lkl]

your daughter was great! congratulations, you must be so proud. i had a colleague who trained at the NY skating club years ago. i had no idea that you had to be "accepted" into the club. she and her parents had to be interviewed and financial stuff reviewed, yikes. she also said the same thing about some of the overbearing mothers. poor kids. Since the new scoring system came out i've lost interest in the sport somewhat. For years I followed Paul Wylie's skating, I don't think anyone will eclipse him in my mind...great music, style and positions every time. If he could've only kept his nerves under control.

i hope your daughter enjoys her new sport.

 

[janie1234]

BEAUTIFUL!!! So graceful and elegant! You did good mom!!

 

[WantFit]

WantFit - thank you for posting and allowing us to see your amazingly talented daughter!! While I cannot relate to figure skating training costs, I do have two DDs (7 & 4) who take ballet/tap and gymnastics. The costs of lessons, costumes and let us not forget the time - I work full-time so it is a shuffle of my lunch break from work and DH to get them to & from where they need to be. I also would get overwhelmed at their recitals with the stage moms who have full make-up kits, glitter and all that I just stand there dumbfounded - it can get crazy

Thank you for understanding. My own workout often being disrupted by her activities. It is very hard. I felt like I tried every thing but still just keeps my head above the water. I am full time mom too.

your daughter was great! congratulations, you must be so proud. i had a colleague who trained at the NY skating club years ago. i had no idea that you had to be "accepted" into the club. she and her parents had to be interviewed and financial stuff reviewed, yikes. she also said the same thing about some of the overbearing mothers. poor kids. Since the new scoring system came out i've lost interest in the sport somewhat. For years I followed Paul Wylie's skating, I don't think anyone will eclipse him in my mind...great music, style and positions every time. If he could've only kept his nerves under control.

i hope your daughter enjoys her new sport.

Thanks, lkl. Wow, I did not know NY skating club did that. At least our club does not like that. If they did, there will be even less people in the club. See this is one thing I don't understand this sport. Why they have to make it so exclusive? Skating is very tough sport. They trained so many hours but just that 4:30 for seniors to display all their skills and mind. If they can not hold on those few minutes, you just can not pass. And this is such an individual sport. The skaters are the ones standing on ice to accept judgement all by themselves.

Janie1234 and all ladies, thank you for your kind words and support. I will keep you post for my daughter develpment in her new sport.

 

[Miss Lee]

Your daughter is breathtaking on the ice! I'm so sorry for all the behind-the-scenes shenanigans. It's too bad, but it sounds like you made the right decision. It's far better to be a good person than a great skater.

 

[Liann]

Since the new scoring system came out i've lost interest in the sport somewhat. For years I followed Paul Wylie's skating, I don't think anyone will eclipse him in my mind...great music, style and positions every time. If he could've only kept his nerves under control.

i hope your daughter enjoys her new sport.

I HATE the new scoring system!!! I agree the old one could have used a little revamping but all the new one does is end up encouraging everyone to do the same elements over and over just to rack up the points. It's gotten to where everyone's routine looks almost exactly the same and the programs are just crammed with elements that don't necessarily flow well but rack up the points.

 

[lkl]

I HATE the new scoring system!!! I agree the old one could have used a little revamping but all the new one does is end up encouraging everyone to do the same elements over and over just to rack up the points. It's gotten to where everyone's routine looks almost exactly the same and the programs are just crammed with elements that don't necessarily flow well but rack up the points.

i think the new system was designed more to protect the judges. i like that scores are chosen randomly, but i still want to know the judge for the score randomly chosen. i also feel the new system allows a crooked judge to give the same point value to two skaters who complete the task, eventhough one performs it in a manner far superior. (i.e. doing a spiral with a catch leg for more points, but many struggle just to get the leg up and then hold an ackward position for the duration and the blade is wobbling all over the place. these skaters shouldn't receive the same points as someone who performs it with steadiness and good position, but they do).

Wantfit - NY Skating Club may have changed today but back about 30-35 years ago they were picky, possibly because there were no sponsorships back then and they needed to ensure the funds would be there. When she trained there most, if not all, of the families were of substantial means...doctors, business owners, high level executives. She said it was all very "proper". It was rough back then, but it's gone to a whole new level today.

 

[WantFit]

Liann and lkl,

In addition to what you both said, in my opinion the new scoring system just try to push these poor young girls body over the hill. Jumpping is still very important and in order to keep score higher, these girls not only have to do more difficult jumps but also have to arrange the jumps in the second half of program which will give them higher score. But in the second half of program, they are all tired. This meant that the sport purposely push the body use in a very harm way.

Also, ice is very hard surface. These girls young body and developing bones are constantly pounding on those hard surface. As middle age woman I am now, I know how much impact it does to your body. Maybe when they are young, they won't notice right away. But sooner or later, it is going to get them. One girl in my daughter's rink, she did non stop jumps for over 30 mins then not even take a rest, she went right way to her private lesson, which also required many jumps. She is only 10 year old. In her young age, she already have knees operation. But the mother already saw her daughter in 2014. The girl is a great skater. I just hope she won't break down her spirit or body part before she moves into junior level.

Sports for me should promote healthy life style and natural beauty. Also it should promote human spirit. But I am very disappointed with this sport. Because of intensity of training in such young age and without any team spirit, we saw many of talented young girls burnt out before they even in their peak time. Also, parents insanity also pushed young athletes into psychological problem. No matter how hard they train, if they could not get the result their parents expected, they are nobody. They felt like they would never please their parents. We saw a few of them turned into very destructive behaviors. What a waste!

For me, nothing can exchange for my daughter's happy, normal life.

 

[lkl]

It's sad the kids have no idea of the long term implications, but the parents do and disregard it anyway. I think your doing the right thing with your daughter, let her enjoy her childhood and have fun. I hope she gets into a nice gym, because I've read that gymnastics can be insane as well...and the body also gets a huge pounding.

 

[WantFit]

lkl,

Thanks for your head up. After being bitten by skating, I am very cautious. I don't want to jump from one wrack ship to the other one. I just keep moderate outlook for her. I would like her to keep fitness regime she learnt from skating or gymnastics going forward. Being champion never is our goal. I hope she would realize that. I can't wait to do Cathe's and other workout dvds with her. Actually, we did some of them together. We had so much fun for the Abs circuit - the one we have to work like a team.

Yes, you are right. Those parents refused to look it in the right way. I think that had to do the competition came with figure skating. When kids are in such young age and they go to competition, it is not like other sports, young kids can easily got top 3 when the competitions in their level group might be only 4 -6 kids. After a few times of good placements, these parents got their head blew up, thinking their kids are olympic material. Then parents push kick in. All those insanity followed up with such un realistic parents dream.