Figure Skating Practice: Coach Explains Etiquette & Which Session May Be Best for You! (2022)

[@MarK-ro3vl]

I’m getting back into figure skating. Once my skates come in, I am going to sign up for some freestyle sessions. I’m nervous though. I had some bad experiences when I was younger with mean parents of other skaters. I’m an adult now and in a different city, but I’m nervous that since I am in a bigger, more competitive city that I will have to deal with people like that again. Also, I’m a lefty skater too ✋

Hopefully the new location will have nicer people! Remember, you pay just as much to be there as everyone else. I find that some skaters need to take a lessons on freestyle sessions to ease into it. Also, when others see a new person with a familiar coach there tends to be more respect. Does that make sense?

[@MarK-ro3vl]

@ Yeah totally! I do want to find a coach to take lessons with once a week. It gives you more confidence and you learn so much faster. I appreciate the advice!

You're welcome!

[@Cherry-ts2cu]

Thank you so much! I was nervous about stating freestyle sessions but I'm not anymore 😁

You're so welcome! You got this!

[@hapagurl8]

I went to polar skate shop last year based on your recommendation. He was patient and helpful. I was able to find the perfect fit with the Jackson Elle skates

I am so happy to hear that! Greg is great to work with!

[@Anna-py3qp]

I’ve been binge watching her videos 😂 they are so good

I'm so glad that you like them! Thank you! 😊

[@Eponine_Sandon]

Do you have any advice for conquering fear after a serious ice injury? I skates outside as a kid, I basically watched ice Princess and said “I can do that” and skates outside for years, I stopped at age 15 and got back on the ice for the first time in years last year (at age 22) I broke my arm and now at 23 I got new skates but I can’t get over my fear of falling. I’ll be taking an adult learn to skate in august to familiarize myself but I can’t get over the fear.

It just takes time! I completely shattered my ankle and couldn't walk for 4 months in 2016. For the first two years, I was shell shocked and afraid of everything. But, now, I'm not afraid at all! I fall sometimes and get right back up! I suggest that you work with a coach one on one in private lessons - try to find someone that works with Adults or others that have been injured.

[@callieeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee]

So I'm a figure skater, do you think it's okay if I do public sessions since most of them aren't crowded? If they are, I'm always making sure to practice away from everyone elss

Yes, as long as they’re not crowded.

[@callieeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee]

@ okay, thanks!

You’re welcome!

[@francobarbagallo8915]

The rink I go to in Gurnee IL Has a ton of public skate $9,75 a season No rules or supervision whatsoever Not very crowded You can do whatever you want

Some rinks are like that. Others are very strict about rules. Thanks for watching and commenting!

[@MobiusMinded]

I used to skate 6 hours a day, M-F, and 2 on Saturday (plus a n hour or two of dance/ballet)

6 hours a day?! That’s high even for an elite competitor!

[@MobiusMinded]

@ that’s what competitive skating was like in Southern California in the 1970’s, served me well. I won Southwest Pacific Regionals (silver year before,) Interclub, GoldenWest, Arctic Blades Invitational. I think i had to silvers (one to Brian Boitano) and two bronze in m6 career. The rest all gold. We did some off ice training..usually dance/ballet. I do wish I had off ice training for jump rotation like I have seen here on KZbin. I didn’t want to teach or be in an ice show, and was justba bit less than Olympic material… but I wasn’t bad.

[@yournyli9710]

can you make a video about figure skating on a budget. Specifically things like private coaching and more ice time on a budget? Love your videos!!

That's a really challenging topic because so much depends on the resources that you have where you are. I'll have to think about how best I may be able to approach it.

[@charlesliu8299]

Pros for rural states lol: in New Hampshire, our average public sessions cost $6 and freestyle sessions cost $12-15 for 90mins

That's great! Thanks for sharing!

[@evagwennie]

I’m curious to learn what situations wearing earbuds would cause problems. I usually wear AirPods when I skate and lots of others in the rink do as well, so I’m concerned that what we’re doing could be dangerous. Thanks for all the content, it’s really helpful to beginner skaters like me

There are a couple of concerns with wearing earbuds while skating: 1. Ear buds can obstruct hearing and interfere with the ability to perceive danger and prevent accidents. For example, if you have earbuds in, you may not be able to hear if another skater is near you - this can cause collisions. 2. Earbuds can fall out and create an obstruction on the ice. If they fall out while spinning or jumping, They can also create a projectile. For these reasons, most rinks have rules against skaters wearing earbuds for safety.

[@evagwennie]

@ thank you so much! That’s definitely good to know.

You're welcome!

✅ Playlist of All My Skating Related Videos: kzbin.info/aero/PLhIvo-BmGcaVyjEqGm36KwPkPG6Iye1Ne ❤️ Save 10% at The Figure Skating Store: figureskatingstore.com/?ref=skatewithaimee use Promo Code SKATEWITHAIMEE (affiliate link) ❤️ Get Your Free Guide to Off-Ice Training: www.skatewithaimee.com ❤️ Get you Team USA and Olympic Gear Here: fanatics.ncw6.net/rnG2RQ (affiliate link)

[@hannahmontana4401]

there is a girl that i know at my school who skates at the same rink as me but its at a higher level and I'm so scared of seeing her, and recently I have started seeing her on my public sessions so I am super nervous to ever go to a freestyle session because I am worried

Why not arrange for private lessons with a coach so that you're not alone?

[@keziahlovesmusic2766]

My skating rink doesn't offer freestyle sessions and only offers lessons and public sessions😢 I'm not ready sure how to get practice

Do they allow figure skating on the Public Sessions? What does your coach recommend?

[@Flynn9974]

In my rink they Have a thirty minute in between 2-4 hour Sessions to flatten the ice

Most rinks will schedule 10-15 minutes for ice resurfacing (Zamboni ice cuts) between sessions.

Most rinks will schedule 10-15 minutes for ice resurfacing (Zamboni ice cut) between 60 or 90 minute sessions.

[@Flynn9974]

@ ours does it for 30 I'm not sure what but it does really help make the ice easier to skate on Especially with Figure skates Sometimes the ice melts in summer and it gets dangerous to skate for people practicing

I’m not sure why it would take 30 mins.

[@Flynn9974]

@ maybe it's just to be sure the ice Is flat and Also not Melting or anything

[@MarieJesne]

The rink I grew up at had 4hr public sessions but they wouldn't resurface the ice at all 😅

Some rinks do that! I know of a few rinks that don't resurface the ice at all on weekdays until 4 or 5pm when they use it for hockey.

[@bradleyolinger1691]

Have a quick question. My area only has a seasonal rink that's open for two months out of the year, with year round rinks being a good three hours away. Given seasonal rinks only really have public skate, how would you recommend approaching these in addition to lessons?

It depends on what the rinks rules are and how crowded they get during the season. Do they allow figure skating on public sessions? Is there enough room for you to practice? Do they come off an area for figure skaters?

[@bradleyolinger1691]

@Aimée Ricca , fairly certain they really only count on recreational skaters. It's a building or area at the area's Nascar track(Bristol Motor Speedway) they convert to an ice rink for a couple months. Hour drive but I thought to use it for basic skills practice. I will try to dig up the rules and get in touch. Only been operational a few years.

[@MobiusMinded]

Hmmm…. I have never been to a rink where i was stopped from doing jumps, etc, on a public session…. But maybe things have changed.

It depends on the rink. I coach out of 4 rinks. 3 of them will stop you if you practice jumps or spins. The other rink doesn’t care. Honestly, I prefer the rinks that keep figure skating to freestyle sessions for safety!

[@MobiusMinded]

@ i guess, 11 years and I never had a run in with a public skater. Can still do an axel on rentals 🤣

It’s more about liability for the rink - some are more lax about rules. But some insurance will require rules that prevent Figure skating on public sessions. If that’s the case the rink can be viewed as negligent for not enforcing its rules.

[@elvin780]

do i need to have a coach with me at freestyle sessions? i haven’t started lessons yet but i was planning on going to a freestyle session to work on backward swizzles and skating on one foot (and some other things) but i don’t know if i can even do that, i have my own skates by the way (i havent finished the vid yet, sorry if u already talked about this)

[@elvin780]

just finished the video, i don’t think i’ll be going to freestyle sessions anytime soon 😭 way too nervous about being in the wrong areas of the ice

Check your rink's guidelines - see what level you need to be to skate on Freestyle sessions. But, it's best to start with a coach so that you can learn how to navigate around the ice, depending on the attendance of the sessions.

[@julianpenfold1638]

I always found patch a thoroughly miserable experience. To get anything positive out of it you need to be a very high level skater because otherwise you will spend all your time getting out of the way of high level skaters and listening to their program music. If high level dance or pairs couples use the same session as singles skaters, it's even more of a waste of time for most. You also need to be the kind of person who expects people to get out of their way when it's "your turn" or you have "priority". I prefer quiet public sessions, though they are often plagued with lower level figure skaters practicing, who in my experience take up a lot more room and are a lot more disruptive to you than random public session skaters. Ice is lovely but rinks are often toxic. Skating outdoors on wheels is usually a lot more fun, if you can find a spot with smooth enough surface.

In my area, outdoor bodies of water don’t freeze often so outdoor isn’t an option. Rinks here do not permit figure skating on public sessions and in the winter they will allow up to 300 skaters on them! So it’s too crowded anyway. There’s one rink here with beautiful freestyle sessions at prime hours that are not crowded at all - ever! The other rinks prime time (after school/work) sessions can be challenging but if you skate before work/school, midday, or on club sponsored sessions it’s not crowded. Every area is unique and different!

[@julianpenfold1638]

@ I'm in the UK and most rinks are fine with figure skating on public sessions - sometimes even on busy ones. Multi rotation jumps or a lot of camel spins or people in dance hold would be pushing it though. I tend to find even quieter patch sessions in the UK are dominated by higher level skaters and dancers skating fast and running their programs constantly. Plodding adults like me don't get much of a look-in.

Every rink has different rules. Here in the US, you could be asked to leave a rink for figure skating on a public session. It's best to check each rink's rules.

[@luciaesmeralda3347]

You can’t do camel spins on public session

Correct. Or rather, you should not do camel spins on public sessions. Some rinks do allow it in practice because they don't do anything to stop it.

[@luciaesmeralda3347]

@ that is true but I just don’t do it anyway because my coach says not to do it

I tell my skaters the same! Just because you can, does not mean that you should! Figure skaters should not practice on Public Sessions.