Question:

Should i quit figure skating?

by Guest2147  |  earlier

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Should i quit figure skating? im really upset because i moved up two levels this year, but i had 3 competitions this year, 1 of them i got gold and two of them i placed last out of seven. but that was with my synchrony team, then i tried a dance test and failed that too, but my coach said she was really proud of me and i was close to passing. i am losing hope and losing it fast, i live for skating and there is nothing in the world that is more fun but i can't seem to pass my test while losing my last two competitions. Please help.

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  1. Guest11344657
    no, i promise you, don't. i felt the way you did, i had problems with my back, lost the fire inside of me, felt like everything was being taken away(parents told me i was moving), but i still loved it. and i quit. that was 3 months ago, and i regret it. thats why, im going back, but i have to wait more and more, until my hips/back is properly "fixed". don't quit, until you really, just don't feel like you love it anymore. but only when you're sure.

  2. Guest28
    as you move up levels the skating get tougher. The judges expect more from you and the competition is more fierce. Think about what you lacked in comparison to the other girls. Did you get very nervous? did you fall? did you cheat the landings of your jumps?

    Also... and this is a problem that many of us skaters have without realizing it is that perhaps your program is not working for you. I assume you has a diffrent program last year and that was probably why you skated well/won. Talk to your coach about a new program that you really love skating.
  3. Guest996
    I am a tennis player and I don't win all the time. Why would you quit something you love?? Keep having fun!! I know it's frustrating but keep it up!! Just enjoy it.
  4. Guest1917
    Just skate for fun. If you love it, do it. You'll improve later and think of how many people wish to be in your level. You can pullo through. Don't quit. When life gives you lemons, turn it into lemonade...
  5. Guest2803
    No. Don't quit. Practice harder and smarter. If you quit, you will regret it.
  6. Guest2945
    Don't quit if you LOVE doing it....

    but at the same time, if you LOVE doing it, would you worry so much about what place you came in?

    Do you really LOVE skating... or do you love the competition?

    Maybe you should think about that before you decide.

    Best of luck!
  7. Guest2998
    NO! dont quit. everyone goes through a rough a time in their skating. These hard times will actually help you become a better skater. stick with it and you will be happy that you did.
  8. Guest3080
    Well, I got last place out of 8 in my last competition and then I got 1st on my own for the next program in that competition. If you love it so much, why give up? If your coach is proud be happy. I know that its hard to let go, believe me I have been last before and I have taken skate tests and not passed. I know you must think that theres no way that you can skate if you placed last and failed a test, but think about it: did you do well on the competition? Most groups for pre-pre and lower really are based on the judge's view of your program. It isn't that bad if you did wonderfully. Also, I know how it feels to want to quit, but if you quit so soon, you may never really unlock the amazing talent that lurks inside your heart. Keep skating.

    Good Luck!
  9. Guest3414
    Keep going at it, cause you can always improve.

    Or you could just stop competing for awhile and skate for fun.
  10. Guest3500
    well it is kind of 5 years ago but if it is what you want to do do it
  11. Guest4046
    If thats what you like doing then dont quit. It should be about enjoying somthing you do not winning a competition.
  12. Guest4654
    I don't think you should give up. It seems like you really like it. And plus, I stayed in the same level for 1 1/2 years. I'm finally moving up, and all of my skills are perfect. Just keep on doing it. :)
  13. Guest5168
    I've been skating for 10 years. 5 of those years have been spent attempting to land my axel. Only this year did I get it clean and on the toe. I've failed 2 skating tests, come in last numerous times, and I have a hard time making it through an almost 3 minute program. Yes i've thought of quiting, every skater has. But i didn't get up.

    You may be going through a down stage(mine lasted 5 years). I used to always get top 3, then after I moved up to PreJuvenile and it went down hill. I don't plan on quitting, skating is too big apart of my life and i love it too much.

    DON'T GIVE UP!!!!!
  14. Guest5210
    You cant improve unless you compete against the best. Moving up two levels means you just need to train harder, but i don't think finishing last is a good reason to quit. You should quit when you don't love skating anymore.
  15. Guest5350
    No! Don't quit! You're just going through a "skating growth spurt." You've moved up, which usually takes a little time to get used to. Don't be so hard on yourself! You've obviously been pretty successful in the past, so now moving up, you'll get there at this level too. And don't worry about failing a test. Everyone fails here or there -- that doesn't mean you can't re-test. Don't give it up if you love it. Look how much work it took you to get where you are...I bet you didn't place at every competition you've done along the way. Take what you learned from the last few competitions and your test and use that to focus on what you need to work on. Maybe sit down with your coach and decide on some goals. Make your goal to reach 1-3 in the next competition and improve upon the areas you felt weak in last time. Then go back, use the judge's comments and work on what you need to improve for your test. If we took 1st at every competition and passed every test we took, would skating seem like much of challenge, and therefore would it really be fun? Getting 1st is great, but sometimes personal victories make you feel even better than medals. :) Good luck, don't give up and consider the past few competitons and tests as a learning tool! You'll do great.
  16. Guest5490
    don't quit. If you love it love it. Do what you love and s***w the rest. Let yourself love it and do NOT let anyone tell you otherwise. Even if you are not good, which you probably are good, keep doing it. I understand what your going through. But you have to make a decicion. If you want to compete, do it but try very hard and who knows? Mabye you will come back and win!!!!!! Trust yourself. You CAN do it. I believe in you.
  17. Guest5723
    You should take things more into perspective. Would you rather go back to the easy levels you were a few years ago and beat everyone effortlessly? Where's the challenge and fun in that?

    If you're really so competitive as you say, you should even feel more interested in staying in the sport to prove to the judges you belong in your level.

    Getting golds after golds is what drew Carol Heiss out of amateur skating because she felt that she'd be left with a closet full of unwanted gold medals without the excitement of having anyone to beat.

    Look at films of your program without bias and compare with the other skaters who medalled. Did they land their jumps? Do the required revolutions on their spins? Clean footwork? Good artistry and connection with the audience?

    Maybe you did these things well and by the rulebook, but you didn't push the limits more and the competition was jusy unusually fierce. The new system gives you tons of options on increasing the levels of your spins, use the system to your advantage to boost the point score.

    I can't say anything about the test. For one, I don't know Ice Dancing and it's not a sport taught in Mexico (I only know 1 person who can teach it and she sadly stopped coaching years ago). All the tests I've ever done I passed them on the first try (albeit I got pretty crappy scores haha).

    Or maybe your coach is just being very condescending. many students just haven't been exposed to the dreads of the real worlds where coaches are just there to suck all your money and manipulate you and never teach you anything because they simply dislike you or don't think your lack of millionaire status gives you the right to learn real skating. This has happened to me and I'm now very weary of coaches. I take what good things I get from them with a grain of salt and self teach myself the rest. You might think it's cruel, but in the real world things happen that way. be lucky if you have a good reliable coach that won't toss you into the trash for a less talented by richer kid than you.
  18. Guest7332
    i think that you should for sure not quit! if it's as big a downer as you make it sound like, try to get a little more practicing in or move down a class. going up two levels in a year is... well... wow! but if it's too much and you are considering quitting it's not worth the stress.
  19. Guest7902
    definatly don't quit! if u love it so much but arent so good at competing just practice more or dont compete as much! but why give up on something u love??
  20. Guest8370
    you can never have 100% good days, just take this as a learning curve when you skate bad at a comp you and your coach should sit down and annalyse what went wrong and where you can improve for next time, dont worry about the test i failed a few in my time but this brought me back more determand to pass it next time and i did, you should always have PMA (positive mental atitutude) towards your skating and comps. was there something playing on your mind while at these comps which let you down with the performance? is your music right? is the coach right for you? did you have a outfit on you hated? all these little things can result into failed performances make a list of what went right and wrong and then you will have a clear picture on what to work on.

    dont quit something you love because of a few downfalls pick your self up and get skating

    happy skating x
  21. Guest8952
    Just because you haven't made a lot of progress doesn't mean you need to quit. Moving up two levels in a year isn't bad. Everyone doesn't always do well in competitions, it takes a lot of practice to be an excellent figure skater. If you love skating then don't quit keep working at it and you will get better. You could try switching coaches, or even practicing more. Skating, like most other sports is very hard and can be discouraging sometimes.
  22. Guest9551
    You've done really well to advance two levels but maybe you now need to get used to skating at this level and not worry too much about competition results for a while. If your coach is so encouraging ask her for feedback and ways that you can improve. It may be just nerves that let you down on these occasions and you need to put them down to experience. Don't give up on something if you really enjoy it though. I wouldn't and I'm not half as advanced as you seem to be.
  23. Guest9581
    If you love figure skating, you know you "really" don't want to quit. You love it too much.

    You moved up 2 levels - give yourself some time to grow into your "new" level. It's possible that your competitors had more of an edge to their programs simply because they've had more experience in this level or at least have been in this particular level for a while. You moved on to the next level because it was time to move on, right? Well, this new level is (and should be) a new challenge for you now . . . and you have to work even harder to achieve your new goals.

    It sounds like you are most disappointed at your competition placements. Placement is NOT everything - besides, you know how sometimes the judging can be all over the place - and it all comes down to how the numbers add up. If you are feeling good about your skating - having fun - and knowing that you gave it your best shot - that's so much more important than your placement. I placed 1st at this interclub competion once . . . so what . . . I seriously had a horrid skate and I felt sick about it - 1st meant nothing. On the flip side, my friends and I came dead last for a showcase group number once . . . we worked sooooo hard on it . . . but we had a blast doing it - so we weren't hurt by being last.

    Don't look at your competition placements so negatively. Think of it as your motivation to bettering yourself out there for the next one. If you had gotten first instead of last on those competitions, perhaps you wouldn't be "upset" like you are now . . . but then you wouldn't feel the need to work as hard . . . and to make it "up there" you need that sense of constantly challenging yourself. Sometimes it takes a "low point" to put our skating into perspective.

    If you are upset . . . get productive about it instead of wondering if you should quit or not - make it a learning experience. After competitions or tests, make it a point to have discussions with your coach. Find out why he/she thinks you placed where you did to put the whole thing into perspective. This way you know what to work on in practice before you go out to do the next competition (or test). It will make you a better skater.

    Please don't judge your skating over a few competition placements. Your coach said she was really proud of you . . . but you should be really proud of yourself too. What's that quote . . . something like . . . Winners never quit and quitters never win.

    Best of luck to you . . . I know you're not going to quit!
  24. Guest9771
    Look at it this way - when you were 2 levels lower and winning gold medals, that was great. Now you're in a new level and you are competing against skaters that are like you were when you were in the lower level. They've been skating their a while but maybe they have one element or so to pass before they can move to their next level. It's not surprising that you're not a the top of the pack right when you just started that level. It means you've entered a very competitive level and that your hard work is going to start showing when you begin to climb up the new level. You can only go up!

    Also, don't worry about failing the dance test. They get exponentially harder - meaning, it's not like you pass the first test and then the next test is the same moves with maybe a choctaw thrown in at the end. The next test is harder in every move than the test before it. Not only that, the judges hold you to a higher standard the higher you go. So being close to passing is not only normal, it's an achievement.

    Don't give up. This is going to sound simplistic but what really helps is to open up a livejournal or somewhere you can write about your feelings and frustrations. Find a skating message board where there's skaters like you struggling with the same issues. (I used to know a good one that's a Sasha Cohen fan site but it's populated by lots of good teen skaters who compete - sorry I couldn't dig up a link.)
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