Skating competitively at 14?

Question

I have heard some people on hear say that if you just start skating at age 14 you won't be able to compete. But is it true? And what if you already know all the basics?

Answer 1

Once you start learning basic jumps you can begin to compete. They have competition levels for every level of skater, and every age group. If you to become an Olympic level skater you don't have as high of chances since most Olympic skaters start young, but if you just want to compete at lower levels you can start with that and have fun with! I'd suggest talking with your coach about your goals if you would like to start going towards some competitions.

Answer 2

if u kno the basics it wont matter cuz u need 2 kno more advanced moves but yea u still can compete but try 2 learn other moves lik darkslide/casper/laser flip and u will do good if u can get it that is

Answer 3

It sounds like you mean get to worlds-level skating competitions.  That is very ambitious for a 14-year-old.

But it's certainly not true that you can't compete if you start skating at age 14.  There are competitions for every skill level these days.  There's the ISI which is a "recreational" skating league - they hold competitions as basic as Tot One and all the way up through the various freestyle levels.  There's also the USFSA, which runs competitions at various levels as well.

ISI tends to put age groups together as well as level so that 6-year-olds aren't skating against 17-year-olds.  They keep the groups small so pretty much everyone ends up with a ribbon or a medal.  

So the answer to your question is YES you can compete at age 14, and you can even compete at basic skills.  So a year from now you could be competing at one of the Freestyle levels if you have the dedication to the sport!

Answer 4

You can skate competitively at 14......AND you can compete with just the basics.  If you're enrolled in a basic skills program, there are basic skills competitions you can compete in.  They're growing in popularity.  You can compete at any age.  There are people in their 80's that are still doing competitions!  :)  Good luck!

Answer 5

IT IS NOT IMPOSSIBLE. I started competting when i was 12, and if you know all the basics. all the more reason to start competing now. All you need to is just keep practicing to improve your skills. Its never too late. You just gotta set your mind to it, and believe you can do it because anyone can do anything if they just set their mind to it and use their heart to learn and to believe.

Answer 6

It's never impossible, but it is pretty typical for people who skate competitively to have started when they were 4 or 5.  If you look at the Olympics, you'll see that many of the skaters are only 15 or 16 when they're competing!  There's no way that you could go from a beginner to a major competitor in just a year!!  It would be hard to do in even five years.  In fact, it's hard for most people who have skated since they were 4.

Now, here are some caveats:

1 - It would be easier for a man to do than a woman.  Many of the male skaters are older when they compete and see to do better as they mature and grow, whereas many women see to have more trouble as they get older.

2 - It may be possible if you want to do dance instead of singles or pairs.  In this case, you won't have to learn the jumps, which are the hardest part to learn when you're older.  Especially if you have a dance or gymnastics background, it could be possible to compete in the dance side of skating if you start at 14.  This is in part because many of the dancers are older than the singles skaters when they compete, so it gives you more time!

If you want to do it, I think you should try.  Remember that the only goal isn't the Olympics.  You could start now and with serious work and time devoted to it, skate competitively at a lower level than the senior Olympic level.  I started taking lessons when I was about 9, and I skated competitively during high school, but not at the senior level.  Remember that very, very few people make it up that high.  Also remember to enjoy it -- that's the best part.  Good luck!

Answer 7

you could compete with basics.  and yes, it will be easier to learn jumps but dont expect to learn it right away, it takes a lot of practice to be good at things like that.