mamaskate
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Posted: 03-14-2008, 01:37 AM
This is an interesting thread. My son just started FS1 and has already received some interest from higher level skaters looking for a pairs partner. Pairs skating is the last thing on his mind.
emma
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Posted: 03-14-2008, 10:19 AM
Wow, I have a son that skates freestyle,pairs,and ice dances. We have lots of boys at our rink as well as 5 or 6 male coaches so we have great role models for these kids. No one at the rink teases these boys, maybe at school but these kids love to skate and are very focused , smart and hard working boys. For the most part they love being the center of attention to all the girls. As my son is approaching puberty he definitely sees the advantage of being one of the few boys among lots of girls. Gosh I don't know why more boys don't figure skate! Except for the fact that it is one of the hardest sports to do and it takes much more focus and practice and talent then almost any sport I can think of. You know what they say if figure skating were easy they would call it hockey !!!!!!!
Rusty Blades
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Posted: 03-14-2008, 03:50 PM
Here in central Canada (where you can't swing a dead cat without hitting half a hockey team!) male skaters are so rare we have to import them from other parts of the country for test days!
I was talking to a young man last summer (mid-20's) who used to figure skate and asking him about his experience as a male skater. (He was fairly good and used to partner a lot.)
He said the worst was the ribbing he took from his peers until he went to his high school prom with FOUR girls (skaters). His friends shut up after that
d b n y
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Posted: 03-14-2008, 06:03 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by onlyhappyonice
Oh and for the record, we've just changed my 4 year old sons hockey skates for figure skates because he can balance easier and is more confident.
And again OT -
Thank you! I teach Learn To Skate and it is absolutely true that figure skates are easier to learn in than hockey skates. One poor little tyke was put in his own hockey skates from the start, and they were not beginner style, but really rockered. The poor little thing spent all his time either falling or lying on the ice. His mom was a nut job and insisted that he wear those skates (I'm only a coach, what would I know?). Months later he is still at it only because of pushy parents and various bribes, but he still is not skating on his own.
slusher
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Posted: 03-14-2008, 08:43 PM
I've had two skating, one still in it but not competitive, just trying to work through skills once or twice a week for fun. I still see one of our freeskate shirts around at competitions, we got it used from someone (who ended up being a senior national skater in the 90's) and once we out grew it, it went onwards to fit some other 7 year old boy. I figure when I'm 80 and check out a competition, I'll still see that shirt. This is an example though, of what a small world boys skating is. They all know each other, we pass off costumes to each other, and it is a completely different atmosphere at competition, until about juvenile, then it's all about the jumps. Someone asked me just last week if my son had outgrown his pants yet
Uh, all my kids, who all have figure skated, are awesome hockey players. We don't have a problem with teasing. However we didn't do ice dance, have fruity music or wear gay costumes. I'm quoting my 16 year old exactly by the way who is sitting here, saying that, so don't jump on me for saying gay.
icedancer2
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Posted: 03-14-2008, 08:49 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by slusher
However we didn't do ice dance, have fruity music or wear gay costumes. I'm quoting my 16 year old exactly by the way who is sitting here, saying that, so don't jump on me for saying gay.
Well, "gay" in teenspeak often just means "lame" - or so I've been told.
sk8tmum
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Posted: 03-14-2008, 10:05 PM
When we do the bio's for skating competitions or ice shows, we mention the martial arts and baseball, we don't mention the ballroom dance lessons that he takes to help improve his form and movement. Why? Because we don't need the s######ing and snickering that would ensue. Of course, if we let the little guy, he could flatten them ... he can now do takedowns on 6 foot tall guys, but, that's because he had the crap beaten out of him at one point because he was an 'ice princess'.
Re the gay costume: that's often a problem for the young boys. There are boys that are put into spandex body suits, sequins, feathers, rhinestones, etc etc etc; and it does feed into the whole issue of - well.
But, tricking out a 6 or 10 year old like Johnny Weir (and yes, I've seen it done) - why would a parent do it - ? or a coach? We want MORE boys in the sport, not less, and frankly, the only thing my son has ever been directive about with his coach is that he will NOT wear any costume that would be considered less than masculine (and his father and I concur).
If more boys and their parents can see how athletic, difficult and challenging the sport can be (my son is a speed and risk junky, and didn't find enough opportunities to injure himself in hockey - !) we would see more boys involved. The kids who used to think it was less than athletic are now stopped cold by the number of pushups, situps, etc my guy can do, and by the level of cardio fitness that he has ... and the muscle development from the off-ice.
slusher
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Posted: 03-14-2008, 11:33 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by icedancer2
Well, "gay" in teenspeak often just means "lame" - or so I've been told.
uh huh, I think that's what he means. We definitely pick on the lame costumes that look like the kid was dressed against his will.
By the way, his double toe is sick.
I have this theory, and haven't been proven wrong yet, is that, boys who are in figure skating have a female relative in the sport. Either a mother who skated and wants their kids to skate or a sister who is in the sport.
Kim to the Max
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Posted: 03-15-2008, 01:51 AM
Quote:
Originally Posted by icedancer2
Well, "gay" in teenspeak often just means "lame" - or so I've been told.
Okay, OT soapbox here...I just wish people (in general, not directed at anyone on this board) would say what they mean...if you mean that something is stupid, say that it is stupid (or lame, or whatever)....because equating my friends who are gay with being stupid just doesn't work for me...it's the same as using the word "(removed)" to mean stupid...I hear this over and over and over again among the students I work with and in the general public....
Okay, off of my soapbox...
Isk8NYC
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Posted: 03-15-2008, 08:06 AM
Quote:
Originally Posted by icedancer2
Well, "gay" in teenspeak often just means "lame" - or so I've been told.
Gay originally meant "happy and lively" so that fits into the original sentence too. (Apt description of some ice dance/skating costumes - remember the bee?) I don't understand why teens use that term, though. After all the money we spend in schools and social programs teaching them about acceptance and kindness, they decide to use THAT word in a derogatory way? Or did the outreach programs CREATE the "cool" aura around using the word? Hmmm....*goes off to ponder*
I am amazed at how many boys are involved in figure skating in North Carolina as compared to New York.
I know about 12 boys at two rinks down here; the NY number was less than half.
It all comes from the parents' attitudes. In this area, we have many open-minded, progressive parents who are willing to discuss things and respect the teachers. In NYC, most of the parents were completely opposed to having their son do anything BUT hockey and the suggestion of starting on figure skates was appalling to them. Somehow, they believed THE SKATES made their son a loser. LTS was just a means to get the boy into the hockey clinic. The major exceptions were intelligent parents or european immigrant-parents. The culture in Europe, in all countries, was that figure skating was a sport for anyone, on par with hockey; there was no stigma.
BTW, in NYC, most parents would only allow their daughters to take LTS and figure skating classes. I had several very unhappy girls in group lessons who really wanted to play hockey. Two or three had older brothers that were hockey players, so they knew what the sport was like. They eventually switched over and were happy as clams.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Kim to the Max
...it's the same as using the word "(removed)" to mean stupid.
I agree -- I've mentioned to several board members via PM that "(removed)" is a word many people avoid using because it's such an insult. Most people use "mentally challenged" because "(removed)" has such negative connotations.
Most member just didn't realize that times have changed, but one took major offense at being corrected. Reminds me of my MIL, who used to call people "fat" even to their faces! She didn't stop, even though people told her that she shouldn't use the term. "Why? It's what they are! That's the correct word." Her family rolled their eyes and let it go...until someone new to the family took offense one day and lit into her - suddenly she learned all new euphemisms. lol
smelltheice
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Posted: 03-15-2008, 08:51 AM
Did anyone see that episode of "MADE" on MTV? It was on in the Uk about a month ago about a guy who was around 16, was good in school and was the star of the school Lacrosse team that were bound for state finals but secretly, he had always wanted to be a figure skater but his dad was really macho and seemed to weigh a guys manliness on how much he can bench press!! He was shocked when this guys MADE skating coach could lift just as much weight as him but the grief that this guy got from his dad because he wanted to skate and from his friends in school that god forbid something should get in the way of the universe saving Lacrosse game. Even his life long best friend was refusing to watch him compete because it wasn't manly in his eyes!!! but he proved them all wrong and it was very cool that his girlfriend was really supportive to the point of helping him design his costume!!
emma
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Posted: 03-15-2008, 11:05 AM
Quote:
Originally Posted by slusher
uh huh, I think that's what he means. We definitely pick on the lame costumes that look like the kid was dressed against his will.
By the way, his double toe is sick.
I have this theory, and haven't been proven wrong yet, is that, boys who are in figure skating have a female relative in the sport. Either a mother who skated and wants their kids to skate or a sister who is in the sport.
Well my son skates and so do I but I did not care one way or another if decided to skated. I do not live my skating life through my kid. As I always tell his coach when she asks me about what I would like him to do as far as testing, competition etc. I tell her to ask him not me because it is totally up to him to make his own decisions about what he wants to do with his skating. I just pay the bills. Don't get me wrong I am delighted that he has found a sport that he loves but in no way did I push him into this sport, the day I have to drag him to the rink he is done.
Mrs Redboots
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Posted: 03-15-2008, 12:54 PM
Talking of male costumes..... this year, for the first time ever, Husband is going to wear CRYSTALS!!! Mostly for dance he wears a shirt and bow-tie, and for free a T-shirt with a relevant logo, on top of his plain dark skating trousers. But I have had crystals put on my T-shirt, and the woman who did them for me said she would do Husband's, too, and explained that we should match, and he didn't complain!
But I don't see him ever wearing sparkles of any kind when he didn't have to!
CanAmSk8ter
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Posted: 03-15-2008, 02:28 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by d b n y
And again OT -
Thank you! I teach Learn To Skate and it is absolutely true that figure skates are easier to learn in than hockey skates. One poor little tyke was put in his own hockey skates from the start, and they were not beginner style, but really rockered. The poor little thing spent all his time either falling or lying on the ice. His mom was a nut job and insisted that he wear those skates (I'm only a coach, what would I know?). Months later he is still at it only because of pushy parents and various bribes, but he still is not skating on his own.
Months? :eek: My recommendation to new Learn-to-Skate parents whose kids want to play hockey is to try the hockey skates initially, but realize that if your child struggles, figure skates may be the better way to start. If it's really unacceptable to you to have your child take even a few lessons/skate a few times in figure skates, wait on skating until he/she is at least 5, and realize that even then you may end up needing to wait longer or do private lessons instead.
Also, we have a lot of parents at my rink who go to Play-It-Again Sports for their kid's skates. I can understand wanting to save the $$$, but a) our local PIA is notorious for selling overused, broken-down hockey skates, and b) these same kids often come in wearing full hockey equipment when all they need is the skates and the helmet. By the time they need full gear, the stuff won't fit them.
Rob Dean
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Posted: 03-17-2008, 07:36 AM
Quote:
Originally Posted by slusher
I have this theory, and haven't been proven wrong yet, is that, boys who are in figure skating have a female relative in the sport. Either a mother who skated and wants their kids to skate or a sister who is in the sport.
I'll be an exception to test (prove in the archaic sense) your rule, then. My son and I have both been skating for about four years now, and there are no family females around at all. He's pretty self-motivated, too, and the finances are such that I would welcome the budget relief if he changed interests (but would keep skating myself). We've also got one pair of brothers (no sister) at one of our clubs who are/were competitive ice dancers (older one has retired). Their mother has never skated at all...There are also the Lorellos at UDFSC
http://www.udel.edu/udfsc/ (look at the slide show of 2007 competitors). While there is a girl, she's the youngest of the four them, with both older brothers competing dance at the Junior level this year.
On the whole, though, I'd agree that situation is pretty common.
On boys in general, I could echo a lot of the commentary. My son is pretty used to getting inquiries regarding his tryout availability by now.
Rob