Stuck in a rut

[lyssykw]

Ok, so I've been skating on and off for my whole life, but now that I'm getting a bit older, I've reached a point where I don't know if I can get any better. I feel like I've reached the maximum of what I can do jumping wise.
I started up skating again about 3 years ago after a significant break and have managed to get back a lot of my old tricks. I do compete at a fairly high level as an Adult, but I'm finding myself getting very nervous about upcoming competitions. I am a perfectionist and put a lot of pressure on myself to do well. I'm finding that this is really getting in the way of my enjoyment of skating.
At my level, if I don't put in harder jumps then I don't have much chance of scoring well and being competitive with the other skaters in my group.
Also, where I live, we have to achieve a minimum technical score to qualify to go to Adult nationals. My goal is to go to nationals this year and hence I've committed myself to compete this season, but I'm just not sure whether I should continue competing after that.
The standard at my rink is pretty high and I'm also on the State Squad, so there is an expectation to attain certain levels of achievement.
After this year, I may consider not competing anymore, but I feel like skating is an all-or-nothing kind of sport, so I don't know what else I could do to have something to work towards?
Argggh! Does anybody else feel like they are stuck in a bit of a rut? I don't want to quit, as I've invested a lot of time and money into this sport and have developed a close relationship with my coach, but I just don't know how long I can keep up with all of this. Feeling lost 

[Bill_S]

As an older skater also, I can certainly relate to the feeling of reaching a plateau. I am at a stage where I am declining somewhat despite reasonable efforts.

I really believe that you have to have a hard look at your goals, and assess how realistic they are. That will take some courage.

If you decide that age has made it excessively difficult to compete at the level you desire, then you should seek out other directions to take your skating. I skate purely for recreation and exercise. To me, this has become rewarding enough.

[icedancer]

I'm with Bill - at 64 my skills are declining quite rapidly - SO whenever I hit a plateau such as you are describing I reassess and realize there is always something within the sport that I can work on and even excel at (I mean as skaters aren't we always working on SOMETHING?) -

For me that has been dance, edges, moves, figures.

Right now I am back on the ice after 7 months off due to a foot and ankle injury so am just "working on" getting my edges and turns back - it is always a hard journey but definitely happier being on the ice doing SOMETHiNG than being off (and getting more and more depressed as time went on let me tell you!)

Enjoy.

[RoaringSkates]

If you reach a level where you can't compete, an idea is to begin to focus on a different discipline in skating (such as dance), or to focus on tests (perhaps do the figures tests...), or in this way, find another way to continue to grow, improve and enjoy your skating in a different way.

If that's not something you want to do, then you can also look at different sports where you can perhaps start off as a beginner and grow from there, and where your skating will be a benefit, such as ballroom dance.

Make it more of a forward journey, rather than a look backwards.

[Loops]

I have to agree with everyone else here.  There are always new directions.  I'm in France where there is a huge culture of solo dance at the National level.  Many of my friends who started skating as adults compete.  There are no jumps allowed beyond a 1/2 rotation, but otherwise it's just like free.  Does that exist in the US?  Otherwise, adult synchro is fantastic, if you can find a team, or like others have suggested figures.  I WISH I could do figures again.  It was one of my favorite parts of skating when I was a kid (although teenage me would have died before admitting that).  Here in france its not an option for me, so I need people stateside to patch so I can do it vicariously through you all!

[Doubletoe]

As a 53-year old who is now competing without doubles or even axels, I feel you.  As my power and athleticism decline with age, I try to compensate by mastering one or two new skills every year that I can incorporate into my freeskate. Over the past several seasons, those things have included counters, figure loops and two different sit spin variations (decent twizzles are proving to be more elusive, but I won't give up).  This season I'm hoping to add the cross-foot upright spin and a level 3 sit spin (all 3 difficult variations of position in succession).  I keep my sanity by ignoring my placement and whatever anyone else is doing and only focusing on skating a clean program and getting the evidence on video.  I don't care if it's at Adult Nationals or at some local competition nobody saw; that clean program on video is always my only goal.  Some days it also helps to remember my mantra, "Even bad skating is good exercise."  Skating is the only reason my body still looks good in lycra, LOL!

So, where are you that you "have to achieve a minimum technical score to qualify to go to Adult nationals"?  Surely not in the United States.  You need to place in the top 4 in your Section to qualify for a Championship event, but there is no minimum score.  And of course you can enter any non-qualifying event you like, as long as it corresponds to your test level and age class.

[aussieskater]

We have the min required score in some states in Australia doubletoe.

[Doubletoe]

We have the min required score in some states in Australia doubletoe.

Aah!  Thanks.  Didn't realize yssykw was in Australia.

[aussieskater]

So, where are you that you "have to achieve a minimum technical score to qualify to go to Adult nationals"?  Surely not in the United States.

Aah!  Thanks.  Didn't realize yssykw was in Australia.

Sorry doubletoe I wasn't as clear as I could have been.  I'm not sure yssykw is in Australia; was just giving an example of a federation which does impose min tech scores on its adult competitors.

[fsk8r]

Just adding to the min score for nationals bit. The UK insists on a minimum score. Not a minimum technical score.

[PrettySk8Dress]

Being an older adult skater myself, I have often pondered the thought that you have expressed. That thought being that of the possibility that one has reached the summit of their abilities, and one's body will not allow much more of an assent. I always thought that one of the main purposes of artistic skating, even competitively, was to accommodate ones in such a position. Artistic allows ones to continue to pursue many different aspects of personal skating expressions, without always having to upgrade to the more difficult elements of jumping and spinning. Artistic skating can be 'tailor made' to the constraints of your body, but can be wonderfully expressive on it's own, even without all the triples and the like !

[lyssykw]

Thanks for the replies everyone 

Yes Doubletoe, I am in Australia. So my state does have a minimum score policy. It's supposed to give you something to strive for! Lol

I have considered doing ice dance, but partners are few and far between, so it would probably have to be solo dance. I don't think there are many people that compete in that here, so it would probably have to be more of just a recreational thing.

I also do enjoy doing Artistic programs. I've always liked doing shows and exhibitions far more than competitions, so that is definitely an option.

I suppose I'm just struggling with the idea of letting the competitive side of skating go, especially since it has been such a huge part of my life.

[Loops]

I have considered doing ice dance, but partners are few and far between, so it would probably have to be solo dance. I don't think there are many people that compete in that here, so it would probably have to be more of just a recreational thing.

I wouldn't let that stop you, and you can certainly do it alongside exhibitions and artistic (here in France, solo ice dance is solo freestyle, minus the jumps >1/2 rotation and with more emphasis on edge work and interpretation.  It's much more pleasant to watch, actually because it hasn't devolved into a glorified jumping contest.  Not that I dislike jumps, but I feel like they take a strategic priority over so many other things that make skating beautiful.)  There is a big enough adult community to merit two annual competitions.  One pretty much everyone goes to, the other is late in the season, close to school vacays and end-of-season galas, so it doesn't seem to attract as many skaters, or at least not those from my club. Apparently though it has created a relatively tight knit community of adult dancers "you don't go just to compete" is what my friends say.  You gotta start somewhere, and every community starts small.  But you certainly aren't the only person in your situation, i.e. wanting to skate and remain (or be) competitive despite jumps.  You signing on will certainly make a difference, and help build that community.  Since the program will overlap considerably with the requirements for artistic you'll improve in both categories!