Newbie Questions - sorry in advance!

[acrmcr]

Hiya!

Complete newbie here 

My daughter has been doing the Skate UK course for a couple of months now and really loves it 

I've been wondering why the 'general public' don't use patch ice as it appears to be a bit cheaper than normal public sessions. Is it because to use patch ice you have to be registered on Skate UK and/or be under a coach having private lessons?

I've noticed that Skate UK levels 1-3 appear to be really busy but the higher the level (7-8-9-10) you go the less people are in the class. Is this because people find it harder the higher the grade you go? Or do people just drop out after a while?

Last question I promise (well at least for now! 

Do skaters do the higher Skate UK levels (9 and 10 maybe) with a coach or as part of a Skate UK class as I don't think I've seen anybody doing Level 9 or 10 at our rink. Also, once you get onto the Skate UK Star do you do it in a class or with your coach? Is it allowed for you to pass Skate UK by purely having private lessons?

[Jumpingbean]

Hiya!

Complete newbie here 

My daughter has been doing the Skate UK course for a couple of months now and really loves it 

I've been wondering why the 'general public' don't use patch ice as it appears to be a bit cheaper than normal public sessions. Is it because to use patch ice you have to be registered on Skate UK and/or be under a coach having private lessons?
Patch ice is dedicated training ice for skaters who need space to train.  It is limited by set standards which will vary from rink to rink and even from time to time within a rink. For example some of our patch ice requires a minimum standard of NISA Level 1, some is Gold Passport and some is Skate UK Level 10.  When skaters reach a higher standard they cannot train on busy public sessions as they need space to run through programmes, dances and to perform jumps and spins.  It would be far too dangerous and this is why so many rinks ban proper practice on such sessions.  I am not aware that it is cheaper.  At our rink you pay per half hour so if you only skated half an hour on patch it would work out cheaper than half an hour on session as you would have to pay the full session price regardless of how long you skated.  Some rinks have reduced patch costs of you book up in advance, but generally patch and public session works out similar hour for hour.

I've noticed that Skate UK levels 1-3 appear to be really busy but the higher the level (7-8-9-10) you go the less people are in the class. Is this because people find it harder the higher the grade you go? Or do people just drop out after a while?
I think this is quite simply because as people move up the levels they simply find it tough going and drop out.  The lower level courses are always full of eager to learn newbies, but people drop out for one reason or another.  Only a few skaters make it right through to the end of the courses and onto NISA tests, in relation to the huge numbers that sign up to learn to skate initially.


Last question I promise (well at least for now! 

Do skaters do the higher Skate UK levels (9 and 10 maybe) with a coach or as part of a Skate UK class as I don't think I've seen anybody doing Level 9 or 10 at our rink. Also, once you get onto the Skate UK Star do you do it in a class or with your coach? Is it allowed for you to pass Skate UK by purely having private lessons?
It is entirely up to the skater/skater's parent.  Obviously after Skate UK there may be no choice but to go to private lessons although our rink still runs courses for the Passport levels.  Some skaters benefit from some one to one tuition around level 9/10 but some wait till they have reached the end of the courses then move onto private lessons.  Obviously the cost of skating rises dramatically once a skater moves to privates and this is one thing to consider, but there is no right or wrong answer.

[goldenblades]

Okay;
The 'rules' regarding patch normally vary from rink to rink but you will generally find that you have to have passed a minimum level in order to use patch ice and that is why you normally don't get the public on patch sessions. However some in rinks such as Guildford i know that you have to be a member to be able to skate on their patch sessions which means that you need to be having lessons with one of the coaches.
I think as with all sports you do get a natural progression in skating and as the levels get harder it is generally only those who really want to learn that stay and perservere with the higher end of skate uk.
It is possible to pass skate uk purely by having private lessons but i think that this is a very expensive way of learning in the beginning. I personally didn't start having private lessons until i started skate uk star, but if you find that you struggling with a particular aspect of the higher levels then i would say definitely look into finding a coach.
Sorry for such a long-winded reply but i hope i answered all of your questions x

[pagesjk]

Hi
Patch is for figure skaters, its a similar thing to the general public not being able to go on when ice hockey training is on. You need to be of a certain standard, where figure skates and be ice aware before you can go on patch.
At peterborough (where i go) you need to have completed skate uk 10 before you can go on patch, but i have seen on here that alot of rinks allow you on from skate uk 8 so you will need to find out what it is at the rink you go to. Being ice aware is all about being able to watch out for other people more so when going backwards, not getting in their way, respecting the rules that sort of thing.

The lower grades are busier than the higher grades because like you say it gets harder as you go up the grades and people drop out, it takes longer for some people to get to the higher levels than others or if they start in hockey skates then they may not want or need to go up the higher levels. At our rink you need to be of skate uk 5 standard before being allowed to join the hockey training so you will get alot that join skate uk before joining the hockey training.

The coaches are the ones who can sign to say you have completed skate uk so it doesn't matter if you are in group lessons or having private lessons. Group lessons that are put on by the rink are a really good way for people start skating and meeting the coaches. They may not know about lessons other wise.

Each rink is different but most will do skate uk up to grade 10 in group lessons so i will be surprised if your rink doesn't. Again it is different for each rink wether they do skate uk star in a group or not. Not all rinks will put on skate uk star on as groups but some of the coaches will. You will have to ask around the coaches to find out if they do them in groups or not. Often people will have private lessons to complete it. Doing it in a group is cheaper so if there is not one already set up then maybe your daughter and a few of her friends could get together with a coach and start one. I know a few groups lessons at our rink have set up like that.

I hope this has answered some of the questions that you have had.

[pagesjk]

sorry if i repeated what the others said but they manged to reply while i was typing. 

[acrmcr]

Thanks very much to everybody for taking the time to reply 

You've all answered my questions perfectly - patch ice now makes sense!

I'll have to ask at the rink what will happen at the end of Skate UK regarding Star as I haven't seen anybody doing this as part of a class. My daughter is currently working on Level 8 so the end is in sight! She's just started private lessons so will continue that way if the rink doesn't do Star classes but doing Star as a group is a brilliant idea as well (and cheaper  )

I guess it varies dramatically from skater to skater but how long would you say on average it takes to pass Gold (if it was worked on with perhaps one private lesson and one group class a week)?

[Indieflower]

Thanks very much to everybody for taking the time to reply 

You've all answered my questions perfectly - patch ice now makes sense!

I'll have to ask at the rink what will happen at the end of Skate UK regarding Star as I haven't seen anybody doing this as part of a class. My daughter is currently working on Level 8 so the end is in sight! She's just started private lessons so will continue that way if the rink doesn't do Star classes but doing Star as a group is a brilliant idea as well (and cheaper  )

I guess it varies dramatically from skater to skater but how long would you say on average it takes to pass Gold (if it was worked on with perhaps one private lesson and one group class a week)?

It does vary with each skater without doubt. My daughter started Skate UK in Feb last year and passed Gold the end of January. I suspect it would have been quicker if it weren't for the ice rink closing for a 3 month melt in the summer. She joined the rinks figure skating club when she reached silver (in November I think it was) and started private lessons in January. The club sessions have brought her on leaps and bounds! I really think it benefits them skating with actual figure skaters. Does your rink have a club? 

[acrmcr]

It does vary with each skater without doubt. My daughter started Skate UK in Feb last year and passed Gold the end of January. I suspect it would have been quicker if it weren't for the ice rink closing for a 3 month melt in the summer. She joined the rinks figure skating club when she reached silver (in November I think it was) and started private lessons in January. The club sessions have brought her on leaps and bounds! I really think it benefits them skating with actual figure skaters. Does your rink have a club?

Ah, thanks Indieflower. The rink hasn't got a club as such although there are sessions when the NISA (?) level skaters practice together so I think she'll need to pass gold before joining in. 

[Trayo]

at which rink does she skate?  We are at Peterborough, and when we started Skate UK (I was in grade 4, my daughter in 3) we both had quite large groups.  By level 6 I had just 3 others.  I then sat and waited for my daughter to pass 6 and we started 7 together, with just 2 others.  By level 8 it was just us plus one other who had moved rinks; by level 9 still 3, and by 10 it was just the two of us.


A lot struggle past 6 when it gets a bit more technical.  Some give up, lose heart, lack confidence to continue, some find it too expensive, and some I suppose lose interest or stop for other reasons such as work commitments etc.


I noticed through our time on SUK, grades 9 and 10 usually had no more than 4.


We then progressed to private lessons.  My daughter is still going now, through the NISA levels and comps, but I have a disability and by advanced 6 it was too much for me, and spinal surgery put an end to any hope of me progressing further.

[jellybean]

At our rink it's completely the opposite - the lower levels are quiet and the passport group is heaving with people. It gets quite hairy trying to learn the first jumps and spins with so many others in a class!

[acrmcr]

at which rink does she skate?  We are at Peterborough, and when we started Skate UK (I was in grade 4, my daughter in 3) we both had quite large groups.  By level 6 I had just 3 others.  I then sat and waited for my daughter to pass 6 and we started 7 together, with just 2 others.  By level 8 it was just us plus one other who had moved rinks; by level 9 still 3, and by 10 it was just the two of us.


A lot struggle past 6 when it gets a bit more technical.  Some give up, lose heart, lack confidence to continue, some find it too expensive, and some I suppose lose interest or stop for other reasons such as work commitments etc.


I noticed through our time on SUK, grades 9 and 10 usually had no more than 4.


We then progressed to private lessons.  My daughter is still going now, through the NISA levels and comps, but I have a disability and by advanced 6 it was too much for me, and spinal surgery put an end to any hope of me progressing further.

We're thinking of going to the Birmingham rink for the next course of six weeks. Anybody know what happens when you reach the passport level there ?