How will this situation impact on the sport?

Aussie Willy

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I wonder after this is over how the sport as a whole will be impacted. By that I mean the numbers of skaters participating.

I am sure there will be a number who will not come back. They either can't afford it because of family situations, looked at how much money they actually saved or just can't be bothered because their desire for it has dampened and they don't miss it.

I am also sure that figure skating is not the only sport impacted by this too.

What do others think?
 

GarrAargHrumph

I can kill you with my brain
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I agree figure skating (and hockey) will be impacted. US Figure Skating and USA Hockey's recommendations state that they suggest that rinks have no beginner lessons at all for now, for example. That may knock a good number of kids right out of the sport, as their parents instead have them do other sports. Some coaches may leave the sport as well, depending on how much their business relies on Learn to Skate and similar.

I also agree with your "they don't miss it" comment. As a parent, my kid and I are going to reassess all activities before we go back to any of them. Make sure we really do want to continue that activity. It's one thing to suggest dropping an activity when you're in the middle of it; quite another to suggest it after you've been off for 2-3 months or longer and have found that you really don't miss it.

And if rinks can't have the same number of people on the ice as they used to, will prices go up in a sport that's already quite expensive? Will that cause some parents to say, that's it, enough?
 

Rollersk8Icesk8

New Member
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Absolutely agree. It’s going to be a big rebuilding year when all rinks finally open and lessons can resume again. Especially for states that open outdoor activities before indoor activities - families, I believe, will be more likely to participate in something outdoors and activities sooner rather than later. Just a thought.
 

Lemonade20

If I agreed with you, we’d both be wrong.
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There's been talk of reduced spectactors (possibly no audience members, just those in the skating community such as coaches and other skaters being allowed in the stands).
 

overedge

Mayor of Carrot City
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Restrictions or bans on learn-to-skate sessions (which I agree with BTW) are also going to affect the number of skaters going into the test and competitive pipeline. And that in turn has implications for the numbers of skaters who participate at the elite level. Not to mention the numbers of volunteers, officials, judges, administrators, and so on.

IMO skating already had a retention problem. Now it could be much worse. If there are fewer skaters to begin with, skaters leaving because of cost, or discrimination/abuse, or access, or whatever reason, is going to have that much more of a negative impact.
 

concorde

Well-Known Member
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Lots of coaching changes. By that I means lots of coaches have decided to relocate or retire. I know of 5 and counting.
 

overedge

Mayor of Carrot City
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One is going to Missouri and the other is going to Hawaii.
Three are retiring.

Interesting, thanks. I was curious as to where there might be work for coaches right now. Personally I'd be a little nervous about relocating, because any rink could be shut down very quickly, but I guess some work in a rapidly changing situation is better than no work in a rapidly changing situation.
 

Theoreticalgirl

your faves are problematic
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1,345
One of my favorite coaches—someone who has been in this game since the 1960s and one of the few who still teaches figures—retired on account of YKW.
 

concorde

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One of my favorite coaches—someone who has been in this game since the 1960s and one of the few who still teaches figures—retired on account of YKW.
That was one of the 3 that I knew was retiring.

At our temporary rink in Florida, I know about 2 coached that have started there since June 1. I have no idea where these two came from.
 

syzygy

Well-Known Member
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173
This is extremely hard on team figure skating. Synchro and theater have been hugely impacted. Anyone who was considering moving to join a team (which is super common when teenagers hit college) might have lost their spot on the team if they don't feel comfortable moving. I know a few people weren't able to move to somewhere near Skyliners or Hayden for synchro. Also the inability to touch impacts synchro a lot since all but one technical requirement requires touching which is the no-hold and still requires skaters to be about 3 to 4 feet apart though we could warrant that some intersections don't require touching, they're not the ones you get good points for and you get even closer during those. It's really sad, I hope we get a vaccine soon because that's the only way the US is gonna get this under control, I'm sure.
 

Aceon6

Wrangling the duvet into the cover
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I think there will be a huge hit to ALL the aesthetic sports (figure skating and all forms of gymnastics) in any country that doesn’t have a centralized development program. Minimal comps with TV coverage means fewer 5-8 yos begging their parents for lessons, even if there was access. OTOH, for sports with built in social distancing like tennis, golf, track and the like, participation at all ages is up by a factor of 3-4x depending on who you ask.
 

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