In a world where our young athletes are pushing their limits and striving for excellence in synchronized skating, this time of year presents additional obstacles for athletes to balance. The juggling act of managing rigorous school schedules alongside the demanding commitments of participating on a competitive team is not for the faint of heart. For kids, this delicate equilibrium can often feel like walking a tightrope, with each step requiring precision and dedication.
There is no doubt that synchronized skating offers invaluable opportunities for personal growth, physical fitness, and teamwork. Participation teaches discipline, resilience, and the thrill of achievement. However, it also comes with a significant time commitment, involving grueling practice sessions, competition travel, and the pressure to perform at a high level. On the other hand, the academic demands of school are as important as ever, with each grade and classroom experience shaping the foundation for a successful future. Add on the social pressures on kids today, and you have an environment that can challenge even the most organized and dedicated athlete.
It becomes the parent’s job to help ease the stresses and provide guidance to our athletes. Kids feel indestructible. They overcommit. They make bad choices. And sometimes, just sometimes, they are just too tired to be at their best.
Back to school season in synchronized skating means a shift in priorities. Skaters have finished any required testing for the season. Choreography camps are complete. Coaches priorities shift to fine tuning programs because the first competitions are just around the corner! Ice becomes harder to get as the demands for hockey teams increase. For our athletes, homework, after school activities, and jobs tug at their time and attention. School dances, football games, required music concerts begin to fill their schedule – with no regard for the year long synchronized skating schedule that was set months ago, or the competition schedule you have little control over. This often leaves our skaters feeling the pressure to make difficult choices between friends, maintaining their grades and their spot on the team. Teachers at school and coaches at the rink put multiple pressures on them, leaving our athletes to feel like they are letting someone down if they have to prioritize their time.
For teams in the international selection pool (ISP), required monitoring sessions are just a few weeks away. Programs need to be nearly competition ready because the opportunity to represent the United States in international competition is on the line. Monitoring is the first “test” ISP junior and senior level teams must pass to be considered, and the pressure can be intense for skaters and coaches.
For high achieving athletes, those who are trying to fill their high school resume with all the boxes they need to check for selective college applications, this can be overwhelming. For the average student, the pressure to please everyone can be intense. And for those struggling to deal with balancing the demands, the ice rink and synchronized skating practice can be their safe haven away from it all. As parents, our job is to know which category our athlete falls into.
I learned this lesson the hard way after watching my skater become more stressed each and every season. Helping her stay focused on today and this week, rather than all of what was to come in the next three months, reduced the stress and helped her make better decisions.
Here are some tips to navigate the fall synchronized skating season successfully with your athlete, no matter their age or level:
- Plan out the entire fall schedule on a calendar, September through December, to understand where conflicts are ahead of time. That includes choir concerts, synchronized skating activities (including travel days), family gatherings, religious obligations, and school testing days. Whatever it may be that you are involved in. It’s important for the entire family to know what to expect, so don’t forget support needed for your non-synchronized skating children.
- Create a priority list for your athlete to help them make better decisions. Athletes are students first, but with proper prioritization they can have both fulfilling school and skating careers. Time management is key.
- It is not ok to skip synchronized skating team practice unless it is a mandatory graded activity for school. Make sure your coach knows those dates months ahead of time so they can plan accordingly. If you have a test the morning after a synchronized skating team practice, your athlete should create a study plan several days in advance to avoid late night cramming in the car on the way home from practice.
- Athletes must not skimp on food or sleep or they are at increased risk of injury. Make sure there is time in the schedule for both. Snacks in a skate bag and homework during breaks at the rink are often lifesavers!
- Performance preparation always comes before practice, if they have to make a choice. The week before a skating competition, the team always came first. If it was between team competitions and the choir concert has a performance, choir takes priority.
- If your athlete has to miss a practice, make sure they meet with a teammate prior to the next team practice to get caught up. It is their responsibility to learn what they missed and be prepared for the next practice. Don’t ask the coach “Are they going to miss anything important?”. If it wasn’t important, the team wouldn’t be practicing.
- “I can’t, I have practice” became a wonderful phrase for my athlete to use with her school friends when she knew she needed to be home early to get enough sleep for an early Saturday morning practice session.
- Develop a parent network for carpooling to ease the burden and share the load. You don’t need to sit at the rink every practice and watch. Our athletes need us more when they travel and compete, so prioritize that time.
- Don’t let them overcommit. Be honest about how much time and money each activity will take and how much you are willing to support as a parent. If you cannot provide either, be honest and help your athlete pick which to participate in.
- The older your athlete gets, it’s likely the more selective they will become with their time. Younger athletes will need your help. At some point, synchronized skating may become more time consuming than they would like, and that’s ok.
Our athletes are developing young people who still need our guidance and support. Helping them navigate the stresses of life, while exploring all of their interests and talents, is our job as parents. Synchronized skating was my daughter’s safe space when the pressures of life seemed too much to handle. But it wasn’t her whole life. Learning to balance it all is what prepared her for adulthood.
in synch mom 