At first glance, an individual notices the swirls, twirls and graceful movements of an ice skater. Behind the beautifully dressed ice skater with (for girls) tightly-pinned hair and a flawlessly made up face is a whole other side. The countless hours spent on the ice—practicing late at night and early in the morning—and the dedication and persistence behind mastering the graceful moves (seen by the public) are hidden by the image of perfection.
Ice skating is a huge part of my life (over 10 years were spent daily on the ice). My parents introduced me to ice skating when I was four years old and I am eternally grateful that they did, even though there were moments when I was incredibly frustrated and hated it. I love ice skating because it is freeing and unique—it has been a stress reliever and helped me tackle multiple obstacles. It has taught and subsequently instilled numerous values that have stayed with me throughout the years.
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Patience
Patience is key in ice skating because swirls, twirls and jumps are not easy to master. There were countless instances (even when I advanced in levels) when I would have a numb butt from falling numerous times. A twirl is not a simple spin. An exact amount of exertion is required to master the necessary amount of momentum to spin. I am not saying that I was patient at every point in time—I had many moments when I wanted to just give up because I kept failing. It caused me great frustration (even in the higher levels) and with the pressure of high school, I had limited patience. Yet, the one thing that kept me going (and ultimately taught me patience) was knowing how far I had come. The inclination that giving up and throwing away years of hard work over not having enough patience to deal with the one maneuver pushed me through the end.
Persistence & Determination
I have learned that there are many moments when life will throw curveballs and things will not be easy (or handed to you on a silver platter). One of the toughest maneuvers to master (and hence the one that ice skaters aspire to nail) is the axel. It requires an individual to spin one and a half rotations in the air before landing. While it seems easy in thought, it is actually quite difficult, especially the spinning in the air and landing on one foot. A minimum of a year is necessary to learn the move and then countless months to master it. It takes some individuals longer than others. I took over two years to master it and they were not easy years by any means. The number of hours, late evenings and early mornings, especially on weekends, exhausted me. I watched as my friends went out and were social (having sleepovers and enjoying middle school), while I would have early nights because I knew I had to wake up early the next morning to go to the rink. Was it worth it? At that moment, I do not know what my answer would have been because of the frustration but I know that I would have kicked myself later if I gave up. Without the persistence and determination, I would not have been able to get as far as I did and master the axel. The thought of losing it all pulled me together and I am so glad that it did.
Confidence
Whenever a jump, spin or technique was mastered, it was evaluated by a panel of judges (who were also the coaches). Confidence comes in two forms: internal and external (the internal confidence exudes into the external confidence). An individual has to learn to have internal confidence—to know that he or she is capable of mastering the move/technique (that he/she can do it). Without the confidence, no matter how much practice an individual has, he/she will not master the move. Internal strength is a huge factor in the swirls, twirls, spins and gracefulness (the essential perfection captured by the public).
Time Management
Ice skating was a huge part of my life because of the commitment. Along with spending hours on weekdays and weekends at the rink, I had to learn how to balance school (and the maintenance of my grades along with other extracurricular activities) and ice skating. I had to learn to figure out an effective schedule to get enough sleep, successfully manage my academics and perform to the best of my ability on the ice. While this would entail sacrificing my social life, time management is a skill that has carried on (and has been especially useful in high school and college).
Team Work
While ice skating is (on most occasions) an individual sport, there are instances when individuals have to work together. Even as we advance to the higher levels, we look out for one another and help each other out as much as possible to master the technique/jump. In the beginner levels, coaches group skaters together based on level for them to learn team work. We work together to create a routine that highlights and showcases each individual's talent and strength. It really helps us get to know one another on both an individual level and a skater level.
