The reason I quit was because it was kind of lonely. Out on the ice I didn't really have any friends so 4 days a week after school I would skate for an hour and be really bored. That was the thing that I didn't really like about skating. What about you guys?

That's exactly what I didn't like about singles skating, and part of the reason why I quit a couple years ago. I always got really bored at practice...jump, spin, jump, spin, that was it. When I got back into it a year later and started pairs I saw a whole new side of skating. There's always someone there to talk to, and there's just so many more things to practice in pairs. On the occassional day when Nick and I don't skate together, I get extremely bored practicing by myself. I constantly look at the clock to see when my session is over, but when I skate pairs, the time goes by so fast. So I definitely know how you felt.

Oh my gosh, I didn't know anyone else felt that way. I feel kinda lonely skating too. I didn't realise it at first, but I was so used to team sports - basketball, touch rugby, softball. Totally team. I loved skating, but the practice part was so strange. I'm not that close to the skaters in my rink, I have about 5 good friends there, but we hardly ever have the same practice times. The other skaters aren't that friendly, and sometimes act abit elitist
Can't blame them though, I'm rather at an odd age, abit too old to hang out with the younger skaters, but abit too young to hang out with the older ones. My skating level is also somwhere smack in the middle. yucky.
Oh well, I'll persevere. :/

I'm far from lonely - quite the opposite in fact, but then again I kind of like being left alone. I also skate on public sessions and the kids ALWAYS come up to me to chat, or play or whatever.

My thing is hitting plateaus. Skating has a TON of plateaus to overcome...you think you're doing great and progressing quickly and then BAM you're stuck for an indefinite period of time. So frustrating!

I never feel lonely cause I have learned to just get out there and practice, as my coach always said, " Ice time is not social time!"

I'm always glad to see the coaches telling the chatty girls on the ice to stop talking and start practicing. I know ice time is for practicing, not socializing, but it was still just a little boring for me I guess you could say. It does really bug me when I'm always seeing a group of girls standing at the boards during a session just talking.

I talk, but I usually talk with the kids about skating stuff. Asking them to show me what they learned, asking for advice etc. I think that that keeps everyone happy - coaches are happy that their kids are working and keeping their focus and the kids (and me!) don't feel all alone.

Then again, I do like the solitude of being the ONLY person on the ice. I used to hate it, now I wish I had my own rink.

Yes, my coach used to get really irritated with the skaters who stood in the middle of the ice and just talked. I don't talk much at the rink either, but it is nice to have someone to ask to help you out, or just eat lunch with.
Sunshinepointe> OH yes, I was going to reply to this thread about the horrible plateaus - I've been stuck at this element for .. 3 years?! - before I read about the loneliness thing. Sometimes I blame my lack-of-friends, for not going to the rink enough and thus not getting enough practice for the elements and then I create my own plateau.

What element are you stuck on? 3 years - wow, that must be frustrating...

I can't imagine being stuck on something for 3 years but another reason I quit was because I still couldn't land a lutz after a year! It was really aggrivating!

Lutz took a really long time for me too, and I still don't really know why. Double lutz took forever too...maybe it was just that back outside edge. Then of course I was stuck on the axel for at least a year. I ended up landing double salchows and double toes before an axel. Plateaus are definitely frustrating, but if you can stick with it and get past them, it feels very rewarding.

BLEAH! Yes, 3 years is frustrating. Oh yes, it's the dreaded axel! Strangest thing was I couldn't get the hang of switching my weight over from left to right foot, so for about a year I was doing one-foot axels. Ridiculous. My coach wasn't very impressed though, she was sure that by the time I actually needed my one-foot axels, I'd have forgotten how to do them.
I'm progressing, finally, though. But I did manage to move along with spins and footwork and stuff, so I wasn't completely stagnant.