WHY FIGURE SKATING IS GREAT! by RYAN JAHNKE Tousands of people will tell you that fig-
ure skating is a GREAT sport. But what makes this unique ice sport so great and worth your time? Tat question is what we tackle in this ar- ticle.
Webster’s Dictionary defines great as “re-
markable in degree, magnitude or effective- ness.” Skating is truly remarkable in the de- gree of detail it can be pursued, breathtaking in the magnitude of things one has to learn and extremely effective in building character. Allison Scott, mother of Jeremy Abbott,
three-time U.S. men’s champion, offers this thought: “Skating is about discipline. It teaches so
much more than jumps and spins. It teaches about coping with the twists and turns of life, too. Skating teaches an understanding and ac- ceptance of who you are, and who your friends are. Ultimately, skating is not exclusive; it is inclusive. If you are a new parent in the sport, please remember this: In the heat and passion of competition, know that the here-and-now is just that. What truly matters is what is ahead, as well as what has gone before. Tose are the six walls of a perfect box that encompass the best present of all in this sport: lasting friendships. Tat is a gift that is truly priceless.” Now, here is an answer from a teenage skat-
Ryan Jahnke performs a show program, wearing his favorite team’s jersey of the Denver Broncos.
Pairs skaters Amanda Evora and Mark Ladwig
er: “Figure skating teaches you a lot about life itself even before you get out there. Tis sport is like a roller coaster, and so is life. You have your ups and your downs. Tere will always be people who want to see you rise, and there are always people who want to see you fall. How you deal with these falls is how you succeed. Tis concept applies in life itself. You face this problem every- day of your life, and you face this problem every day in skating. In skating though, you literally fall, but you have to get back up and keep going. You cannot look back or feel sorry that you fell, you just have to get up and keep going. Tis is why I love figure skating.” — Casey Yee Below are my personal reflections from 21
years of competing. Skating allows you to possess a unique
set of skills. You can do things that only a small fraction of a single percent of people in the world can do. It is so rewarding to dedicate yourself day after day, year after year to develop- ing skills that others couldn’t even comprehend of doing quickly.
Constant personal growth. I feel like I can accomplish anything now. I feel like I’ll never be in harder situations than I’ve already gone through. It’s a crucible. You learn to set and work toward goals.
Achieve them and reset them higher. When you fail, you know it quickly. Your life becomes practice for the ultimate success formula of learning from mistakes, making ad- justments and moving forward. Skaters do not have a “padded room” life. You can get so strong emotionally, mentally. To be good demands a lot of time and
sacrifice. If you are a competitive skater, you know that you can’t do everything other kids your age are doing. Do I regret not going to all the parties, etc.? No way. No other sport combines the artistic and
physical requirements of skating. It has the artistry of dance and the athleticism of gymnas- tics.
46 MARCH 2012
Ryan Jahnke reminds everyone that it’s never too soon to begin skating. His son, Zayin, is getting a head start.
Tere is always something else to learn, someone who is better than you. You can progress at your own pace. It’s the hardest thing I’ve ever done. You learn to deal with physical pain and
discomfort. Injuries are a common hurdle. Perseverance. Knowing that you may have to do something a thousand times before you get it and stepping down that road and doing it anyways. Skating teaches you that you can’t con-
trol everything that happens to you in life, no matter how hard you work on it. Maybe you step on a loose ice chip on the ice. A skater’s balance needs to be so fine-tuned to complete certain elements that even though you’ve landed a jump a thousand times before, you sometimes fall.
When Amanda Evora got off the ice af- ter her long program at the 2010 Olympic Games with partner Mark Ladwig, she looked at the camera and said, “It’s worth it!” I hope you have found this article insightful and en- couraging. I want other people to experience the same great benefits that I have experienced through competitive figure skating. Ryan Jahnke is a 2003 World Team member and founder of
MySkatingMall.com, a site where skaters can buy and sell new and used skating items while raising money for skating charities.
ATHL E T E corner
ATHLETES ADVISORY COMMITTEE
PHOTO BY CANCAN CHU/GETTY IMAGES
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