(Answered by Joanne Schneider-Ferris)

Find a private figure skating coach

with the expertise and knowledge that you believe you can trust with your child's skating career. Champions are not produced by talent alone. Do you have the time and money to make your child a competitor? The first step parents need to take towards making a child an accomplished figure skater is to find a private lesson coach that can direct and manage a child's skating. Not all figure skating coaches can do this. Look for someone who teaches skating full-time. Part-time figure skating coaches can help supplement a skater's training, but the coach in charge should be committed completely to a child's skating and to being the best figure skating coach possible. Every skater is different; make sure your coach is a good match for personality and learning style.

Making a drastic change, like moving away for skating, may not be necessary.

It is not necessary to disrupt a family's entire life for skating by moving to a figure skating training center. There may be a young and energetic coach at an ice arena in your city that has the drive and ability to train and coach figure skating champions. That person may be capable of training a figure skater from the beginning to elite levels. Best thing to do is ask.

Don't put off getting started doing things "right."

It is important for parents of young skaters to understand that competitive figure skaters must commit to a structured figure skating training schedule as early as possible. The ideal age to get started doing this is at about five, six, or seven. Those who start "late" around eight, nine, or ten years of age can possibly catch up with the right coaching and training. Those who start skating seriously after the age of ten can still be serious competitive figure skaters, but it may be too late to "make it" in singles, especially for a girl. A developed women's body makes it hard to master double and triple jumps. Those who win ladies events at the national, world, and Olympic levels may have landed some triple jumps before puberty. There are, of course, always exceptions. Determination and remaining injury –free have a serious impact on performance and skill levels. Once it is decided that a child wants to be a serious figure skater working towards being the absolute best, "jump right in.

Don't waste time or use the excuse that your child is still young and has plenty of time. The time a person can be a competitive single skater working towards national, international, and Olympic dreams is short. A "window" is only open for a certain number of years. Doors are open a little longer for ice dancers, synchronized skaters, and pair skaters.

Commit to a training schedule and to lessons.

Young figure skaters working towards competing at the Pre-preliminary level and above should skate before and after school and take at least one lesson a day. Many more private lessons are required for a skater who wishes to win or medal in regional, sectional, national, or international figure skating competitions. High level skaters may skate for at least two to three hours in the morning and may return to the rink for two to three more hours in the afternoon. Off-ice conditioning and off-ice classes in ballet and dance should also be part of a figure skater's training plan. It is common for elite level figure skaters to work with multiple coaches, so more than one lesson a day may be normal for those trying to get to the top.