Figure skating for children, whose parents want to get some significant results, today begins with 4-6 years. This age is considered optimal, because the child not only mechanically repeats the given movements, but also better understands what he is doing. Some sections are taken from 2.5-3 years, but this is considered a premature start. Before sending a child to the ice, many recommend that you first work out with him gymnastics, which will strengthen the muscular frame and develop some flexibility.
Figure skating is unlearned from the first lessons. Therefore, you need to be prepared that the child will constantly receive bruises and microtrauma from their own falls or collisions with other children. This sport is very serious in terms of loads. Those who apply for the Olympic reserve school must study from 3 to 6 hours daily, passing such disciplines as general physical training, stretching, skiing, tacking, choreography. Skiers "for the soul" in a sports school devote this activity 1-1.5 hours daily. This, of course, is less than that of athletes, but significantly more than the recommended two hours of school physical education.
A formal dress for figure skating will be necessary if the child has reached the level where he can be released for performances or competitions. But this sport requires you to train in clothing that matches the temperature and size of the child. In addition, she should not press, rub, fetter movement. Professionals sew their outfits to order in agreement with the coach.
The main elements of this sport are jumping, basic and technical steps, spins, spirals and methods of pair and synchronous movement. Some jumps in figure skating have interesting, sometimes even funny names: “pendal”, “goat”, “deer” or “sheepskin coat”, but a very serious description - which foot to start from, how to jump and where to land. For example, “twine” involves jumping into the position of the transverse twine in the air from a rittberger or flip triple with a (usually) goat exit.
Figure skating jumps are divided into gear jumps, the performance of which begins with the tooth of the ridge, and costal - start from the edge of the blade. The first include “sheepskin coat”, “Lutz” and “flip”, the second - “Rittberger”, “Salchow”, “Axel”. Adult skaters almost completely own jumps in three turns, and supermasters jump in four turns. The competitive programs include whole cascades of these elements, which must be completed by the appropriate exit. And on ice shows you can also see somersaults prohibited at sporting events.
Jumping in figure skating is an indispensable element of competition, without which, in the opinion of the famous coach E. Tchaikovsky, this sport would not have the necessary acuity. After E. Plushenko didn’t get the “gold” at the Olympics in 2010, he didn’t get the gold, new rules were introduced in figure skating, which, in particular, provide more points for the performance of the four-piece sheepskin coat and less punishment for disrupting the element . Therefore, younger skaters have something to strive for.