This time, I will introduce various stories related to figure skaters. I believe that each skater has different perspectives, but based on my experience supporting skaters from kids as young as 3-4 years old to Olympic champions over several decades, I will share my thoughts.
When I ask kids skaters or skating moms under 10 years old, "What is your goal?" almost 100% of them respond with "Olympic champion." Having a big dream like this is motivating and positive, I believe. I know skaters who have truly won Olympic gold after consistently aiming for it since childhood.
Here's what skaters and skating moms should know:
If you really aim for the Olympics, you need to prepare yourself. In other words, blindly following the coach's instructions and practicing for long hours from a young age is not necessarily the shortcut to becoming an Olympic champion.
A common scenario is when a coach invites a young skater, saying, "You have potential, so let's double the training volume and train in the elite class!" This often leads to a lifestyle solely focused on figure skating. When invited by coaches from teams dominating competitions near Toronto, both the skater and the skating mom become enthusiastic, thinking, "Maybe my child is really talented!"
Their daily routine includes early morning training from 6 a.m., then going to school, leaving early around noon for more practice at the rink, and squeezing in dance or music lessons. Skating moms tirelessly drive around 200 km daily for drop-offs and pick-ups, which is quite demanding.
If a skater can handle such a high volume of training before puberty, they are likely to achieve good results in competitions since not many skaters of this age train at such intensity (there are various opinions on excessive training during childhood).
However, continuing this intense training pace until becoming an Olympic champion is highly unlikely because it's very challenging to sustain.
Excessive coaching methods from a young age have always existed in some clubs, appearing as highly structured programs that attract many skaters who want to excel in competitions. In the short term, this approach becomes very popular, with the club producing numerous prize winners in competitions.
Conversely, the reason why these coaching methods are not sustained in the same club for long is because after several years, many problems surface. Skaters cannot sustain this training regimen until the critical ages of 15-18 without injuries.
This translation captures the essence of the original text.