How do people in the U.K. get their children into winter sport?

[Mrsknackered]

Was thinking about this today, we have been watching a lot of Winter Olympics this half term.

When you see people from team GB competing in the lesser known sports such as skeleton, and the one bowls on ice (I've completely forgotten the name) how on earth do they get into it?

Do they start out skiing? And then get scouted? I can't imagine where they find the places to train!

Sounds bizarre to somebody from a sport where you need to be doing 5-6hrs a week from 7yo and 20hrs a week from 11-12yo (or so) to be in with any sort of chance.

Which sport is this? That sounds a lot for an 11 year old!

Both lizzie yarnold and Laura deas were pony club tetrathletes and were scouted through the girls4gold programme There is another similar program going at the moment, you need to be 15 to apply . A tetrathlon is riding, shooting, swimming and running, so you need to be an excellent all round athlete.

training for figure skating is easily 20 hours a week. ice hockey as well.
dd achieved a high level in fs son in ice hockey and no question it was hours and hours on ice, off ice dance for girls, weight lifting gym for boys. even earlier than 11. 9-10 for sure. 11 might be too late to develop the skills necessary.

The 'only twice a day/ 150 minutes a season' slide time was just skeleton. Obviously not figure skating. I imagine the skeleton people do other stuff. The coach said they has a 'system' for producing a good start. It was obviously a state secret so he was not able to divulge what that was.

Scabbersley plenty of early entry, technical sports will see fairly young children training 20hrs a week.

notenough. Yeah I wouldn’t be able to see over my boobs for the feet first on your back one either!

Scabbersley plenty of early entry, technical sports will see fairly young children training 20hrs a week

That's almost 3 hours a day. Dd is top ten in gb in her sport and doesn't train that much! I can only think of gymnastics and skating where people put those ridiculous hours in.

She's 11 and trains for about 12 hours a week.

Scotland national curling centre is in my town and it’s feckin popular. Lots of classes for adults and holders to learn. Only downside is that when it’s curling season I’ve skating sessions are reduced massively and only at weekends

My sister was doing 24 hours a week of gymnastics aged 10. It was brutal!

When I was learning to snowboard I was amazed (and intimidated) by the youngsters on the slopes. I remember a little one, maybe 3 or 4 years old doing small jumps and rails like the board was an extension to her feet!

It's ridiculously hard to get into winter sports in the uk, and the cost probably knocks out 80-90% of those that could. Those in Scotland have got a better chance, but if not then you have to leave the UK for months every year.

I went from a complete novice to a credible contender in one season when I was in the Army - but that was because I spent 8 weeks on the slopes (in Austria) for at least 6 hours a day. Who could afford to do that?

There used to be a military unit that was referred to as the "Sport and Pastime" Regiment. Those with a real chance of competing in the Olympics/Commonwealth Games etc were posted there and spent more time on their sport than their 'job'. It was a dream posting (this wasn't just winter sports though, and there was another unit in Germany that focussed on them). I doubt it would happen now.

Luge / skeleton / bobsleigh often train at Bath University and are scouted from other disciplines.
Back in the golden era of British figure skating a lot came from, or trained at, Bristol.
The ice rink's been closed down now, so that's that, I suppose.

Sheffield has been mentioned several times in interviews by different Olympians

So think there must be something going on there

After Summer Olympics there were loads of sports doing trial thingys to get people to try different sports

DS & DH went to one for archery it was free for 6 weeks (each weekend) at a local archery club

Think national lottery paid for them - hopefully there are same sort of thing at snow domes and ice rinks around GB

If you look on Elise Christie Twitter feed there is a video of a 5 year old girl doing speed skating in Birmingham

Sheffield built a really good dry ski slope in the early 90s that was ahead of its time - different runs and levels. I'm not sure what it's like nowadays, but it was the place to go when it first opened.

Back in the golden era of British figure skating a lot came from, or trained at, Bristol.

That might have had something to do with the fact that that ice rink was owned by Robin Cousins.

Winter sports, like some others eg rowing, sailing etc are really only easily available if you have £££££

Pisses me right off

Lizzy Yarnold privately educated, as are most of the English winter sports ppl

Imagine if winter sports was like football and open to all instead of just the toffs!

My father used to take us to the ice rink. It was in a really grotty area and he was a saint to go round with us. Sometimes I would see a little girl come in a leotard thing and do really good proper skating. I was never any good but I suppose someone with an ice rink near their house like that who gets into it and goes every day can get quite good. By the way this was an ice skating rink in a very disadvantaged part of the NE.

Then my parents paid once for me and a sibling to go on a school ski trip at 14. I liked it. I then went back to it and took all the children some of whom are quite good - but not enough or committed enough to it to compete but that is another way.

I know through work some Scottish skiers who do it locally and aren't rich or posh but they just happen to live near Aviemore and get into it.

I know someone who does skiing with the territorial army - those men and women are not necessarily posh or rich and the ski training is part of the defence of the realm.

However yes given we don't have snow here and most of our lakes don't ice over most of us are not going to come across a need for winter sports stuff in every day life unlike if we live somewhere else.

Sheffield is where dd skates. It has an amazing double ice rink. Great coaches. There’s loads of group lessons, private coaching, speed skating opportunities, ice hockey all going on. Lot of lottery money.

England Institute of sport is literally over the road with the country’s biggest gym, indoor running track, opportunity to train at all sorts of stuff like pole vaulting, coaches, physios, etc. Again quite a lot of lottery funding. Jessica Ennis trains there.

How do they get them involved? £££££ With possible exception of curling in Scotland.

To be fair Expat to get to Olympic level in any sport costs a great deal of money.

All sports cost money to get to Olympic level.

My neighbours dds were both ice skaters, local rink 20 mins away, they competed all over the world, they even moved house to change to a new rink 80 miles away when the oldest would have been about 11/12 the girls did online lessons in the morning for a couple of hours the rest of the time they were training.
They never made it to the Olympics but both won international golds for England /UK in their age ranges over the years.
Now one travels the world with Disney on ice and the other coaches back at our local rink. The whole family revolved around the sport and yes they were pretty well off. You need serious commitment to do well in any sports and plenty of cash for winter ones.

IIRC the women in bobsleigh had to crowdfund to get to Olympics cos the lottery fund and team gb ran short of money and so put it into the men bobsleigh team cos they were more likely to get medals

They raised they money themselves with public help (and maybe some rich sponsors)

honeyroar - The Ski Village in Sheffield closed down about 5 years ago. It is now used as arson training centre as it seems to be on fire almost weekly. There is talk of it being completely rebuilt but I'll believe when I see it

So to access winter sports you need to be either:

Be utterly minted
Live in Scotland
Be in the army

Pfft

I can’t take it seriously - as I can’t take sailing etc seriously. It’s not the best of the best, it’s the best of a very tiny group of privileged people. I’m not really into watching a bunch of silver spoons going down a mountain - I’d rather watch a properly competitive sport where people from all groups get to enter.

I think there are enough people curling that they don’t poach/scout bowlers. My mum took it up in her 40s and is still at it in her 70s. I played a little as a teenager.

Our kids are learning to ski in dry slopes but I think it is difficult to ski to Olympic level unless you move.

tiffa sailing is a very accessible sport that doesn't need loadsofmoney. Not yachting, dinghies - and we are bloody good at that at olympic level. Doesn't involve running about in bra and knickers so you don't hear about it.

You dont need to be by the sea either, loads of reservoir and river venues.

Also doesn't matter if you are male or female , and even accessible if you are disabled. Not at all like the elite snow sports.