01/22/2026
⛸️We know that many of you are first time competitors or newer to the competitive side of figure skating. Here are some helpful tips on what to expect and do:
✅Arrival and Check-In
Your day begins at the Registration Desk, usually located near the main entrance. This is your first official stop where you will receive your competitor badge, the merch you ordered, and often a goodie bag. Once registered, you should locate your assigned dressing room. You should arrive at the rink at least an hour before your event—events can run up to 30 minutes early, and missing your start time results in disqualification.
✅Locker Room Protocol
After checking in, check the signage to find your dressing area. Locker rooms are assigned specifically to each club to keep teams together.
Club Locker Rooms: These are strictly for athletes. Only skaters are allowed inside these assigned club locker rooms to ensure focus and privacy. Parents, friends, and coaches must wait outside.
12 & Under Locker Room: There is a separate, designated locker room provided specifically for skaters aged 12 and under. In this room only, one parent or guardian of the same gender is permitted to enter to assist the skater with tying skates or adjusting costumes.
There is to be NO food or drink (other than water) in the locker rooms!
✅The Ice Monitor and "The Gate"
About 30 to 45 minutes before your event, you must find the Ice Monitor. This is a volunteer stationed at the rink entrance (the "gate") holding a clipboard. You must check in with them personally so they know you are present. If you don't check in, they may mark you as a scratch (absent). The Ice Monitor controls the flow of skaters onto the ice; they will tell you when you can stand near the door and when to take your guards off.
‼️Important Restricted Area Rule:‼️
The ice entry area (often called "the boards" or "gate") is a restricted zone. At no time are parents, friends, or family members allowed in this area. Only skaters and credentialed coaches are permitted near the ice entry. Family and friends must say their goodbyes in the lobby or dressing room area and watch from the bleachers. This rule is strictly enforced to keep the entryway clear and safe for nervous skaters entering and exiting the ice.
✅Practice Ice vs. Warm-Up
If you signed up for Practice Ice (a separate session earlier in the day), expect it to be chaotic. Skaters of different levels practice simultaneously, so keep your head up. During your actual event, you will have an official Warm-Up group (usually 4–6 skaters). When the announcer calls your group, you’ll have a set time (usually 3 to 6 minutes) to warm up. Your coach will likely stand at the boards to give you last-minute corrections. When the warm-up ends, you leave the ice and wait for your specific turn.
✅The Performance and Scoring
When your name is announced, you skate to your starting pose. After you finish, remember to smile and bow to the judges and the audience! You’ll exit the ice and immediately put your hard guards back on.
Coaching: Your coach acts as your anchor. They will put you on the ice, take your jacket/guards, and meet you at the exit gate for a debrief.
Scoring: Results will be posted online that you will access through a QR code that will be on the skaters badge and posted throughout the venue.
✅Parent & Spectator Code of Conduct
To ensure a safe and fair environment for all competitors, we ask that all spectators adhere to the following rules regarding media and behavior:
No Flash Photography: Flash photography is strictly prohibited during all events. A sudden flash can blind or distract a skater mid-element, potentially causing a dangerous fall.
Video Recording: You are generally permitted to video record only your own skater. Please refrain from recording other children unless you have explicit permission from their parents.
Aisle Safety: Tripods and power cords are not permitted in the stands or aisles as they pose a tripping hazard. Handheld devices only, please.
✅Questions? Ask Your Coach First
Please direct all questions regarding schedules, rules, or logistics to your private coach before contacting the competition committee. The committee is comprised of volunteers who are busy running the event, and your coach is an experienced professional who will likely know the answer immediately. If there is an issue your coach cannot resolve, they will be the one to contact the referee or competition chair on your behalf.
✅What to Bring: The Essentials Checklist
Pack your bag the night before. A "skate mom/dad" or guardian usually holds the bag while you skate (but remembers to stay away from the gate!).
Skates & Guards: Hard guards for walking, soft "soakers" for storing.
Music: Always bring a backup copy (phone with dongle) rink-side, even if you uploaded it.
Costume & Backups: Bring your competition outfit, plus a spare pair of tights (rips happen!) and a sewing kit with safety pins.
Warmth: A customized team jacket or heavy fleece is standard. Rinks are freezing; bring a blanket for your legs while you wait.
Grooming: Hairspray and makeup for touch-ups. NO bobby pins are allowed on the ice!!
Comfort: Water bottle, tissues (cold rinks = runny noses), and sneakers for off-ice warm-ups.
This should cover a lot of your questions! Hope it helps!
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