Your child just watched the Olympics, or maybe they saw someone spinning gracefully at the local rink, and now they’re begging to try figure skating. As a parent, you’re probably wondering: Where do I even start? How much does this cost? Do they really need their own skates right away?
Take a deep breath. Figure skating is an incredible sport that builds strength, discipline, and confidence, and the St. Louis area has a welcoming skating community ready to help your family get started.
Finding the Right Rink
The St. Louis area has several rinks offering figure skating programs, and your first step is finding one that works for your family’s location and schedule. You’ll find rinks teaching different learn-to-skate curricula. Some offer “Learn to Skate USA” classes, endorsed by U.S. Figure Skating, USA Hockey and US Speedskating. Others teach ISI (Ice Skating Institute) learn-to-skate classes or their own modified programs tailored to their facility and students.
All of these approaches teach the same fundamental skills—how to fall safely, get back up, glide, stop, and turn. Classes typically run in six to eight week sessions and are grouped by age and ability level. Your child will start in a beginner class regardless of age, building confidence and mastering basics before moving forward.
Each rink has its own personality and program structure, so it’s worth checking out what’s available near you to find the best fit for your family.
The First Steps
Before committing to expensive equipment or long-term contracts, sign your child up for a beginner session at your nearest rink. Most facilities offer rentals for the first few classes, which lets you gauge whether this is a passing interest or genuine passion. Some kids take to the ice immediately, while others need time to build confidence on the slippery surface.
During these early classes, don’t worry about technique or progress. Watch whether your child seems excited to go to the rink, whether they’re smiling when they skate, and whether they talk about wanting to go back. Figure skating requires significant time and financial investment as kids progress, so you want to see real enthusiasm before diving deeper.
When to Buy Skates
Here’s what every skating parent learns: rental skates are fine for a session or two, but if your child is serious about continuing, proper skates make an enormous difference. Rental skates are typically old, poorly maintained skates that don’t provide the ankle support needed for figure skating. Once your child has completed a beginner session and wants to continue, it’s time to invest in real figure skates.
For beginners, expect to spend around $100 to $300 on new entry-level figure skates from brands like Jackson, Riedell, or Edea. These should be properly fitted at a skate pro shop, not bought online or at a general sporting goods store. Proper fit is crucial because skates that are too big will prevent progress, while skates that are too small will cause pain and potential injury.
Don’t buy skates with “room to grow.” Figure skates should fit snugly, and yes, your child will outgrow them. This is simply part of the sport. Many rinks have used skate sales or Facebook groups where you can buy and sell gently used skates as kids outgrow them.
The Cost Reality
Figure skating isn’t the most expensive youth sport out there, but it’s not cheap either. Group lessons typically run $100 to $200 per session, with sessions lasting six to eight weeks. As your child progresses, they may want to add private coaching, which runs $30 to $60 per half-hour lesson in the St. Louis area. Ice time for practice costs extra, usually $5 to $15 per session. Add in annual skating club membership fees, competition costs if they pursue that path, and periodic skate upgrades, and a family can easily spend $2,000 to $5,000 per year on a child in figure skating.
The good news is that you can control these costs somewhat by choosing how intensely your child pursues the sport. Recreational skaters who take group lessons and skate once or twice a week can participate for much less than competitive skaters who take private lessons multiple times weekly and travel to competitions.
What Comes After Beginner Classes
Once your child has mastered basic skills like forward and backward skating, stopping, and simple glides, they’ll move into higher levels that introduce crossovers, one-foot glides, and eventually basic jumps and spins. At this point, many families join their rink’s figure skating club, which provides access to club ice sessions, test sessions, performance opportunities, and a community of other skating families.
Some kids discover they love the performance aspect of skating and pursue ice shows and exhibitions. Others are drawn to the athletic challenge of mastering jumps and spins. A few become intensely competitive, setting their sights on tests, competitions, and higher-level skating. There’s no wrong path, and kids can shift between these approaches as their interests evolve.
Private Coaching: When and Why
As your child progresses beyond the basics, you’ll hear other parents mention private lessons. Private coaching isn’t necessary for young beginners. Group classes provide plenty of instruction and ice time in those early stages. However, once your child reaches intermediate levels and starts working on more complex jumps and spins, many skaters add private lessons to supplement their group classes. Kids starting at a slightly older age than typical might benefit from picking up private lessons in conjunction with group classes to speed up progression, as they often have the focus and body awareness to advance more quickly than younger beginners.
A private coach provides one-on-one attention, corrects technique issues before they become habits, and helps skaters progress faster through skills. In the St. Louis area, expect to pay $30 to $60 per half-hour lesson. This fee does not include ice admission. Most recreational skaters take one private lesson per week, while competitive skaters may take two or more. Don’t feel pressured to start private lessons immediately. Yyour child will let you know when they’re ready for that next level of commitment.
The Parent’s Role
Figure skating requires a significant commitment from parents, especially in the early years. You’ll be tying skates, hauling bags, and sitting in cold rinks. You’ll become familiar with the names of jumps you’ve never heard of (What’s an axel? A lutz? A salchow?). You’ll learn to navigate the sometimes intense world of skating parents and coaches.
But here’s the beautiful part: figure skating gives kids something rare in modern childhood. It’s a sport where progress is visible and measurable, where kids learn that hard work directly translates to achievement, and where falling down—literally—is just part of the process. The lessons learned on the ice about persistence, grace under pressure, and getting back up after you fall serve kids well long after they hang up their skates.
Making the Decision
So your kid wants to figure skate. Start with a beginner session at your local rink. See if the spark is real. If it is, invest in proper skates and commit to a season. Talk to other parents in the lobby—skating families are generally welcoming and happy to share advice. Don’t worry about whether your child has Olympic potential or even competitive potential. Most kids who skate never compete, and that’s perfectly fine.
Figure skating might become a lifelong passion, a phase that lasts a year or two, or a foundation for other ice sports. Whatever happens, your child will learn to do something most people can’t, they’ll challenge themselves physically and mentally, and they’ll be part of a unique community. And isn’t that what we want for our kids anyway?
Welcome to the skating world, St. Louis parents. Bundle up, bring a thermos of coffee, and get ready to watch your child learn to fly on ice.
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