Jackson Cote is a MODG freshman who is a competitive figure skater and has kindly agreed to answer a few questions about his skating. Read about it below!

Tell me a bit about yourself!

Hello! My name is Jackson Cote, and I’m a ninth grader who does competitive figure skating. I began homeschooling at MODG in order to focus on my skating career. As of now, I
skate at Fairfax Ice Arena, my home rink, and MedStar Capitals Iceplex, both of which are situated in Virginia. Besides skating, I like to read, draw, and play basketball.

What type(s) of skating do you do?

As of now, I am a figure skater who competes solo men’s freestyle. I perform a short program to music, similar to what would be seen on television. My programs include various
elements executed by all the other skaters that I may be competing against. All of the elements, from jumps and spins to choreographed step sequences, are judged through the International Judging System (IJS) system. This season, I am skating to “Paradise” by Coldplay. My routine includes specific jump and spin combinations, as well as other elements and steps required by IJS. Additionally, I test under the United States Figure Skating (USFS) Skating Skills system.

This is a series of maneuvers split up by level to demonstrate technical excellence, especially when it comes to edgework. As of now, I have just passed my Bronze test and am now working on Pre-Silver Skating Skills. I also have begun working on ice dance, and I have yet to test for
that.

How many hours a week do you practice?

At most, I skate about seven hours a week, plus two hours of off-ice conditioning. My schedule changes every day of the week in order to accommodate the classes I have at various
points throughout the day, but I consistently skate in the mornings between 6:00 and 10:00 a.m. Currently, the rinks I skate at offer thirty-to-forty minute skating sessions, and I’ll usually skate three per day.

How long have you been skating and competing? What kind of competitions have you done?

I began figure skating and competing when I was twelve, so I’ve skated for about three years. I do between six or seven competitions per competition season (which lasts from March to
October), and I try to do at least three testing sessions a year in order to move up in my Skating Skills. My goal is to achieve a gold medal in Skating Skills. The competitions I participate in involve me performing a routine set to music, which is judged by the IJS. In the past, I have skated to David Bowie’s “Golden Years”, Kate Bush’s “Running Up That Hill”, and Cirque de Soleil On Ice’s “Steampunk Telegram.” This year will be my first year with an Axel jump, which is the most difficult single-revolution jump in figure skating.

Why did you begin skating?

I first became interested in skating after one of my classmates held her birthday party at an ice rink. Almost immediately, I knew I had an affinity for it, so I asked my parents if I could
skate more public sessions at that rink. Years later, following the COVID-19 pandemic, my parents wanted me to be in an athletic sport, and I opted to do skating. I initially wanted to do speedskating, but my mom and I decided to go for figure skating instead since she used to figure
skate in her teens.

What is your favorite thing about skating?

My favorite thing about skating is the physical and mental discipline. Figure skating is a fun sport, but it is also physically rigorous and complex. Many elements, such as jumps and
spins, can take months, if not years to master, and they require certain levels of strength and discipline to maintain. In a competitive context, performance anxiety is also prevalent. Anxiety often drives people away from sports such as figure skating due to the task of performing in front of large audiences. The silver lining to it is that, through facing a large audience, I’m able to deal with all sorts of anxieties, both on ice and off ice, in a healthy, rational way. All in all, skating teaches a sense of discipline and confidence that enables me to keep going.

How do you balance school and skating?
When I used to attend in-person school, I would balance skating and school by going to sessions that began in the early morning before my school days began. Now that I homeschool at MODG, my schedule is far more flexible, and I’m able to skate sessions at later times in the morning before my classes. Typically, my sessions will begin at either 6:10 or 8:20 a.m.

Would you recommend skating to others? What advice would you give to future skaters?

Personally, I would recommend skating. Not only does it provide important physical exercise, but it also trains your mind into disciplining itself. Through competing, you learn to
manage performance anxiety in healthy, proper ways, and you grow to challenge yourself more and more as you progress. Additionally, you can find support in your fellow peers and coaches, who all understand the feeling of working hard to hone one’s craft. A piece of advice I would give to future skaters is to not be too critical of yourself. Progress spans over the course of months, even years, and it is normal to not immediately grasp the techniques behind certain elements. At times, it may seem like you’ll hit obstacles that you can’t pass, but as long as you practice and put in the hours, you’ll eventually master anything that’s put in front of you. In the meantime, give yourself the respect and discipline you deserve while you work on achieving your goals, and don’t be so difficult on yourself.