Have you ever had to miss school for a skating competition?

Question

I have to frequently, so in the past two or three years, I usually miss school for one Friday in September for a competition, then for between half a day and one and a half days for a competition in February. That's usually all. This year though, I have to miss school all day Thursday and all day Friday, this week, for a competition in my city. And I missed school for the September competition. Also, I have to be gone the day before spring break starts, in the last week of March, for a competition. So how often do you have to miss school for skating competitions? Do your teachers give you any extra days to make up homework and class assignments?

Answer 1

I've never had to - our competitions are pretty much all on weekends so the only reason I'd need to miss school to compete would be if I had to travel interstate.



Overall, though, I do have to miss some school because of skating. I usually go late two mornings a week (last year I also left early two days a week for practice) but this year I have free periods so I won't have to miss any classes. :D



Education has always been my top priority overall, and it continues to be. :)

Answer 2

I didn't start skating until long after I'd left school.



My daughter's missed days for competitions.



Why do you need to miss two entire days for a _local_ competition, though? Can't you go into school for part of the day?



Show willing and your teachers are far more likely to be sympathetic.



No, my daughter has never been given extra days for assignments or homework (except where she's physically not been in class while they were doing that piece of classwork). I think it would be a cheek to ask, given how much of her time at competitions is sitting around.



Edit: Surprised to see people saying all competitions are at weekends - here almost _no_ competitions are at weekends because the ice hire is simply too expensive. Clubs can only afford the ice when it's cheaper - i.e. weekday daytime sessions where very few people would be skating normally.

Answer 3

I've missed school a few times for competitions or testing, but most competitions are on the weekend, so it usually works out. The main reason I would miss school for skating is for all the extra practice I do. Aside from the usual practices on Sundays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays, I like to fit in lessons at 6:30 to 7:30 before school. Because the extra practices are half an hour away from school, this usually makes me late. I've also been taken out of school early for sessions and tests.



On Friday, I'll be in a hotel two hours away from home, to compete at EOSIC. I'll be missing school.



:)

Answer 4

Well, I have never competed before (I am only just getting my first program now) but I have a friend who is a competitive skater and also skates on a synchronized skating team. She missed a fair amount of school for a competition in Boston and her synchro team went to Nationals in Italy and she just missed about a week of school for that. She told me her teachers were pretty good about giving her time to do all her make up work. Most of the competitions people at my rink do tend to fall on Saturdays, but I know I will be missing at least part of a school day when I test.

Answer 5

I have to miss school once or twice a year for competitions, but it ends up just being for half a day. And no, I do not get any extra time from my teachers to make up homework. It is unfair, and I ask for extra days, but I have to be treated like the others in the class. This implies that I must hand in homework on time.

Answer 6

My parents never let me miss school for a competition, no matter how important it is to me, they always say that school comes first. In fact, not long ago I had a competition but it was during school hours and i didn't get to go but even my friend at the rink did and she had school that day too. Most of the competitions and testing at my rink take place on the weekends though so I don't have to worry about missing a lot of them.

Answer 7

You are just like me!! i am on a skating team in lexington and i have to miss school in january and march for Eastern and nationals. What i do to make up the class and homework is that i ask for the work i am missing 1 or 2 weeks before so i can do it before i leave or when i am at the competition.My teachers do not give me extra days to finish it this year but they did last year so i think that depends on who/what teacher you have.

Answer 8

Given that I miss school for training (Thursday and Tuesday mornings, 8-12:30), I definitely miss school for competitions. Usually it's a Friday, and sometimes a Thursday as well. Occasionally a Monday, but that's rare.



Usually I only miss five or six days of school a year because of an actual competition, and sometimes a few more days for travel. I missed a whole week once because of a comp. in Bulgaria. Depending on the length and importance of the competition, I may or may not get some extra time for assignments. At my school in Grade 11 and 12, homework isn't collected or checked (the theory being that we're old enough to monitor ourselves), so really I don't have to do it (although I do when I have time). If I'm missing a day where there's a test or something, I usually write it or hand in the paper or whatever a few days before I leave for competition. I go to a private school with a lot of athletes (we actually have a few Olympians who graduated from my school), so teachers are generally ok with it if I miss class or hand something in a little late. It annoys my friend, who thinks I get 'special treatment' from some of the teachers because of my sport, but honestly, I don't think I would get the extensions and such that I do if I wasn't as respectful and kind to the teachers as I am. OT, but I always think it's important to have a good relationship with your teachers, so that they're more inclined to be accomodating if I have a competition or training or whatnot. The only person who has a problem with my attendance is the principal, but she hates me because I back-talked her in Grade 8. And since most of my marks are in the high nineties and I'm taking two Grade 12 courses, she can't complain to my parents anymore.



I don't worry too much about missing school; as a competitive skater, I've learned to manage my time. It's really hilarious at my rink; while the ice is being resurfaced between competitive sessions, all of the school-aged skaters are in the lounge getting fifteen minutes of homework or studying done, while still in our skates. Pretty much whenever I'm not training, I'm doing schoolwork.



Edit: Just to clarify, I'm not saying that school isn't important. If my marks weren't as good as they are, I wouldn't be skipping school. But as long as I maintain my average (I'm currently on the Distinction Roll - a higher average than Honour Roll), I don't see the problem with missing school to train. It's all about being responsible and managing time.

Answer 9

All the competitions are on weekends so it doesn't get in the way of school. But my mum finds school as an extremely important thing that I can never do bad in or miss, so she gets mad even if I'm 10 minutes late to school after training.

My mum is also very happy that if I qualify for nationals this year they are on after my school finishes, just don't know where.

Answer 10

Yes, I have missed school for competitions and practices. I'm not exactly sure how often, but maybe in all 12 days so far this school year. Yes, again my teachers give us a couple of days afterwards to make-up the work.



As like Riley, we have a lot of athletes in our school to, so our teachers understand as a lot of kids miss school. :) Don't worry you'll be fine.

Answer 11

*chuckles* Well, I was already at university when I started skating, so no, I've never had to miss school for skating.



That said, I know my priorities. School came first, always. If I had an essay that I was struggling to finish and skating that afternoon, I would cancel skating.



All of our rink's competitions are on weekends anyway.

Answer 12

So far, only once. My other small competitions happen on weekends, but then again the bigger ones would result in me missing school, depending on when I skated. (ex. local club's winter competition vs. Spring Fling)

Answer 13

none of the skaters miss school days for competitions unless they're abroad, or down south somewhere as it takes quite a while to get there! the only times we really miss a day off school is when we do our NISA exams!