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Ice Skating Maths

Maths in ice skating: personal bests

Compare old and new results.

Quick answer

Maths in ice skating: personal bests means using numbers to compare your old and new skating times or scores to see how much you’ve improved. You can use subtraction, addition, and comparison to track your progress.

Learning outcome

By the end of this page, you will be able to compare your old and new ice skating results using subtraction and addition to find out how much you’ve improved. Success signs:
  • You can find the difference between two skating times
  • You can add or subtract to show improvement
  • You can compare your results to see if you’ve got better
  • You can use numbers to track your personal bests

Why this matters

Maths helps you understand how much you’ve improved in ice skating. When you keep track of your times or scores, you can see if you’re getting faster, more accurate, or more confident. This is called setting a personal best. It’s a great way to celebrate your progress and stay motivated. Whether you’re learning to spin, jump, or race, maths helps you measure your skills. It also helps you set goals for next time. And if you’re in a competition, knowing your personal best can help you beat your own record.

How it works

To compare your old and new ice skating results, follow these steps:
  1. Write down your old time or score
  2. Write down your new time or score
  3. Find the difference by subtracting the smaller number from the bigger one
  4. If your new score is higher or your time is lower, you’ve improved!
For example, if you used to take 45 seconds to skate around the rink and now you do it in 38 seconds, you’ve improved by 7 seconds. That’s a personal best!

Examples you can see

Let’s look at some real ice skating examples to understand how this works. Example 1: Skating Times
  • Old time: 52 seconds
  • New time: 46 seconds
  • Subtract: 52 – 46 = 6 seconds
  • You improved by 6 seconds!
Example 2: Jump Scores
  • Old score: 7.5 points
  • New score: 9.2 points
  • Subtract: 9.2 – 7.5 = 1.7 points
  • You improved by 1.7 points!
Example 3: Spin Count
  • Old spins: 8 spins
  • New spins: 12 spins
  • Subtract: 12 – 8 = 4 spins
  • You did 4 more spins!
You can also use a table to compare your results:
Activity Old Result New Result Improvement
Skating Time 50 seconds 44 seconds 6 seconds faster
Jump Score 6.8 points 8.1 points 1.3 points better
Spins 6 spins 10 spins 4 more spins

Try it as a mini adventure

Adventure: Ice Skating Challenge Imagine you’re a young ice skater who wants to beat your personal best. Here’s your challenge: You skate around the rink and record your time. You try again and get a faster time. You want to know how much you’ve improved! Step-by-step challenge:
  1. First time: 48 seconds
  2. Second time: 42 seconds
  3. Subtract: 48 – 42 = ? seconds
  4. How much faster did you get?
Now, let’s add a twist: You also tried a new jump and scored 7.5 points. Last time you scored 6.2 points. How much did you improve?
  1. Old jump score: 6.2 points
  2. New jump score: 7.5 points
  3. Subtract: 7.5 – 6.2 = ? points
  4. How much did you improve?
Great job! You’re tracking your progress and setting new personal bests.

Common mistakes

  • Mistake: Subtracting in the wrong order (e.g., 42 – 48)
    Why it happens: Not thinking about which number is bigger
    Fix: Always subtract the smaller number from the bigger one to find how much you improved
  • Mistake: Forgetting to write the units (seconds, points, spins)
    Why it happens: Getting excited and rushing
    Fix: Always write the unit after your number (like “seconds” or “points”)
  • Mistake: Thinking that a higher number means you got worse
    Why it happens: Confusing time and score
    Fix: Remember: in skating, faster time = better, higher score = better

Parent and carer guide

Parents and carers can help by:
  • Encouraging children to write down their skating times or scores
  • Using subtraction to find the difference between old and new results
  • Practising with a timer or stopwatch to make it real
  • Creating a chart or table to track progress
  • Reinforcing that small improvements are still big wins
You can also play a fun game: "How much faster can you get?" Try skating the same lap three times and see how much your time improves each time. This is a great way to show how maths helps you track your personal bests.

Practice questions

  1. Old time: 55 seconds. New time: 49 seconds. How much faster?
  2. Old score: 6.0 points. New score: 7.8 points. How much better?
  3. Old spins: 5 spins. New spins: 9 spins. How many more?
  4. Old time: 40 seconds. New time: 36 seconds. How much faster?
  5. Old score: 8.2 points. New score: 9.5 points. How much better?
Answers:
  1. 55 – 49 = 6 seconds faster
  2. 7.8 – 6.0 = 1.8 points better
  3. 9 – 5 = 4 more spins
  4. 40 – 36 = 4 seconds faster
  5. 9.5 – 8.2 = 1.3 points better

FAQ

What is a personal best in ice skating?

A personal best is your best time or score that you’ve ever achieved. It’s a way to track how much you’ve improved.

How do I know if I’ve improved?

If your new time is faster or your new score is higher than your old one, then you’ve improved!

Can I use maths for other skating skills?

Yes! You can use maths to track spins, jumps, tricks, and even how many times you’ve completed a lap.

What if I don’t improve?

That’s okay! Sometimes it takes more practice. The important thing is to keep trying and learning from your results.

How can I make my own skating chart?

You can draw a simple table with columns for “Activity,” “Old Result,” “New Result,” and “Improvement.” Then fill it in each time you skate.