As the bell rings to signal the end of sixth period, eighth grader Julianne Datolli does not head to her last class of the day. Instead, she packs up her backpack and signs out early, heading for a different kind of class: figure skating.
“I always look forward to being able to get on the ice when I leave school,” Dattoli said. “Also, being able to see my friends when I get there, it just makes it more exciting.”
Dattoli’s skating schedule is mixed with her school schedule, with morning practices on Wednesdays and Thursdays and afternoon practices on Mondays, Tuesdays and Fridays. She spends more hours in the rink on the weekends.
“Finishing homework is definitely the hardest part,” Dattoli said. “When I get home, it’s already eight o’clock, and I have to finish my homework, study and go to bed.”
Her mom, Leanne Dattoli, sees Dattoli’s dedication to the sport.
“After switching rinks, she now travels to Maitland for training,” Leanne Dattoli said. “It’s more challenging, but she always makes it work, even doing her homework in the car on some days.”
At nine years old, Dattoli did not see herself as a figure skater. That changed as her brother, Dominic, began playing hockey, and she was constantly at his practices.
“My parents said that since I was going to be there all the time, I might as well take classes,” Dattoli said. “At first I hated them, but eventually I began to enjoy them, so I quit dance and started skating.”
Since that switch, Dattoli has gone on to win and place in the top three of many competitions, including second place in the nation in pairs at the juvenile level. She also qualified for the National Development Team with her former skating partner, Nikolas Vargas.
“She set big goals for herself and put in a ton of hard work both on and off the ice to make those dreams a reality,” Kristen Hileman, one of Dattoli’s coaches, said. “I watched a fire grow within her, going from skating once a week to wanting to skate all day, every day if she could.”
While it is difficult for Dattoli to balance both her school and skating careers, she puts in the effort to get it done.
“During the day, when Julianne had breaks between skating sessions, I would see her in the lobby doing schoolwork,” Hileman said. “Our skaters know how important their school is to us and they keep up with their schoolwork and grades if they want us to coach them.”
When her partner, Vargas, moved away, Dattoli switched to singles for skating. She said she does not let the change stop her from pushing for her goals.
“My goal is to keep going to nationals every year, and in the long term, I would love to go on tour with Disney on Ice,” Dattoli said.
While Dattoli’s life as a student-athlete is challenging, she said that she wouldn’t change it for anything.
“My progress is what motivates me,” Dattoli said. “Just knowing that I can continue to get better and better, it keeps me coming back.”
For anyone looking to start figure skating or any new sport, Dattoli offered advice from her own experience.
“I would say just stick with it, keep going because it does get better,” Dattoli said. “It may be hard and you may not see progress at first, but trust me, it does get better.”
