From Local Competitions to Nationals: Understanding the Figure Skating Competition Pathway
If you've ever heard a figure skating parent say, “She's doing NQS this year,” or “He qualified for Sectionals,” and wondered what that actually means, you're not alone.
Figure skating has a surprisingly complex competitive structure.
A local competition can be a skater's first experience performing a program in front of judges. But for athletes pursuing the U.S. Figure Skating Championship pathway, that same competition may eventually lead to a much larger journey: the National Qualifying Series, Sectional Finals, U.S. Figure Skating Championships, and potentially the National Team.
And there isn't just one pathway.
Singles, pairs, ice dance, Excel, solo dance, adult skating, showcase, and other programs all offer different ways for athletes to compete and set goals.
At Skate VIDA, we work with skaters across that continuum. So let's break down how it all fits together.
The U.S. Figure Skating Championship Pathway
For skaters pursuing the traditional U.S. Figure Skating Championship pathway, the journey begins with the National Qualifying Series, or NQS.
The current Championship Track for singles progresses through:
Preliminary → Pre-Juvenile → Juvenile → Intermediate → Novice → Junior → Senior
Skaters begin the annual qualifying season by competing in NQS events. The top athletes advance to their respective Sectional Singles Final, where they compete for advancement to the next stage of the pathway.
For the 2026–27 season, NQS competitions run from July through early October, with the final events taking place the first weekend of October. The NQS Finals then take place in November.
That makes September and the beginning of October a particularly important time of year for qualifying skaters.
It's the final stretch of the NQS season.
Step 1: Register for the NQS
Before a skater can pursue this pathway, there is an administrative step that happens before they ever step onto the ice.
The athlete needs to be an eligible U.S. Figure Skating member and register for the National Qualifying Series according to the current season's requirements.
Once registered, the skater competes under the section associated with their home figure skating club.
Then comes the fun part:
Choosing where to compete.
Unlike a traditional single-location qualifying event, the NQS gives athletes flexibility to select from approved competitions around the country.
For the 2026–27 season, there are NQS events in locations ranging from Texas and Arizona to Massachusetts, Colorado, California, Michigan, New York, Minnesota and Pennsylvania.
That flexibility is one of the defining features of the NQS.
A skater and coach can build a competition schedule around training, school, travel, finances, and the athlete's individual goals.
For a Skate VIDA skater, that might mean competing here in Texas—or traveling to Chicago, Colorado, Boston, or another NQS location.
Step 2: Compete—and Build Your NQS Standing
Once registered, the athlete enters individual NQS competitions through the competition's registration process.
The goal isn't necessarily to win every competition.
Instead, NQS competitions give athletes opportunities to earn scores that place them within the national and sectional qualifying pool.
The current U.S. Figure Skating pathway describes singles athletes as competing in one to three NQS events, with their highest total score counting toward advancement.
That creates an interesting dynamic.
You don't necessarily need to have your best skate at your first competition.
You can learn from it.
Adjust the program.
Go back to training.
Then try again.
For many athletes, NQS is as much about building competitive consistency as it is about chasing a number.
Step 3: Qualify for Sectionals
At the end of the NQS season, rankings determine which skaters advance to the next level.
For singles, the country is divided into three sections:
Eastern
Midwestern
Pacific Coast
Within those sections are geographic regions that determine how athletes advance from the NQS into their Sectional Singles Final.
For the 2026–27 season, the singles advancement structure provides 18 athletes per level per section: the top four from each of the three regions, plus the next six athletes based on NQS scores within the section.
That means a skater isn't simply competing against the people who happen to be standing next to them at one competition.
Their NQS results are ultimately being compared across the qualifying pool.
And that's where Sectionals come in…
The Sectional Singles Final is the next major step.
For the 2026–27 season, the three Sectional Singles Finals are:
Eastern Sectional Singles Final — Norwood, Massachusetts
Midwestern Sectional Singles Final — Bloomfield Township, Michigan
Pacific Coast Sectional Singles Final — San Jose, California
These take place in November.
What Happens at Sectionals?
This is where the pathway starts to diverge depending on the skater's level.
Preliminary & Pre-Juvenile
These athletes can advance to Sectionals through NQS, but their pathway ends at the Sectional Singles Final.
There is no U.S. Championships advancement from these levels.
And that's perfectly okay.
For a young skater, reaching a Sectional Final can itself be a tremendous accomplishment and an important developmental experience.
Juvenile, Intermediate & Novice
This is where the pathway takes another step.
The top four athletes at each Sectional Singles Final advance to the U.S. Development Team Championships.
Those athletes are also named to the National Development Team under the current pathway.
The purpose isn't simply to identify who won a competition.
The Development Team structure is designed to help identify and support athletes who are developing toward higher levels of the sport.
Junior & Senior
For junior and senior skaters, Sectionals becomes a direct part of the road toward the U.S. Figure Skating Championships.
For the current pathway:
Junior: the top four from each Sectional advance to the U.S. Figure Skating Team Championships.
Senior: the top two from each Sectional, along with applicable byes, advance toward the U.S. Championships.
And for senior athletes, additional technical eligibility requirements can apply, so qualifying isn't simply about placement alone.
From Sectionals to Nationals
So what does “going to Nationals” actually mean?
For junior and senior singles skaters, success at the Sectional Final can earn a berth at the U.S. Figure Skating Championships.
That's the event most people think of when they hear “U.S. Nationals.”
But even here, the pathway doesn't end.
At the U.S. Championships, the highest-level athletes can become candidates for the International Selection Pool, which can ultimately lead to selection for the U.S. National Team and international assignments.
For developing athletes, the pathway is different.
Juvenile, intermediate, and novice athletes are working toward the U.S. Development Team Championships and National Development Team rather than competing for a U.S. Championship berth at that stage.
What Is the National Development Team?
The National Development Team is designed to identify and support athletes with potential for continued development toward higher levels of the sport.
Being named to the Development Team isn't simply another medal.
Athletes may receive opportunities including training camps, seminars, development programs, and other high-performance opportunities. U.S. Figure Skating notes that Development Team athletes may also be considered for certain international and developmental assignments.
In other words, the goal is not simply:
“Who won this competition?”
It's also:
“Who are we helping develop into the next generation of high-level U.S. athletes?”
What About Pairs and Ice Dance?
The qualifying pathway for pairs and ice dance follows the same general philosophy as singles—but the structure is different.
Pairs and ice dance do not go through three separate Sectional Singles Finals.
Instead, teams compete in NQS events and advance to a single U.S. Pairs Final or U.S. Ice Dance Final based on their section.
For the 2026–27 season, these Finals are held alongside the Sectional events:
U.S. Pairs Final: Norwood, Massachusetts
U.S. Ice Dance Final: Bloomfield Township, Michigan
Pairs
Pairs teams compete together as a team.
Their NQS results determine advancement to the U.S. Pairs Final, where the top teams can advance toward the Development Team pathway at juvenile through novice levels or the U.S. Championships at junior and senior levels.
Ice Dance
Ice dance follows a similar structure, but the discipline itself is very different from singles and pairs.
Rather than jumps being the central technical focus, ice dancers are evaluated on skating skills, turns, pattern/rhythm elements, lifts, twizzles, choreography, musical interpretation, and other discipline-specific elements.
The qualifying structure reflects that difference.
Teams advance from NQS into the U.S. Ice Dance Final, rather than a traditional Sectional Singles Final.
And because there are fewer ice dance and pairs athletes nationally than singles skaters, the competitive pathway is intentionally structured to create a national rather than purely regional competitive environment.
The 2026 NQS Finish Line
For skaters pursuing the Championship Track, September is not just another month of competition.
It's the home stretch.
The 2026–27 NQS schedule includes qualifying events throughout September, including Austin Autumn Classic in Leander from September 24–27, followed by the Boston Open, Broadmoor Fall Classic, and LA Autumn Classic during the first weekend of October.
That means skaters who are still trying to improve their NQS position have a limited amount of time to put another strong score on the board.
Then the focus shifts.
NQS → Sectionals / U.S. Pairs Final / U.S. Ice Dance Final → Development Team or U.S. Championships
It's an incredibly exciting time to be a competitive skater.
But it is also important to remember that this is not the only way to compete.
There Isn't Just One “Right” Competition Path
One of the things we love about figure skating is that there is no single definition of what it means to be a competitive skater.
The Championship Track is an amazing pathway for athletes pursuing Sectionals, Nationals, and potentially the National Team.
But there are several other competitive programs that may be a better fit for a particular athlete's age, experience, goals, or interests.
Excel Series
The Excel Series is a U.S. Figure Skating competitive pathway for singles skaters designed to emphasize technical development and program components while providing a gradual introduction to the International Judging System.
The current Excel structure runs on a very different calendar from NQS.
Skaters register during the winter, compete in designated Excel competitions during approximately January through June, and culminate the season with the Excel National Festival in July.
At the Aspire through Pre-Preliminary levels, the emphasis is on participation, experience, and development. At higher Excel levels, skaters compete for invitations to the Excel Series Final and Finalist Camp.
For some athletes, Excel is an excellent way to gain competition experience and learn IJS skills without immediately entering the Championship Track.
National Solo Dance Series
Ice dance isn't only for skaters with partners.
The National Solo Dance Series gives individual skaters the opportunity to compete in ice dance patterns and develop their dance skills without needing a partner.
Skaters register for the series and compete in qualifying competitions, with top performers from each section earning invitations to the National Solo Dance Final.
It's a particularly fun pathway for skaters who love turns, edges, musicality, skating skills, and dance—or who are curious about ice dance but aren't currently skating with a partner.
ISI Competition Pathways
The Ice Sports Industry (ISI) offers its own recreational and competitive ecosystem, with events and levels designed differently from the U.S. Figure Skating Championship Track.
ISI competitions can be a great fit for skaters who want the experience of competition, performance, and goal-setting without necessarily pursuing the U.S. Figure Skating qualifying pipeline.
And for many young or recreational skaters, that's exactly what competition should be:
A chance to perform.
A chance to challenge yourself.
A chance to celebrate your skating.
Adult Competition
Adult skating has its own competitive community, too.
U.S. Figure Skating offers adult competitions and an Adult Competition Series designed specifically for adult skaters. The series provides opportunities for adults to compete at local nonqualifying competitions, accumulate points, and participate in a competitive community built around lifelong skating.
And adult skating doesn't mean “less serious.”
The 2026 U.S. Adult Figure Skating Championships brought together nearly 500 skaters from across the country, with championship events spanning singles, pairs, dance, and other disciplines.
You can start—or restart—competitive skating as an adult.
National Showcase
For skaters who love the performance side of figure skating, there is another national-level opportunity: National Showcase.
U.S. Figure Skating's Showcase program gives skaters the chance to compete through theatrical and artistic performances rather than traditional competitive programs. Instead of focusing primarily on executing a prescribed set of jumps, spins, and other technical elements, Showcase invites skaters to build a performance around a theme, character, story, or concept.
That opens the door to a very different kind of skating.
A Showcase program might be funny, dramatic, theatrical, whimsical, or completely unexpected. Costumes, props, choreography, music, and character all become part of the performance.
And importantly, you don't have to be a high-level jumper to be a great Showcase skater.
For a skater who loves performing, choreography, musicality, acting, or creating a memorable experience for an audience, Showcase can provide a competitive outlet that rewards those strengths.
Skaters can progress through local and sectional Showcase competitions with opportunities to advance to the National Showcase competition.
It is another great reminder that figure skating is much bigger than the traditional Championship Track.
So Which Path Is Right for Your Skater?
That's the million-dollar question.
And there isn't one universal answer.
A skater who dreams of competing at the U.S. Championships may eventually need the Championship Track.
A younger skater who wants to gain experience and build confidence may thrive in Excel.
A skater who loves turns, rhythm, and musicality might discover that Solo Dance is their favorite way to compete.
A performer who would rather tell a story than chase a technical score might fall in love with Showcase.
An adult returning to skating after decades away might find a wonderful community through adult competition.
And some skaters may participate in several of these pathways over the course of their skating careers.
The goal isn't to choose the most prestigious pathway.
The goal is to choose the pathway that makes sense for the skater in front of you.
Competition Should Support Development
One of the most important things for skaters and parents to understand is that competition is a tool for development—not the definition of development.
A competition can teach a skater how to manage nerves.
It can reveal a technical weakness.
It can show that a program needs more stamina.
It can create a goal that motivates months of training.
It can introduce a skater to friends from across the country.
And sometimes, it can simply be really fun.
At Skate VIDA, we work with skaters at many different points along this spectrum—from those preparing for their very first competition to athletes traveling across the country as part of the NQS.
There is no single “right” way to be a competitive skater.
There is only the pathway that fits your skater's goals, development, and love of the sport.
And if that pathway eventually leads from a local rink in Texas all the way to Sectionals, Nationals, or the National Development Team?
We'll be cheering all the way.
Ready to Explore Your Competitive Path?
Not sure which competition pathway makes sense for your skater?
That's exactly the kind of conversation we love having.
Start with where your skater is now—not where you think they are supposed to be.
From local competitions and Excel to NQS, ice dance, testing, performance opportunities, and beyond, Skate VIDA can help you build a competition and training plan around the athlete—not the other way around.
Frequently Asked Questions About Competition Pathways:
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The National Qualifying Series (NQS) is part of the U.S. Figure Skating Championship pathway. Singles, pairs, and ice dance athletes compete in designated NQS events to earn scores that can lead to advancement to Sectional Finals, the U.S. Pairs Final, or the U.S. Ice Dance Final and, for eligible levels, ultimately toward the U.S. Figure Skating Championships.
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Singles skaters pursuing the Championship Track register for the NQS and compete in designated NQS events during the qualifying season. Their results are used to determine advancement to their Sectional Singles Final. The exact advancement criteria vary by level and discipline, so skaters should review the current U.S. Figure Skating qualifying requirements for their season.
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For junior and senior singles skaters, advancement through the NQS and Sectional pathway can lead to the U.S. Figure Skating Championships. Pairs and ice dance have their own NQS and final structures. Qualification requirements and advancement numbers vary by discipline and level and can change from season to season.
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No. NQS is part of the U.S. Figure Skating Championship Track, but it is only one competitive pathway. Skaters may also participate in the Excel Series, National Solo Dance Series, National Showcase, ISI competitions, Adult Competition Series, and other local or regional competitions depending on their goals.
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The Excel Series is a U.S. Figure Skating competitive pathway focused on developing singles skaters through progressive competition opportunities. It provides an alternative to immediately pursuing the Championship Track and culminates in national-level Excel opportunities.
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Yes. The National Solo Dance Series allows individual skaters to compete in ice dance patterns and develop dance skills without an ice dance partner. It can be a great option for skaters who enjoy edges, turns, musicality, and dance.
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National Showcase is a U.S. Figure Skating performance-based competitive pathway. Skaters create theatrical or artistic programs built around themes, characters, stories, or concepts, making Showcase an excellent option for athletes who particularly enjoy performance, choreography, creativity, and entertaining an audience.
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Absolutely. Adult skaters have their own competitive opportunities through U.S. Figure Skating, including the Adult Competition Series and adult championship events. Adult competition provides opportunities for both returning skaters and adults who are discovering competitive figure skating later in life.