How do you know when your child is good enough to go competitive?

How do you know when your child is good enough to go competitive?  My daughter is currently on her Senior Bronze Free Skate, but her dream is to make the Canadian Team. I'm afraid she won't place as highly in competitive as in the interclub comps.  Is there a test she can take to see if she has the right stuff?  Don't want to keep encouraging her dreams, if she doesn't have a chance.  Skating is everything to her. Marla

Traci says:
If your child wants to try competitive skating, I say go for it!  It is a wonderful experience for them.  I don't think that you should worry about where she will place in the competition.  You can never predict which jumps she will land and which spins will be bang on that particular day.  You can't predict what the other skaters will be landing on that day either.  I think that entering the competition and feeling that you belonged with that group of competitors is something to measure against.  Remember..different competitions have different goals..for example trying out that certain jump or jump combination or using that competition as a training experience for another competition that has a higher goal (for example Sub-Sectionals, Sectionals, Divisionals, Tomorrow's Champions, etc) You should sit down with your daughter and her coach and make up a yearly plan, indicating at which competition she wants to peak at, when to break those new skates in, when to have your new programs made up etc.

You mentioned that your daughter was on her Senior Bronze Freeskate, I'm assuming that she is working on that right now.  If she is 10 or under she can compete at the Pre-Juvenile Competitive level.  In our section, NOS, we have a category for this level at Sectionals, and as well as our Interclub, Section Interclub and All Ontario level.  If she has her Senior Bronze Freeskate and is 12 or under, she can compete at the Juvenile Competitive level.  At all Sectionals there is a category for this level, and currently the Gold Medallist goes on to Tomorrow's Champions, which is run similar to the Canadian Championships.

And yes! keep encouraging her!  To quote Walt Disney "If you can dream it...You can do it!"