Choosing camp isn't a terribly linear endeavor; it's more of a matrix of cost, goals, and needs. I firmly believe that the place to start is with the cost. Don't research the ideal camp, get all excited about it, and then discover you need to take out a second mortgage to afford it.
Remember to consider all the factors likely to draw dollahs from your wallet-- basic tuition, room and board, travel, spending money, extra coaching, uniforms, books or equipment, etc. Some camps have a basic package, and then charge extra for specialty classes, private lessons, celebrity guest coaches, etc.
Know what type of skater you have (and be honest with yourself)
National trajectory? (Novice test and triple jumps at age 12 or so); strong recreational skater (planning to test through Senior by end of high school, does some competitions); competitive (planning to test through Senior, goes to qualifying competitions); recreational skater (favorite activity is the ice show, but still committed to testing and improving); social skater ("what's testing?").
That said, a good summer program has the ability to move your skater onto a different track-- from strong recreational, for instance, to competitive, or competitive to national ambitions.
How much skating will my kid put up with
A recreational, half-day program is going to have an hour and a half of ice in two 45-minute sessions. Skating this much every day is going to result in improvement, but it's not going to get you to nationals. On the other hand, a more high-powered program with 4 to 6 hours of ice and off-ice training every day is not going to be a fit for someone who's in it for the social scene.
Who is coaching
Don't be dazzled by a name, nor dismiss the unknown coach. Check out who their students are. A coach with multiple competitors and zero recreational skaters is not going to be a good fit for your recreational skaters. (Many highly competitive coaches also teach tot classes; I'm not saying competitive coaches are terrible recreational coaches, but that coaches who don't like to teach recreational skaters are not going to be good with a recreational skater just because it's your kid.)
Find the coach who teaches kids like yours, or like the skater your kid wants to be.
Conversely, a coach who has never had competitive success is unlikely to start with your kid. Doesn't have to be Frank Carroll, but some competitive record is a good indicator. (For the most part. All coaches have to start somewhere.) And camps are a great place to network-- both for your skater and your regular coach to start making those very important connections.
Camps will publish bios of their faculty, generally on the website, but read between the lines. A coach who has really had international competitors will generally specific at least the competition, if not the name of the skater or skaters. Professional Skaters Association rankings are another good indicator of how honest a bio is. If the coach is claiming multiple high powered competitors but not noting their PSA ranking (not the same as rating), take the bio with a grain of salt.
Who goes (or has gone) to this camp?
Check your goals-- national competition? Senior test? Pizza night?-- and see which program has students that share them. Programs that have famous "graduates" will promote this. I would rely less on endorsements, as those can be, literally, bought.
Showing posts with label summer. Show all posts
Showing posts with label summer. Show all posts
Feb 8, 2014
Feb 5, 2014
Choosing a skating camp: types of camps
I was reminded by a fan message on Xanboni Facebook that it's February-- time to sign up for summer camp.
The skating magazines are full of shiny ads and the Lobby Moms are judging you (you know they are-- they question is, do you care?) and your kid wants to go to sleep away skating camp (and soccer camp and eco camp and theater camp, too. What do you mean I can't do all of them?)
How do you choose. I think I need a flow chart for this (where is St. Lidwina when I need her), but here's a list instead.
Day camp or sleep away?
All about cost, really. The boarding camps are expensive on their own, and astronomical if you add in private lessons, which are not always included-- check the literature. If privates are available with a celebrity coach add a couple of zeros to the cost.
Home rink camp
Most rinks will have a regular programs run and promoted by the rink and staffed by skating school staf. These might be half day or full day; they might incorporate other sports, crafts, community services, etc.
Celebrity Day Camp
If you're in a large metro area, chances are there's a prestige coach running a summer program near you, saving you the boarding cost. This is basically super-home-rink camp (hey, it's someone's home rink), with a premium for the prestige coach. (Who may or may not have all that much face time with your kid. More on that in the next post)
Coach camp
Depending on the rink, "Coach camp" can be run on regular ice run and promoted by individual coaches, and sometimes restricted to their private lesson students only; or on purchased ice, where those participating have the sessions to themselves. (This happens mostly with high powered coaches, and/or at rinks that don't allow coaches to run their own camps on regular ice.) I ran Xanboni Camp for several years, with 75 minutes of ice, 40 minutes off-ice and an hour of craft or story time. It was a blast.
The cheapest option of course will be the rink camp. Don't let coaches tell you coach camp is cheapest; some will try to disguise the cost by billing you only for the group coaching time upfront-- you'll have to pay for ice and privates separately.
However, it's not only about the cost. So what do you look for in a camp? First, you need to know your goal (as all good readers of Xanboni understand). Here's some reasons to go to skating camp:
Gotta park the kid somewhere
Rink Camp. 'nuff said.
All her friends are doing it
I say this somewhat facetiously, but it's actually a factor. Skating is hugely social endeavor, more, I think, than team sports, because kids are on their own during practice so much. If all her friends are doing a particular camp, and it's one you can afford, then sure, choose that camp. Just be aware that skating may not be the central motivation!
Improvement
Summer is a great time to work on a test, a new skill, or a new program. This means you need to choose a camp either with a coach that knows your skater, or one that specifically promotes skill development or testing.
Prestige
I don't judge. If working around skaters training at a high level, attending the "name" rink, or working with a celebrity coach are important to you, and you can afford it, then go for it. I have never heard anything negative about Little Suzy from Spokane at places like Ice Castles. These programs get good reputations for a reason-- they're good.
Networking
If you can honestly say you have a skater on a national trajectory, talk to your coach (TALK TO YOU COACH) about programs where s/he and the coach can meet people-- judges, officials, other skaters, specialty coaches. The coach will know which programs these are, will have preferences for various programs because of the connections s/he already has, etc. Families do sometimes pay some or all of a coach's expenses to basically go to camp with the kid. Check with the program to find out what the arrangements are for guest coaches.
But I'm an adult!
Oh good heavens, save your pennies and go to adult skating camp. There are lots of them, with great adult-sensitive coaching for all level skaters and I universally hear wonderful things about them from friends who have gone.
Next: what to look for in a camp.
The skating magazines are full of shiny ads and the Lobby Moms are judging you (you know they are-- they question is, do you care?) and your kid wants to go to sleep away skating camp (and soccer camp and eco camp and theater camp, too. What do you mean I can't do all of them?)
How do you choose. I think I need a flow chart for this (where is St. Lidwina when I need her), but here's a list instead.
Day camp or sleep away?
All about cost, really. The boarding camps are expensive on their own, and astronomical if you add in private lessons, which are not always included-- check the literature. If privates are available with a celebrity coach add a couple of zeros to the cost.
Home rink camp
Most rinks will have a regular programs run and promoted by the rink and staffed by skating school staf. These might be half day or full day; they might incorporate other sports, crafts, community services, etc.
Celebrity Day Camp
If you're in a large metro area, chances are there's a prestige coach running a summer program near you, saving you the boarding cost. This is basically super-home-rink camp (hey, it's someone's home rink), with a premium for the prestige coach. (Who may or may not have all that much face time with your kid. More on that in the next post)
Coach camp
Depending on the rink, "Coach camp" can be run on regular ice run and promoted by individual coaches, and sometimes restricted to their private lesson students only; or on purchased ice, where those participating have the sessions to themselves. (This happens mostly with high powered coaches, and/or at rinks that don't allow coaches to run their own camps on regular ice.) I ran Xanboni Camp for several years, with 75 minutes of ice, 40 minutes off-ice and an hour of craft or story time. It was a blast.
The cheapest option of course will be the rink camp. Don't let coaches tell you coach camp is cheapest; some will try to disguise the cost by billing you only for the group coaching time upfront-- you'll have to pay for ice and privates separately.
However, it's not only about the cost. So what do you look for in a camp? First, you need to know your goal (as all good readers of Xanboni understand). Here's some reasons to go to skating camp:
Gotta park the kid somewhere
Rink Camp. 'nuff said.
All her friends are doing it
I say this somewhat facetiously, but it's actually a factor. Skating is hugely social endeavor, more, I think, than team sports, because kids are on their own during practice so much. If all her friends are doing a particular camp, and it's one you can afford, then sure, choose that camp. Just be aware that skating may not be the central motivation!
Improvement
Summer is a great time to work on a test, a new skill, or a new program. This means you need to choose a camp either with a coach that knows your skater, or one that specifically promotes skill development or testing.
Prestige
I don't judge. If working around skaters training at a high level, attending the "name" rink, or working with a celebrity coach are important to you, and you can afford it, then go for it. I have never heard anything negative about Little Suzy from Spokane at places like Ice Castles. These programs get good reputations for a reason-- they're good.
Networking
If you can honestly say you have a skater on a national trajectory, talk to your coach (TALK TO YOU COACH) about programs where s/he and the coach can meet people-- judges, officials, other skaters, specialty coaches. The coach will know which programs these are, will have preferences for various programs because of the connections s/he already has, etc. Families do sometimes pay some or all of a coach's expenses to basically go to camp with the kid. Check with the program to find out what the arrangements are for guest coaches.
But I'm an adult!
Oh good heavens, save your pennies and go to adult skating camp. There are lots of them, with great adult-sensitive coaching for all level skaters and I universally hear wonderful things about them from friends who have gone.
Next: what to look for in a camp.
Jun 1, 2012
Summer Skating! (Annual repost!)
Originally published April 11, 2010
It's always puzzled me that in the winter when it's freezing cold outside, everyone goes to the freezing cold ice rink, and in the summer, when it's steaming hot outside, everyone goes to the steaming hot beach.
Ice rinks are great in the summertime. Nice and cool, and often, empty. They often turn over the ice to the figure skaters all morning and the hockey players all afternoon (or vice versa), and you can basically spend all day in skates. Many rinks run skating camps, at both learn to skate and freestyle levels, or you skate on your own; take your coach's summer program if she or he has one, sign up for one of the many sleep-away skating camps, or just come once in a while for fun.
For skaters who want to compete, summer is pre-season, one of the most critical training periods. You want to make sure you're at the correct test level, start solidifying the new programs, make sure you have all the latest rules updates incorporated into your choreography, and strengthen your newest elements. Serious off ice endurance and strength training starts building up in the summer too.
Even for non-competitive skaters, you can use summer as your pre-season push. Maybe there are synchro or ice show auditions in the fall, or you're trying to make it up a level or two in class. This is the time to learn a new jump or spin, even if you're not planning to compete, just because there's so much ice available.
By May you're going to want to have had a conversation with your coach about your goals for the summer and the coming year, so you know how much ice to sign up for and what the training arc is going to be. Find out which competitions the coach is expecting you to do, what costumes you're going to need, and what the requirements are for your various goals. Here are some of the summer skating options:
Sleep-away camp
Like any sleep away camps, there are serious highly competitive ones for "career" skaters like Ice Castles (although anyone with the cash can go if I'm not mistaken) or USFS camps for the current Team Envelope members. But there are also many many quality camps for skaters from serious to recreational. Ask your coach, club rep, or local USFS or PSA area representative how to find a skating camp that matches your skater's goals and level.
Local skating camps
Many rinks have both interim skating seminars and summer-long camps, ranging from half to full day. These camps usually consist of on ice and off ice components and may include things you won't get during the school year season. At my own rink we offer ice dance, figures, moves, and choreography as part of the summer program, as well as off-ice components that include ballet and jazz dance, pilates, soccer, arts and crafts and field trips to do things like roller blading or swimming. These camps are extremely cost-effective; often you don't have to sign up for the entire time, or even for every day, but can create your own schedule according to your vacation schedule, finances, and other activities.
Coach-led camps
Many coaches will set up their own summer programs, if their rink allows them to. You'll pay the coach a retainer-type fee based on the number of participants and hours, plus you'll pay the rink directly (in most cases) for ice time. Depending on how many skaters your coach gets involved, this can be the cheapest option, and easily incorporates your private lesson time into the ice schedule. Not all rinks allow coaches to do this; if your regular rink does not, you may need to follow the coach to a different rink for the summer. Many coaches will allow only their own students into these camps, even if you are not taking from someone else.
On your own
You can also set up your own training schedule without a supervising camp structure, but I would recommend this only for older and very self-directed kids. It is extremely difficult to maintain your own practice when you feel like the odd one out, where everyone else is in a program and you're just on your own. A couple/few times a week it will be just like school year skating, but if you want to try to skate every day, I would recommend finding a program to be part of, for the social aspect and the supervisory safety if nothing else.
Just for fun
Summer is also a great time to just take a break from structured lessons. At many rinks, practice ice is much emptier in the summer, and at every rink public sessions are very very sparse. Just come and skate for fun. Then go to the beach or the pool, where it's hot and sunny.
Me? I'll be waiting for you in the nice cool rink.
May 24, 2011
Home for the summer
I've broken a long reader question into component parts.
Issue: I'd been having lessons with my coach for about two years, but I wasn't too happy with them. I love her as a person, but she'd often be talking to the other coaches or texting when she was supposed to be watching me.
Problem: unprofessional coach, disengaged parents, student unwilling to demand her rights
Solution: read that coach the riot act, then fire her
Issue: we would spend so long working on the field moves for exams that we had little time (in the one half-hour lesson I could afford a week) to work on spins and jumps, and I felt that these suffered as a result, as all our focus was on the field moves for my exam.
Problem: conflicting goals, not enough time, poor communication
Solution: make your goals absolutely clear, and make sure you understand, and that the coach conveys, what it will take to reach them. I'm stunned at a student taking just a single half hour lesson a week being told that Moves tests take priority. It's absurd. Moves is ADDITIONAL, not the only thing you work on.
Issue: I went off to university, with our understanding being that I would continue to have lessons with her in the holidays;
Problem: Huh?
Solution: You hate the coaching style, she doesn't share your goals, or indeed pay attention to you during lessons, and basically wastes your time. Going away to college was a gift-wrapped excuse to move on without hurting anyone's feelings.
Issue: after a year of missing out on skating due to being at uni I'm faced with a 3 month summer holiday where I'd really like to get back into skating, and this obviously must include lessons, otherwise I'll never improve. However, I don't think I want to go back to my coach, for the reasons above - I want to just be a recreational skater, trying things for fun, whereas she'll want to push me towards grading, which I have no interest in.
Problem: see previous issue. You have no obligation to this coach. You haven't taken a lesson in a year, and didn't like the lessons. No reasonable person would expect you to continue this relationship, and nothing in PSA ethics or even simple courtesy obligates you.
Issue: she still coaches my sister it's an awkward situation,
Problem: creating issues where there are none. Many families have different coaches for siblings, to make sure that the coaching style matches the student, to avoid rivalry and comparisons, to accommodate schedules and a host of other reasons, or for no reason at all. There's nothing in any coaching manual that says a family can only hire one coach.
Solution: First, the parents need to observe these lessons and make sure that the coach is not pulling the same crap on the sister as on my reader. I cannot imagine why this family feels so committed to this coach.
Issue: I cannot swap to another rink
Problem-- Need more info here. Is there NOT another rink? Transportation issues? I hear this a lot, and sometimes it's more "I'm afraid to switch to another rink where I don't know anyone"
Solution: make sure this is really true before you rule it out.
Issue: I don't think that any of the other coaches will have space to take me on, and most of them at the rink seem to, shall we say, have a similar coaching style to mine.
Problem: Your rink is a mess.
Solution: Run away and don't look back. No, seriously. Observe some of the other coaches. Look for coaches whose students seem to have similar goals and levels to your own. Tell the new coach in so many words exactly what your issue was with the old coach. The old coach is NOT your coach anymore; neither you, your sister, nor any coach you speak with is under any obligation to report that you are making inquiries.
Issue: I'd been having lessons with my coach for about two years, but I wasn't too happy with them. I love her as a person, but she'd often be talking to the other coaches or texting when she was supposed to be watching me.
Problem: unprofessional coach, disengaged parents, student unwilling to demand her rights
Solution: read that coach the riot act, then fire her
Issue: we would spend so long working on the field moves for exams that we had little time (in the one half-hour lesson I could afford a week) to work on spins and jumps, and I felt that these suffered as a result, as all our focus was on the field moves for my exam.
Problem: conflicting goals, not enough time, poor communication
Solution: make your goals absolutely clear, and make sure you understand, and that the coach conveys, what it will take to reach them. I'm stunned at a student taking just a single half hour lesson a week being told that Moves tests take priority. It's absurd. Moves is ADDITIONAL, not the only thing you work on.
Issue: I went off to university, with our understanding being that I would continue to have lessons with her in the holidays;
Problem: Huh?
Solution: You hate the coaching style, she doesn't share your goals, or indeed pay attention to you during lessons, and basically wastes your time. Going away to college was a gift-wrapped excuse to move on without hurting anyone's feelings.
Issue: after a year of missing out on skating due to being at uni I'm faced with a 3 month summer holiday where I'd really like to get back into skating, and this obviously must include lessons, otherwise I'll never improve. However, I don't think I want to go back to my coach, for the reasons above - I want to just be a recreational skater, trying things for fun, whereas she'll want to push me towards grading, which I have no interest in.
Problem: see previous issue. You have no obligation to this coach. You haven't taken a lesson in a year, and didn't like the lessons. No reasonable person would expect you to continue this relationship, and nothing in PSA ethics or even simple courtesy obligates you.
Issue: she still coaches my sister it's an awkward situation,
Problem: creating issues where there are none. Many families have different coaches for siblings, to make sure that the coaching style matches the student, to avoid rivalry and comparisons, to accommodate schedules and a host of other reasons, or for no reason at all. There's nothing in any coaching manual that says a family can only hire one coach.
Solution: First, the parents need to observe these lessons and make sure that the coach is not pulling the same crap on the sister as on my reader. I cannot imagine why this family feels so committed to this coach.
Issue: I cannot swap to another rink
Problem-- Need more info here. Is there NOT another rink? Transportation issues? I hear this a lot, and sometimes it's more "I'm afraid to switch to another rink where I don't know anyone"
Solution: make sure this is really true before you rule it out.
Issue: I don't think that any of the other coaches will have space to take me on, and most of them at the rink seem to, shall we say, have a similar coaching style to mine.
Problem: Your rink is a mess.
Solution: Run away and don't look back. No, seriously. Observe some of the other coaches. Look for coaches whose students seem to have similar goals and levels to your own. Tell the new coach in so many words exactly what your issue was with the old coach. The old coach is NOT your coach anymore; neither you, your sister, nor any coach you speak with is under any obligation to report that you are making inquiries.
Apr 26, 2011
Summer Skating
Originally published April 11, 2010
It's always puzzled me that in the winter when it's freezing cold outside, everyone goes to the freezing cold ice rink, and in the summer, when it's steaming hot outside, everyone goes to the steaming hot beach.
Ice rinks are great in the summertime. Nice and cool, and often, empty. They often turn over the ice to the figure skaters all morning and the hockey players all afternoon (or vice versa), and you can basically spend all day in skates. Many rinks run skating camps, at both learn to skate and freestyle levels, or you skate on your own; take your coach's summer program if she or he has one, sign up for one of the many sleep-away skating camps, or just come once in a while for fun.
For skaters who want to compete, summer is pre-season, one of the most critical training periods. You want to make sure you're at the correct test level, start solidifying the new programs, make sure you have all the latest rules updates incorporated into your choreography, and strengthen your newest elements. Serious off ice endurance and strength training starts building up in the summer too.
Even for non-competitive skaters, you can use summer as your pre-season push. Maybe there are synchro or ice show auditions in the fall, or you're trying to make it up a level or two in class. This is the time to learn a new jump or spin, even if you're not planning to compete, just because there's so much ice available.
By May you're going to want to have had a conversation with your coach about your goals for the summer and the coming year, so you know how much ice to sign up for and what the training arc is going to be. Find out which competitions the coach is expecting you to do, what costumes you're going to need, and what the requirements are for your various goals. Here are some of the summer skating options:
Sleep-away camp
Like any sleep away camps, there are serious highly competitive ones for "career" skaters like Ice Castles (although anyone with the cash can go if I'm not mistaken) or USFS camps for the current Team Envelope members. But there are also many many quality camps for skaters from serious to recreational. Ask your coach, club rep, or local USFS or PSA area representative how to find a skating camp that matches your skater's goals and level.
Local skating camps
Many rinks have both interim skating seminars and summer-long camps, ranging from half to full day. These camps usually consist of on ice and off ice components and may include things you won't get during the school year season. At my own rink we offer ice dance, figures, moves, and choreography as part of the summer program, as well as off-ice components that include ballet and jazz dance, pilates, soccer, arts and crafts and field trips to do things like roller blading or swimming. These camps are extremely cost-effective; often you don't have to sign up for the entire time, or even for every day, but can create your own schedule according to your vacation schedule, finances, and other activities.
Coach-led camps
Many coaches will set up their own summer programs, if their rink allows them to. You'll pay the coach a retainer-type fee based on the number of participants and hours, plus you'll pay the rink directly (in most cases) for ice time. Depending on how many skaters your coach gets involved, this can be the cheapest option, and easily incorporates your private lesson time into the ice schedule. Not all rinks allow coaches to do this; if your regular rink does not, you may need to follow the coach to a different rink for the summer. Many coaches will allow only their own students into these camps, even if you are not taking from someone else.
On your own
You can also set up your own training schedule without a supervising camp structure, but I would recommend this only for older and very self-directed kids. It is extremely difficult to maintain your own practice when you feel like the odd one out, where everyone else is in a program and you're just on your own. A couple/few times a week it will be just like school year skating, but if you want to try to skate every day, I would recommend finding a program to be part of, for the social aspect and the supervisory safety if nothing else.
Just for fun
Summer is also a great time to just take a break from structured lessons. At many rinks, practice ice is much emptier in the summer, and at every rink public sessions are very very sparse. Just come and skate for fun. Then go to the beach or the pool, where it's hot and sunny.
Me? I'll be waiting for you in the nice cool rink.
For more about skating in the summer see: Summer Skating
It's always puzzled me that in the winter when it's freezing cold outside, everyone goes to the freezing cold ice rink, and in the summer, when it's steaming hot outside, everyone goes to the steaming hot beach.
Ice rinks are great in the summertime. Nice and cool, and often, empty. They often turn over the ice to the figure skaters all morning and the hockey players all afternoon (or vice versa), and you can basically spend all day in skates. Many rinks run skating camps, at both learn to skate and freestyle levels, or you skate on your own; take your coach's summer program if she or he has one, sign up for one of the many sleep-away skating camps, or just come once in a while for fun.
For skaters who want to compete, summer is pre-season, one of the most critical training periods. You want to make sure you're at the correct test level, start solidifying the new programs, make sure you have all the latest rules updates incorporated into your choreography, and strengthen your newest elements. Serious off ice endurance and strength training starts building up in the summer too.
Even for non-competitive skaters, you can use summer as your pre-season push. Maybe there are synchro or ice show auditions in the fall, or you're trying to make it up a level or two in class. This is the time to learn a new jump or spin, even if you're not planning to compete, just because there's so much ice available.
By May you're going to want to have had a conversation with your coach about your goals for the summer and the coming year, so you know how much ice to sign up for and what the training arc is going to be. Find out which competitions the coach is expecting you to do, what costumes you're going to need, and what the requirements are for your various goals. Here are some of the summer skating options:
Sleep-away camp
Like any sleep away camps, there are serious highly competitive ones for "career" skaters like Ice Castles (although anyone with the cash can go if I'm not mistaken) or USFS camps for the current Team Envelope members. But there are also many many quality camps for skaters from serious to recreational. Ask your coach, club rep, or local USFS or PSA area representative how to find a skating camp that matches your skater's goals and level.
Local skating camps
Many rinks have both interim skating seminars and summer-long camps, ranging from half to full day. These camps usually consist of on ice and off ice components and may include things you won't get during the school year season. At my own rink we offer ice dance, figures, moves, and choreography as part of the summer program, as well as off-ice components that include ballet and jazz dance, pilates, soccer, arts and crafts and field trips to do things like roller blading or swimming. These camps are extremely cost-effective; often you don't have to sign up for the entire time, or even for every day, but can create your own schedule according to your vacation schedule, finances, and other activities.
Coach-led camps
Many coaches will set up their own summer programs, if their rink allows them to. You'll pay the coach a retainer-type fee based on the number of participants and hours, plus you'll pay the rink directly (in most cases) for ice time. Depending on how many skaters your coach gets involved, this can be the cheapest option, and easily incorporates your private lesson time into the ice schedule. Not all rinks allow coaches to do this; if your regular rink does not, you may need to follow the coach to a different rink for the summer. Many coaches will allow only their own students into these camps, even if you are not taking from someone else.
On your own
You can also set up your own training schedule without a supervising camp structure, but I would recommend this only for older and very self-directed kids. It is extremely difficult to maintain your own practice when you feel like the odd one out, where everyone else is in a program and you're just on your own. A couple/few times a week it will be just like school year skating, but if you want to try to skate every day, I would recommend finding a program to be part of, for the social aspect and the supervisory safety if nothing else.
Just for fun
Summer is also a great time to just take a break from structured lessons. At many rinks, practice ice is much emptier in the summer, and at every rink public sessions are very very sparse. Just come and skate for fun. Then go to the beach or the pool, where it's hot and sunny.
Me? I'll be waiting for you in the nice cool rink.
For more about skating in the summer see: Summer Skating
Apr 25, 2011
Welcome to summer ice
120 skaters, 10 hours of ice daily. The form is a 3 pages long grid, including black-out dates. Literally. Here's a hilarious conversation about it from Facebook.
R (mom)-Is it just me, or are the practice ice forms even more confusing than they've been in the past? WTF, I have to do maths now? ARGH.
A- See what you get for encouraging your kid?
P (dad)-If Tuesday = (x3/y2) - 7z, and z = minutes on ice, solve for cost.
R-SHUT UP!!
P- If a skater begins lessons in March at level 1 and is in level 10 by the following February, what has cost more in that time: general lessons, private lessons, gasoline burned getting to lessons, or psychiatrist/alcohol bills for coaches dealing with skater who has been bumped up too quickly?
R-You missed the variables of cheap skates and glitter.
A-Don't forget amount spent on brownies at the snack bar.
R (mom)-Is it just me, or are the practice ice forms even more confusing than they've been in the past? WTF, I have to do maths now? ARGH.
A- See what you get for encouraging your kid?
P (dad)-If Tuesday = (x3/y2) - 7z, and z = minutes on ice, solve for cost.
R-SHUT UP!!
P- If a skater begins lessons in March at level 1 and is in level 10 by the following February, what has cost more in that time: general lessons, private lessons, gasoline burned getting to lessons, or psychiatrist/alcohol bills for coaches dealing with skater who has been bumped up too quickly?
R-You missed the variables of cheap skates and glitter.
A-Don't forget amount spent on brownies at the snack bar.
Jun 8, 2010
Summer Skating
School is out today or tomorrow in most districts. Summer's here and with it all those conflicting treats: sunshine and vacation, the beach or the pool, tennis and baseball and hiking. The last thing you're thinking about is skating when the sun is high.
But skating is a great thing to do in the summer, for lots of reasons.
First of all, it's cool. And no, I don't mean the in-crowd does it, I mean it's cool, as in, not stifling hot. Nothing like walking in to a lovely cool ice rink on a 90 degree day. Most places they don't keep it freezing either, so you can comfortably skate in your shirt sleeves.
Second, especially on public skating times, no one is there. You know those hideous crowded sessions in the middle of winter? Gone. There will now be maybe 30 people there on Sunday public, on a crowded day. Classes are smaller, and in some places even practice ice has fewer people.
If you're a competitive skater, summer is "Pre Season" when you solidify the new jump, clean up that Level 4 spin, learn and refine your new program, and design a new costume (fun!). You're gearing up for the late summer "non-qualifying" competitions. Every region has a big competition where you'll find the top skaters trying out their new programs-- Alissa Czisny skated in the DuPage Open (click on DuPage Open in the sidebar-- you'll see Alissa at the top of the board and my daughter at the bottom for 2006. Oh well. She was a mostly an ice dancer.) here in the Chicago area every year right up until her Nationals win. The annual Lake Placid competition is the place to be seen for ice dancers-- a lot of top teams skate.
If you're not a competitive skater, think about attending one of these just to watch. Ask your coach or skating director what the big club competition is in your region, or check the USFS events page. Top skaters often show up at these, and you can watch for free (they'll also often have exhibition fundraisers at the end of the competition, but even these are easy to get tickets to and relatively cheap).
You should set a goal for summer skating. It can be a standard goal--pass a level, land a jump, learn a jump--or a special one, like "start private lessons," "no rules skating" (i.e. skate a lot, but just for fun), "teach my mom to skate," or "make up a program with my best friend."
If you decide just to stick with classes for the summer, don't forget to leave a skating bag in the car with a light sweater or sweatshirt, leggings, socks and gloves. Look into camp options at local rinks-- some have special skating camps, and many include skating as part of the regular camp program if there is a rink in the district. Do your girl scout or boy scout skating badge in the summer-- there's more and emptier ice, and it's a topsy-turvey thing to do--everyone will enjoy the idea of skating in the summer!
Summer is my favorite time to skate. There's an exciting kind of buzz in the air around the competitive kids as they gear up, and everyone there is there because they love skating and no other reason.
Plus, like I said? It's nice and cool.
But skating is a great thing to do in the summer, for lots of reasons.
First of all, it's cool. And no, I don't mean the in-crowd does it, I mean it's cool, as in, not stifling hot. Nothing like walking in to a lovely cool ice rink on a 90 degree day. Most places they don't keep it freezing either, so you can comfortably skate in your shirt sleeves.
Second, especially on public skating times, no one is there. You know those hideous crowded sessions in the middle of winter? Gone. There will now be maybe 30 people there on Sunday public, on a crowded day. Classes are smaller, and in some places even practice ice has fewer people.
If you're a competitive skater, summer is "Pre Season" when you solidify the new jump, clean up that Level 4 spin, learn and refine your new program, and design a new costume (fun!). You're gearing up for the late summer "non-qualifying" competitions. Every region has a big competition where you'll find the top skaters trying out their new programs-- Alissa Czisny skated in the DuPage Open (click on DuPage Open in the sidebar-- you'll see Alissa at the top of the board and my daughter at the bottom for 2006. Oh well. She was a mostly an ice dancer.) here in the Chicago area every year right up until her Nationals win. The annual Lake Placid competition is the place to be seen for ice dancers-- a lot of top teams skate.
If you're not a competitive skater, think about attending one of these just to watch. Ask your coach or skating director what the big club competition is in your region, or check the USFS events page. Top skaters often show up at these, and you can watch for free (they'll also often have exhibition fundraisers at the end of the competition, but even these are easy to get tickets to and relatively cheap).
You should set a goal for summer skating. It can be a standard goal--pass a level, land a jump, learn a jump--or a special one, like "start private lessons," "no rules skating" (i.e. skate a lot, but just for fun), "teach my mom to skate," or "make up a program with my best friend."
If you decide just to stick with classes for the summer, don't forget to leave a skating bag in the car with a light sweater or sweatshirt, leggings, socks and gloves. Look into camp options at local rinks-- some have special skating camps, and many include skating as part of the regular camp program if there is a rink in the district. Do your girl scout or boy scout skating badge in the summer-- there's more and emptier ice, and it's a topsy-turvey thing to do--everyone will enjoy the idea of skating in the summer!
Summer is my favorite time to skate. There's an exciting kind of buzz in the air around the competitive kids as they gear up, and everyone there is there because they love skating and no other reason.
Plus, like I said? It's nice and cool.
What are your goals and plans for the summer?
Apr 11, 2010
Summer skating
It's always puzzled me that in the winter when it's freezing cold outside, everyone goes to the freezing cold ice rink, and in the summer, when it's steaming hot outside, everyone goes to the steaming hot beach.
Ice rinks are great in the summertime. Nice and cool, and often, empty. They often turn over the ice to the figure skaters all morning and the hockey players all afternoon (or vice versa), and you can basically spend all day in skates. Many rinks run skating camps, at both learn to skate and freestyle levels, or you skate on your own; take your coach's summer program if she or he has one, sign up for one of the many sleep-away skating camps, or just come once in a while for fun.
For skaters who want to compete, summer is pre-season, one of the most critical training periods. You want to make sure you're at the correct test level, start solidifying the new programs, make sure you have all the latest rules updates incorporated into your choreography, and strengthen your newest elements. Serious off ice endurance and strength training starts building up in the summer too.
Even for non-competitive skaters, you can use summer as your pre-season push. Maybe there are synchro or ice show auditions in the fall, or you're trying to make it up a level or two in class. This is the time to learn a new jump or spin, even if you're not planning to compete, just because there's so much ice available.
By May you're going to want to have had a conversation with your coach about your goals for the summer and the coming year, so you know how much ice to sign up for and what the training arc is going to be. Find out which competitions the coach is expecting you to do, what costumes you're going to need, and what the requirements are for your various goals. Here are some of the summer skating options:
Sleep-away camp
Like any sleep away camps, there are serious highly competitive ones for "career" skaters like Ice Castles (although anyone with the cash can go if I'm not mistaken) or USFS camps for the current Team Envelope members. But there are also many many quality camps for skaters from serious to recreational. Ask your coach, club rep, or local USFS or PSA area representative how to find a skating camp that matches your skater's goals and level.
Local skating camps
Many rinks have both interim skating seminars and summer-long camps, ranging from half to full day. These camps usually consist of on ice and off ice components and may include things you won't get during the school year season. At my own rink we offer ice dance, figures, moves, and choreography as part of the summer program, as well as off-ice components that include ballet and jazz dance, pilates, soccer, arts and crafts and field trips to do things like roller blading or swimming. These camps are extremely cost-effective; often you don't have to sign up for the entire time, or even for every day, but can create your own schedule according to your vacation schedule, finances, and other activities.
Coach-led camps
Many coaches will set up their own summer programs, if their rink allows them to. You'll pay the coach a retainer-type fee based on the number of participants and hours, plus you'll pay the rink directly (in most cases) for ice time. Depending on how many skaters your coach gets involved, this can be the cheapest option, and easily incorporates your private lesson time into the ice schedule. Not all rinks allow coaches to do this; if your regular rink does not, you may need to follow the coach to a different rink for the summer. Many coaches will allow only their own students into these camps, even if you are not taking from someone else.
On your own
You can also set up your own training schedule without a supervising camp structure, but I would recommend this only for older and very self-directed kids. It is extremely difficult to maintain your own practice when you feel like the odd one out, where everyone else is in a program and you're just on your own. A couple/few times a week it will be just like school year skating, but if you want to try to skate every day, I would recommend finding a program to be part of, for the social aspect and the supervisory safety if nothing else.
Just for fun
Summer is also a great time to just take a break from structured lessons. At many rinks, practice ice is much emptier in the summer, and at every rink public sessions are very very sparse. Just come and skate for fun. Then go to the beach or the pool, where it's hot and sunny.
Me? I'll be waiting for you in the nice cool rink.
Ice rinks are great in the summertime. Nice and cool, and often, empty. They often turn over the ice to the figure skaters all morning and the hockey players all afternoon (or vice versa), and you can basically spend all day in skates. Many rinks run skating camps, at both learn to skate and freestyle levels, or you skate on your own; take your coach's summer program if she or he has one, sign up for one of the many sleep-away skating camps, or just come once in a while for fun.
For skaters who want to compete, summer is pre-season, one of the most critical training periods. You want to make sure you're at the correct test level, start solidifying the new programs, make sure you have all the latest rules updates incorporated into your choreography, and strengthen your newest elements. Serious off ice endurance and strength training starts building up in the summer too.
Even for non-competitive skaters, you can use summer as your pre-season push. Maybe there are synchro or ice show auditions in the fall, or you're trying to make it up a level or two in class. This is the time to learn a new jump or spin, even if you're not planning to compete, just because there's so much ice available.
By May you're going to want to have had a conversation with your coach about your goals for the summer and the coming year, so you know how much ice to sign up for and what the training arc is going to be. Find out which competitions the coach is expecting you to do, what costumes you're going to need, and what the requirements are for your various goals. Here are some of the summer skating options:
Sleep-away camp
Like any sleep away camps, there are serious highly competitive ones for "career" skaters like Ice Castles (although anyone with the cash can go if I'm not mistaken) or USFS camps for the current Team Envelope members. But there are also many many quality camps for skaters from serious to recreational. Ask your coach, club rep, or local USFS or PSA area representative how to find a skating camp that matches your skater's goals and level.
Local skating camps
Many rinks have both interim skating seminars and summer-long camps, ranging from half to full day. These camps usually consist of on ice and off ice components and may include things you won't get during the school year season. At my own rink we offer ice dance, figures, moves, and choreography as part of the summer program, as well as off-ice components that include ballet and jazz dance, pilates, soccer, arts and crafts and field trips to do things like roller blading or swimming. These camps are extremely cost-effective; often you don't have to sign up for the entire time, or even for every day, but can create your own schedule according to your vacation schedule, finances, and other activities.
Coach-led camps
Many coaches will set up their own summer programs, if their rink allows them to. You'll pay the coach a retainer-type fee based on the number of participants and hours, plus you'll pay the rink directly (in most cases) for ice time. Depending on how many skaters your coach gets involved, this can be the cheapest option, and easily incorporates your private lesson time into the ice schedule. Not all rinks allow coaches to do this; if your regular rink does not, you may need to follow the coach to a different rink for the summer. Many coaches will allow only their own students into these camps, even if you are not taking from someone else.
On your own
You can also set up your own training schedule without a supervising camp structure, but I would recommend this only for older and very self-directed kids. It is extremely difficult to maintain your own practice when you feel like the odd one out, where everyone else is in a program and you're just on your own. A couple/few times a week it will be just like school year skating, but if you want to try to skate every day, I would recommend finding a program to be part of, for the social aspect and the supervisory safety if nothing else.
Just for fun
Summer is also a great time to just take a break from structured lessons. At many rinks, practice ice is much emptier in the summer, and at every rink public sessions are very very sparse. Just come and skate for fun. Then go to the beach or the pool, where it's hot and sunny.
Me? I'll be waiting for you in the nice cool rink.
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