I get a lot of beginning adults and parents of beginning skaters who complain that they can't do anything so it's hard to practice. They also get locked into the idea that they have to be learning "skating skills." As a beginner, your only job is to get comfortable with speed, balance, and glide.
Start- once around the ice surface just to get your feet under you. The only aim is to get comfortable on the ice and get a glide going. With kids, call this "free time."
Working on glide and comfort
5 minutes
Continuous stroking (or stepping, if you're not quite up to stroking). "Continuous" means your feet must keep moving. Think of it as walking-- if you were going for a walk, you wouldn't stop every 5th or 6th step. Don't do it on the ice either. Don't worry about form, or acceleration, just keep your feet moving.
Working on the pressure of the blade against the ice
5 minutes
Swizzles. Mix it up and challenge yourself-- how many can you do in a row. How long can you hold the wide part before you can't pull back in. How far can you glide on a single swizzle. Can you make it all the way around doing only swizzles (it's hard!)? Find ways to keep it interesting; 5 minutes is longer than you think.
Working on weight shift and balance
5 minutes
Scooter pushes and half-swizzle pumps. Again, mix it up. Start with going all the way down one side of the rink using just your right foot, then back up the other side using just your left. Then do 5 on one foot and 5 on the other, then alternating.
Working on bilateralism
5+ minutes
Swizzles and scooters in the other direction (i.e. if you were going counter clockwise, turn 180 and go clockwise, unless you're on a public session and they won't let you.
Working on backwards
2 minutes
Backward swizzles or wiggles, either back and forth across the short axis, or all the way around the rink (if you go all the way around, also use the opportunity to learn how to check behind you).
Working on blade pressure
5 minutes
Slalom. Feet together, essentially forward wiggles. Let yourself build speed (that's what this move is for)
Reward
2 minutes
Practice your hardest move (not jumping-- I'm talking about beginner skills like stroking, crossovers, long one-foot glides, backwards glides, 2-foot turns, etc.), or practice putting together a small program-- sequential skills in a pattern (make sure you go both clockwise and counterclockwise)
Finish
1-3 minutes
Cool down. Gentle skating once or twice around the rink.
This work-out will both get you comfortable on your skates in a very gentle way, and is also a surprisingly effective cardio workout, if you keep moving. You can do this identical workout at a high level, by making the focus power and acceleration and by splitting each 5 minutes in half-- doing half forwards and half backwards, figuring out different ways of making the turn (mohawks, rockers, jumping turns, et cetera, all at speed).
Any child who can read can do this too-- give her or him a list and a stop watch. Make a card with these items on it, and have them time themselves. They get a checkmark for attempting, and a sticker every time they really make it to 5 minutes. (Like I said, 5 minutes is longer than you think!)
When you are done, do a light stretch, focusing especially on ankles, hamstrings and lower back.
Aug 26, 2010
Okay, parents, take a deep breath
For the top skaters in the Novice, Junior and Senior levels, the competitive season has already started, with USFS "Champs Camp"*, and the first Junior Grand Prix competition, in France. *(A longer article on last year's camp can be found here.)
For the wannabes, and I use the term affectionately, the excitement and the tension is just building, as we move into the final stretch before Regionals. Medalists from selected competitions last year have already qualified for Nationals (if they're skating in the same level and division) and don't need to go through Regionals and Sectionals, but pretty much everyone else has two competitions-- Regionals in October and Sectionals in November. The last of the serious non-qualifying competitions is done, the costumes are hanging in the closet (even if the bill isn't quite paid), and the choreography is solid and getting its final tweaks.
For parents, the only thing left to do is freak out.
Seriously skating parents, let's not this year. Take the pledge:
1. I pledge not to fire the coach.
I understand that factors other than my coach's utter incompetence, which somehow slipped my notice until my child missed final round by .135, can affect the scoring.
2. I pledge not to hire a new choreographer without telling anyone, like, for instance, the coach, the current choreographer, or the skater.
I understand that the selection of the choreographer is, first, not my job, and second, already done.
3. I pledge not to complain about how much this is costing, and to pay my bills on time.
I did my homework, and set my budget, including both the panic contingency and the mad money account that I'm hiding from my husband so he doesn't find out how much this is costing.
4. I pledge not to decide that we can go on vacation for the last 10 days of September. After all, homeschooling makes this sort of thing so flexible! I understand that the coach has a very specific training schedule to get ready for Regionals, and that it doesn't include a last minute trip to Florida.
5. I pledge not to contact the mayor, the Club president, that really successful coach from the other club, USFS judges, local and national press, or Michelle Kwan to come and see my current-Juvenile, future Olympic champion child. At least not without casually mentioning to the coach that I've done so.
6. I pledge not to coach from the stands. While the actual coach can see me.
7. I pledge NEVER to make my child rehash his or her training session in the car on the way home. Even if it kills me. And it will.
8. I pledge to remember the goals that we have set with the coach. That's why we had that conversation. If we achieve or exceed our goals, everyone gets a box of chocolate. If we miss them, everyone gets a box of chocolate, and all the adults get a bottle of whisky, too.
9. I pledge to be friendly and open with other parents at every competition, and to encourage a healthy and friendly competitive relationship among the skaters. I can always dish about them later, in private.
10. Finally, I pledge to love my child unconditionally and to support my coach, my club, and the structures and rules of US Figure Skating and the ISU, which are put there to support and protect the coaches, the skaters and their families.
Have a great competition season, everyone, and good luck.
For the wannabes, and I use the term affectionately, the excitement and the tension is just building, as we move into the final stretch before Regionals. Medalists from selected competitions last year have already qualified for Nationals (if they're skating in the same level and division) and don't need to go through Regionals and Sectionals, but pretty much everyone else has two competitions-- Regionals in October and Sectionals in November. The last of the serious non-qualifying competitions is done, the costumes are hanging in the closet (even if the bill isn't quite paid), and the choreography is solid and getting its final tweaks.
For parents, the only thing left to do is freak out.
Seriously skating parents, let's not this year. Take the pledge:
1. I pledge not to fire the coach.
I understand that factors other than my coach's utter incompetence, which somehow slipped my notice until my child missed final round by .135, can affect the scoring.
2. I pledge not to hire a new choreographer without telling anyone, like, for instance, the coach, the current choreographer, or the skater.
I understand that the selection of the choreographer is, first, not my job, and second, already done.
3. I pledge not to complain about how much this is costing, and to pay my bills on time.
I did my homework, and set my budget, including both the panic contingency and the mad money account that I'm hiding from my husband so he doesn't find out how much this is costing.
4. I pledge not to decide that we can go on vacation for the last 10 days of September. After all, homeschooling makes this sort of thing so flexible! I understand that the coach has a very specific training schedule to get ready for Regionals, and that it doesn't include a last minute trip to Florida.
5. I pledge not to contact the mayor, the Club president, that really successful coach from the other club, USFS judges, local and national press, or Michelle Kwan to come and see my current-Juvenile, future Olympic champion child. At least not without casually mentioning to the coach that I've done so.
6. I pledge not to coach from the stands. While the actual coach can see me.
7. I pledge NEVER to make my child rehash his or her training session in the car on the way home. Even if it kills me. And it will.
8. I pledge to remember the goals that we have set with the coach. That's why we had that conversation. If we achieve or exceed our goals, everyone gets a box of chocolate. If we miss them, everyone gets a box of chocolate, and all the adults get a bottle of whisky, too.
9. I pledge to be friendly and open with other parents at every competition, and to encourage a healthy and friendly competitive relationship among the skaters. I can always dish about them later, in private.
10. Finally, I pledge to love my child unconditionally and to support my coach, my club, and the structures and rules of US Figure Skating and the ISU, which are put there to support and protect the coaches, the skaters and their families.
Have a great competition season, everyone, and good luck.
Aug 20, 2010
Proprioceptive activities on the ice
This is the first in a series of posts about the use of tools in teaching figure skating. Tools can aid understanding, body position, spatial orientation. They can aid or distract attention (and one is not necessarily more desirable than the other). Tools can be specific figure skating tools (a figures scribe, for instance), a general sports aid (like a stretchy workout band), or a toy (we use beany babies more than might be actually healthy). You can use them to reinforce good habits, to teach new habits, to overcome bad habits.
I'm currently working with two cognitively challenged children. One is a kid who in my own (long ago) childhood would simply have been that crazy boy; we would not have recognized his behavior as having a clinical definition, much less a condition that could be both named, understood and compensated for. I haven't asked his mother (feel free to chime in, since I know you're reading this) what exactly his diagnosis is, but I would say he's got attention issues. Let's call him NoisyBoy. (He takes lessons with his friend, and they're in my book as "skating with noisy boys".)
The other, Miss E, I've written about before; she is dyspraxic, a sensory and motor processing disability.
Both of these children do occupational therapy, and I owe their OTs a great big box of chocolate, because they, indirectly through the moms, introduced me to the wonderful world of using proprioceptive tools to reach these kids (I had never even heard the word before. It is now my new favorite word). As the new class sessions get underway in a couple of weeks, I will be watching for other children, and adults, who might respond to these techniques.
Proprioception is the ability to orient your body in space; to sense the position, location, and movement of the body and its parts. Noisyboy's mom first introduced me to the concept when she mentioned that he liked "heavy load" exercises- these are activities that involve weights, and/or sharp sudden movements like jumping, falling, crashing, pulling. You get the idea. Noisyboy does in fact love these, I had noticed this. Either because I am a genius, or because he was faster than me (you never know), I generally, within limits, let him. Clever me, because this turned out to be exactly the right thing to do.
Oddly, the same week, Miss E's mom mentioned that her occupational therapist recommended the use of stretchy workout bands for physical activities. One of the deals with Miss E is that she does everything at a very high level as long as you hold onto her, sometimes quite closely. As soon as you let go, she goes back to either tot marching or racing around the ice (singing). We found that when you use the bands you can gradually let go and she still feels the right kind of pressure to continue the activity properly (of course, you have to catch her first).
So meanwhile Noisyboy's mom sent me a list of proprioceptive activities from NorthShore University Health. Their handout includes a long list of proprioceptive activities, saying "these activities can be calming, organizing, or alerting to the nervous system. It can calm people when they are aroused, and arouse them when they are calm"
Bingo.
I started trying this out with these kids and what a difference. Stretchy bands. Two pound weights. Jump exercises. Pushing and pulling exercises. Stomping the ice. All of these things anchor these kids back to their bodies, place them in space, and focus them on their surroundings.
I'm still learning how to use these tools with the kids, and their mothers are exhibiting blessed patience as I sort it out. I'm pretty sure Miss E is onto me, because she often just decides not to play anymore, lets go of the tool and off she goes! Noisyboy is still intrigued by the novelty, so I'll need to try to stay one step ahead of him, also to keep him from getting the bright idea of bashing Noisyboy 2 over the head with the weights (good times!). I'm looking forward to an aisle-foraging trip to Sportmart to see what inspires me.
Just as we've come to understand different learning styles (tactile, visual, aural, etc.) kids also have different proprioceptive abilities. Miss E and Noisyboy are outliers; mainstreamed kids with diagnosed difficulties. But there are plenty of kids farther inside the bell curve who can probably benefit from this awareness. Sometimes it's the challenging kids that make you grow.
I'm currently working with two cognitively challenged children. One is a kid who in my own (long ago) childhood would simply have been that crazy boy; we would not have recognized his behavior as having a clinical definition, much less a condition that could be both named, understood and compensated for. I haven't asked his mother (feel free to chime in, since I know you're reading this) what exactly his diagnosis is, but I would say he's got attention issues. Let's call him NoisyBoy. (He takes lessons with his friend, and they're in my book as "skating with noisy boys".)
The other, Miss E, I've written about before; she is dyspraxic, a sensory and motor processing disability.
Both of these children do occupational therapy, and I owe their OTs a great big box of chocolate, because they, indirectly through the moms, introduced me to the wonderful world of using proprioceptive tools to reach these kids (I had never even heard the word before. It is now my new favorite word). As the new class sessions get underway in a couple of weeks, I will be watching for other children, and adults, who might respond to these techniques.
Proprioception is the ability to orient your body in space; to sense the position, location, and movement of the body and its parts. Noisyboy's mom first introduced me to the concept when she mentioned that he liked "heavy load" exercises- these are activities that involve weights, and/or sharp sudden movements like jumping, falling, crashing, pulling. You get the idea. Noisyboy does in fact love these, I had noticed this. Either because I am a genius, or because he was faster than me (you never know), I generally, within limits, let him. Clever me, because this turned out to be exactly the right thing to do.
Oddly, the same week, Miss E's mom mentioned that her occupational therapist recommended the use of stretchy workout bands for physical activities. One of the deals with Miss E is that she does everything at a very high level as long as you hold onto her, sometimes quite closely. As soon as you let go, she goes back to either tot marching or racing around the ice (singing). We found that when you use the bands you can gradually let go and she still feels the right kind of pressure to continue the activity properly (of course, you have to catch her first).
So meanwhile Noisyboy's mom sent me a list of proprioceptive activities from NorthShore University Health. Their handout includes a long list of proprioceptive activities, saying "these activities can be calming, organizing, or alerting to the nervous system. It can calm people when they are aroused, and arouse them when they are calm"
Bingo.
I started trying this out with these kids and what a difference. Stretchy bands. Two pound weights. Jump exercises. Pushing and pulling exercises. Stomping the ice. All of these things anchor these kids back to their bodies, place them in space, and focus them on their surroundings.
I'm still learning how to use these tools with the kids, and their mothers are exhibiting blessed patience as I sort it out. I'm pretty sure Miss E is onto me, because she often just decides not to play anymore, lets go of the tool and off she goes! Noisyboy is still intrigued by the novelty, so I'll need to try to stay one step ahead of him, also to keep him from getting the bright idea of bashing Noisyboy 2 over the head with the weights (good times!). I'm looking forward to an aisle-foraging trip to Sportmart to see what inspires me.
Just as we've come to understand different learning styles (tactile, visual, aural, etc.) kids also have different proprioceptive abilities. Miss E and Noisyboy are outliers; mainstreamed kids with diagnosed difficulties. But there are plenty of kids farther inside the bell curve who can probably benefit from this awareness. Sometimes it's the challenging kids that make you grow.
PACE Day 3 and final thoughts
As I tweeted yesterday, it was a great event, with great participants, great faculty, great town, great presentations. I'm a PACE junkie, this is my fifth time, and I've had some GREAT experiences, so what made this one so special? Some thoughts and highlights:
• It really made a difference to be able to sleep in my own bed every night. Despite the commute and the 5:30 a.m. start, having the familiar surroundings each night was a boon. Three days, 160 miles round trip commute each day. I know there are people who do that everyday. How can they stand it? In sum it was about the same as driving to the PACE site in Ohio, but somehow, this seemed hard (and I like distance driving).
• I rode every day with my friend Molly, as well, so we got to debrief at the end of the day. It was useful as well as fun to share thoughts and impressions. This was such an important part of this PACE that I would recommend PSA try to come up with a way to offer a discount for two people who sign up together.
• The faculty just clicked. Now, these were many of the same faculty members that I've encountered before, but somehow the chemistry was just sizzling with this group. Furthermore, they checked their egos at the door, and approached the participants as peers. This is not always the case; I have encountered faculty whose mission seemed to be to prove either that the participants were idiots, or that they themselves were on such a high plain you could never hope to achieve it. None of that noise was at this event. (Except at lunch-- it was uncomfortable that the faculty segregated themselves from the participants. Just leave the building folks, that was a little weird.)
• It's easy to find free parking in downtown Milwaukee (in fact, for years we've joked that Milwaukee's tourism motto should be "Milwaukee: It's easy to park!") "Paid" all-day parking will set you back $2 to $5.
• Kern Center is beautiful, but man, their ice surface was poorly prepared. I guess hockey skaters aren't as picky as figure skaters.
• The three presentations on IJS by choreographer and national technical specialist/controller Scott Brown were worth the price of admission alone. It absolutely stuns me that any competitive coach EVER attempts to choreograph a program without attending Scott's sessions, and he does enough of them that they are pretty easy to get to. If ALL you can get to at a PACE are his presentations, it's worth eating the rest of the cost. I have pages and pages of advice for programs from Juvenile through Senior, and I don't even teach at that level. But it helps me in class, where all those skills start, to know what the judges are looking for.
• There were a lot more people doing the Group track this year, and they seemed to be people who weren't just collecting ratings (yes, there are these types), but rather coaches who really believe in Group and aren't just looking for the "easy" rating (it isn't, by the way).
But I think the most important thing that was different this year was my own attitude and expectation. I had a truly terrible experience at PACE last year, so bad that I left halfway through. In fact I decided not to continue seeking ratings because I just didn't need the humiliation (this after actually passing the rating that I took last year). But I came to my senses, decided not to let one bad teacher alter my career, and went in this year feeling like I was at a Master level. This made me act like I was at a Master level, which I like to think came through.
All in all, I'm inspired and excited, and looking forward to continuing the Ratings process through Master Group and, I hope, Registered at Moves, Free Skate and Synchro.
• It really made a difference to be able to sleep in my own bed every night. Despite the commute and the 5:30 a.m. start, having the familiar surroundings each night was a boon. Three days, 160 miles round trip commute each day. I know there are people who do that everyday. How can they stand it? In sum it was about the same as driving to the PACE site in Ohio, but somehow, this seemed hard (and I like distance driving).
• I rode every day with my friend Molly, as well, so we got to debrief at the end of the day. It was useful as well as fun to share thoughts and impressions. This was such an important part of this PACE that I would recommend PSA try to come up with a way to offer a discount for two people who sign up together.
• The faculty just clicked. Now, these were many of the same faculty members that I've encountered before, but somehow the chemistry was just sizzling with this group. Furthermore, they checked their egos at the door, and approached the participants as peers. This is not always the case; I have encountered faculty whose mission seemed to be to prove either that the participants were idiots, or that they themselves were on such a high plain you could never hope to achieve it. None of that noise was at this event. (Except at lunch-- it was uncomfortable that the faculty segregated themselves from the participants. Just leave the building folks, that was a little weird.)
• It's easy to find free parking in downtown Milwaukee (in fact, for years we've joked that Milwaukee's tourism motto should be "Milwaukee: It's easy to park!") "Paid" all-day parking will set you back $2 to $5.
• Kern Center is beautiful, but man, their ice surface was poorly prepared. I guess hockey skaters aren't as picky as figure skaters.
• The three presentations on IJS by choreographer and national technical specialist/controller Scott Brown were worth the price of admission alone. It absolutely stuns me that any competitive coach EVER attempts to choreograph a program without attending Scott's sessions, and he does enough of them that they are pretty easy to get to. If ALL you can get to at a PACE are his presentations, it's worth eating the rest of the cost. I have pages and pages of advice for programs from Juvenile through Senior, and I don't even teach at that level. But it helps me in class, where all those skills start, to know what the judges are looking for.
• There were a lot more people doing the Group track this year, and they seemed to be people who weren't just collecting ratings (yes, there are these types), but rather coaches who really believe in Group and aren't just looking for the "easy" rating (it isn't, by the way).
But I think the most important thing that was different this year was my own attitude and expectation. I had a truly terrible experience at PACE last year, so bad that I left halfway through. In fact I decided not to continue seeking ratings because I just didn't need the humiliation (this after actually passing the rating that I took last year). But I came to my senses, decided not to let one bad teacher alter my career, and went in this year feeling like I was at a Master level. This made me act like I was at a Master level, which I like to think came through.
All in all, I'm inspired and excited, and looking forward to continuing the Ratings process through Master Group and, I hope, Registered at Moves, Free Skate and Synchro.
Aug 18, 2010
PACE Day Two
Long day, which started before 5 a.m. since we're driving to Milwaukee each day instead of getting a hotel there. (We being my friend Molly and me.)
The first presentation was a review of the ISU Judging System (IJS) by National Tech Specialist and Olympic choreographer Scott Brown. Scott's presentations are always great-- he's got a lot of personality and isn't afraid to be honest about how judging/calling works. With him was international judge Gale Tranger, also a really dynamic and honest speaker. They had lots of inside info about what's coming up in IJS, behind-the-scenes explanations of why certain rules changes were made (such as "we're tired of ugly spirals") and very clear and specific instructions to coaches about what should be in programs, such as don't have skaters do things that they can't do well. Seems obvious, huh? Apparently, you'd be surprised.
We moved out of the classroom and onto the ice for teaching and testing tips for Freeskate and Moves Pre-Pre through Juvenile. I didn't stay for the Intermediate through Senior levels because I don't teach those levels. Scott did an on-ice presentation about IJS, including tips on how to have your skater warm up at competition to make the judges sit up and take notice.
After a truly terrible lunch (who the heck puts mustard on tuna salad sandwiches. Is this a Milwaukee thing?) we started "mock exams" where the faculty puts each participant in the hot seat and makes them answer test questions at their level as though they are in the ratings exam. It's amazing how nervous you get even though it's really friendly and you're allowed, even encouraged to screw up (so that you can get the correction and not do it wrong when it counts).
The day finished with another draw class, and a discussion/mock test on ethics; PSA is adorably delusional sometimes about how ethical we all are and how well the system works, but it's nice that they're trying.
More mock exams tomorrow. It's been a great event so far.
The first presentation was a review of the ISU Judging System (IJS) by National Tech Specialist and Olympic choreographer Scott Brown. Scott's presentations are always great-- he's got a lot of personality and isn't afraid to be honest about how judging/calling works. With him was international judge Gale Tranger, also a really dynamic and honest speaker. They had lots of inside info about what's coming up in IJS, behind-the-scenes explanations of why certain rules changes were made (such as "we're tired of ugly spirals") and very clear and specific instructions to coaches about what should be in programs, such as don't have skaters do things that they can't do well. Seems obvious, huh? Apparently, you'd be surprised.
We moved out of the classroom and onto the ice for teaching and testing tips for Freeskate and Moves Pre-Pre through Juvenile. I didn't stay for the Intermediate through Senior levels because I don't teach those levels. Scott did an on-ice presentation about IJS, including tips on how to have your skater warm up at competition to make the judges sit up and take notice.
After a truly terrible lunch (who the heck puts mustard on tuna salad sandwiches. Is this a Milwaukee thing?) we started "mock exams" where the faculty puts each participant in the hot seat and makes them answer test questions at their level as though they are in the ratings exam. It's amazing how nervous you get even though it's really friendly and you're allowed, even encouraged to screw up (so that you can get the correction and not do it wrong when it counts).
The day finished with another draw class, and a discussion/mock test on ethics; PSA is adorably delusional sometimes about how ethical we all are and how well the system works, but it's nice that they're trying.
More mock exams tomorrow. It's been a great event so far.
Aug 17, 2010
PACE Day One
PACE: Professional Accreditation and Certifying Education, affectionately known as Practice Answering Concisely and Efficiently, is a PSA education event held in three different regions of the US every year. Unlike most coaching seminars and workshops, PACE specifically teaches you how to take oral ratings exams, rather than offering up coaching advice or technique (although you get some of that, too). This is my fifth trip to PACE, and so far it's one of the better ones I've been to.
To get rated, or credentialed, by the PSA, a coach goes through a series of exams from the Basic Accreditation (a written test) to Registered (the lowest oral exam) to Master (the highest) in any one (or more) of a dozen disciplines. I'm working toward my Master Group rating (currently hold Senior, the third of the four levels). Eventually I'd like to have the Master Group, plus a Registered Free Skate and Certified Moves in the Field.
The first time I came to PACE I did not get the whole "teaching the test" thing. I went looking for coaching tips. You get these at PACE, but that's not what it's for. PACE is where you practice answering coaching questions in front of the people who are going to be your ratings examiners. It's not the place to show off, to get creative, to hide in corners or to pretend you know more than you do. Show your strengths and your weaknesses, let the chips fall where they may, and learn confidence in a pressure situation like an oral exam.
The second time I went to PACE I met two of my group coaching mentors, Jan Tremer and Angie Riviello. It was their encouragement that helped me get over my self-doubt about whether I should even be a skating coach, and their guidance that helped me earn the Senior level rating.
And it really is all about the faculty at PACE. Last year I left early the second day, because the faculty's agenda seemed to be to belittle the students. It was so counterproductive that I actually decided to give up on the ratings, because I just couldn't imagine putting myself through the humiliation I experienced at the event.
Fortunately, I decided not to let the turkeys get me down, because this year the faculty is outstanding. Angie's there, and national dance coach Sandy Lamb, as well as national coach Tracy Poletis, PSA executive Carol Rossignol, and Olympic choreographer Scott Brown. The event was organized by another coaching mentor, Craig Bodoh.
I've attended sessions on Choreography (scary and hard!); a "draw" class, where you put pen to paper and literally draw the imprint of each Moves pattern, jump, and spin (I'm really good at this); two Group sessions (where I naturally completely and idiotically blew the first question I was asked!); and both a Certified and a Registered Moves session. I asked to be allowed just to audit the Certified one, which Sandy kindly acquiesced, but I went ahead and participated in the Registered, where I accounted myself just fine. I should remember that I actually do know how to do this and not to sell myself short.
Which is why you go to PACE. To learn confidence in your knowledge and the ability to share it, verbally, as well as you share it every day with your students on the ice.
I'll try to write up tomorrow's sessions as well but it's a 10 hour day with a 1 1/2 hour drive at either end, starting before 6 a.m., so we'll see.
To get rated, or credentialed, by the PSA, a coach goes through a series of exams from the Basic Accreditation (a written test) to Registered (the lowest oral exam) to Master (the highest) in any one (or more) of a dozen disciplines. I'm working toward my Master Group rating (currently hold Senior, the third of the four levels). Eventually I'd like to have the Master Group, plus a Registered Free Skate and Certified Moves in the Field.
The first time I came to PACE I did not get the whole "teaching the test" thing. I went looking for coaching tips. You get these at PACE, but that's not what it's for. PACE is where you practice answering coaching questions in front of the people who are going to be your ratings examiners. It's not the place to show off, to get creative, to hide in corners or to pretend you know more than you do. Show your strengths and your weaknesses, let the chips fall where they may, and learn confidence in a pressure situation like an oral exam.
The second time I went to PACE I met two of my group coaching mentors, Jan Tremer and Angie Riviello. It was their encouragement that helped me get over my self-doubt about whether I should even be a skating coach, and their guidance that helped me earn the Senior level rating.
And it really is all about the faculty at PACE. Last year I left early the second day, because the faculty's agenda seemed to be to belittle the students. It was so counterproductive that I actually decided to give up on the ratings, because I just couldn't imagine putting myself through the humiliation I experienced at the event.
Fortunately, I decided not to let the turkeys get me down, because this year the faculty is outstanding. Angie's there, and national dance coach Sandy Lamb, as well as national coach Tracy Poletis, PSA executive Carol Rossignol, and Olympic choreographer Scott Brown. The event was organized by another coaching mentor, Craig Bodoh.
I've attended sessions on Choreography (scary and hard!); a "draw" class, where you put pen to paper and literally draw the imprint of each Moves pattern, jump, and spin (I'm really good at this); two Group sessions (where I naturally completely and idiotically blew the first question I was asked!); and both a Certified and a Registered Moves session. I asked to be allowed just to audit the Certified one, which Sandy kindly acquiesced, but I went ahead and participated in the Registered, where I accounted myself just fine. I should remember that I actually do know how to do this and not to sell myself short.
Which is why you go to PACE. To learn confidence in your knowledge and the ability to share it, verbally, as well as you share it every day with your students on the ice.
I'll try to write up tomorrow's sessions as well but it's a 10 hour day with a 1 1/2 hour drive at either end, starting before 6 a.m., so we'll see.
Coaches-- have you been to PACE or other PSA seminars? Let us know your experience.
Aug 16, 2010
PSA Education, the editorial
The biggest benefit of the Professional Skaters Association is also the thing that you'll hear coaches complaining about the most-- the continuing education requirement.
If you have a "rating" (i.e. a coaches' certification in a range of disciplines, acquired through both written and oral exams), you must garner a certain number of credits over any given 3-year period. These credits can be obtained by attending numerous local, regional and national seminars, conferences and meetings, sponsored by USFS, ISI, and PSA.
If you take students through either testing or to USFS sanctioned competitions, you must also take the on-line CER (Continuing Education Requirement) exams annually or you cannot get credentialed to stand with your student, or to list yourself as the coach of record.
It's time consuming and expensive. For extremely experienced coaches it can seem redundant. But I for one consider it extremely important.
I like to joke that I'm Exhibit A in "anyone can coach." When I started coaching I had zero teaching experience, was barely a Freestyle 1 level skater, and had never taken a USFS test or been in a competition. I asked if I could help with tot classes as a volunteer, and to my shock was simply assigned several tot and the beginning adult class to teach, on my own.
No training. No experience. No insurance.
No clue. It was scandalous, really. I kind of just don't even know what they were thinking. Fortunately I'm an ethical person and started going to every coaching seminar I could find.
In the absence of college programs that treat figure skating coaching like the serious profession that it is, (I don't know of even one. The way you start coaching is your coach gives you her run-off. I'm not kidding.), it's good that USFS and PSA have stepped in and made these requirements. I personally think that 100% coach's membership in PSA should be a requirement for a rink to be certified by whoever does that.
There can be problems with PSA education. They can be dogmatic. It's a small, closed world, and, again in the absence of other programs, they are the only game in town. Individuals within the ranks can be suspicious of people like me with non-traditional paths into the profession. As I said, on top of the nearly $500 annually in fees, memberships, insurance and online testing, it's expensive.
But I've also met wonderful coaching mentors and learned how to be both a better coach and a better person.
This week I'll be attending PACE Wisconsin, an annual 3-day seminar where they literally teach you how to take the ratings exams. Unfortunately, the new website does not have a description of PACE anymore, just a commerce link to sign up for it (um, guys, you want to fix that?) so I won't provide a link. I'm going to try to tweet from the seminar, and blog it each evening, although I'm driving back and forth Chicago to Milwaukee every day, so we'll see.
If you have a "rating" (i.e. a coaches' certification in a range of disciplines, acquired through both written and oral exams), you must garner a certain number of credits over any given 3-year period. These credits can be obtained by attending numerous local, regional and national seminars, conferences and meetings, sponsored by USFS, ISI, and PSA.
If you take students through either testing or to USFS sanctioned competitions, you must also take the on-line CER (Continuing Education Requirement) exams annually or you cannot get credentialed to stand with your student, or to list yourself as the coach of record.
It's time consuming and expensive. For extremely experienced coaches it can seem redundant. But I for one consider it extremely important.
I like to joke that I'm Exhibit A in "anyone can coach." When I started coaching I had zero teaching experience, was barely a Freestyle 1 level skater, and had never taken a USFS test or been in a competition. I asked if I could help with tot classes as a volunteer, and to my shock was simply assigned several tot and the beginning adult class to teach, on my own.
No training. No experience. No insurance.
No clue. It was scandalous, really. I kind of just don't even know what they were thinking. Fortunately I'm an ethical person and started going to every coaching seminar I could find.
In the absence of college programs that treat figure skating coaching like the serious profession that it is, (I don't know of even one. The way you start coaching is your coach gives you her run-off. I'm not kidding.), it's good that USFS and PSA have stepped in and made these requirements. I personally think that 100% coach's membership in PSA should be a requirement for a rink to be certified by whoever does that.
There can be problems with PSA education. They can be dogmatic. It's a small, closed world, and, again in the absence of other programs, they are the only game in town. Individuals within the ranks can be suspicious of people like me with non-traditional paths into the profession. As I said, on top of the nearly $500 annually in fees, memberships, insurance and online testing, it's expensive.
But I've also met wonderful coaching mentors and learned how to be both a better coach and a better person.
This week I'll be attending PACE Wisconsin, an annual 3-day seminar where they literally teach you how to take the ratings exams. Unfortunately, the new website does not have a description of PACE anymore, just a commerce link to sign up for it (um, guys, you want to fix that?) so I won't provide a link. I'm going to try to tweet from the seminar, and blog it each evening, although I'm driving back and forth Chicago to Milwaukee every day, so we'll see.
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