July August 2014 PS Magazine

JULY/AUGUST

2014

www.skatepsa.com

Photo Year of the

by

Vicki Luy

S K AT E S

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COLUMNS 4 6 8 14 18 38

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Over the Edge | Jimmie Santee

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President’s Message | Angie Riviello

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Ratings | Brandon Forsyth

Sport Science | Heidi Thibert

Education | Carol Rossignol

Legal Ease | David Shulman

FEATURES USOC SafeSport Summit 2014 | by Trisha Mathis

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USOC Recognizes PSA U.S. Figure Skating's ICEMEN | by Terri Milner Tarquini

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PSA Nationwide Seminars

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Coach-Compliance Tips

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| by Heidi Thibert

Life After Competition: LTS | by Terri Milner Tarquini

2014 PSA Coaches Hall of Fame | by Kent McDill

9 13 20 25 40 41 42

Ratings Exams Passed In the Trenches Excellence On Ice Obituary New Members Job Openings & Welcome!

PSA Calendar of Events

Jimmie Santee | Editor Carol Rossignol | Contributing Editor Amanda Taylor | Art Director Elizabeth Thornton | Advertising/Editorial Assistant COVER PHOTO BY Vicki Luy

JULY | AUGUST

2014 ~ No 4 #ISSN-574770

30 Keeping Cool in the Desert: 2014 PSA Conference

35 36

| by Liz Leamy

2014 Edi Awards & Banquet

30 35

What Would Tom Dickson Do? | by Terri Milner Tarquini

Take note...

K EEP U P W ITH T HE PSA...

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Professional Skaters Association(PSA)

New PSA e-newsletter

Over the Edge

PSA OFFICERS President First Vice President Second Vice President Third Vice President Treasurer Past President

JIMMIE SANTEE

PSA BOARD OF GOVERNORS West

P

East

eople don’t fail, leaders do… I’m not sure where I first learned that, but I believe it to be true. In fact, I was reading an article by Dan Schawbel on the website The Fast Track called “Top Ten Reasons Why Leaders Fail.” Following is Schawbel’s list of reasons: 1. Leaders become selfish 2. They stop navigating the team 3. Leaders become greedy 4. They get arrogant 5. They focus too much on politics 6. They don’t give enough criticism 7. Leaders refuse to adapt 8. They don’t understand self-leadership 9. They are too reactive 10. Leaders don’t communicate well

So let’s play a game of word association…read each reason and write down the first person that comes to mind. Personally, when I did this experiment, I wrote down only one name – Octavio Cinquanta. As I read this article, I couldn’t get Octavio out of my mind…he is unbelievably selfish, arrogant, political, and refuses to adapt. Personally, I think he would say he does adapt, but I would counter that he is too reactive. He has made poor decision after poor decision.

Let’s add up the score card. Under his leadership, ISU removed figures, compulsory dances, and the 6.0 system from competition. He created anonymous judging, and erased the line between amateur and professional (as long as the ISU was the one paying). The sport for all intents and purposes disappeared from broadcast television, and we saw empty seats at almost all ISU events with the exception of Japan and Korea. He consistently makes decisions that have unintended consequences- decisions that someone who truly understands the sport would not make.

One of the first decisions he made after becoming President in 1996 was to not allow Kurt Browning to skate in the opening ceremonies at the World Championships in Edmonton, Kurt’s hometown. Kurt was considered “ineligible.” More likely, it was meant to publically embarrass David Dore who was not yet the ISU Vice President for Figure Skating.

Back in 2002, Cinquanta declared the new IJS would revolutionize the sport.

Phil Hersch reported that judging issues were normally considered by only the figure skating delegates. To get IJS passed through the ISU congress, Cinquanta argued that since a majority of the ISU’s revenue comes from figure skating, the entire organization should have a say in a reform. He was also quoted as saying, “I promise you this new, simple system would minimize the possibility of bloc judging and voting in future.” To be fair, he did say “minimize” not eliminate.

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Doug Ladret Todd Sand Teri Klingworth Hooper Brandon Forsyth Denise Williamson Robyn Petroskey-Poe Kirsten Miller-Zisholz Alex Chang Tom Hickey Robbie Kaine Brandon Forsyth Doug Mattis Scott McCoy Karen Oppegard Alex Chang

PSA

People Don't Fail, Leaders Do

Mid-West

Angela Riviello Christine Fowler-Binder Dorothi Cassini Rebecca Stump Carol Murphy Kelley Morris Adair

Members at Large

Committee on Professional Standards Ratings Chair Seminar Chair ISI Rep to PSA U.S. Figure Skating Rep to PSA U.S. Figure Skating Coaches Executive Director Legal Counsel

COMMITTEE CHAIRMEN Awards Coaches Hall of Fame Education Seminars State Workshops Apprentice Area Representatives Hockey Skating PS Magazine Sport Science Endorsements Executive Executive Nominating Finance Fundraising ISU/ IJS Ethics and Legal Nominating Professional Standards PSA Rep to ISI Ratings Special Olympics

PSA AREA REPRESENTATIVES Area 1 Area 2 Area 3 Area 4 Area 5 Area 6 Area 7 Area 8 Area 9 Area 10 Area 11 Area 12 Area 13 Area 14 Area 15 Area 16 Area 17

Jimmie Santee David Shulman

Denise Williamson Kelley Morris Adair Heidi Thibert Doug Mattis Tom Hickey Rebecca Stump Gloria Leous Paul Paprocki Bob Mock Heidi Thibert Jamie Santee Angela Riviello Kelley Morris Adair Carol Murphy Patrick O’Neil David Santee David Shulman Kelley Morris Adair Robbie Kaine Gerry Lane Brandon Forsyth Eleanor Fraser-Taylor

Amy Hanson-Kuleszka Anne Marie Filosa Lee Cabell Tim Covington Gloria Masterson Leous Mary Lin Scott Cudmore Patrick O'Neil Lisa Bardonaro-Reibly Stacie Kuglin Brigitte Carlson-Roquet Sharon Brilliantine Tracey Seliga-O’Brien Lisa Mizonick Don Corbiel Josselyn Baumgartner John Kauffman

THE PROFESSIONAL SKATER Magazine Mission: To bring to our readers the best information from the most knowledgeable sources. To select and generate the information free from the influence of bias. And to provide needed information quickly, accurately and efficiently.

The views expressed in THE PROFESSIONAL SKATER Magazine and products are not necessarily those of the Professional Skaters Association.

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We all know how that worked out.

To continue, in 2003, there were signs that skating’s popularity was waning. TV revenue was projected to drop by as much as 75%. Quoted in a USA Today article, Cinquanta said, “Of course I’m concerned, but I perceive that the American mentality is very much linked to the market. The market is up and down. This is not a moment of up, it is a moment of down.” Probably an understatement at best, as the down turn lasted at least 10 years. By his own admission, Cinquanta was quoted in 2002 as saying, “I don’t know figure skating so well.” …really?

PS Magazine

TREASURE HUNT!

His current plan for the sport is to eliminate the short program. I am predicting that by 2016 when his term ends, that the short program will be replaced by a mass-start choreographed 500 meter race set to music, while the speed skaters will be forced to race in theatrical costumes and perform 7 required elements. Newly elected U.S. Figure Skating President Sam Auxier said at Governing Council that his mission was to make sure Cinquanta became a lame duck…can we afford even that?

*Gold Winged Blade*

Be the first person to find the gold PSA logo in each issue of PS Magazine and we will send you some treasure! Once you have found the logo in this issue, post where you found it on the PSA Facebook page. Be the first person to find it and we will send you a prize! And no, the one on this page and in ads do not count.

See more at: http://quickbase.intuit.com/blog/2013/08/21/top-10-reasons-whyleaders-fail/#sthash.z6FH5amd.dpuf

“The Joy of Coaching is about you and who you are as a coach today. It is about your coaching heritage, your skating DNA and where you sit in the coaching family tree.” ~ BOB MOCK, PSA President 1994-1999

Order your copy at www.skatepsa.com

PS MAGAZINE

5

President’s Message ANGIE RIVIELLO

Highlights from Conference W

Frank Carroll

John Nicks

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hat a week the PSA had in Palm Springs! The resort was by far the best location we’ve had, the speakers were fabulous, ratings went well, and of course there was the golf tournament. The energy level of the coaches was high, everyone was so positive, and I truly believe all that attended walked away with more than they thought they would.

It was such an honor to be able to announce to our membership that U.S. Figure Skating and PSA has met the standards for the United States Olympic Committees “Complies with National Standards” program. This endorsement has only been given to two other sports’ NGB’s. We are the first independent coaching organization to receive this honor. The PSA staff and Heidi Thibert worked very hard to organize and present our educational and accreditation materials to the USOC and because of their hard work we will now be able to utilize the endorsed USOC (with the Olympic rings) logo on all of our educational materials.

Chris Snyder, Director of Coaches Education for the USOC, came to Palm Springs and monitored some ratings exams and was thrilled with how we deliver our coaches’ accreditation. He even commented that the U.S. Figure Skating and PSA relationship is the “golden model” for coach education.

For those who missed it, Frank Carroll’s keynote speech was brilliant. Frank took everyone on a journey and reminded us that our lives take us down many paths and there are definite moments that define the person we are and have become. He so graciously shared some of his life defining moments with us that made everyone stop and think about the bigger picture in life, not just skating.

The panel discussion led by Scott Brown with Frank Carroll and Lori Nichol was wonderful. Scott asked some very interesting questions and the answers were even better.

To hear them talk about their latest Olympic experience and how the Russian public coldly treated our athletes when they skated was disheartening. Hearing this, I’m even more proud of Team USA for how wonderful they skated under the conditions. What a great hour it was learning about the coaching and human side of two legends in our sport.

One of the funny things I will forever chuckle at is the award for Honorary Member/Lifetime Achievement award.

This year’s winner was Mr. John Nicks. We had a heck of a time getting him to the General Membership Meeting where the award is presented as he had other plans for the afternoon.

Denise Williamson (Awards Chair) and Christine FowlerBinder (1st Vice President) were on a mission to get Mr. Nicks to the meeting so we could give him the award and the

JULY | AUGUST 2014

frenzied plotting and texting that ensued was hysterical. Mr. Nicks arrived in the middle of the Treasurer's report and we were able to honor him in front of all the coaches in the ballroom. It was no easy task but the ladies were able to pull it off.

We were also honored to have U.S. Figure Skating President Sam Auxier and ISI President Rob McBride join us for Conference. It was great to have both new Presidents address our membership and be available to talk with our coaches. It was positive, encouraging, and both Presidents were very clear on working together to help grow this sport and retain athletes. The relationship that PSA has with both U.S. Figure Skating and ISI is strong and continues to grow as we look at the future.

One of the highlights of the week was the now legendary golf tournament. Kelley Morris-Adair and Carol Murphy did an outstanding job of organizing this event for the PS Foundation. The PS Foundation is for coaches that are hungry for the knowledge but do not have the funds to pay for an educational event. Coaches in need have benefited from this foundation and we hope to continue to grow the opportunities in the future. We had many coaches that played in the tournament that had never picked up a golf club before that day. We laughed, flagged down the beer cart, lost a lot of golf balls and hit a house or two, but at the end of the very long (five plus hours) 18 holes, we have some great stories and it was all for a wonderful cause.

Following the PSA Conference, I had the pleasure of going to Chicago to the ISI Conference where for the first time in history, ratings were offered in conjunction with the ISI Conference. We had 13 exams take place before the opening of the ISI Conference with nine successfully passing. This is something we hope to grow next year and be able to offer with their conference in Boston.

In closing, I have been attending conference since 1999 and at the end of each one, I walk away feeling educated, excited, and fulfilled. This conference was by far one of the best ones that I have ever been to. The PSA staff continues to make conference better and better and I am already looking forward to next year in Minneapolis.

Happy Coaching!

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Ratings BRANDON FORSYTH

Next Date

SEEN IN THE HUB

August 13-14, 2014 in Baltimore, MD

2014 PSA INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE & TRADE SHOW

Overheard in the Ratings Hub T

here were 107 rating exams taken taken at conference this year with a passing average of 87% with 11 new master-rated coaches out of 14 master exams taken.

The Group Instructor was the most requested discipline this year with 35 exams, while in the past it has been free skating or moves in the field.

Coaches can now take more than two exams at a site with many taking three exams. Pongtawan Suriyotai traveled the farthest to take a rating exam. He came from Bangkok, Thailand.

44 examiners were used for the rating exams along with 17 trial examiners. To make the conference ratings happen it requires more than 480 volunteer hours!

Quotes from newly master rated coaches: “I am very grateful to the PSA and all of their inspiring volunteers. The PSA Ratings Program has allowed me to grow and develop my skills as a singles coach. The program really helped me fine tune my teaching techniques and cultivate my basic philosophies on coaching. Thank you to all the experienced professionals that have freely given up so much of their time and knowledge to guide me through this journey.” ~ Christopher Pottenger, MFS “Achieving my master rating in choreography was nothing short of exhilarating. It was at once both the culmination of a goal I set for myself and the springboard for becoming more involved in our wonderful sport and organization. ~ Doug Mattis, MC "The examiners are the most encouraging people when I took my exams. I had a great time learning from them from my register to master exams. Now I wish to give back as well!" ~ Grant Huang, MG "The process is what fun is. You start teaching in a different way because you seek a better understanding of what you teach and why. Just when you think there is nothing left to learn about

Coaches who received a master rating in the past year were honored during Thursday's Membership Meeting.

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skating, you discover there is so much you don't know and so much to learn. I love learning how other coaches teach. Doing MIF drawings in Starbucks and having people ask what architectural drawings you are working on still makes me laugh.

Through the entire process from registered to master I drove my athletes crazy making sure they could name and draw the turns just like me. You get used to being in study mode. I felt lost after passing Master MIF. I actually miss my study time.

Ratings Prep is a huge help. I use daily what I learned from Peggy Tamres, Debbie Lane, Debbie Stoery and Diane Miller. When you have study partners, you feel a part of something outside of your rink. You discover coaches that hold the same passion that you do. I'm sure you could study to just pass the exam. I studied to be a better coach and used the exam as [a] way to push, organize, and expedite the process. Racing Peggy Tamres to see who could draw the senior serpentine step sequence the fastest taught me how well I needed to understand and draw the moves. Peggy won at Ratings Prep but I think I would be a challenge now." ~Tim Covington, MFS and MM

Recently Passed

RATING EXAMS Congratulations to the following coaches who passed the Basic Accreditation (BA) or ELCC:

Congratulations to the following candidates who passed a rating exam

BA | online

Palm Springs, CA | May 19-21, 2014

Melissa Christensen Becki Erb Kehaunani Malama Maria Miyaoka Katie O’Connell Jessica Posada-Gonzalez Caitlin Ramsey Erin Stevens Tophi Trinh

Robyn Bentley RG Peter Biver RP, RD Patti Brinkley SPD Nicole Buckles-Bishop RG, CG Wendi Cool RG Tim Covington RC Lia Dicicco SM, CS Shane Douglas RFS, RM Andrea Dover RFS, RG Marci Drost RG Becki Erb RG, CG JoAnne Erdman CM, CG Marie Furnary RFS, SM Elise Gallagher RM Gordon Harrison RFS Grant Huang CFS Tammy Jimenez CFS, RG Jaime R. Kalnicky SG Nicole R. Kappenhagen RG Christopher Kinser CM, CG Nicholas Kraft CM, CPD

Congratulations to the following coaches who earned a master rating!

Joanathan Cassar MC Tim Covington MM Elizabeth Egetoe MPD Darin Hosier MFS Grant Huang MG Doug Mattis MC Christopher Pottenger MFS Denae Raught MG Miki D. Stevens MG Lindsey Wolkin MM Kimberlie S. Wheeland MG

Julianne Kos RFS Andriy Kyforenko RFS, CFS Jamie Lee Lane CM, CD Jodie Maier RFS, RM Douglas Mattis SFS Robert Mauti CG, SG Kathleen McMillan RG,RF Tiffany McNeil RFS, CFS Patti McNeill RFS, RG Debra Moffitt RD Cheri Neset RM,RS Elizabeth Pauley RG Lynne Petta RG,CG Jennie Pitman RPD Mark Poole SM, CPD Jessica Posada-Gonzalez RFS, CFS Christopher Pottenger CM Caitlin Ramsey RG David Redlin RS Erika Roberts CM, SM Lisa Rockefeller-Valentine RC

Susan Schwaegler RD Russ Scott CP, SP Erin Stevens RG Pongtawan Suriyotai CFS Cynthia Tang RM Gina Testa RM, RC Brenda Thomas RFS, RG, CG Elizabeth Thornton CG, RS Tiffany Thornton RC Danette D. Trett CM, SG Jacqie Turner RFS, CFS Ali Wegrzyn RFS

Angela Dodge CG Joy Elder SPD Amy Forbes CPD

Colin Loughlin SFS Kelly Rossbach CM

ISI Chicago | May 27, 2014 Peter Biver CFS, CM Jane Boundy RPD Gina Cline RG

The following coaches were granted emeritus rating having met all the criteria: Baerbel G. Easley (Richmond, VA) Emeritus-14: MFS-99, MM-01, RC-97 Kim Millett-Verde (Sun Valley, ID) Emeritus-13: RFS-98

CONGRATULATIONS to the following coach and her master-rated mentors for completing a PSA Apprentice Program this spring 2014:

Apprentice:

Level & Discipline:

Mentor(s):

Jessica L. Williams

Level 1 Moves in the Field

Debbie Minter & Julie Morris-McKenny PS MAGAZINE

9

SAFESPORT

USOC SafeSport Summit 2014

By Trisha Mathis | Reprinted with permission from the USOC coaching education newsletter April 23, 2014

The United States Olympic Committee held the firstever SafeSport Summit in Denver, CO. The three-day summit took place April 21-23 and included more than 130 participants from various sport organizations and 26 National Governing Bodies. Susi Wehrli-McLaughlin attended representing U.S. Figure Skating and Heidi DeLio Thibert attended representing PSA. USOC Director of Ethics and SafeSport, Malia Arrington spoke at the PSA conference in Palm Springs on “How SafeSport Has Changed Our Coaching Business Practices.”

USOC SafeSport Summit 2014 More than 130 participants from 26 National Governing Bodies and various sport organizations attended the United States Olympic Committee’s SafeSport Summit.

With discussion centered on abuse in sport, the summit’s content was heavy, but the stories left each attendee inspired to take action — a nod to the SafeSport program’s take-action approach.

In 2010, after realizing the need for an entity to combat misconduct within the sport community, the USOC created the Working Group for Safe Training Environments and tasked it with developing a set of recommendations regarding misconduct in sport. USOC’s Director of SafeSport and Ethics, Malia Arrington, has spearheaded the program since its inception. “We’ve taken a team-centered approach to putting SafeSport at the forefront of our programming,” said Arrington. “To do so, we’re collaborating to improve our practices and deliver a consistent message.”

During the three-day summit — which was the culmination to a 12-month campaign targeted on abuse in sport — participants heard from speakers on topics including the prevalence of child sexual abuse, how to identify certain risks associated with abuse, proper procedures

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for managing a crisis and abuse prevention and response techniques.

Tuesday night’s dinner ended with a keynote speech from former NFL defensive lineman Joe Ehrmann, whose life story and educational coaching philosophy inspired an entire room of experts to rethink their own coaching and teaching philosophies. Ehrmann founded Coach for America, an organization focused on transforming lives positively through sports, and has spent more than 30 years teaching his revolutionary concepts of leadership, coaching, team-building and mentoring, which he explains in detail in his new book, “InsideOut Coaching: How Sports Can Transform Lives.”

Speaker Keith Kaufman, Ph.D., a clinical psychologist and professor of psychology at Portland State University, presented findings from a three-year pilot project. Funded by the Pennsylvania Coalition Against Rape, the study analyzed the Situational Prevention Approach — a no-cost prevention strategy that can be tailored to the needs of each local sport club — applied to the Boys and Girls Clubs of America.

“The ability to impact such an incredibly huge number of children and teenagers and families is an opportunity that doesn’t come along very often,” Dr. Kaufman said following his presentation. “My hope is they get excited about the idea of having a simple, practical and effective tool that can support their local affiliates. Something that if it were in place, would allow coaches, parents and kids to work together to create a safer environment.”

Michael Massik, the executive director of USA Weightlifting and a member of the SafeSport Working Group, said the Summit has created a sense of community in the sport world. “It allowed me to interact with my peers and with those that are ahead of me in the evolution of this program,” he said. “If we in sports can work together to keep the bad people from coming into the sport world, then we’ve had a great measure of success.

PSA Receives Recognition from the USOC

Melanie Lockwood Herman presents at the United States Olympic Committee’s first-ever SafeSport Summit. Photo by John Ruger, 2014

Bad people are out there, and we’re not going to stop them or fix them, but we can make them go someplace else. And we can make it too hard for them to come to us.”

Massik added that working for a sport organization comes with a natural duty to protect all athletes from all forms of misconduct. “As leaders of NGBs, we’re entrusted to shepherd our sport,” he said, “and part of that shepherding means that we have to keep our participants of all ages safe.

If we don’t do it, we’re shirking our responsibility.”

Note from Heidi and Susi: While U.S. Figure Skating and PSA are ahead of the curve with regard to educating members on SafeSport, there is still much work to be done.

Some of the take-away thoughts from the summit include: • Coaches have a duty to report arrests, convictions, and change in status • Recognize that there is a fine line between coaching with “tough love” and “bullying” • Consider the perception of what you are doing: “How does what I am doing look to others?”

• Realize that conversations between coaches and athletes must have appropriate boundaries • Understand that coach/athlete sexual relations are wrong. Period.

Find out more about SafeSport at: www.safesport.org and www.usfigureskating.org

In March 2014, educational material documenting the inclusion of the 40 National Standards for Sport Coaches was submitted from U.S. Figure Skating and PSA to the USOC Coaching Education Department Complies with National Standards (CNS) Program. In April, notice was received that our coaching education program met the expectations of the CNS and that U.S. Figure Skating and PSA are among the first three NGBs being recognized as a CNS Program.

In the notification letter to Mitch Moyer, U.S. Figure Skating Senior Director of High Performance, Christine Bolger, USOC Manager of Coaching Programs, wrote, “Congratulations on compiling an exemplary coaching education program. We look forward to promoting the good work that you do to train coaches in order to offer athletes a quality sport experience. It should be noted that the compilation of your curriculum was outstanding. Heidi’s documentation of the materials made it extremely easy for us to identify the areas in which the National Standards were addressed. The comprehensive nature of the submission leads us to ask whether you would consider allowing us to use the reporting spreadsheet as an example for other NGBs to follow. Thank you, Mitch, for being such a great leader in coaching education provision. The investment that U.S. Figure Skating makes in their coaches is evident. Congratulations!”

The CNS Program was established to recognize NGB coaching education programs whose coaching education curriculums address each of the 40 National Standards for Sport Coaches (NASPE, 2006) and other key programmatic requirements set forth by the USOC. The CNS Program is intended to track program methods to ensure a quality, comprehensive learning experience for all NGB coaches. It is an opportunity for an NGB to do a self-inventory and evaluation of their program – from content to de-livery –verifying that the program covers the foundational elements framed in the National Standards. This program can help NGBs ensure quality preparation of coaches who can, in turn, ensure the enjoyment, safety, and positive skill development and success of athletes. The program will assist the USOC and NGBs in providing an avenue for them to measure and guide their program and move closer to meeting and exceeding best practice in coaching education and development.

As a CNS program, we will have the opportunity to promote the fact that our coaching education program meets the National Standards for Sport Coaches by utilizing the co-branding guidelines in our materials and utilizing the CNS logo to promote the fact that our program meets the NSSC. Only coaching education programs affiliated with an NGB are eligible for the USOC recognition that sets us apart from all other coaching websites and programs available.

This recognition from the USOC is a milestone in the history of the PSA and is a culmination of the 75 years of coaches in our membership ranks being willing to share their collective knowledge and expertise.

PS MAGAZINE

11

ICEMEN

By Terri Milner Tarquini

H

elping boys grow into men— and doing it with skates on their feet—is the ambition of two of U.S. Figure Skating’s newest programs.

The Icemen Network and the Icemen Sectional Series are all about bringing male skaters to the sport… and keeping them there.

“We are trying to retain the boys in the sport that are there now and generate excitement among them so they go and tell their friends and bring them to the rink,” said Mary-Elizabeth Wightman, chair of program development for U.S. Figure Skating. “That would be so great for the sport.”

The Icemen Network began in the summer of 2012 and is available for male skaters 10 years and older who are at the preliminary level and above.

Partaking in conference calls throughout the year, as well as newsletters and other media, program participants have access to elite male figure skaters and can ask them questions about their experiences.

Topics covered have been all over the board and have included season preparation, competition stresses, parental

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“We want to provide the opportunity for them to create a sort of family network to rely on and share their desire to skate.” involvement and balancing school and skating.

“Following the calls the elite athletes have participated on, they have said, ‘We wish we had this opportunity when we were skating,’” said Brenda Glidewell, director of figure skating programs for U.S. Figure Skating. “The messages the elite athletes are sharing about pressure and training and their experiences is so phenomenal.”

The conference calls are emceed by U.S. Olympic Committee Athlete Repre-

sentative Mark Ladwig, who keeps the calls lively and moves deftly between the wide range of topics.

“He has been instrumental by being the voice of the Icemen Network,” Glidewell said. “He rallies everyone and he generates such excitement.”

The list of elite athletes who have participated in the Icemen Network conference calls includes Ben Agosto, Rockne Brubaker, Colin McManus, Ross Miner, Ryan Bradley, Jason Brown, and Charlie White.

“What a sense of life experience the boys and men in the program are getting,” Glidewell said. “They can get off those calls and think, ‘Charlie White went through the same thing I did and look at him now.’”

With generally a huge gap in the ratio of male to female skaters at rinks around the country, figure skating can oftentimes feel like a girl’s world.

“We wanted to let them know they’re not alone,” Wightman said.

“We wanted to provide role models who have gone through what they’re going through.”

And out of the Icemen Network, the

Icemen Sectional Series was born.

“It was on a conference call with Colin McManus and Ross Miner,” Wightman said. “They were talking about going to competitions and looking forward to seeing each other because they are friends but they don’t train at the same rink anymore.”

The Sectional Series is a set of designated competitions for male skaters at the no test, pre-preliminary, preliminary and pre-juvenile levels to compete at and accumulate points based on their placement.

With six pre-determined competitions in each Icemen Sectional Series, skaters can compete in as many as they choose, but only their top two scores count toward their point accumulation, which is tracked by U.S. Figure Skating and posted on its webpage so participants can see their standings.

“It’s a fun and competitive way to bring together male skaters,” Wightman said. “By designating these competitions, hopefully more boys will go to each of those and develop friendships.”

By connecting male skaters to each other, the Icemen programs are hoping to create a cohesiveness that might entice boys and men to keep coming to the rink.

“It’s all about building a peer group,” Glidewell said, noting that the feedback from parents has been very positive.

“We want to provide the opportunity for them to create a sort of family network to rely on and share their desire to skate.”

Seeing real potential for retention and recruitment of males in the sport, U.S. Figure Skating is keeping the ball rolling by offering classes especially for the Icemen at the recent National Program Components Camp.

“We’re adding on to the program and getting behind it,” Wightman said.

“We’re really giving our skaters a great opportunity to build a network that can really factor into their futures.”

For information on the Icemen Network or the Icemen Sectional Series, visit the Icemen Programs page at www.usfigureskating.org.

In the TRENCHES by

SCOTT BROWN Master-rated coach & IJS Technical Specialist

Three Simple Rules

Recently I was reading about one of the most respected coaches in the history of sports — John Wooden. He was the head basketball coach at UCLA and won ten NCAA national championships in a 12-year period, seven of them in a row – an extraordinary feat in any sport. In 2009, Wooden was named The Sporting News "Greatest Coach of All Time.”

He had three simple rules for his players:

"Success comes from knowing 1. No tardiness 2. No profanity that you did 2. No criticizing the other athletes your best to These three simple rules have one thing in become the common – RESPECT. I am sure that these three rules had something to do with the best that you environment Coach Wooden established are capable of during all practices. Think of the positive effect of these rules in your rink if everyone being." followed these same three rules!

Are you—or is someone you know—looking to build their coaching career?

Introducing the new...

Foundations of Coaching Course

A professional development course for both new and experienced coaches The Professional Skaters Association’s Foundations of Coaching Course is a full day of intensive instruction on and off-ice over introductory strategy to successfully navigate the world of coaching and optimize your teaching potential.

Mark your calendar: Register online at www.skatepsa.com

Sunday, September 7 CAMP DENNISON, OH PS MAGAZINE

13

Sport Science HEIDI THIBERT

Periodization is a Training Map

By Kat Arbour, PhD, MS, MPT, CSCS PHYSICAL DEMANDS OF COMPETITIVE FIGURE SKATING When you watch a figure skating competition, you are seeing each skater’s “show-piece”, a performance lasting from 3 to 4.5 minutes, chock full of jumps, spins, lifts, and a whole host of other elements that can help the skater gain points from the judges. Great skaters make this look easy.

But its not! By just 30 seconds into the performance, the athlete’s heart rate is at or above 90% of its maximum, and the athlete keeps working at this very high exercise intensity for the remaining 3 or 4 minutes! And jumps land with an estimated 8-10 times body weight, so skaters need strong and supple muscles to absorb very high jump landing impacts, and excellent anaerobic endurance to still be able to push at the end of the program.

14

WHAT TYPES OF TRAINING DO SKATERS PRACTICE OFF THE ICE DURING THE YEAR TO PREPARE FOR COMPETITION? Training for competition is a full year process. The year is divided into 5 major phases that ramp upward in intensity from an Active Rest Phase up to the In Season Phase. In addition, the 6th phase is the week before a major competition, when training is tapered to allow for recovery. Off-ice conditioning keeps the skater’s fitness ahead of the highly athletic demands of the sport.

Strength, power, aerobic/anaerobic conditioning, balance, and flexibility are developed off-ice to match or exceed the on-ice needs. A more fit body acquires new on-ice skills more easily than a less fit skater, and ice time is then spent refining skating skills, rather than getting in shape.

WHAT IS THE MOST EFFECTIVE WAY TO TRAIN TO BE IN THE BEST POSSIBLE CONDITION FOR COMPETITION?

WHEN IS EACH PHASE IMPLEMENTED, AND HOW DOES THIS VARY BETWEEN YOUNG/LOWER LEVEL COMPETITORS AND THE ELITE SKATERS?

Peak training can only be maintained for 3-4 weeks at a time, not all year long. Skaters who strive to remain at a peak for too long will tend to mentally burn out and physically break down with overuse injuries. Therefore, for the health and well being of the skaters, it’s imperative to devise a plan that ramps and cycles the training in phase with the competition season. This is called periodization.

Periodization is a training map that lays out the course of training for the year. It is simply a plan that varies with the different seasons of a sport to accommodate the specific goal of being in peak condition for a specific event / competition.

Three key points of Periodization 1. Training should be progressive.

2. Training should progress towards a specific major competition to avoid peaking at the wrong time or under or overtraining.

3. A good training plan requires vision, and the vision needs to translate into a daily workout plan that fits the skater. Some days it is hard to train, but if a big picture is clearly laid out, it makes the daily training easier.

The high priority competitions during the year for each skater dictate the exact timing of the off-ice training phases.

To set this up, start at the first major competition where peak conditioning is the goal. Now work backwards in time. One week before competition is a Taper week, the four weeks before this is In Season Phase, Pre Season Phase is the 8-10 weeks before this and typically aligns with summer skating. In the middle or end of a long phase, include an easier week of training – this may align with the summer competitions and incorporates recovery into the training plan.

An intermediate skater with the goal of qualifying for final round at Regionals and possibly Sectionals will have Regionals as the major competition. The Training Map for this skater will aim for peak conditioning at Regionals. In the event that this skater qualifies for Sectionals, then the training map allows for a brief recover before ramping up again in a few weeks (see Fig 1). The In Season Phase for this skater is the month leading up to Regionals plus the time between Regionals and Sectionals – less than 8 weeks total.

In contrast, an internationally competitive skater with the goal of making the World Team may have up to three Grand

JULY | AUGUST 2014

Figure 1: The Training

Maps demonstrate the week-by-week progression of training for one year, based on 3 major competition dates. The colored bars represent different training phases and the relative workout intensity among the phases during the year.

Prix competitions (including Finals), US Championships, and Worlds, spanning five months.

The Grand Prix competitions are first, but are they the most important competitions of the season? In this case, if the major goal is to make the World Team, then the Training Map is devised with US Championships as the major competition. Of course, the Training Map will reflect the Grand Prix events, but the skater will still be building up during this early part of the season. If the skater peaks to early, then the best performances are seen at the Grand Prix events. The skater may be mentally and physically burnt out or injured

by US Championships and the ultimate goal of World Team member is fleeting. Proper timing of training can alleviate this fate and skaters can accomplish realistic and progressive goals at each competition throughout the season.

Sample Training Map – (Fig 1: Annual Training Map) Timing is everything! The Training Map aligns the off-ice training with the on-ice competition season and is specific to each skater’s specific competition schedule. The Training Map lays out the annual plan one week at a time while clearly showing the progression through the 6 training phases. Each of the 6 training phases during the year is a multi-week cycle with a specific conditioning focus. One phase serves as the foundation for the next phase, and in this way, the off-ice training program builds upon itself over the course of the year to progress skaters gradually and consistently in conditioning. Training intensity gradually ramps up heading towards the first major competition, then cycles through recovery and rebuilding phases between the other major competitions.

Each week within a phase has 3, 4 or 5 different Daily Workout Plans (depending on skating level) and each Daily Workout Plan is comprised of different workout sections for Cardio, Total Body Strength / Power, High Intensity Cardio Training or High Intensity Interval Training, Core, and Flexibility. The contribution of each workout section depends on the Training Phase. For Elite level skaters, 5 different Daily Workout Plans are complete each week.

Some days focus on stability and strength, while others focus on high intensity training, power development and agility.

Three Sample Workouts are included from the Late Off Season Phase—the green bars on the Training Map. Workouts usually require some basic equipment such as

resistance bands and stability balls or medicine balls however these sample workouts have been modified and do not require any equipment.

Sample Daily Workout Plan 1 (Table 1) Sample Workout 1 is an example of an Elite level Daily Workout Plan including sections for High Intensity Cardio Training, Core Strength and Flexibility. High Intensity Cardio Training incorporates equal times of high intensity exercise such as an agility or plyometric drill, paired with a strength exercise. Breathing rate and heart rate increase during the high intensity phase, then slightly recover during the strength phase, while muscle fatigue in increased. The overall effect of pairing exercises in this manner is improved cardiovascular fitness and endurance.

Sample Daily Workout Plan 2 (Table 2) Sample Workout 2 is an example of an Elite level Daily Workout Plan including sections for High Intensity Interval Training and Flexibility. The skater benefits from High Intensity Interval Training by developing anaerobic stamina similar in effort to a full run-through of a long program, and the skater should feel comparably challenged. Over the course of several months, the length of the intervals gradually increase until the skater is able to tolerate bouts of very high intensity exercise up to the length of the program. This significantly decreases the on-ice discomfort associated with doing long programs!

SAMPLE DAILY WORKOUT PLAN 3 (Table 3) Sample Workout 3 is an example of an Elite level Daily Workout Plan including sections for Total Body Strength and Flexibility. Strength section includes strength and power/plyometric exercises for core, upper and lower body completed as a circuit.

PS MAGAZINE

15

TABLE 1

HIGH INTENSITY CARDIO TRAINING (Alternate Strength & Cardio Exercise)

Samp�e

Repeat each Group of 2 exercises 4 times; 30 second per exercise, 5-second transition between exercises. Rest 2 minutes between Groups. (4 minutes to complete a Group) Group 1

PLANK Arm UUDD Front/Back/Front Lunge - Double Lunge Jump

UB Str, Core LB Power

Group 2

Alt Side Step Lunge - Touch Down Burpee Single Leg

LB Strength LB Power

Group 3

PARTNER Scaption 2 Squat - 2 Half Turn Squat Jumps

UB Strength LB Power

Group 4

Single Leg Squat / Pistol Squat Skater Leaps - 10 step accelerate

LB Str/Endurance LB Power

Group 5

Push Up Jacks (Legs Only) Lateral Step Over's - Imaginary bench

UP Str/Power LB Agility

P��n 1

Samp�e P��n 3

Group Singe Leg Dead Lift LB Strength 6 In-Place: 10 Run, 5 Tuck Jumps - repeat LB Power CORE STRENGTH Compete each exercise for 4 consecutive sets of 20 seconds, rest 10 sec btw sets.

Rest 30 seconds before starting the next exercise.

Prone Bridge / Alt Arm or Leg Side Bridge - Star or Runners Hip Hike - Supine, Single Leg - Opposite knee to chest Hip Rolls - Supine, both legs side to side, both shoulders on floor TABLE 2 Alternate Leg Lowering HIGH INTENSITY INTERVAL TRAINING Crunch with Breathing (All High Intensity Exercise) FLEXIBILITY Complete each side of each stretch 2-3x’s for 30-60 seconds each. o Forward Bend, Knees Bent and Straight o Standing ‘A’, Knee Bent and Straight o Supine Hamstring, Knee Bent and Straight o Butterfly to Straddle Sit o Spiral – Toe on Wall

Samp�e P��n 2 16

JULY | AUGUST 2014

For three min interval: Complete each of the 6 'Interval 1' exercises for 30 sec each, 5-second transition between exercises. Rest two minutes between Intervals.

Complete each Interval twice for 4 Intervals.

To increase or decrease the interval time, add or delete sets of exercises.

Interval 1

Front/Back/Front Lunge - Double Lunge Jump Killer - Lunge Ladder/ 2LungeJump Ladder High Knee 'Hurdles' - 8 each Fwd/Left/Right 4 Single Leg Bounding, Change Legs Side Shuffle - 2 Left / 2 Right Power Skips / Grape Vines - 30 feet each

Interval 2

2 Broad Jumps / Back Pedal to start Jump Rope - Fast Alt Legs Push Up Jacks Skater Leaps 2 Squat / 2 Squat Jumps Burpee + Half or Full Turn Jump

FLEXIBILITY Complete each side of each stretch 2-3x’s for 30-60 seconds each. o Butterfly o SupineKneeUpOutKneeExt o GroinWideKneel1Rotate o GroinWideKneel2 o StraddleSit o StraddleSitSideBend o Pigeon o ProneFigure4 o Kneeling Hip Flexor o Splits o SplitsWall o Fx StandStraddleFootSide (135˚) o Fx Spiral o Fx Charlotte

TABLE 3

TOTAL BODY STRENGTH Complete each Circuit 3x's. For each cycle through a Circuit, compete each exercise once (do both sides of exercise as needed). Each set is 30 sec, rest 10 sec between exercises. Rest 2 min at end of Circuit.

Circuit 1

Hip Windmills – left and right leg Lateral Step Overs – step over 12” imaginary hurdles Limbo Push Ups (good for Lifts) Prone T-Y Alternate Leg Lowering Prone Bridge Windshield Wipers – alt sides every 3

Circuit 2

Alt Side Lunges – touch down inside hand Broad Jumps Dips on Step Spiral to 135 leg in front - 3x – Balance – left and right leg Plank to Side T - Lift Bottom Leg Supine Table Top with alt leg extension horiz. then vert.

FLEXIBILITY Complete each side of each stretch 2-3x’s for 30-60 seconds each. o 3 Shoulder Stretches behind Back: 1. Hold Elbows, 2. Reverse Prayer, 3. ER/IR o Spiderman - Slow Arm UUDD, 5 / side o Supine Straight Leg Raise: Start on back with one knee into chest; the other foot is flat on the floor with the knee bent. Holding the ankle of the top leg, flex/extend top knee, and use a strap around top foot if unable to reach foot with knee straight up. Slowly repeat and gradually straighten the leg on floor until calf is touching down and top leg is fully extended. o Supine Hip Rotator Stretch o Supine Half Butterfly to straight leg groin stretch: Start on back and lift legs to hold 1ankle with knee out to the sides (butterfly), the other foot is flat on the floor with the knee bent. Holding the ankle of the top leg, flex/extend top knee, and use a strap around top foot if unable to reach foot with knee straight and leg out to side. Slowly repeat and gradually straighten the leg on floor until calf is touching down and top leg is fully extended. Remain flat on back with even weight on both sides of pelvis. Do not rock to the top leg side.

High Kneeling Hamstring Stretch (SL HS stretch) Low Kneeling Hamstring Stretch (sit on heel, fb hs stretch) Pigeon Kneeling Hip Flexor Stretch Kneeling Spiral Standing Spiral

Kat Arbour, PhD, MS, MPT, CSCS - Kat is responsible for the off-ice conditioning programs and annual plans of many competitive skaters. She currently coaches off-ice at the Skating Club of Boston.

She was honored with the PSA Sport Science Coach of the Year Award in 2006 and 2012, and the US Olympic Committee’s Sport Science Coach of the Year (Doc Councilman’s Award) in 2006, and was a finalist in 2012. Kat completed her PhD from the University of Delaware in the Biomechanics and Movement Science Program. Her academic research examined the impact event at takeoff and landing of on-ice jumps in figure skaters, and will continue to research the relationship between landing impact and boot style. Kat attained USFS gold test medals in figures, freestyle, and dance. When she coached on-ice, she held PSA Senior Ratings in Moves and Freestyle.

In addition to her PhD, her education includes a masters in exercise science from University of Delaware and a second masters in physical therapy from Hahnemann University (now Drexel University) in Philadelphia, PA. She is a certified strength and conditioning specialist (CSCS) through the National Strength and Conditioning Association.

Contact Information: kat@icedynamics.net, www.icedynamics.net

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Feld Entertainment® is looking for Male and Female Skaters for its U.S. and International Tours of Disney On Ice. For more information, please send a skating resume, photos and current video (3 – 6 minutes), and all contact information to: Judy Thomas Talent Director and Production Coordinator Feld Entertainment. 1313 17th Street. East Palmetto, FL 34221 USA Phone (941) 721-1234 • Fax (941) 349-4280 • Email jthomas@feldinc.com

PS MAGAZINE

17

Education CAROL ROSSIGNOL

Building a Unique Ice Dance Program

By Anjelika Krylova & Pasquale Camerlengo, World and Olympic coaches

A

ngelika and I knew if we worked together we could use each of our strengths to build a unique ice dance program. Angelika’s strength is her inner beauty. What I mean by “inner beauty” is that when the music begins to play and Angelika demonstrates a move, you are pulled in like a magnet. The move is so breathtaking; when she is done it leaves you wanting more.

Me, I like to work out of the box, really different, so different it leaves the viewer saying “Wow, how did they do that?" I strive to encourage my skaters to move so different that they are just as surprised as the viewer. I live for achieving the “Wow” reaction.

So, when Angelika and I decided to work together we agreed that we would build our program based on three of our strengths.

1. Form a working relationship with our skaters that allowed us to create a magnetic attraction that would leave our skaters saying “Wow, I can do that move!”

2. Prepare our skaters physically and mentally by building their self-confidence on and off-ice.

3. To instill in our skaters to be grateful for the opportunities that have been given to us.

We realized that in order to achieve those attributes we needed the entire team to work together. We developed an organizational structure which defines our team and their responsibilities. Our objective with the organizational structure was to assure an open-door policy for families, skaters and federations to express their concerns and to offer a full service program which would help our athletes achieve their goal. We also adopted a mental skills philosophy which is designed to help our skaters on and off the ice.

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JULY | AUGUST 2014

OUR FOUR MENTAL SKILLS 1. Attitude Attitude is a choice. When you accept a positive attitude the rewards will lead to success.

2. Motivation Pursue excellence, not perfection. Realize each of us, coaches, teammates, officials and families, are not perfect.

Respect each other to maintain balance and a healthy perspective for the sport and in your daily life.

3. Deal with Anxiety Accept anxiety as part of everyday life. Realize there are levels of anxiety and sometimes anxiety can help. Through expressing your feelings, you will learn how to control and deal with anxiety.

4. Concentration Focus on the “Here and Now”. Approach each competition or practice day as if this was your first and believe in yourself. Know that you have worked hard and are prepared for the day, have no regrets skate with passion and soul. The rewards will come.

We believe that with structure, using the philosophy of four mental skills, and building a skater’s self confidence, we know the rewards will come. We have had great success with all of our teams Novice up through Senior. Together, we agree on goals for each season and with hard work, structure, positive attitude, motivation, and concentration, their dreams can came true.

PSA N AT ION WIDE S EMINARS 2014

FULL DAY SEMINARS

12 PSA credits

Location

Host

Date

Atlanta, GA Boston, MA Minneapolis, MN Denver, CO

Aren Nielsen Susan Davies Char Martin Tracey O'Brien & Jamie Lane

August 3 September 7 September 7

HALF DAY SEMINARS

September 28

Ratings offered Sept. 27

6 PSA credits

Location

Host

Date

Wake Forest, NC Ardmore, PA Scottsdale, AZ Wilmette, IL Dallas, TX Cleveland, OH Jacksonville, FL

Scott Cudmore Regina Barr Doug Ladret & Julie Patterson Vickie Tassone Peter & Darlene Cain Bill Coyle & Nicky Kappenhagen Mark Scheff

June 27 July 13 August 16 August 17 August 24 September 7

T

his year's seminar agenda will have a focused, dynamic approach, valuable for all levels of coaches implementing PSA information and techniques.

Our seminar agenda includes: • Strategies & Practical Applications of IJS and MIF information — Taking IJS information from the off-ice presentation & demonstrating while on ice how to use that information to make the most effective coaching choices possible. (For example: taking what is learned about the IJS rules for achieving spin levels...and deciding with on-ice demonstrators, together, what the best spin choice might be for that particular skater.)

PSA is gearing up for another round of nationwide seminars.

Which one will you attend?

October 19

Ratings offered Oct. 17 & 18

• Competitive Advantage for Coaches — Throughout the off and on-ice presentations, presenters will demonstrate how adept use of PSA materials can create competitive advantages for all coaches--including grassroots coaches who are starting to have students competing in IJS events.

• Tools & Ideas for Building Your Business — Throughout the off and on-ice presentations, presenters will share their ideas and techniques about using PSA ethics, team-teaching, social media, and PSA source material as a means by which to keep students...and create an identity that attracts new students.

Visit www.skatepsa.com to learn more and register

PS MAGAZINE

19

8

Kn ow l e dg e in t he N o rth

Produces

Quality Athletes Join us next year in Minnesota

MINNEAPOLIS

Quality Coaching

9

2015 PSA Conference & Trade Show

to be held

Radisson Blu Hotel—at the Mall of America— and the Bloomington Ice Garden

NEW Approach!

Wednesday to Saturday

May 20-23, 2015

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JULY | AUGUST 2014

PROFESSIONAL SKATERS ASSOCIATION

EXCELLENCE ON ICE

Wouldn’t you like to count your club or rink among the most progressive in the nation?

REQUIREMENTS

To participate in the EOI program all coaches of the club or rink must be PSA members and carry liability insurance. Member coaches receive a variety of benefits which include: seminars, workshops and conferences, eligibility for ratings and accreditation, group health insurance, liability insurance, PS Magazine subscription, and job placement services.

BENEFITS

Register now and receive national and international recognition as a progressive training facility dedicated to excellence in coaching both on and off-ice. As a registered facility you will receive an ‘Excellence On Ice’ shield to be displayed in the arena, international recognition in PS Magazine, and access to a resource coordinator in the PSA office—all at no cost!

Remember to renew your EOI listing for the 2013-2014 membership year!

5 Coach-Compliance Tips foR 2014–15

by Heidi deLio THiberT, PSA e-CurriCuLum CoordinATor

As a new membership year approaches, all coaches need to complete “Coach Compliance” before coaching at U.S. Figure Skating-sanctioned events. The following was compiled to help coaches avoid some of the pitfalls that can delay verification.

Tip #1:

Start Early!

Be proactive in getting compliant. Waiting until late June to start the process does not provide any extra time if something gets delayed.

• U.S. Figure Skating and PSA Memberships open June 1.

• Coach Registration o Liability insurance purchase opens June 1. o Background check process opens June 1 (can take up to 10 to 14 business days to complete).

• The CER A and B programs were opened Jan. 1 for the 2014–15 season with a deadline of completion of June 30, 2014.

1) Start by visiting the PSA website at: www.skatepsa.com. Read all instructions twice!

2) Click on the CER/E-learning tab from the menu on the left side of the page.

3) The 2014–15 link (the large green “glowing” button) will take you to the new platform.

4) Click on “first-time user” to create an account (old passwords/usernames will not work in the new platform).

5) Check your email for the link in, and follow the prompts. (There is information to help on the PSA website CER landing page and on the PSA E-Learning Academy landing page.)

6) Complete 2014–15 CERs by June 30, 2014:

• Starting in 2014, U.S. Figure Skating will charge a late fee of $75 for not becoming compliant by June 30, 2014.

a. Professional Ethics CER ET 304-“Developing a Coaching Philosophy” prepaid by PSA

Tip #2:

b. U.S. Figure Skating Rules CER RU 100-“SafeSport for Figure Skating Coaches” prepaid by U.S. Figure Skating

Standardize Your Name Make sure the same name is entered for: • U.S. Figure Skating Membership Form • PSA Membership Form • Background Check • CERs Make certain your skaters use that exact name when naming you as a coach for a competition/test session.

Make sure your skaters spell your name correctly.

Tip #3:

Allow More Time to Navigate the New E-Learning platform for CERs PSA has opened the 2014–15 CER A & B programs in a new e-learning platform, “The PSA 50

E-learning Academy” powered by Ex3.

j u n e / j u Ly 2 0 1 4

c. Sport Safety and Science CER SS 105-“Concussion” $25 d. IJS Rules CER IJS (choice) (CAT A only) $25 7) NOTE: After July 1, 2014, the cost of all CER courses will increase; the deadline is June 30, 2014.

8) More course choices in all topic areas will be added on a regular basis.

Tip #4:

Double-Check Status • Keep checking your “Members Only” account at www.usfigureskating.org.

• Keep checking until you see your name on the U.S. Figure Skating Coach Registration List. If it does not appear in a couple of weeks after you have finished everything, double check your “Members Only” account. If your coach registration is not

complete, call or email Member Services at U.S. Figure Skating at: memberservices@ usfigureskating.org for help.

• Do not assume just because you started the process, that you finished it. National Center for Safety Initiatives (NCSI) is the company that provides the check. The link to NCSI is provided on the confirmation page after a payment is made.

• Inform the membership chair of your club that as a coach, your U.S. Figure Skating club membership fee and form need to be sent in right away and not bundled with the skaters and parents that sometimes don’t complete their form until just before the deadline.

• Check your PSA membership on the PSA website.

• Print out a temporary Coach Compliance card from your “Members Only” account as soon as it is available.

• Print a copy of your liability insurance proof.

• Print a copy of your 2014–15 CER Program Completion certificate.

Tip #5:

Be a professional Remember that Coach Compliance is a U.S. Figure Skating rule like all other rules. Coaches have a professional obligation to follow the rules. Don’t make the competition or test chair hunt you down to remind you to get your coaching requirements completed. It is coaches’ responsibility to complete the requirements in a timely fashion; it is the competition committee and referees’ responsibility to enforce the rules. These requirements are no different than your skater who needs to be tested at the level they will compete at for a qualifying competition. If you know of a coach who is coaching at U.S. Figure Skating events without being compliant, report that person to the test or competition chair or referee. All coaches are held to the same standard.

PS MAGAZINE

21

Rockne and partner Keauna McLaughlin consult with coach John Nicks at the 2010 U.S. Figure Skating Championships.

Vicki Luy

LIFE AFTER COMPETITION

Learn to Skate Programs b y T E R RY M I L N E R TA R Q U I N I

I

t all began as recreational skating for pairs skater Rockne Brubaker and ice dancer Logan GiuliettiSchmitt. Talk about your full circles.

Fast forward almost a quarter of a century and both have impressive competitive careers under their belts. Brubaker is a two-time U.S. Figure Skating national champion and a Four Continents silver medalist. Giulietti-Schmitt is a two-time Ice Challenge Champion and a U.S. Figure Skating national pewter medalist. While one is officially retired and the other is temporarily so, they are instrumental in getting new recreational and competitive skaters started in the sport.

“I’m working on bringing back the main grassroots fundamentals of skating to the program,” said Brubaker, the skating director at Fox Valley Ice Arena in Geneva, Illinois.

“Some people want to go to the Olympics or skate professionally and some just want to have fun. All are great. Regardless of the intention, everyone deserves to get the right

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JULY | AUGUST 2014

instruction from the beginning.”

Brubaker, who has not ruled out the possibility of returning to competition, is nonetheless embracing the new chapter of his life, introducing fresh faces to figure skating.

“The Learn to Skate (LTS) program is the best way to start skating,” he said. “Now, being in this position, I have the ability to help, direct, and guide skaters toward getting the best possible instruction at a young age.”

This is something both men should know. Brubaker was five and Giulietti-Schmitt was three when they, respectively, gave figure skating a try.

“The strangest thing is not having as structured a regimen,” said Giulietti-Schmitt, who officially retired in April and has been the director of the LTS program at the Ann Arbor Skating Club in Michigan for over four years. “I got into a routine and I just did it every day.”

For Giulietti-Schmitt, who is still actively skating and performs in some shows with his also-retired former partner Lynn Kriengkrairut, he is coaching around 30 hours a week, in addition to the LTS program.

“After being involved in the sport and competing in it for so long, there are a lot of things I love about it,” he said. “Coaching has given me an appreciation of the sport that I probably would never have gotten and I’m really enjoying being a small part of these skaters’ lives.”

And there’s no denying the impact of a virtual lifetime of competitive skating on one’s future.

“I have had some extreme highs and some pretty big lows in this sport,” said Brubaker, who has been coaching for almost eight years. “I have worked under some amazing coaches all over the U.S. and the world. All of this experience is now helping me to shape this program.

I want Fox Valley Ice Arena to not only be the best place for kids to

start skating, but I want it to be one of the premier training locations for elite skaters in the world.”

As all skaters know, the learning is oftentimes less in the jumps and the spins and more in the ups and downs.

“Skating has taught me so many life lessons, such as discipline, hard work, not giving up and learning how to fail, learning how to succeed, and learning how to be humble and appreciative,” Giulietti-Schmitt said. “Coaching has taught me how to be patient and more analytical and how to communicate better.”

The lessons begin early in skating, which is why a quality LTS program is so important.

“It should be fun for the kids first and foremost, but the having fun should be happening while they are learning instrumental skills,” Giulietti-Schmitt said. “It’s also so important to teach skills at a somewhat high standard without it being unreasonable. Trying to balance that is a hard thing to do. It takes communicating with the parents. They want to see their kids succeed and move up, but it’s so important that they have learned the

basics properly so they can learn the next skill.”

Brubaker and Giulietti-Schmitt being fantastic examples, there’s no denying those beginning basics can one day build a solid and notable competitive career.

“This is an amazing sport,” said Brubaker, who hopes to one day take both pairs teams and singles skaters to the Olympics. “I love to help, I love to coach and, most importantly, I love having the ability to interact and help the skaters and the parents on a daily basis… As a coach you always have to be learning. Every skater, program, element, every day is so very different.”

“Some people want to go to the Olympics or skate professionally and some just want to have fun. All are great. Regardless of the intention, everyone deserves to get the right instruction from the beginning.”

For both Brubaker and GiuliettiSchmitt, where it all began was in a basics skills program and now they are back where they began, be it in a totally different role.

“I have seen kids start in the basic skills program and now they’re competing at preliminary and pre-juvenile and I know that’s what I did,” GiuliettiSchmitt said. “It’s so great watching my first students from seven years ago. It’s really cool to pass some of that knowledge on to the next generation.”

With his competitive days behind him, Rockne now focuses on providing a quality Learn to Skate program. Snow Plow Sam is the LTS mascot.

U.S. Figure Skating

PS MAGAZINE

23

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Resumes to: Fairfax Ice Arena 3779 Pickett Road Fairfax, VA 22031 U.S.A.

Call Jimmy Torres at 703-323-0674 ext 21 Fax: 703-978-6796 Email: jtorres@fairfaxicearena.com www.fairfaxicearena.com Offer expires 8/31/14

O B I T UA RY Peter McBride Dunfield, MFF Peter McBride Dunfield, age 82, passed away peacefully in his sleep while resting next to his wife, Sonya, on Monday, May 26, 2014 at the Aegis Assisted Living in Seattle, WA. He is survived by his wife, Sonya; two sons, Gregory (Michele) and Roger (Yvonne); and four grandchildren. He was a member of the PSA since 1956 with a master figure and free skating rating and

Emeritus status in 2008.

Born in Toronto, Canada, Peter grew up with two brothers, Ross and John, and two sisters, Ilma and June. The son of a successful retailer, he attended Toronto Collegiate Institute and spent summers at the family cottage on Toronto Island.

Peter started competitive figure skating at the Toronto Granite Club where he became the Canadian junior figure skating champion; he was the 1951 junior national champion and the senior bronze medalist in 1952 and 1953. He also represented Canada on two North American and two world figure skating teams.

He attended the University of Toronto for two years and completed his formal education at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Md., where he started his coaching career. He went on to coach in Chicago and then 20 years at the Skating Club of New York. In 1983, he moved back to Canada to become head coach at the Gloucester Skating Club outside Ottawa. In the summers, he coached at skating schools in Rochester, N.Y., Denver, Colo., Toronto, Ontario, and Sun Valley Idaho. Peter coached and worked with many world famous skaters from around the world as well as conducted seminars for skaters, coaches, judges and parents all over Canada, the US, New Zealand and South Africa.

He even taught actors skating skills for television and movies Peter coached at six Olympic Games and 20 World Championships with competitors from Canada, Finland, France, Great Britain, Japan, New Zealand and the United States.

His pupils medaled in Ladies, Men’s and Pairs competition.

[Elizabeth Manley (CAN) 1988 Olympic ladies silver medalist; Yuka Sato (JAP) 2002 world ladies champion; Patrick Pera (FRA) 1972 Olympic men’s bronze; and Vivian and Ron Joseph (USA) 1964 Olympic pair bronze.]

Peter was a charter member of the International Professional Skaters Union and the Ice Skating Institute of America as well as serving on their board. As president of the Professional Skaters Association (1967-1970), he was responsible for initiating the national rating system for professionals and inaugurated the annual

professional conventions, which have spawned teaching conferences all over the United States. He was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award and Honorary membership in the PSA in 1982. Peter was the chair of the Skate Canada Coaching Coordinating Committee and as such was a Board member representing 3500 coaches in Canada.

In 1992, he chaired the CFSA/ PSA Joint Coaches Conference in Ottawa, Canada, which was attended by over 600 coaches from 16 countries around the world.

It was the largest skating coaches’ conference to that date.

Peter was awarded the LonginesWittnauer Coaching Excellence Award in 1988 and the Wittnauer Coaching Excellence Award in 1994, both presented by the Coaching Association of Canada.

He was named Skate Canada Coach of the Year in 1993, and the PSA Coach of the Year in 1994. In 2001, Peter was inducted into the Skate Canada Hall of Fame along with his wife, Sonya, and in 2005, they both were inducted into the PSA Coaches Hall of Fame.

Peter first came to Sun Valley in the summer of 1949 on the Union Pacific railway at the age of 17 and worked as a bellhop in the Sun Valley Lodge while skating in the ice shows on Saturday nights. In the early 1960s, Peter and Sonya visited Sun Valley often as a new couple. After the construction of the indoor rink in 1974, he and Sonya spent many summers coaching in Sun Valley, where they attracted skaters from across the country to train. Peter also very much enjoyed leading groups of skaters on local hikes.

He loved the Sun Valley area and shared that love with his family and pupils. His passion for Western art was also well-served with the local festivals.

A memorial service to celebrate Peter’s life will be held in Sun Valley on Sunday, July 20, on the terrace at the Sun Valley Lodge.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to the Skaters Fund (www.skatersfund.org) or the PS Foundation (www.skatepsa.com).

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George H. Browne courtesty of Cambridge Skating Club

by Kent McDill

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The long history of figure skating is represented in this year’s Professional Skaters Association Hall of Fame Class of 2014.

Going back to the turn of the 20th century, the 2014 Hall of

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Fame Class includes one of the founding fathers of figure skating in the United States, as well as two women who have built upon the foundation of skating in separate parts of the country.

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GEORGE H. BROWNE George H. Browne, Christine Krall, and Sandy Lamb are the three members of the PSA Hall of Fame Class of 2014.

Browne, who was headmaster of the Browne and Nichols School of Cambridge, Mass., became enthralled with the international style of skating, which is what skaters in Europe were doing while Americans were stilling doing figures. The “international style’’ is basically what all figure skaters do today, but at the turn of the 20th century it was revolutionary.

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United States is thought to be one of the stepping stones that led to the creation of the United States Figure Skating Association in 1921. Browne was also responsible for creating a new skate that could be beneficial in skating in the international style.

Among the family members representing Browne at the Hall of Fame ceremony in Palm Springs in May were his granddaughter Bettina Sawhill and his great-grandson Bruce A. Crane.

In 1890, Browne wrote the first book detailing the delights of the international style, and in 1908 he took a sabbatical from his headmaster position to go to Switzerland to study the skating style.

Upon his return, he coordinated with local Boston area skaters to put on exhibitions, and with the assistance of local businessmen he organized and staged the first International Figure Skating Championship of America in 1914, which was held at the New Haven Skating Club.

The championship led the Back Bay community of Boston to combine efforts to create the area’s first artificial skating rink. Those people who had been members of the Cambridge Skating Club eventually became members of the Skating Club of Boston.

Browne’s efforts in promoting skating in the

Bruce Crane, George H. Browne's great grandson, accepted the PSA Edi award on behalf of his family at the 2014 Edi Awards Dinner on May 23, 2014.

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Past and present PSA presidents at the 1988 conference in Las Vegas.

Sandy helped judge the 1986 US Open in Rochester, MN.

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SANDY LAMB The Winter Club of Indianapolis did not start with former PSA President Sandy Lamb, but it stayed alive and active and vibrant because of Sandy Lamb.

The same could be said of the Professional Skaters Association.

A former skating student at Winter Club, Lamb eventually took over the club’s Learn to Skate program and inspired thousands of children to begin or continue their skating lessons. She served as Coaching Director at Winter Club for 40 years.

Her coaching career took her to every level of skating competition from regional competitions to Worlds and the Olympics. Her most famous skating student was Kelley Morris-Adair, the former U.S. junior dance champion and herself a former president of the PSA. Lamb became the President of the PSA in 1983, and in 1996 she received the PSA’s Lifetime Achievement Award.

“She saw the future and brought it to the Professional Skaters Guild of America (the former name of the PSA),’’ said Carole Schulman, who was the PSGA’s first executive director, worked for Lamb in the PSGA office and eventually became president.

“No one ever believed more in our organization nor fought harder to bring recognition and respectability to our profession. Back then our goal was 1,000 members. We were determined, and under her leadership, our goal was reached.”

Lamb was instrumental in getting figure skating included in the Special Olympics, and starting in 1985 she was the figure skating director for Special Olympics International. Lamb’s daughter, Shannon, was the first winner of a Special Olympics gold test medal in ice dance with her friend Katie Crawford.

“Sandy’s efforts in Indianapolis are extraordinary and will live on and on,’’ said Kelley Morris-Adair, who is now the head of coaching at the Winter Club.

“She has inspired so many locally. Even though she is no longer at the rink teaching, she will remain in our hearts forever.”

Due to health issues, Lamb was unable to travel to the PSA’s Hall of Fame ceremony in Palm Springs, Calif., so Morris-Adair organized a surprise celebration in her honor at home. Attending the celebration were Bob and Linda Crowley, Bob Mock, Robbie Kaine, Gerry Lane, Susan Caudill and Dororthi Cassini.

PSA Presidents pictured left to right: Cliff Thaell, Bob O'Connell, Wally Sahlin, Peter Dunfield, David Lowery, Walter Muehlbronner, David Shulman, Don Laws, and Sandy Lamb.

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Christy Krall, a former PSA Coach of the Year, adds the PSA Hall of Fame to her long list of awards and selections she has never been fully comfortable accepting.

As a skater, Krall was the 1963 and 1965 U.S. silver medalist and the 1964 bronze medalist, and she finished seventh at the 1964 Winter Olympics, as part of the rebuild of the U.S. Figure Skating program following the 1961 U.S. team tragedy in Belgium. She trained with PSA Hall of Fame coach Carlo Fassi.

As a coach, Krall’s most significant student was three-time world champion Patrick Chan.

But her greatest contribution to skating may have been in her acceptance and use of a technology that was so foreign to her upon introduction she wasn’t sure what she was looking at.

In 1996, Krall was asked to serve as senior director of athlete programs for U.S. Figure Skating, and that led her to begin to understand the role science could have on skating performance, and began to promote the use of scientific techniques to U.S. figure skating coaches.

In 2002, Krall was introduced to Dartfish, the video imagining technology from Switzerland, which allows a coach to compare the form of her skaters with the form of champion skaters.

“It’s the most amazing major learning tool you can use,’’ Krall said at the time she adopted its use. “It can measure everything; speed, air time, revolution rate, rotational speed. It was amazing for me; a great product, and every year I have found something different to measure with it.”

Among Krall’s many distinctions, she was awarded the PSA Lifetime Achievement Award in 2001, and was the recipient of the Professional Skater’s Association Sports Science Award in 2008, 2011 and 2013. Also, in 2008 and 2011, Krall was awarded the US Olympic Committee Sports Science Award for Figure Skating.

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2010 PSA Conference

Christy is joined by Janet Champion and Kathy Casey at the 2012 PSA conference in Boston, MA.

Congratulations to the PSA Hall of Fame Class of 2014!

Upon being inducted into the PSA Coaches Hall of Fame, Christy thanked her husband Dave for his continued support.

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2014 PSA International Conference & Trade Show

Keeping Cool in the Desert

by Liz Leamy

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The PS Foundation Memorial Classic Golf Tournament took place Wednesday, May 21.

Great fun was had by all forty competitors who helped raise over $8,000 for the PS Foundation.

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alm Springs, the famous southern California destination that has, over the decades, been home to such American Hollywood icons and political figures as Frank Sinatra, Bob Hope, Ginger Rogers and President Dwight Eisenhower, among others, provided the perfect backdrop for this year’s annual Professional Skaters Association Conference and Trade Show and was much of the reason it turned out to be a runaway success on every front.

This idyllic vacation spot, characterized by pool-infused modern homes and expansive golf courses amidst a flat sandy desert, mountains and palm trees, set a high-spirited tone for this year’s conference, held at the Rancho Las Palmas Omni Hotel Resort and Spa in Palm Desert May 22nd to 24th with on-ice presentations taking place at The Desert Ice Castle.

Regarded to be the only formal educational coaches' forum of its kind to exist in the sport, this year’s conference drew more than 460 professionals from all over the U.S., Canada, central America, Europe and Asia and nearly 20 North American-based industry vendors.

The former group, many of who were first-time conference attendees hailing from the Golden State itself, seemed to be excited at the prospect of having an opportunity to learn the Jackie Brenner's popular Developing the Grassroots Athlete session

latest on skating techniques, the International Judging System rules, off and on-ice training, business planning, ethical practices and nutrition, among other interesting topics.

“This has been a great environment Diane Miller's off-ice jump class for everyone and they seem to be very invigorated,” said Jimmie Santee, Executive Director of the PSA. “We try to provide the best education we can give coaches to help make the skating community better and stronger.”

In typical fashion, the conference attracted its usual slew of all-stars, including Frank Carroll, who amazed the crowd with a moving keynote speech, Lori Nichol, who gave a heartfelt and honest account of her philosophy on skating, Marina Zoueva, who was named Coach and Choreographer of the Year, and Kathy Casey, who gave excellent information on jump execution, including her signature element, the Lutz.

Evelyn Kramer's spin class At the same time, there were also coaches and choreographers at this event who had skaters qualify for the U.S. Olympic and World teams this past season and in recent years, including Tom Zakrajsek, Pasquale Camerlengo, Jim Peterson, Kori Ade, Yuka Sato, Tammy Gambill, David Glynn, John Nicks, Todd Sand, Dalilah Sappenfield, Carrie Wall, and Rohene Ward, among others.

“It’s my first conference and I’m really enjoying it,” said Rohene Ward, the Detroit-based choreographer of Jason Brown, the 2014 U.S. silver medalist whose electric ‘Riverdance’ program generated more than five John Nicks' standing-room only presentation million-plus YouTube hits last winter,

Team USA Mobile Coach with Christ Snyder, Kathy Casey, Heidi Thibert, and Peter Zapalo

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Coaches take advantage of technology to supplement the on-ice education

"...this conference blew away all my expectations.

From the venue to the presentations.

It was so fun and extremely educational. As always, after a PSA educational event I feel motivated, energized, and ready to help my skaters reach their goals."

– COACH LEESA JOHNSON

Kathy Casey and Frank Carroll took the ice to present Salchow and Lutz jumps

SCENES FROM THE

Presiden�'� Recep�ion

The Desert Ice Castle hosted the on-ice sessions

Coaches received ear buds to hear the on-ice presentations

making it one of the most-watched skating programs ever on the internet.

“The best thing is seeing everybody in a noncompetitive situation come together to work in a collaborative manner and help each other.”

Some of the heavy-hitting officials and executives who also attended this event included Samuel Auxier, the newly elected U.S. Figure Skating president, Charlie Cyr, who is an International Skating Union judge, Peter Martell, Executive Director of the Ice Skating Institute, and Chris Snyder, U.S. Olympic Committee Director of Education who announced the PSA’s educational format would be used as a prototype for other [USOC] governing bodies.

“This acknowledgement from the U.S. Olympic Committee is a big feather in our cap,” said Santee. “It says a lot about who we are and where we’re at.”

Collectively, the knowledge, presence and expertise of these industry leaders combined with the high energy of the coaches and other individuals at this conference made for an electric environment that strongly reflected much of the spirit and mindset of the entire U.S. Figure Skating community.

“I think U.S. Figure Skating and the PSA are great and keep making strides every year toward raising the standard,” said David Glynn who coaches Polina Edmunds, the 2014 U.S. silver medalist, from San Jose, CA. No doubt, Glynn and virtually all of the other coaches at this event seemed to be as fired up as ever about using the information they obtained as a means to further affect their students and the sport in a positive way.

“I think everyone is here because they love learning,” said Ken Congemi, a Los Angeles-based U.S. and world coach who worked with Frank Carroll for many years. “There are always so many great things to take away and it’s important because coaches have such a big impact on their students.”

Mark your calendars now as we look forward to the 2015 conference to be held in Minneapolis, Minnesota at the Radisson Blu hotel which is conveniently connected to the Mall of America.

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Don Corbiell got the on-ice sessions off to an energetic start Friday morning.

Keynote speakers Lori Nichol and Frank Carroll entertained coaches with their skating experiences

Kelley and Donny Adair demonstrate during their Tracking in Ice Dance session

Coaches were encouraged to participate in the on-ice sessions

Alex Chang and Jere Michaels worked with demonstrators during their Jump Theory session

Debbie Lane's Tips and Tricks for MIF

Than� �o� �� o�r �onde��ul Trade Show �endors!

Jackson Ultima Skates HD Sports SP-Teri Co Inc. Harlick Ice Skate Conditioning Equipment Skates US, Inc. Riedell Skates Risport Skates

Avanta Skating Boots ReLeaf Blade ISI U.S. Figure Skating Penguin Specialty A Digital Edge Sharene Designs

The Edi's

Awards & PSA Banquet

hos�e� �� Doug Ladr�t �n� Doug Matt�s

PS� Ed� Awar� Recipien�s Distinguished Official RoseMary Santee Honorary and Lifetime Achievement John Nicks Photo of the Year Vicki Luy Fritz Dietl The Rinx Total Skating Program Sonja Henie Meryl Davis Gustave Lussi Charlie White F. Ritter Shumway Audrey Weisiger Joe Serafine Volunteer of the Year Paula Maniago Betty Berens Regina Woodward Barr

Hosts Doug Mattis and Doug Ladret kept the crowd entertained

U.S. Figure Skating/PSA Developmental Coach of the Year Jenni Meno and Todd Sand U.S. Figure Skating/PSA Pieter Kollen Sport Science Award Melissa Parker-Vriner USFS/PSA Paul McGrath Choreographer of the Year Marina Zoueva

Jenni Meno and Todd Sand

U.S. Figure Skating/PSA Coach of the Year Marina Zoueva

2014 Best Per�o�mance �t �.S. Figure S�ating Ch�mpions�i�� Mitch Moyer, Charlie Cyr, and Marina Zoueva

LADIES SINGLES: Gracie Gold Championship Short Program

Coaches – Frank Carroll, Scott Brown Choreographer – Lori Nichol MEN’S SINGLES: Jason Brown

Marina Zoueva

Championship Free Skating Program

Coach – Kori Ade Choreographer – Rohene Ward

PAIR SKATING: Felicia Zhang & Nathan Bartholomay Championship Free Skating

Melissa Parker-Vriner

Christy Krall

Coaches – Jim Peterson, Lyndon Johnston, Amanda Evora Choreographer – Jim Peterson ICE DANCING: Meryl Davis & Charlie White

Co-host Doug Ladret

Championship Free Dance

Coaches - Marina Zoueva, Oleg Epstein, Johnny Johns Choreographers - Marina Zoueva, Oleg Epstein SYNCHRONIZED SKATING: St. Louis Synergy Awards Chair Denise Williamson with Kelley Morris Adair and Scott Brown

Junior Free Skating Program Paula Maniago with husband David

Cathryn Schwab for The Rinx

Metro Edge FSC of Missouri Coach – Ramona Peterson

What Would Tom Dickson Do? One of the top choreographers in figure skating, Tom Dickson has helped bring out the artistic side of some of the biggest names in the sport, including Rachael Flatt, Lu Chen, Jeremy Abbott, Matt Savoie, Yuna Kim and a host of other national, world and Olympic champions. Dickson won a gold medal at the junior level at the U.S. Figure Skating Championships in 1980 and took 5th as a senior the following year. He went on to tour extensively with Ice Capades and Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean.

Married to Catarina Lindgren, who he often partners with as a coach and choreographer, he coaches at the World Arena in Colorado but has traveled the globe to work with skaters. He has won U.S. Figure Skating’s Choreographer of the Year five times, including 2013, and he now answers the question: “What Would Tom Dickson Do?”

You did choreography in the past for 2014 Winter Olympic skaters Yuna Kim and Jeremy Abbott.

What are your thoughts as you look back on the Sochi Games?

(Laughs) I think that I don’t know what the judges were looking at. I think Carolina Kostner’s performance was one to put in the history books. Beyond her jumps being her best, it was one of those rare performances that was pure feeling. She found herself in those programs.

What are your feelings on the IJS system as it pertains to the artistic aspect of skating?

I think it could be good, but I don’t understand the infatuation with always making it more and more complicated. However, it is clearly defined in its linguistic codification, especially where the program components are concerned. People ask, ‘Is skating a sport or an art?’ The answer is both.

Fifty percent is technical and 50 percent

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By Terri Milner Tarquini

is program components. And the way the program components are laid out… you might as well be at a dance performance, which I think is great. No matter how you dissect the sport, you have to produce an artist and an athlete.

coaches are requiring skaters to do figures.

Once the skater sees that it does actually help them, they usually get the bigger picture. When I teach my skaters, I do it with the traditional figures - the circles, the axis. There’s no better way to learn it.

Any tips on fostering successful relationships between choreographers and a skater’s technical coach(es)?

That’s a tricky one. I wear both shoes to some extent and I still find the best coaches aren’t just technical coaches. I think the best coaches are the ones who are able to blur the lines and look at both the technical and the artistic. If I am working with a purely technical coach, I do have to bite my tongue a little bit. My language is very verbal and holistic, with lots of adjectives and metaphors. Coaches who are all about technique tend to be very black and white, so I need to tweak my natural language so we can get on the same page. Choreography is a process and either a coach understands that process or they don’t. But the better they understand, the better they are at conveying the importance to the skater and the parents. The end result is you want to do what’s best for the skater.

In your view, does artistic ability have to be born or can it be taught?

In most cases it is born; however, it is possible for some skaters to possess musicality latently until it gets brought out. A perfect example is Matt Savoie.

When he came to me, he thought he only loved jumps. I realized how highly intelligent he is and I thought, ‘There has to be more to his skating.’ He worked at it and totally changed his persona on the ice.

Seven years later he was at the Olympics.

What is your process as a choreographer? How do you choose music, style, etc?

I have no set formula. I might start with ideas and find music to go with it or visaversa. Sometimes I use the skaters’ ideas or it might come all from me. I’m a very circular thinker so the only thing consistent with my process is that I may never start at the beginning. I always begin where the music calls me to start.

You are a big proponent of what school figures had to offer, both technically and artistically.

How do you go about using this background in the choreography you do for younger skaters who have never done a proper figure eight?

I try to convey to them that it’s the source of everything. It’s the same as how letters become words and words become sentences and sentences become paragraphs. Unfortunately, not enough

What’s your favorite skating move to watch when it is performed really well?

A three-turn. You see a dime-a-dozen brackets and counters and rockers and what are supposed to be loops, but very few people can do three-turns anymore and make them look musical and like interesting choreography. They are really quite difficult to do… correctly.

If there was one thing you could change about the sport, what would it be?

It’s a large, all-encompassing thing. It would concern how coaches and skaters approach our sport. I’ve been a musician since the age of 9 and my son is a dancer.

Music and dance have been around forever and musicians still run through their scales and dancers still see the importance of the ballet barre, even if they’re not going to be ballet dancers. It still goes back to figures for me. I wish we wouldn’t have tampered with it. We need to discover where the initial source of figure skating comes from and branch out from there.

While you had done some choreography prior, your first real opportunity came when your former coach, Carlo Fassi, asked you to choreograph for Lu Chen in 1991. Did you have any idea where that would lead you?

No. At the time I was performing in Ice

Did you know that you can find PS Magazine on the web?

Kat accepts the Pieter Kollen Sport Science Award at the 2012 PSA International Conference & Trade Show in Boston, MA.

To read a digital version of the magazine, visit skatepsa.com and click on the Magazine’ tab.

RANKING Capades and was immersed in the show so when he called me and asked me to go to Italy, I had no idea who Lu Chen was. So I prepared some music and off I went. I hadn’t been there very long when I told him, ‘This girl is going to be world champion one day.’

That year she got third at worlds and three years later she won.

If you could have carte blanche to work on a dream choreography project, what would it be?

I would hand-pick 10 or 12 skaters who are just incredible and put together an amazing night of skating.

And we would have the luxury of having plenty of rehearsals. So few shows now have any time to put together anything meaningful. I come

from the culture of Ice Capades where we trained heavily for seven weeks.

Now it just gets thrown together, done once and never done again.

Do you have an overall coaching philosophy or mission statement?

‘Teach the simple truth.’ What is missing in skating now is learning the basics. Don’t teach all of the complicated frill. Teach skaters to slow down and learn the fundamental things that grow and become other things. Doing simple things incredibly well grabs people’s attention much more than doing a lot of poorly executed things.

‘Teach the simple basics that naturally develop into integrated complexity.’

That’s it.

Now that we are at the start of a new season, be sure to check out the PSA ranking requirements to see if you qualify for ranking or can upgrade a current ranking!

The Professional Skaters Association Ranking System recognizes the career accomplishments of PSA coaches based on the performance of their skaters. The next deadline for ranking applications is October 1. All approved rankings are recognized at the annual conference in May. Visit www.skatepsa.com/Ratings and scroll down to Rankings for more information.

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Legal Ease DAVID SHULMAN

Your Plan for Life Requires a Plan for Death F

or many years, I have been asked to host a radio show done in Rochester, Minnesota.The reason the program was started was to celebrate what was called "Law Day," the answer of the West to the Eastern Block countries celebrating May Day. So it was, during the Cold War bad old days. The name of the show? "Ask the Legal Eagle."

It is a call-in show with questions from listeners about any and all things involving the law. It is an opportunity to provide people the answer exposing the conspiracy they always believed to exist in the courthouse.

The program has blossomed.

It is clear to me that folks have many routine questions on "legal things" that impact their daily lives. When attempting to meet with a lawyer, the average citizen is faced with a rather bored response from the law office staff in addition to learning the fee for a short office conference will cost hundreds of dollars and produce no satisfactory answer unless much more money is spent. Enter the "Ask the Legal Eagle." Now there was a lawyer who could provide a simple answer—understood by everybody—and at no cost.

A tally has been kept to determine what problem or general area of the law seems to cause the most anxiety and produce the greatest number of questions. Clearly, it is the documents and procedures that prepare the family for the certainty of all things—death. I will outline (more substance to come in a future article) three basic documents: Will, POA (power of attorney) and Health Care Directive, also called a Living Will.

The will is a written document prepared with certain rules of formality designed to assist a court, if needed, in making a determination the document is genuine.

Families with children and particularly those who have a child with special needs, require the will to act as a road map. Written by the person who has just died, a will can direct who gets what, where minor children will live,

organs to be donated, and listing exclusions of persons whom you specifically wish to exclude from getting any part of your property.

Divorce(s), having children, adoption, and death of an immediate family member create problems which a properly drawn will can resolve. The principal party in an estate are the testator (person who is making the will and whose property is being distributed); the executor, now called the personal representative who is charged with collecting property and having it correctly distributed; and the beneficiary, the person(s) to whom property is distributed.

Assuming a will has been prepared some time in the past, do not forget to have it reviewed at least every six years. The changes in tax law may require a change in the way property is distributed. A change in family membership or marital status will require revision of the will.

Minor children, now of age, no longer need a guardian to raise them. Recorded ownership of property, insurance contracts, and bank accounts listing owners will determine ownership of that asset. No matter what is stated in a will, the bank or insurance company will act according to the written document they hold and not the instructions set out in a will.

The living will or health care directive is basically a power of attorney. You will be granting the rights you have in making health care decisions for your care and treatment to another person. They become you with rights to request care or refuse care; obtain medical records, and interface with the care provider in the event you are unable to do so. Pick a person you trust and with whom you are comfortable. Set out in writing your wishes on how you want the care to proceed. The recent court cases involving family fights over how a dying family member should or should not receive care is what you want to avoid. This document will do the job.

“The living will or health care directive is basically a power of attorney.

You will be granting the rights you have in making health care decisions for your care and treatment, to another person.”

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The POA, power of attorney, is a paper with which most people are familiar. This paper is prepared for any reason you may need or wish to have another person act upon your behalf. An example...you are selling real estate and you need to leave the country. A sale takes place but you are required to sign the sale agreement and other documents to close on this sale. Knowing this possibility you prepared and signed a POA prior to leaving the country.

The POA grants to the party named in the document the legal right to act for you, limited only by what the grantor determines to be required.

The POA can be very broad; the party selected can sign anything requiring your signature.

The POA can also be very narrow; the party selected can sign only a sales agreement involving a particular piece of real estate and only between June 1st at midnight central daylight time with all authority to expire June 1st at six minutes past twelve midnight central daylight time: 12:06am. Used in estate planning the POA operates to allow a person to have their business affairs taken care of as much or as little as desired. States have differing rules on setting up a POA and how the powers are granted or modified or ended.

Like self-diagnosis in medicine, using forms found online can have good results in learning terms and meanings but it is not a place to self-help. Seek out and retain an attorney who specializes in helping clients create the documents discussed above.

R

atings Prep Training is a study program for coaching education to assist coaches in their preparation for PSA Oral Rating exams, formally known as PACE. PSA Ratings make a lasting difference in your coaching career. They improve your reputation among current and prospective skating students and rink managers, plus increase your confidence as a coach.

The Ratings Prep Training program will prepare you for your next rating exam through learning from a team of master rated coaches. Participation in this program is an excellent opportunity to advance your professional goals and increase your coaching credentials through on-ice and off-ice classes in the discipline or disciplines of your choice at the registered, certified, senior or master level.

Next Date August 13-14, 2014 in Baltimore, MD

Champion Cords – Combination of Tools

Sheila Thelen PRESIDENT – Champion Cords EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR –

Grassroots To Champions

As I travel the country(ies) – teaching seminars, I’m drawn to watching kids “take the ice and warm up.” This is a fascinating “first glance” what I’ll be teaching the rest of the day. How do your skaters basic stroking skills look? How do they hold their head and arms? Are the strong? Solid?

Flowing? During this “first impression” I can see so many skills (or lack of skills) immediately. Often time I can “guess” their freestyle levels – just by watching them stroke down the ice!

Using Champions Cords really helps these basic/raw/developing skills.

Skaters can FEEL what their legs and arms SHOULD be doing. These will help train your skaters to create a better look and stronger lines. SOLID BASICS are the key to successful grassroots teaching – and something that will enhance every single skater.

Just using Champion Cords in lessons… is not enough. The skaters need to practice with the Champion Cords at least 2 times a week for 20 minutes. (4 minutes in a lesson is not going to instill muscle memory.) “PROPER PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT.” »»CHAMPION CORDS ARE ENDORSED BY THE PSA Champion Cords can be purchased online at the PSA Store (www.skatepsa.com)

www.ChampionCords.com

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New

MEMBERS NEW MEMBER SPONSOR Elizabeth KIKEN

Carissa Green Tambaschi

Rachel LAFONTE

Marianne Strobel

Brooke VANBRAMER Erin SIDWELL Leah JUSTISON Patricia HOLE

Shelly Schreiner Holly Nudelbacher Ravi Walia

Sarah KAWAHARA

Jo Jo Starbuck

Sean WIRTZ

Craig Maurizi

Ben JALOVICK

Alan Emerick

Kylie STEPHANS

Michael Vallier

Victoria KAROLENKO

Adam Munday

Charlotte DE LA TORRE

Patti Brinkley

Ashley ARDIZONI

Julie Graham

Camille PITMAN

Chris Jones

Lindsay NICI Tammy MCKAY

Katie Nyman Ravi Walia

Kelsey HOFFMAN

Matthew Rosso

Sarah PULIDO-WEST

Colleen Mickey

Mary-Madeleine CAUMEIL

Marion Monaghan

Tara CONWAY

Roni Maas

Kaitlin ROWE

Morgan Rowe

Anthony LAMIRATA

Clay Wente

Carly MARKOVICH

Stephanie Miller

Eliana MAROSTICA

Alexei Komarov

Anny FAN Natalie BURNETTE Jennifer DU BREUIL Erin TULLY Tara LORENZ

Lois Rowe Melissa Jasperson Kati Link Amy Henderson Ted Engelking

Jessica MARTLEY

Caryn Sylvestre

Stacey DUNNING

Glenn Patterson

Abigail CARRUTH

Editha Dotson Bowser

PATRON Valentina CAMPANELLI

40

Cheryl Daub

JULY | AUGUST 2014

W�lcom coa�hes! �

Do you know coaches who are new to the profession, or are there skaters (age 16 or older) in your rink who have the potential to be a great coach?

Help them get a head start on their coaching career, and encourage them to join PSA! As their sponsor, you can guide and encourage them to get educated and maintain professional membership with PSA. Visit www.skatepsa.com or contact Elizabeth at ethornton@skatepsa.comto learn more about PSA membership opportunities.

JOB OPENINGS SKATING CLUB OF JACKSON HOLE is looking for a Skating Program Coordinator

To oversee a comprehensive Learn to Skate and figure skating program. To apply or for more information, please send your resume to skatingclubofjh@gmail.com or visit our website at www.skatingclubofjacksonhole.com

Advertise With Us! Let the skating community know about your upcoming event, product, service, or job opportunity by advertising with the PSA! We offer many different advertising options at affordable rates.

For more information go to our website at www.skatepsa.com and click on “Advertise With Us”.

W E LCO M E !

CONGRATULATIONS to Oxana (Orzhekovskaya) Grabois, Gig Harbor, WA on the birth of her daughter, Georgette on May 15th.

Georgette weighed in at 7 lbs. 9 oz. and was 19.5 inches long. Quote from Oxana “Only time has limits, but never figure skating! Thank you to figure skating for giving me joy and pleasure during my pregnancy.”

PS MAGAZINE

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CALENDAR

OF

EVENTS

AUGUST

42

Date: Location: Event: Credits: Host: Contact: Deadline:

Sunday, August 3 Area 7 Atlanta Ice Forum, 2300 Satellite Blvd, Duluth, GA 30097 PSA Nationwide Seminar [8:00 am to 5:00 pm] 12 PSA credits Aren Nielsen arenn@charter.net PSA Office 507-281-5122 or byackel@skatepsa.com Register online at www.skatepsa.com July 18, 2014

Date: Location: Event: Contact: Credits: Deadline:

Sunday, August 3 Area 9 Northland Ice Center, 10400 Reading Rd, Evendale, OH 45241 Ohio State Workshop [8:00 am – 12:00 pm] Dorothi Cassini Dcice1@icloud.com Register online at www.skatepsa.com 4 PSA credits July 25, 2014

Date: Location: Event: Contact: Credits: Deadline:

August 14-15 Area 6 The Gardens Ice House, 13800 Old Gunpowder Rd, Laurel, MD 20707 Oral Rating Site including Master Synchro exams at Ratings Prep PSA Office 507-281-5122 or byackel@skatepsa.com or Greg Maddalone reorymaddalone@verizon.net Register at www.skatepsa.com 1 PSA credit per oral exam taken Oral Rating Exams June 14, 2014

Date: Location: Event: Contact: Credits: Deadline:

August 16--17 Area 6 The Gardens Ice House, 13800 Old Gunpowder Rd, Laurel, MD 20707Baltimore, MD Ratings Prep Training Course PSA Office 507-281-5122 or byackel@skatepsa.com Register online at www.skatepsa.com 28 PSA credits July 15, 2014

Date: Location: Event: Credits: Host: Contact: Deadline:

Saturday, August 16 Area 15 Ice Den Scottsdale, 9375 E Bell Rd, Scottsdale, AZ 85260 Half-day Nationwide Seminar [8:00 am to 12:00 pm] 6 PSA credits Doug Ladret & Julie Patterson juliep@coyotesice.com PSA Office 507-281-5122 or byackel@skatepsa.com August 1

Date: Location: Event: Credits: Host: Contact:

Saturday, August 16 Area 11 The Leaf Ice Centre, 801 Wesemann Dr, West Dundee, IL 60118 U.S. Figure Skating Basic Skills Workshop & Synchro Seminar [8:30 am to 1:15 pm] Pre-Approved credits for Basic Skills (5) & for Synchro (4) Kerry Murphy 847-674-1510 Erin Schopf 719-228-3471 eschopf@usfigureskating.org

Date: Location: Event: Credits: Host: Contact:

Saturday, August 16 Area 11 Oak Park Ice Arena, 21 Lake Street, Oak Park, Il. 60302 U.S. Figure Skating Basic Skills Workshop & Synchro Seminar [3:00 pm to 7:30 pm] Pre-Approved credits for Basic Skills (5) & for Synchro (4) Kerry Murphy 847-674-1510 Erin Schopf 719-228-3471 eschopf@usfigureskating.org

JULY | AUGUST 2014

Please vis www.ska it tep for the co sa.com mpl Calendar ete of Events

A U G U S T cont'd Date: Location: Event: Credits: Host: Contact:

Sunday, August 17 Area 11 Winnetka Ice Arena, 490 Hibbard Road, Winnetka, Il. 60093 U.S. Figure Skating Basic Skills Workshop & Synchro Seminar [8:30 am to 1:15 pm] Pre-Approved credits for Basic Skills (5) & for Synchro (4) Kerry Murphy 847-674-1510 Erin Schopf 719-228-3471 eschopf@usfigureskating.org

Date: Location: Event: Credits: Host: Contact: Deadline:

Sunday, August 17 Area 11 Centennial Ice Rinks, 2300 Old Glenview Rd, Wilmette, IL 60091 Half-day Nationwide Seminar [8:00 am to 12:00 pm] 6 PSA credits Vickie Tassone vtassone@wilpark.org PSA Office 507-281-5122 or byackel@skatepsa.com August 1

Date: Location: Event: Credits: Host: Contact: Deadline:

Sunday, August 24 Area 12 Dr. Pepper Star Center Euless, 14005 Pipeline Rd, Euless, TX 76040 Half-day Nationwide Seminar [8:00 am to 12:00 pm] 6 PSA credits Darlene & Peter Cain dcain@dallasstars.com PSA Office 507-281-5122 or byackel@skatepsa.com Register Online at www.skatepsa.com August 25

SEPTEMBER Date: Location: Event: Credits: Host: Contact:

Sunday, September 7 Area 9 Indian Hills Winter Club, 10005 Fletcher Road, Camp Dennison, OH 45111 Foundations of Coaching Course (FCC) – a professional development course for coaches [8:00 am to 5:00 pm] 12 PSA credits Dorothi Cassini dcice1@icloud.com PSA Office 507-281-5122 or byackel@skatepsa.com Register online at www.skatepsa.com

Date: Location: Event: Credits: Host: Contact: Deadline:

Sunday, September 7 Area 2 Skating Club of Boston, 1240 Soldiers Field RD, Boston, MA 02135 Full-day Nationwide Seminar [8:00am – 5:00pm] 12 PSA credits Susan Davis suziwinette@aol.com PSA Office 507-281-5122 or byackel@skatepsa.com Register Online at www.skatepsa.com August 22

Date: Location: Event: Credits: Host: Contact: Deadline:

Sunday, September 7 Area 10 Plymouth Ice Center, 3650 Plymouth Blvd, Plymouth, MN 55446 Full-day Nationwide Seminar [8:00am – 5:00pm] 12 PSA credits Char Martin sk8char@gmail.com PSA Office 507-281-5122 or byackel@skatepsa.com Register Online at www.skatepsa.com August 22

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#NNGITQ 2CTM 59 4QEJGUVGT /0

Don't miss a

Nationwide Seminar coming soon to a city near you!

HALF DAY SEMINARS

FULL DAY SEMINARS

Location

Date

Location

Date

Wake Forest, NC

June 27

Atlanta, GA

August 3

Ardmore, PA

July 13

Boston, MA

September 7

Scottsdale, AZ

August 16

Minneapolis, MN

September 7

Wilmette, IL

August 17

Denver, CO

Dallas, TX

August 24

Cleveland, OH

September 7

Jacksonville, FL

October 19

Ratings offered Oct. 17 & 18

September 28

Ratings offered Sept. 27

Register now at

www.skatepsa.com