July/August 2020 PS Magazine

JULY/AUGUST 2020

2020

Photo of the Year MARISA JAR AE

For the coaches.

The Professional Skaters Foundation was founded to expand the educational opportunities of PSA members through a non-profit, charitable foundation.

Visit skatepsa.com for more information.

All contributions are tax-deductible.

JULY/AUGUST 2020

COLUMNS 2

Team PSA

4

President’s Message

6

Ratings

8

SafeSport

| Alex Chang

| Cheryl Faust | U.S. Figure Skating

12

Sport Science

16

Education

36

Best Business Practices

| Heidi Thibert

| Carol Rossignol

DEPARTMENTS 7 30 34 38 40

Professional Development Recognition Obituary Professional Skaters Foundation New Members PSA Calendar of Events Elizabeth Thornton | Editor/Advertising Amanda Taylor | Art Director

Issue No 4 |

FEATURES 3 11

Coach Compliance Update

14

Looking Back at the 2020 Virtual Summit

18

Rebuilding Your Coaching Career in a Post-COVID-19 World | Terri Milner Tarquini

22

Blades for the Brave

24

Unexpected Opportunities: A Silver Lining for Coaches During the Age of Corona | Terri Milner Tarquini

28 29 32 37

New Rule Changes and Where to Find Them

| Alex Chang

PSA Membership Anniversaries

| Terri Milner Tarquini

| U.S. Figure Skating

2020 EDI Award Recipients PSA Hall of Fame Class of 2020 Choreography With Stephanee Grosscup

| Terri Milner Tarquini

Feelin’ the love!

We are thrilled to see coaches taking advantage of the many learning opportunities available.

Find, Friend, Follow

WWW.SKATEPSA.COM

PS MAGAZINE

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

Gratitude L

ike many of you, PSA staff is navigating a “new normal” due to the COVID situation. Our team looks different and we have embraced technology to facilitate working from home. So far, we’ve managed to completely pivot the 2020 Summit into a virtual event, maintained membership services and operations, and now we are in the thick of compliance season. It hasn’t been easy, but we are all dedicated to our members and we appreciate your patience as we navigate these challenges.

Many of you have sent in such kind and uplifting messages, and we want to tell you how much we appreciate them. Your heartfelt messages keep us going and remind us why the work we do to bring education to you (from a safe social distance for the time being) is so worthwhile.

To all of our members, we want to say we appreciate you and are so thankful to have you on our PSA team!

Jimmie Santee Heidi Thibert Carol Rossignol

Elizabeth Thornton Barb Yackel Amanda Taylor

PSA BOARD OF GOVERNORS West Mid-West East Members at Large

Committee on Professional Standards Ratings Chair Seminar/ Webinar Chair ISI Rep to PSA U.S. Figure Skating Rep to PSA PSA Rep to U.S. Figure Skating Conference Chairs

Donna Eggenberger Charmayne Cochran

NOTES FROM COACHES

“Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!!!!”

Executive Director COMMITTEE CHAIRS Awards Coaches Hall of Fame Education Accelerated Coaching Partnerships

“I absolutely LOVED the Summit you all facilitated and cannot thank you enough! It galvanized the coaches at a time we really needed it. Bravo!”

Area Representatives Hockey Skating Sport Science Endorsements Executive Executive Nominating Finance Nominating Professional Standards PSA Rep to ISI Ratings Adaptive Skating FCC

“I know this is a difficult time for everyone. I’d really like to thank the PSA for working so hard to keep things up and running, and for providing so much support to its members. It definitely helps the coaching community know that we’re all in this together! Stay safe everyone!”

“Thank you for all of the hard work you all do on a regular basis and especially during this interesting time! I appreciate all that you do!”

“Congratulations to the PSA team that is making our organization viable and adding longevity during this crisis!”

“I love how well PSA is operating and providing all the helpful tools for us.”

“I wanted to extend a heartfelt ‘Thank You!’ to the PSA staff, Board of Governors, and all of the volunteers that have so graciously worked behind the scenes to keep the PSA organization running so smoothly for all of the coaches. We could not get thru this time without you!”

ON THE COVER Abraham Lake Sunset | Photo and words by Marisa Jarae The challenge of these wild places is the ultimate teacher. We learn how to cope, how to focus, how to move through obstacles that seem otherwise impossible. This day-skate-packing with PSA coach Laura Kottlowski was one for the books. This lake is miles upon miles in area— and other than the edges (which were ruggedly torn by wind and weather), it was glass—smooth and clear as wild ice rarely is.

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Alex Chang Rebecca Stump Tim Covington Denise Williamson Carol Murphy Christine Fowler-Binder Phillip Mills Michelle Lauerman Andrea Kunz-Williamson Patrick O'Neil Cheryl Faust Janet Tremer Derrick Delmore Tom Zakrajsek Phillip DiGuglielmo Kelley Morris Adair Cheryl Faust Patrick O'Neil Scott McCoy Kirsten Miller Zisholz Kelley Morris Adair Rebecca Stump Tim Covington Jimmie Santee

Teri Hooper Christine Fowler-Binder Rebecca Stump Phillip Mills Debbie Jones Gloria Leous Jordan Mann Heidi Thibert Jamie Lynn Santee Alex Chang Christine Fowler-Binder Carol Murphy Christine Fowler-Binder Kelley Morris Adair Gerry Lane Cheryl Faust Mary Johanson Janet Tremer

PSA AREA REPRESENTATIVES Area Area Area Area Area Area Area Area Area

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

Martha Harding Kimberlie Wheeland Andrea Kunz-Williamson Jill Stewart Angela Roesch-Davis Maude White Robyn Petroskey Melanie Bolhuis Lisa Bardonaro-Reibly

Area Area Area Area Area Area Area Area

10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17

Francesca Supple Charmin Savoy Roxanne Tyler Liz Egetoe Marylill Elbe Tiffany McNeil Russ Scott Stacie Kuglin

DISCLAIMER: Written by Guest Contributor | PSA regularly receives articles from guest contributors. The opinions and views expressed by these contributors are not necessarily those of PSA. By publishing these articles, PSA does not make any endorsements or statements of support of the author or their contribution, either explicit or implicit.

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.

The Professional Skater (USPS 574770) Issue 4, a newsletter of the Professional Skaters Association, Inc., is published bimonthly, six times a year, as the official publication of the PSA, 3006 Allegro Park SW, Rochester, MN 55902. Tel 507.281.5122, Fax 507.281.5491, Email: office@skatepsa.com © 2017 by Professional Skaters Association, all rights reserved. Subscription price is $19.95 per year, Canadian $29.00 and foreign $45.00/year, U.S. Funds. Second-class Postage Paid at Rochester, MN 55901 and at additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER send address changes to The Professional Skater, 3006 Allegro Park SW, Rochester, MN 55902. Printed in the USA.

Message from PSA President Alex Chang

Coach Compliance Update

W

hile many PSA members have used this time away from the rink to take advantage of free webinars, PSA TV content, and complete CERs for next season, we also know our members are facing financial hardship.

membership and fee increases/late fee for CERs for the 2020-21 season.

Additionally, the Board of Governors has decided to delay the previouslyplanned membership dues increase, holding membership fees the same since 2013 for one more season.

PSA is continuing to look at ways to help our members for the upcoming renewal season because we understand the difficult situation many of our members are facing. All of our board members are coaches in the same situation with rinks closed, and many of our staff are coaches who have been affected as well. We are right there with you navigating this unprecedented situation, but together we will get up and return to the sport we love.

In light of the current coaching climate due to COVID-19, PSA and U.S. Figure Skating have been working together to modify coach compliance for the 2020-2021 season. Because rinks are expected to re-open at different times based on the situation in their geographic area, the goal is to allow more flexibility in the compliance deadlines so coaches can renew compliance as they return to the ice.

PSA is a “not for profit” association, owned solely by the membership.

Our mission is to provide continuing education and accreditation to ice skating professionals. The income we do earn through membership dues is spent on educating coaches and member services.

PSA genuinely appreciates your membership and support. While we cannot eliminate membership dues, the Board of Governors has decided to eliminate the late fees for PSA

GR 4.04, which is the late fee and deadline for meeting the coach compliance requirements by July 1, is suspended for the season. The new schedule of compliance requirements for the 2020-21 season are as follows: • Once a coach returns to teaching, they must have: Current U.S. Figure Skating membership, SafeSport training, a background check, and coaches’ liability insurance*.

• Once a coach attends a sanctioned activity, they must complete the remainder of the

requirements applicable for their level: CERs (for any sanctioned activity) and PSA membership (for qualifying events such as NQS, regionals, sectionals, etc.). *Reminder: To purchase liability insurance through PSA, you will need to renew your PSA membership at the same time.

The rationale is to not use any particular date because a return to teaching and/or sanctioned events will look different for everyone. The first set of items are for protection/liability and the second set are education.

Again, there will be no late fee from U.S. Figure Skating for compliance, no late fee on liability insurance, no fee increase/late fee on CERs, and no late fee or dues increase on PSA membership.

We hope these changes provide the flexibility you need as we emerge from the pandemic and return to coaching.

Thank you,

Alex Chang PSA PRESIDENT

PSA MISSION STATEMENT

Dedicated to providing continuing education and accreditation to ice skating professionals in a safe and ethical environment.

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PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE Alex Chang, MFS, RM

Shift Happens…

B

y the time you read this, the PSA will have recently finished the 2020 Virtual Summit, our first 100% virtualformat large event. And as you read this, you may realize you are viewing these words on your mobile phone, laptop, desktop or tablet. I prefer using the tablet as it has the perfect dual-page layout. Well, I offer you a large heart-felt congratulations for adapting to change and embracing life’s many transitions resulting from COVID-19.

By the time you read this, rinks around the country will start to re-open as other rinks remain closed and still other rinks will shut their doors forever. Buildings will adopt and compare different ‘standards of protocol’ on how to best re-open and protect their skaters, families, coaches, and employees while simultaneously protecting their bottom line. The money conversation is not just a necessary evil, it is a pillar upon which our skating dreams and ambitions are founded. And the more we can embrace this reality, the quicker we can engage in dialogue, plan, and take action to ensure we encompass everyone’s objectives: skaters, parents, coaches, facilities, and the broader skating community. We all want to welcome as many skating families back into as many rinks as possible.

During the Virtual Summit Business Meeting, I mentioned that one over-arching strategic goal is securing PSA’s financial solvency across short, mid, and long-term horizons. The faster we act, or the more ‘pie-filling’ we save to stretch out over the long-term horizon, ensures we can keep making ‘pies’ in the future. Financial solvency requires reflection, honesty, accuracy, and strategy, not to mention budgets, forecasts, and a strong Treasurer. Most importantly it requires coordination (everyone agrees on common goals) and action (everyone does their part to achieve these goals).

For PSA, COVID-19 forced us to pivot our short-term goals to the newly evolving reality. We immediately set up the COVID-19 Resource webpage and generated ten free Safe at Home webinars. We quickly transitioned our annual Summit to a purely virtual format. We canceled and re-formatted events and ratings exams (yes, we approved Virtual Ratings Exam sites starting this July), all the while assessing the impact of COVID-19 on cash flow, investments, and finances. PSA’s swift action in response to COVID-19 is something I will always be proud

of, demonstrating what can be done with vision, coordination, and action.

That being said, PSA’s survival was not a clear or easy path. This meant making hard decisions to reduce major expenses (personally painful), exploring and leveraging new technologies (untested and unknown), and implementing new virtual platforms on a major scale (truly scary!). In facing the adversity of COVID-19, we hunkered down, assessed the situation, took a moment to reflect and as an organization we had to determine what was most important to us. The answer was clear and it was simple…our priority is YOU. We are here to serve, educate, and accreditate our coaches, and remind you of the power of teaching, sharing, collaborating, and inspiring others. The coach’s journey, like the skater’s journey, does not end and so your work will continue and

“The coach’s journey, like the skater’s journey, does not end and so your work will continue and it will demand your energy and leadership more than ever...”

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it will demand your energy and leadership more than ever as rinks re-open. Don’t fear, don’t doubt, don’t judge… remember, it’s in the struggle with the ‘impossible’ that you discover your power, your purpose, and your contribution.

In looking at the last two months, there is so much that I learned about PSA’s history, purpose, and future; about my own coaches and their needs; and most profoundly about myself including my own limits and commitments.

COVID-19 forced us all to ‘shift’ our goals dramatically, and many of PSA’s strategic goals surprisingly moved faster than expected because there was no choice but to change.

We were ready to act and to integrate.

I hope this silver lining is the one gift I can share with you. When planning meets opportunity (even when disguised as a threat), ‘Shift Happens’… so be ready for it.

Plan to re-plan and then re-plan again—whatever it takes.

You can do it because no matter how much ‘shift’ life throws your way, you can ‘shift’ as ‘shift happens.’

Looking for jump technique, IJS updates, or the latest in sport science?

The PSA Virtual Summit has it all and the best part is you can still register and view all the sessions.

Join the talented Disney On Ice team and find infinite opportunities to reach your potential as a performer.

Start your journey at DisneyOnIceAuditions.com

W W W . S K AT E P S A . C O M

www.skatepsa.com

The 2020-21 season modules are now accessible.

• Single exam • Improved classroom experience • Several modules to choose from

Module 1 Focused on athlete health and safety

Module 3 Ideal for developing professionals

Module 4 Created with competitive coaches in mind

Module 5 Perfect for a Learn to Skate USA coach

Module 6 Designed for synchronized skating coaches

PS MAGAZINE

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RATINGS Cheryl Faust MFS, MM

Virtual Ratings are Here!

O

n the heels of the success of our first ever Virtual Summit, we are launching our inaugural virtual ratings site on July 17-19 (formerly planned to be in Irvine, CA)! We are excited to provide this great service opportunity for our members as well as make education more affordable for coaches. In addition, the master ratings site originally scheduled for September 25-27 in Minneapolis will also now be a virtual ratings site.

Members of the Ratings Committee and other volunteers went through a lengthy pilot virtual rating mock exam program in the months of March, April, and May on Zoom. The three disciplines that were first piloted were free skate, group and moves in the field. We had wonderful (and brave) candidate volunteers as well as an amazing group of volunteer examiners. This gave us an opportunity to work through any glitches we came upon. Fortunately, what we found is that the process of a virtual rating exam is similar (and in some aspects even better) than an in-person rating process—more so than we expected. Good... no... great news!

The requirements and process for a virtual rating exam are the same as an in-person exam: 1. Must be a current FULL PSA member 2. Have four education credits recorded in the past year 3. Successful completion of the Basic Accreditation or Foundations of Coaching course 4. Successful completion of the corresponding Sport Science exam (ex. to take a registered rating exam you must have passed the registered sport science written exam) 5. Register online for rating exam 6. Submit all required paperwork (test verification, resume, etc. – you will be notified of deadline date)

Additional requirements as of May 1, 2020 for all disciplines include: • Registered rating candidates: current concussion training certificate • Certified rating candidates: current First Aid certificate • Senior and Master rating candidates: current First Aid certificate and CPR certificate

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So how does a virtual exam work? Once the exam schedule has been set, you will receive your exam time and Zoom log in information. At your scheduled time, log in to Zoom where you will be placed in the waiting room until examiners are ready for you. You will take your exam during which you will demonstrate, draw, and answer both the traditionally written and oral exam questions. Then you will be placed back in the waiting room during the examiner deliberation, then brought back into the room for feedback and results. Upon passing, your certificate and ratings pin (for first time candidates) will be mailed to you.

Through the pilot program we learned how to streamline the process as well as worked to digitize all the paperwork.

We have worked diligently to make the process easy for the candidates, examiners, and the office staff.

A very special thanks to our exceptional examiners for giving their time to the Pilot Virtual Rating Mock Exam Program: Jeff DiGregorio, Jason Dilworth, Cheryl Faust, Doug Haw, Diane Miller, Kelley Morris-Adair, Patrick O’Neil, Carol Rossignol, Kris Shakarjian, Roxanne Tyler, Denise Williamson, and Barb Yackel.

Thank you also to the PSA office staff who immediately jumped into action as soon as virtual ratings were passed by the Executive Committee and the Board of Governors on May 17, 2020 in order to launch our first virtual site for July.

We are always here to help you through the process of preparing, signing up, and taking PSA rating exams. As a reminder, you can download the study guide for each rating discipline for free at any time on the PSA website.

The Ratings Committee is continuing to work on virtual mock exams to include all disciplines.

Being a new program we welcome any and all feedback to make the ratings process even better! Please do not hesitate to contact me at any time.

PROF ESSI O N AL D EV E LO PM E N T

Basic Accreditation (BA)

Rankings

E-learning Academy

Level I Taylor Johnson Aimee Ricca Shannon Schwab-Totten

Benjamin Anderson Brooke Brannon Michal Brezina Chelsea Chiappa Heather Cristobal Trisha Dekeno

Thobie Fauver Ashley Hecht Ryan Hileman Jeremy Hileman Shannon Keeler Justin Kozikowski

Shawna Ludy Lauren Lumpkin Tessa Riccio Bianka Szijgyarto Madeline Wunder

Las Vegas, NV | March 1-2, 2020 Deanna Anderson CFS Ashleigh Bauer RG Jacqueline Benson RG, RC Jaclyn Cartwright CG Lori Cervinka-McHugh RPD, CPD Alexey Crogh CFS, CM Trista Demuth CG Tara Denkers SG Alexandra Gerday RPD, CPD Chad Goodwin CFS, RPD Michelle Hocknell SM Sidney Hollibaugh CG Alexis Kinney RM Elaine Kozel RM

Tara Lorenz CM Jacqueline Matson-O'Grady CC Christine McGuern RM Ines Munoz De Cote Solano-Lopez RFS, RG David Nickel CFS Amy Nunn CFS, CM Grace Orpiano CFS Sean Rabbitt RFS Caitlin Ramsey SG Alyssa Reder RPD Gianna Scalisi RG Kristina Soto CM Tommy Steenberg RM, CM

Janet Thomson Sally Tasca Nicole Volmer

Raya Willoughby

Level IV Angela Johnstad Nathaniel Hess Barbara Brown Erika Hoffman Don Corbiell

Andria Kelling Suggie Oh Caitlin Ramsey

Janet Thomson

Level VI Peter Cain Level VIII Tammy Gambill Tom Zakrajsek

Hockey Skating 2 Lisa Bardonaro-Reibly Chad Goodwin Taylor Johnson

Level III Felicia Beck Lauren Ross

Level V Darlene Cain Jeffrey Crandell Benjamin Miller Reisman

Hockey Skating 1 Lisa Bardonaro-Reibly Taylor Johnson Caitlin Ramsey

Level II Ashley Tike Richard Swenning Jennifer Swenning Alanna Collins Anita Saxena Mischa DiFilippo Kathy Goeke Cece Frankhuizen Amy Nunn Stacey Tiggard

If you are interested in validating your skating skills and teaching experience, visit skatepsa.com to learn about the PSA Rating System. A rated coach is an assurance that this individual is qualified to instruct at the level in which they are rated regardless of personal background and skating achievement.

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U.S. Figure Skating Background Screen Changes E

ffective January 1, 2020, all U.S. Figure Skating background checks will be screened under new search components and criteria as required by the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee. In addition, U.S. Figure Skating background screens will move from being valid for one season to being valid for the season in which the screen is completed along with the following season.

Individuals with a current valid U.S. Figure Skating background check will not be affected by this change until the compliance period for the 2020-21 season opens in June 2020.

The new screens include the following changes: Screens Submitted Prior to January 1, 2020 20

$

Screens Submitted on or After January 1, 2020 30

$

Background check valid for the season in which a determination is issued with an automatic six month recheck

Background check valid for the season in which a determination is issued and the following season with a 12 month automatic recheck

Local level searches — two County Criminal Records search of longest/ most recent residency in the past five years

Local level searches — County Criminal Records search for name used and county where the individual currently lives or has lived during the past seven years (up to three included)

No Federal District Courts searches

Federal District Courts searches — For name used and district where the individual currently lives or has lived during that past seven years (up to three included)

Automatic re-check at six months of multi-jurisdictional national database and SOR

Automatic re-check at 12 months of multi-jurisdictional national database and SOR

No National Watch List searches

Multiple National Watch Lists

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS Q: I have a current USFS background check that is valid until June 2020. Do I need to submit a new screen based on these changes?

A: No. Individuals with a current USFS background check are not affected by these changes until the 2020-21 season compliance period which begins 6/1/2020.

Q: I have a current background screen with another organization/my employer. Can I submit the findings from that screen to USFS? A: No. The background screen USFS requires is specific to the organization and must be completed through your Members Only portal. We do not accept any other screenings.

Q: I’m a SafeSport Compliance Chair or President for my club. How do you recommend communicating this to our members/volunteers who require compliance?

A: We suggest communicating these new requirements to your members/volunteers multiple times to ensure they see it. Emails, flyers, and in person communications about the updates are highly recommended. If you need materials to present to your members/volunteers about these changes, please email SafeSport@usfigureskating.org.

Q: Approximately how long will it take for a domestic or international screen to be completed?

A: Domestic screens typically take 5-10 business days.

International screens may take up to 14 days to be complete depending on the country whose records are searched.

Once U.S. Figure Skating is notified of the finding it takes one business day or less for a person’s compliance status to be updated.

Q: I’m unsure if my role within the sport requires a background screen. Who should I talk to about this?

A: There’s a matrix in U.S. Figure Skating’s SafeSport Program Handbook that outlines what positions require a USFS background screen. We suggest talking to your club’s SafeSport Compliance Chair or President about any additional roles they may have identified as needing compliance.

Any questions about these changes can be directed to SafeSport@usfigureskating.org.

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Coaches, we are here for you.

Please consult our COVID-19 webpage at www.skatepsa.com for more information and resources to help guide you through these trying times.

• Latest updates from PSA

Visit today!

• Links to various government resources for assistance, loans, and other economic programs • PSA "Coaching Forward" and "Safe at Home" Webinar Series – free recordings at PSA TV • PSA Virtual Membership meeting discussing concerns on PSA TV • Many more valuable links to resources

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PSA Membership Anniversaries The Professional Skaters Association would like to recognize the commitment longtime coaches have made to the growth of PSA and the skating industry as a whole. The following members have achieved 30, 40, 50, or 60 years of continuous membership with PSA.

60 years Maude Hammer White

David Shulman

50 years

“The thing I have always liked about the PSA is that they promote the concept of trying new ideas. That’s why I always try to get young coaches involved, even when it is hard for them to pay the costs of classes or find the time to attend conferences.”

– Maude

Cindy Caprel Susan Caudill Sonya Dunfield Susanne Susic Ervin Brenda Farkas

Kristal Fortune Charlene Guarino Kathleen Sagmiller Debbie Stoery

40 years Kristiane Birkeland Jill Cosgrove Megan Faulkner Teri Hooper Deborah Lincoln-Vizzina Peggy MacDonald

– David

Jill Maier-Collins Nicolas Perna Ronald Radke Jayne Throckmorton Ilona Horvath House

30 years Christie Allan-Piper Dawn Anderson Sonya Bedient Peggy Behr Susan Blaisdell Karen Bressler Daria Classen Mary Jean Connors-Kelley Andrea "Jake" DeCarlo Cynthia Desmarais Tracy Doyle Mary Emes Jennifer Eppes Randy Gardner Russell Green Patricia Gremaux Kristine Hallett Douglas Haw Kami Healey-Netri Colette Huber-Wardin

"It's amazing to me that over the years...in the management of the PSA, you find yourself looking for people who will fulfill projects...for the good of skating and the good of coaching...and as a result of that, you look around for folks who are talented, who are achievers, who are willing to work...and that has been the history of the PSA."

Claudyne Hutchinson Tammy Janoschak Lars Jensen Svetlana Khodorkovsky Lisa Laatsch Page Lipe Suzanne Martinsson Valerie Matzke Craig Maurizi Kathleen McMillan Karen Meck Stephanie Miller Kirsten Miller-Zisholz Donald Mitchell Kristie Mitchell Julie Morris-McKenny Sandy Moss Alicia Narby Andrew Carl Newberry Christina Oleson

Diane Papuzynski Jean Pastor Barbara Pomykalski Kimberly Ryan Elizabeth Spencer Milada Stastny Monica Steele Francesca Supple Beth Sutton Randy Trabing Gina Valenzano-Gomez Bonnie Varney-Lachance Dorothy Vaughan-Johnson Dina Volpicelli B. Alan Wardin Karen Wiesmeier Jean Yun Jo-Anne Zalewski

ADDRESSING ATTENDEES OF THE 2020 VIRTUAL PSA PRESIDENT'S RECEPTION THIS PAST MAY DURING SUMMIT.

"I relied so much on the PSA as a young coach—my first conference when I was a college freshman changed my college studies and my life! I have always felt that I can never repay my debt to the tremendous support and guidance I received."

– Debbie

“She instilled confidence, a relentless work ethic, passion to compete and desire to always give it your best every day...Frankly, her training regimen was more challenging than anything I’ve experienced in the Marine Corps.”

– Tom Jasper, a U.S. Marine attorney and previous student of coach Ilona Horvath House EXCERPTED FROM THE PSA'S JOY OF COACHING BOOK

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SPORT SCIENCE Heidi Thibert, MFS, MM, MC

PART I

Understanding Athlete Motivation as a Continuum

BY DIANE BENISH

O

ne of the greatest challenges in coaching is understanding athlete motivation. Coaches often ask, “How can I effectively motivate my athletes?” or “How do I keep my athletes engaged and training hard?” Questions like these often arise when coaches encounter athletes who appear to have varying levels of motivation.

Coach Christy observes her figure skating student, Luna, executing each spin with intensity and persistence during training while also showing a dedication to train her weakest skills. An athlete being coached later, named Marc, is recently more hesitant while learning a new skill, verbally doubts his capacity to master a clean rotation, and continually displays effort that Coach Christy deems to be below his full capacity.

Individual differences in training behavior related to the exertion of effort, persistence and commitment can leave coaches wondering how to best support athletes to reach their potential. It would seem that Luna and Marc have different levels of motivation; but what does that really mean?

Motivation is a complex combination of external and internal forces that persuades behavior1. These forces are constantly interacting in complex ways to influence how an athlete thinks, feels, and behaves. Discovering the reason(s) why an athlete is participating in his or her sport can often reveal which internal or external forces are of importance. Here, the extent to which these reasons for participating are self-determined (freely chosen) is essential to the quality of an athlete’s motivation. A popular theory of motivation known as Self-Determination Theory (SDT) provides a continuum to illustrate levels of motivation that are more self-determined and those that are non-self-determined2. The most self-determined form of motivation is called intrinsic motivation, the middle is extrinsic motivation and the non-self-determined form is called amotivation.

Athletes who are participating in sport because they

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personally choose to do so and find enjoyment or value in their activity are considered intrinsically motivated. They may express their love for the sport or indicate how they value the opportunity to spend time with other members of the sport3. An athlete like Luna is intrinsically motivated, as her motives seem to be more internal and are inspired by Luna’s enjoyment of skating.

Athletes can also be extrinsically motivated or driven by external forces that are outside of the athletes’ control. Individuals who are more extrinsically motivated may feel compelled to participate in their sport by significant others (coaches, parents, peers), to avoid feelings of guilt, to escape punishment or to receive extrinsic rewards such as recognition or medals. It’s important to point out that extrinsic forms of motivation have been more consistently linked with self-criticism, stress, anxiety and symptoms of burnout in athletes3.

Often times this is because athletes do not always have control over a sporting outcome or control of how those in their environment are interacting with them. Marc would be a great example of an athlete who is extrinsically motivated. Marc’s rewards appear to be more extrinsic as they are reliant on forces in the environment.

While Marc is in control of his own performance, his comparison of himself to others can actually undermine his efforts. If Marc cannot effectively cope with having no control of other competitors’ performances, he may experience feelings of stress, anxiety, and hopelessness.

A final category of motivation is called amotiviation.

Athletes who are amotivated do not have a sense of personal control in reference to their sport participation.

Typically, these athletes cannot articulate why they engage in their sport and have no intrinsic or extrinsic reasons for participating. Amotivation is most consistently related with burnout and dropping-out.

Now that you know that motivation is on a continuum, what can you do as a coach?

Self-determined Non-self-determined Intrinsic Motivation

Extrinsic Motivation

Discover Your Athletes’ Why As a coach, it is important to begin to understand why each individual athlete decided to participate in figure skating in the first place. If athletes are not currently intrinsically motivated, helping them connect back to a time when they did feel enjoyment or inherent value in participating in their sport could be an impactful experience. Keep in mind that not all athletes are motivated in the same ways.

Often times, athletes are motivated by a combination of internal and external factors. It could be that they enjoy spinning elements but need more positive encouragement when practicing jumps. Taking time to notice how skaters respond to your feedback will help reveal these needs.

Amotivation

coaching instructions while a need for rest may be reflected in more sluggish execution of performance. Motivation is therefore likely to shift on the continuum depending on the level of need fulfillment athletes perceive. Researchers have agreed that there are three basic psychological needs that have a strong relationship with self-determined forms of motivation. These needs are a need for relatedness or sense of belonging to a group, autonomy or perception of choice, and competence or perception of ability2. You as a coach have a large impact in fulfilling athletes’ basic psychological needs. These needs will be more specifically addressed in Part II of this installment in the coming issue.

References

Provide a Supportive Coaching Environment

1. Vealey, R. (2005). Motivation. In Coaching for the inner edge (pp. 23-48). Morgantown, WV: Fitness Information Technology.

While motivation is controlled by the athlete, it is agreed that coaches can be hugely impactful on athlete motivation through the environment that the coach creates for training and performing. Generally, supportive coaches show they care about their athletes as a person, they provide opportunities for choice in training activities, and they give specific feedback relating to how the athlete did well or how they can improve. As a coach you cannot motivate your athletes, but you can provide an environment that will allow athletes to explore their sources of motivation.

2. Deci, E. L., & Ryan, R. M. (2002). (Eds.) Handbook of self-determination research. Rochester, NY: University of Rochester Press.

A Final Note

3. Duda, J. L., & Treasure, D. C. (2015). The motivational climate, athlete motivation, and implications for the quality of sport engagement. In J. M. Williams & V. Krane (Eds.), Applied sport psychology: Personal growth to peak performance (7th ed.). (pp. 57-77). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill.

Diane Benish, M.S. Recently graduated from Georgia Southern University with a MS in Sport and Exercise Psychology. She is also a former figure skater from Pittsburgh, PA, and has earned her Gold Medal in Moves in the Field. Diane is passionate about working with figure skaters to help them achieve peak performance as a mental performance consultant. To contact Diane, email her at dmb00009@mix.wvu.edu

All human behavior is considered to be motivated and directed by a need. In fact, athletes’ actions in training will reflect the need the athlete is seeking to fulfill. A need for approval or acceptance may be reflected in adherence to

PS MAGAZINE

13

Looking Back at the 2020 Virtual Summit T

he 2020 PSA Summit and Trade Show was months in the planning and was coming together seamlessly with the Hyatt Regency Schaumburg as the backdrop for a wonderful week of continuing education. We were preparing for the U.S. Open, rating exams, networking with fellow coaches and trade show vendors, and attending the many social events plus the multitude of things to do in Chicago. The theme was “20/20 Coaching Vision: A New Perspective on Coaching.” Well, then came March 2020 and COVID-19 hit.

We had to scramble as events all around us were being cancelled because of the pandemic. We had great content already planned around four session series: 1) Professionalizing the Profession – focus on professionalism, 2) Technique Acuity – technical detection and correction, 3) Rules and Programs – rules in view for coaching success, and 4) Sport Sciences – coaching with athletes in sight and mind. PSA was committed to the health and safety of its members, registrants, and presenters, so the decision was made to transition to a virtual event. The schedule was modified and all presenters were contacted to see if they would be willing to be a part of the inaugural “PSA Virtual Summit.” Our PSA Summit Chairs Tim Covington, Becky Stump, and Teri Hooper stepped up to serve as showrunners for the event.

Tim Covington said “Working on the summit during the pandemic was a Godsend for me. I was able to devote my time and passion for skating in

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the middle of this crazy turn of events into a Virtual Summit. It was so much fun being behind the scenes and working with the presenters. And best of all I learned and learned and learned!”

“I was so honored to be asked to be a 2020 Summit Showrunner and my biggest hope was that I could live up to the enormous job I was given and help direct a positive strong education for all members. Yes, it was a success and a Summit to remember. I now am looking forward to 2021 when we will hopefully be able to all be together again,” shared Teri Hooper.

Becky Stump reminisced saying “it was such a joy to work alongside the U.S. Figure Skating, the USOPC, the PSA Staff, and our Summit presenters to build this Summit! We all became a team, working together and discovering new ways to bring quality education to our coaches.”

The virtual summit was a huge success with a total of 974 registrations by the end of the week and with registrations still coming in on the PSA TV platform. Nine of the registrants were judges, and coaches registered from all over the world including Canada, Mexico, Europe, South America, Asia, and of course from the U.S. Some presentations were recorded “live” while others were prerecorded. Perhaps the best part of going virtual is that all sessions can be viewed over the next year. All registrants were awarded 35 PSA educational credits for attending the Summit.

PSA Senior Director of Coaching Development Heidi Thibert stated “I

think that what we all learned was that all the years of collective coaching experience of problem-solving and creative-thinking enabled the PSA staff, showrunners, presenters, and coaches who registered for the Virtual Summit the ability to pivot from a traditional event to something we never thought possible—a widely popular and effective educational event—completely online!”

Maude White, a PSA member since 1959, had this to say: “I liked the fact that the presentations were all recorded and that you could go back and review them again when you have time. I always love Christy and I really like what Janet has to say as it’s easy to get to. Although we weren’t able to see people in person, we saw them in a different way.”

The fact that the summit was presented virtually gave many more coaches the opportunity to attend because they did not need to travel.

One coach from Europe was in the middle of moving back to the United States. The Virtual Summit was the perfect solution to fit into her timetable and not conflict with her schedule.

“I love that the Summit was presented virtually this year. What a gift to have a full year to grasp every last bit of information given!” commented Diane Miller.

Betsy Wilson shared her feedback saying “presentations could be watched at your convenience and when I

ORLANDO

Thank you to our partners and sponsors!

The 2021 PSA Summit is planned for Orlando, FL at the Hilton Orlando Lake Buena Vista on May 26-28, 2021.

couldn't sleep I would watch something.

If you missed a point you could go back and hear it again. I also appreciated the time and cost savings with no travel, no time away from family, and no missed lessons. Of course, I missed the social aspect of a live summit. Skating is a small world and at the yearly summit we spend time together.”

We were pleased to have Wendy Enzmann, a high ranking ISU official for singles, pairs, and synchro, present live. She gave us a peek into what U.S. Figure Skating and the ISU is currently doing and how it affects the athletes in the upcoming season due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

We were fortunate to have the United States Olympic Paralympic Committee (USOPC) present a few sessions including cuing for technique and gaining perspective on the array of challenges associated during growth and development. Patrick Chan was the PSA Summit Keynote speaker sharing terrific personal insight into his journey.

Cirque du Soleil covered the practice application of some sport science philosophies from professional skaters who live it every day. The inaugural Virtual Summit offered a great range of educational material such as talent identification, warm ups and cool downs, Program Director workshop, coaching Generation Z, moves in the field and figures, jumps, spins, choreography, and adaptive skating, to name a few. PSA introduced specifics of the revised Apprentice Program renamed as Accelerated Coaching partnerships. In addition, Learn to Skate USA presented details on the new U.S. Figure Skating

Aspire Program. An exciting evening event, the President’s Reception was held live during the week of Summit and recorded. What an exciting night to listen to many great comments and stories from several of our past PSA presidents! Overall, the PSA recorded 38 presentations and events with approximately 75 presenters.

One of the highlights was the closing live presentation for the summit “The Great Debate” by the Santee brothers. It was a fascinating look back at the influential skaters in the history of our sport.

Such a great history lesson and a stroll down memory lane for some of us!

“What an outstanding experience to participate in the first-ever PSA Virtual Summit 2020,” said Bob Mock, past president of the PSA. “It was a giant leap into the future of coaches’ education by combining outstanding presentations with the newest technology. I came away equipped with the latest technical information and ready to take the ice for the new season! This may go down in history as one of the best most innovative conferences ever!”

Now, we have so many partners to appreciate. First, thank you to U.S. Figure Skating! We appreciate all that you do and we are honored to be in partnership with you.

Thank you to our sponsors that presented: Jackson Ultima, EPIC Insurance, and Coach Concierge. Thank you to Graf Skates for sponsoring our keynote session with Patrick Chan.

“It was a summit to remember!” said Teri Hooper.

DID YOU MISS SUMMIT? Dont' fret! You can still register at skatepsa.com and view all of the presentations on PSA TV!

EDUCATION Carol Rossignol, MD, MS, MG, MPD, MFF

Longevity in Teaching and Coaching Figure Skating B Y R O N L U D I N G T O N , M F F, M P , M D F D , L E V E L V I I I R A N K I N G

W

hen I was asked to do this article, I had to think very hard about what has kept me going in this profession. Forty years of teaching and coaching is a long time. I have certainly had my ups and downs during that time but on the whole it has been Figure skating legend Ron quite successful.

Ludington, a friend, coach, Ever since I started teaching mentor, story teller, and icon I have treated it like a business. recently passed away. In I have always kept good records honor of his memory, this is and my clients have always a reprint of his article from received bills on a regular the May/June 2000 issue of two-week basis. They would much PS Magazine in which he rather have it done that way than gives advice to coaches on receive an enormous bill after a surviving in the sport and couple of months. Many coaches profession. make this mistake and they pay the price down the road by not being paid the full amount that is owed to them. In my case, I keep records so complete that none of my parents question their bills.

When booking lessons with students, I treat all of them the same. For example, if I have six senior pairs, they all get the same number of lessons (one a day) regardless of their ranking. The skaters appreciate this and it creates great harmony. The minute you start favoring one skater or team over another you ask for trouble. Don’t do it! Life is too short.

I spend very little time talking with parents. Not because I don’t like them but because there are so few hours in a day. I can’t be effective with my teaching when I’m distracted. If there is a problem I will discuss it with them but I don’t go looking for problems. In the evenings at home, I discourage phone conversations pertaining to students. That’s my time to get away from the business of teaching and coaching.

I’ve always been big on outside activities. At present its golf and in the past it was water skiing, sport fishing, radio controlled model airplanes, and many other hobbies. I have always taught many hours in a day and I don’t want my job

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to consume me. I don’t need stress and my hobbies help me to eliminate this problem.

There are times when I don’t feel like pushing myself.

Regardless, I make myself work hard to get rid of the tendency to “burn out”, which I am sure every teacher or coach has experienced. It’s a mental thing but it does happen. Vacations are great for that problem at which point I’m ready to come back to work.

Something that has been important to me is that I teach all levels and all disciplines. This way I don’t get stale and give poor lessons. I explain to my students that are interested in teaching that the variety of disciplines they can teach will keep them busy on the ice and it is great for the pocketbook.

Another point that I would like to bring up is that I don’t believe in giving free time. If a skater books a 20-minute lesson, that skater gets the full 20 minutes. If I give five minutes free lesson time to one skater, then I should be giving it to all the other students. This would only be fair and for me, impossible.

Never get caught in giving excess numbers of lessons per week to one student. If that student leaves you, there will be a big void in your schedule. It is better to have many students than just a few.

Problems dealing with coaches have never “I explain to my been a big issue. I have always tried not students that are to step on anyone’s interested in teaching toes, especially when it involved their that the variety of students. I teach my students, they teach disciplines they can theirs, and we go our way. There will teach will keep them own always be the problem of skaters leaving busy on the ice and one coach to go to another, and that’s it is great for the part of coaching. The pocketbook.” best way to handle it

“But you know what? I love to teach, I love to coach, and I love watching these athletes reach their true potential.

I love working with children of all ages. And without this love, I don’t think I would have lasted 40 years.” is to be up front with coach, skater, and parents, and eventually the tension will go away.

For many years I worked in private clubs: Detroit Skating Club and the Skating Club of Wilmington for a total of 21 years. On the whole I got along very well with the board members but it had its bad moments.

You teach the son or daughter of a board member and everything is wonderful. Then the teaching relationship between you and the child goes flat and guess where that leaves you? I had to work very hard at keeping my relationship with the board on a very business-like level. Many of you have to deal with club boards in your rink as well as owners of the facility so that presents a more difficult situation. It can work as long as you make them aware that your interest is what is best to keep the operation successful.

These points that I mention have a lot to do with my longevity. Certainly the income I make has a lot to do with my motivation along with a great location to teach. The successes of my skaters all contribute to the overall picture. But you know what? I love to teach, I love to coach, and I love watching these athletes reach their true potential. I love working with children of all ages. And without this love, I don’t think I would have lasted 40 years.

1990 Skater's Edge Photo

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ebuilding Your Coaching Career in a Post-COVID-19 World

By Terri Milner Tarquini

T

he mantra of figure skating is as old as the sport itself: Fall down, get back up.

But to stop there is to miss the crux of what really defines the soul of figure skating.

“If you fall down, you get back up—and then you keep going,” said Denise Viera, a registered PSA coach with the NV-Ice Skating Group, who has coached skaters in Connecticut, Virginia, and Florida for over 20 years.

“The most important aspect is the ‘keep going’ part. There is no regroup time in skating. Not only do you have

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to get right back up, but you also have to move ahead and act like the fall didn’t even happen.”

The keep going aspect is the very fabric of what skating is- and now that some ice rinks have reopened it will be at the heart of the rebuilding process for figure skating coaches everywhere.

“The ‘get back up and keep going’ is so central to what we’re teaching – and now we’re being called upon to do what we’ve always told our students to do every day,” Viera said. “It is time for us to walk the walk.”

It is a challenge the skating world is uniquely prepared for, having been devastated before.

“As a sport, we’ve been here,” Viera said. “In 1961, we lost the entire figure skating team, as well as coaches and officials. We got back up, kept going, and rebuilt. Resiliency is built into figure skating.”

The silver lining in a world turned upside down is that the qualities it takes for a skater to be successful are the same for a coach to survive a rebuilding process.

“Survivors in all of this will be resilient and flexible,” Viera said. “If you’ve said, ‘I’ll never teach Learn to Skate again, or I’ll never work at that rink or with that coach,’ it’s time to re-evaluate those outlooks or you might not make it through. The road to success does not run through ‘never’ land.”

Viera, currently a senior advisor at the U.S. Department of Justice, has over 30 years of experience improving severely distressed communities through economic and social capacity building; developing and implementing policies and programs related to trauma-informed community building, small business development, and natural disasters on the local, state, and national levels; and provides mentoring and coaching in the areas of business and career development.

“This has been a disaster, so we as coaches need to approach it like disaster recovery,” Viera said. “Turning around a tough situation takes planning, innovation and introspection.”

Here are some thoughts from Viera to help navigate—and improve—your coaching, post-Coronavirus:

• Conduct damage assessment.

“Hopefully coaches have already been doing this. You don’t want your students or their parents to feel like you didn’t check in at all and you only came back around once the rinks were reopening. To them, that starts to feel like, ‘You only care about the money.’ It’s important to keep in contact so they know you miss them and that you are looking toward the future with them.”

• Do some self-analysis. “This break should provide you with what your real, deep down values and coaching goals are. So many people just sort of fall into coaching after their skating careers are done, but coaching is like any type of leadership role and it needs to be approached as such. Your job is to get someone else to do their best work so you need to be clear with your philosophies and goals so you can help them shape theirs.”

• Embrace this time as an opportunity for structural change. “Everything and everyone will be rebuilding so take this time to maybe establish or renew ties with other coaches or potential partners in the community.

It’s also a good moment to possibly re-analyze time usage by yourself and your skaters and maybe more clearly define how time should be spent.

There are a lot of different directions this thinking could go, but with structural change comes opportunity. If you are open to change and see it as an opportunity, then this could end up being great for you.”

• Take some time to align your customer base. “This is an opportunity to build a plan with your student and the parent that everyone really buys into. This time away from the rink can get the message across that skating is temporary so, if we’re going to do it, then let’s really do it and here’s the plan on how.”

who your customer is so now you can create some tools for your brand. It’s important to really align your brand with your philosophy so you stay grounded in what’s important to you and resist the urge to jump at everything because you’re worried about the future. It will feel good for you to have a plan for yourself. This is a great moment to think about those things.”

• Collaborate on ways that can reset yourself and your business.

“Sometimes we say, ‘We are all in the same boat,’ but in this instance, we actually are all in the exact same boat. This is a time to look at your relationships at the rink —with coaches, rink managers, off-ice trainers and so on—and ask yourself, ‘Can we collaborate?’ And, if there have been contentious relationships in the past, ‘How can we more peacefully co-exist?’”

In any time of rebuilding there will assuredly be a lot of changes, but it’s important for coaches to remember that there’s an important piece that shouldn’t change: Coaching is still a business.

“Parents might be having some financially hard times too, and be sensitive to that, but you have bills to pay as well,” Viera said. “Be clear about when payments are due and how payments are made. This is a business where we love our students, but it is still a business.”

Going forward after “The Great Pause,” can be a positive experience for those who have taken some time to look in the metaphorical mirror.

“Know your brand and know opportunities when you see them,” Viera said.

“Know your worth and go get it.”

• Focus on building a consistent brand.

“You have identified who you are and

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E XCE LLE NCE ON ICE

all coaches are PSA members

all coaches carry liability insurance

Does your club or rink meet these two requirements?

Register now and be recognized as a progressive training facility dedicated to excellence in coaching both on and off-ice.

As a registered facility you will receive an EOI shield for display and international recognition in PS Magazine—all at no cost!

www.skatepsa.com

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H

By Terri Milner Tarquini

istorically, when skaters come together for a cause, they do what they do best: They skate.

However, in a situation where almost all of the world’s ice rinks are closed, figure skaters went outsidethe-box to raise money for health care workers on the frontlines of the COVID-19 virus through the Americares “Blades for the Brave” livestream event.

“I love how you brought the whole skating community together for Blades for the Brave,” said Michelle Kwan, two-time Olympic medalist, five-time World champion and ninetime U.S. National champion. “The health care workers are the brave men and women who are at the forefront of fighting this pandemic. Together we are going to get through this.”

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The inspiration of Tara ModlinMaurizi, owner and founder of Fireworks Sports Marketing, the event uniting over 40 figure skaters from nine countries was streamed worldwide by CNN and reached 83 countries, raising over $40,000 during the hour-and-a-half April 17 event.

“When I started making calls and sending out emails, it was just such a fast domino effect of skaters signing on that it grew really big, really fast,” Modlin-Maurizi said. “And when you quickly get Gracie Gold, Jason Brown, Nancy Kerrigan, Scott Hamilton, Dorothy Hamill, Johnny Weir, and Michelle Kwan on board, you know you have an event.”

With an introduction from two-time U.S. National champion and Olympian Johnny Weir and hosted

by U.S. National champions and Olympic medalists Gracie Gold and Jason Brown, elite figure skaters from around the globe dug deep, bringing their smiles, hearts and creativity to neighborhood streets, parking lots, playgrounds, wooded areas, and their living rooms and kitchens.

“Americares is a health-focused charity that is sending masks, gloves, gowns, and more to health care workers,” Brown said. “Americares has already sent 25 tons of supplies to 39 states.”

In a move to raise more funds for the cause, the who’s who in figure skating turned in some memorable clips: Olympic medalist Paul Wylie, as Darth Vader, engaged in a rollerblading lightsaber battle with his family of Chewbacca and storm troopers; Olympic champion Alexei Yagudin supervised his young daughter’s stretching and then donned a similar leotard and dance skirt and attempted the same moves; and Olympic champion Brian Boitano gave tips for mixing up a cocktail called, “Heroes Salute.”

“How do skaters talk?” said fourtime World champion Kurt Browning, before he showed off a quick-paced and amazing array of footwork steps on rollerblades down his street. “Well, we don’t usually; we just get on the ice and we kind of do our thing.”

One of the most memorable moments came when two-time Olympic medalist Elvis Stojko, in his 1994 Olympic skating outfit, stated, “No ice, no problem,” strapped on a helmet, jumped on a four-wheeler for a wild ride, and finished up by proclaiming, “Now that’s a quad!”

“Never in a million years did I think someone would put on their

De

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one thing I can do, I can share a small dose of inspiration with you.”

Exercise while staying at home was emphasized, with two-time Olympic pairs champion Ekaterina Gordeeva, four-time Czech national champion and three-time Olympian Michal Brezina (doing squats with his newborn in knit figure skate booties), World and Olympic champion Shizuka Arakawa, Olympian Alexei Bychenko, U.S. national champion and Olympian Bradie Tennell, and European bronze medalist and Olympian Mateo Rizzo all displaying off-ice agility.

“We all need to be very strong to leave this bad period (behind us),” said Rizzo, from his home in Italy.

“What I’m saying to all of you is to please be safe in your home and, in a few months, you’re going to see me, like all the other skaters, back on the ice (with a lot of) motivation and a lot of emotion.”

Amidst the lighthearted moments, the gravity of COVID-19 was emphasized and skating luminaries such as Sasha Cohen, Tara Lipinski, Dorothy Hamill, Emily Hughes, Tai Babaloni, Randy Gardner, Todd Eldredge, and Scott Hamilton urged people to stay at home and praised the efforts of the frontline workers and the efforts

of Americares.

“The main thing is that we fight for those who are fighting for their lives,” Hamilton said, “and those that are helping fight for those lives.”

The weight on the health care workers, and the gravity of such an event, was driven home by Gold’s mom, Denise Gold, who is an emergency room nurse and very much in the thick of the COVID-19 efforts.

“I don’t really feel brave; in fact, a lot of the time, I feel very afraid,” she said, clearly emotional. “Everything about COVID is uncertain. At times, the fear is overwhelming. I dread my shift, but this is a war and I have a duty. I show up, suit up, and I do my best.”

The event can be viewed on www.bladesforthebrave.org or on YouTube and donations can be made to Americares for their diligence in helping with health issues the world over.

“The cool thing about the partnering of Americares and Blades for the Brave is that now there’s a place for skaters to come together again if there is a need in the future,” Modlin-Maurizi said. “It’s really special and inspiring.”

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Olympic outfit and go quad riding,” Modlin-Maurizi said. “I mean, seriously? I could never have come up with that myself.”

Despite being off-ice, there were salutes to skating sprinkled throughout: U.S. Nationals pairs champions Alexa and Chris Knierim had multiple costume changes while they performed parts of their programs from 2012 to 2018, U.S. National dance champion and Olympian Naomi Lang matched stepfor-step her “Fly Me to the Moon” program from 2001, four-time U.S. national champion and Olympic medalist Jeremy Abbott taught his “Peanut Butter Jelly” choreography to the online masses, and U.S. National pairs champions Ashley Cain and Timothy Leduc, quarantining together to continue training, put together a beautiful program of lifts and choreography in the woods.

“This is our tribute to all of the frontline workers around the world,” Cain said. “Thank you so much for all you do. Our hearts are with you.”

Several skaters laced up rollerblades, including beautiful blacktop performances from Kwan and U.S. National junior champion Amber Glenn, as well as throwback on-ice clips from programs by two-time Olympic medalist Nancy Kerrigan, Olympic champion Viktor Petrenko, Puerto Rican national champion Rohene Ward, Japanese World Champion Miki Ando, four-time U.S. national dance medalists and Olympians Melissa Gregory and Denis Petukhov, Japanese World Champion and two-time Olympian Yuka Sato, and the Ice Theatre of New York.

“In times like this, people are feeling helpless,” Sato said. “If there’s

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Unexpected Opportunity: A Silver Lining for Coaches During the Age of Corona

BY CELINA TAYLOR

T

|

PHOTOS BY HILARY SPILLANE

he full reach of the COVID-19 crisis will be debated and decided for generations to come.

Choosing to build careers in the rink and on the ice, coaches now find themselves scrambling to innovate and restructure the only teaching model they have ever employed. With shifting timetables and guidelines that remain in flux, getting back to business as usual may not be possible without massive renovation.

In 2017, I was approached by a small group of skating parents from the Steamboat Springs Figure Skating Club. After 20+ years, their small town skating club was on the brink of closure; with only nine skaters left, the club was desperate to find an instructor, fearing the club would not survive another year without one. I had moved to Steamboat for other reasons, taking a job as the Resource Development Director for the Boys & Girls Clubs of NWCO. I had never formally coached figure skating despite my competitive background and professional career. From 1998-2017, I had devoted my life to my family, education and a

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burgeoning career in marketing and non-profit management. Life in a small ski town is expensive.

Trying to build a skating program in the best of areas is a challenge, but building one in a town with an abnormally high cost of living is a near impossibility. What led me to help is still up for debate.

After a month of brainstorming, I had devised a plan, a radically unorthodox plan for the world of figure skating. In order to save the program, I would need to do more than simply teach private lessons.

Two and a half hours per week is simply not enough time for nine skaters. Lacking the resources and staff to run the club in a typical fashion, I chose to restructure the club using tools typically employed by ballet companies and gymnastics centers.

Our first step was to create a training schedule that had kids taking more classes off ice than on ice. We taught ballet, pilates, acting, and youth development classes every week. Next, I divided the skaters into teams, so that I could ensure no child was left behind. I called the best coaches I knew personally and spent time studying their training methods.

I sent my skaters to work with them and brought their students to our rink any chance I could. I called my friends in the nonprofit world and started applying for grants that were available to organizations that provided positive youth development. I worked with my local Boys & Girls Club to provide low or no cost instruction for children in need, and I started a shared skating equipment library using a grant from my Rotary Club.

By the fall of 2017, we had a product.

Overnight, our membership doubled, and when it was time to begin registration for our Spring Show, we turned to the Hockey Club and invited their kids to participate. With routines designed just for hockey kids, we were able to add 21 skaters to our cast.

In March of 2018, we produced our first children’s musical on ice. Both shows sold out, and the Club made enough money to cover their ice bill for the coming season. Seeing the need for expansion, my husband flew to NYC to study ballet technique at the American Ballet Theatre while I worked to find a studio that could accommodate our off-ice needs. The following summer, we opened the Steamboat Arts Academy, a private

“Working with dedicated parents, we have moved the club’s operating budget from $25,000 in 2017 to just under $100k in 2019. This is thanks in part to our expanding list of community partnerships which provided over $30k in operating grants this year.” studio that would allow us to provide even more ballet training to our skating teams. By December of the same year, we were serving over 150 young skaters, dancers, actors, and singers. Necessity being the mother of invention, we never imagined that we would own a performing arts studio or that our training model would be on the forefront of a new movement in figure skating.

With over 60 club members and multiple performing arts partnerships, the Steamboat Skating Club and Piknik Theatre have successfully produced two full length musicals on ice, drawing crowds in excess of 500 people each night. Working with dedicated parents, we have moved the club’s operating budget from $25,000 in 2017 to just under $100k in 2019. This is thanks in part to our

expanding list of community partnerships which provided over $30k in operating grants this year. While that is truly an accomplishment, the biggest factor in our success was and is our programming model that employs a team teaching and youth development model. Every skater in our Club is trained in ballet and off ice technical alignment. I cannot stress enough how much our skaters need classical ballet. While all forms of dance are beneficial, the discipline and functionality required by classical ballet is the single most beneficial “add-on” for skaters, ranking above conditioning and pilates in my opinion. If we want to know why the Russian skating model is so effective, look no further than the ballet studio. Our skaters wear club issued uniforms on the ice and black leotards and buns in ballet class. As they say

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“Our program is not competitively prestigious by any stretch of the imagination, but it is a thriving organization with a healthy atmosphere anchored by a sense of community and inclusion.” at ABT, the studio (and the ice) are a great equalizer. Vanity is for the weak. Our skaters are responsible for one another, and no skater is allowed to leave a training session until the team has completed a “final lap,” the session’s last display of unity that concludes with a bow to show gratitude to their coaches and to each other. It is an act we require of all skaters, even those in our Learn to Skate program. As coaches and directors, we are responsible to provide a platform for growth and development, a place where young artists and athletes feel supported and challenged. Most of the children we work with won’t go on to competitive glory, but that isn’t the reason we do this job. At least it shouldn’t be. We have been given a chance to change the world by positively impacting the lives of young people. If the rinks are closed, then we must find a new way to train.

Recently, coaching friends from all over the country have been reaching out to us eager to learn how we teach everything from snowplow stops to moves in the field off ice. While it is possible to train off ice, it is important

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to note that my husband and I have invested a fair amount of time and resources studying with dancers and instructors from the American Ballet Theatre, Joffrey and the Bolshoi Ballet in NYC. We have sought guidance and instruction from skating legends, Broadway stars, national heads of nonprofits and marketing consultants. In order to grow, we first had to admit that we didn’t have all the answers, then we asked for advice and re-imagined what it means to be a skating coach. We have made a ton of mistakes and enjoyed a few small victories. Our program is not competitively prestigious by any stretch of the imagination, but it is a thriving organization with a healthy atmosphere anchored by a sense of community and inclusion.

The COVID-19 pandemic has the potential to end the careers of many, but it doesn’t have to end yours provided you have the grit and humility to partner with people and organizations you never would have considered just one month ago. Now more than ever, we must find the grace and confidence to support each other and the institu-

tions that govern our majestic sport.

Respecting SafeSport, we must find ways to connect with our students and their parents in meaningful ways, proving to them that they mean more to us than a paycheck. The time to rest on our accolades as athletes and notoriety as career coaches is over. Industries, including our own, have been fundamentally changed overnight; those who will weather this storm are the innovators, the creators and the collaborators. May we all find the courage and humility to renovate our reality and serve the children in our care.

Taylor grew up skating in Detroit, MI at the Detroit Skating Club. With a diverse background that includes Disney On Ice and a degree in Religious and Medieval Studies from UNC Chapel Hill, she recently served as the Marketing & Development Director for the Boys & Girls Clubs of NWCO until 2019. In 2018, Taylor was awarded CREATIVE LEADER of the YEAR by the Arts Council for her artistic pursuits both on and off the ice.​She and husband, Jeremiah Jackson, teach skaters, dancers, and artists in Denver and Steamboat respectively.

Skate to a brighter future.

Skate to great.

Figure skating teaches you the agility and focus to handle every twist and turn of life.

Get started today, visit LearnToSkateUSA.com

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New Rule Changes Coaches Should Know and Where to Find the Details T

his year, the Governing Council delegates considered more than 60 rule changes and three bylaw changes.

After years of significant revisions in test, competition and committee rules, no sections were overhauled this year, but there are still many rule changes of which coaches need to be aware.

• Also effective June 1, 2020, the twizzle requirements were changed for the junior and senior solo free dance tests. Candidates are now required to perform only one twizzle series, but the twizzles must have a different entry edge and different direction of rotation.

Here is a summary of rule changes that will have the greatest effect on coaches.

All of these changes go into effect July 1, 2020, unless otherwise noted.

• Effective with the 2020-21 season, pattern dance warm-ups will allow for a group maximum of six teams and will be reduced to three minutes.

Free dance warm-up times for novice and below will also be reduced to three minutes.

Singles • Novice ladies and men are now allowed to attempt quads in the wellbalanced free skate and free skate test. The singles jump bonuses have also been adjusted.

• The NQS will no longer include qualifying rounds, so every participant will perform a short program (except at juvenile) and free skate, and earn a competition score to be included in the standings.

Ice Dance • Effective June 1, 2020, the Dance Development and Technical Committee added the definition of a choreographic sliding movement to the solo free dance test rules so skaters can include this as an optional element in a test without penalty. The committee also added language that allows extra elements to be added without penalty in all solo free dance tests.

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• Starting with the 2021-22 qualifying season, all ice dance teams will be required to compete in a sectional ice dance challenge unless there are fewer than two entries in their event or fewer than 18 teams nationwide.

The top six teams will qualify from each sectional ice dance challenge to the U.S. Ice Dance Final.

Pairs • Effective June 1, 2020, the elements required in the intermediate pairs well-balanced free skate and pair test have changed. Also, for novice pairs, teams are now required to do a solo spin combination in the short program and a pair spin combination in the free skate.

• Effective Sept. 1, 2020, the prejuvenile pairs level will be removed from the U.S. Figure Skating test and competition structures.

Synchronized Skating • Preliminary, pre-juvenile and open juvenile events will now be judged using the IJS. • The pre-juvenile synchronized free skate length has been increased to 2:30 +/- 10 seconds.

• All levels will now follow the warm-up rules that allow for a warm up of at least one minute during the judging of the previous team prior to being called to start (rule 2911).

• The age requirements were changed for preliminary and open adult.

Adult Skating • The Adult Skating Committee added rules to restrict skaters who have competed in the U.S. Figure Skating Championships, an ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating event or an ISU Championship at novice, junior or senior from competing in adult gold or lower events in pairs and ice dance.

• The test requirements have been amended for the adult pre-gold partnered dance event and the adult pre-gold solo dance event to account for passing international pattern dance tests.

• Adult ice dance competitors may now perform an optional sliding element in the championship adult, adult gold, adult pre-gold and masters open (partnered) free dance, but it will not be identified or evaluated as an element.

Showcase • Going forward, the National Showcase competition will be judged using the IJS, as modified and delineated in the Showcase Guidelines.

Professional Skaters Association Announces Winners of the 2020 EDI Awards MAY 26, 2020 ROCHESTER, MN - The Professional Skaters Association

All Disciplines • Language specifically prohibiting retaliatory conduct has been added as rule GR 1.05.

• Effective starting this past January, compliance rules (rules GR 4.01, 7222, 8222 and 8322) have been updated to match the new requirements from the U.S. Center for SafeSport and the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee.

• For the 2020-21 season, the coaches late fee (rule GR 4.04) will be waived due to the impacts of the coronavirus.

• The Domestic Officials Recruitment and Management Committee has expanded who can test to become a technical specialist.

(PSA) announced the winners of the annual EDI Awards at the Professional Skaters Association headquarters in Rochester, MN on Thursday May 21, 2020.

The Education and Dedication International (EDI) Awards are named after the late World and Olympic coach, Edi Scholdan, who died in the 1961 world team plane crash. Scholdan was the first president of the PSA and inspiration for the awards, which recognize exceptional achievement in the sport of figure skating.

2020 Joint PSA and U.S. Figure Skating EDI Awards Coach Of The Year Award Todd Sand, Jenni Meno-Sand, Christine Fowler-Binder

Paul Mcgrath Choreographer Of The Year Award Marie-France Dubreuil

Developmental Coach Of The Year Laura Lipetsky

Pieter Kollen Sport Science Award Garrett Lucash

2020 PSA EDI Awards COMBINED REPORT OF ACTION These changes only represent a portion of what was approved by the Governing Council on May 16. To get the full details of all of these changes and others, please see the 2019-20 Combined Report of Action, available on the U.S. Figure Skating website.

The Combined Report of Action is the ONLY OFFICIAL report of U.S. Figure Skating bylaw and rule changes and contains all changes that were made by the U.S. Figure Skating Board of Directors and the Governing Council this past season.

As always, we caution coaches from using word-of-mouth, Facebook or other unofficial information found via the Internet to educate themselves on rule changes. Coaches should utilize the Combined Report of Action with their 2019-20 U.S. Figure Skating Rulebook until the 2020-21 U.S. Figure Skating Rulebook becomes available.

The 2020-21 rulebook will be available online at the end of June, before the rule changes go into effect July 1. Once finalized, the rulebook will be posted online at www.usfigureskating. org/about/rules. A link to order a printed copy will also be available on the U.S. Figure Skating website by mid-August.

F. Ritter Shumway Award Christy Krall

Betty Berens Award Gloria Masterson Leous

Joe Serafine National Volunteer Of The Year Award Cheryl Faust

Gustave Lussi Award Jason Brown

Sonja Henie Award Gracie Gold

Photo Of The Year Marisa Jarae

Fritz Dietl Award Stamford Twin Rinks, Stamford, CT

Shulman Award For Lifetime Achievement Barb Yackel

Distinguished Official Of The Year Award Roger Glenn

President’s Award Of Excellence Julie Morris-McKenny, SW Kathy Ortolani, NA Nicole Gaboury, SA Ron Kravette, NE Ann Eidson and Darlene Lewis, UGL

Mary Anne Williamson and Valerie Marcoux-Pavlas, EGL Arlene McSorley, NWP Erika Roberts, CP Barbara Brown, SWP

PS MAGAZINE

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OB I T UARY

RONALD LUDINGTON

DR. DONNA MILLS

Sept. 4, 1934 – May 14, 2020 Ronald Ludington, 1960 Olympic pairs bronze medalist, renowned figure skating coach, and World and U.S. Figure Skating Hall of Fame member, passed away on May 14, 2020. He was 85.

Affectionately called “Luddy,” Ludington arrived on the figure skating scene in 1954 when he swapped out his roller skates for blades in Lynn, Massachusetts. At age 20, he quickly rose up the ranks under the guidance of coach and mentor Maribel Vinson Owen.

“No question. She was the biggest influence in my skating career,” Ludington said in SKATING magazine.

Under Owen, Ludington competed in singles, pairs and ice dance. He teamed up with Nancy Rouillard in 1956 and they married in 1957 (the couple later divorced). The Ludingtons were U.S. pairs champions from 1957 to 1960. They secured the bronze medal at the 1959 World Championships and capped their successful career at the 1960 Olympic Winter Games in Squaw Valley, California, where they earned the bronze medal.

Ludington retired from competitive skating after the Olympics and began the transition to coaching when tragedy struck. At The Skating Club of New York, he worked with the ice dance team of Robert and Patricia Dineen, who qualified to compete at the 1961 World Championships. Unable to afford the trip to Prague, Czechoslovakia, Ludington asked fellow coach Danny Ryan to look after his team. On Feb. 15, 1961, the plane crashed in Brussels, Belgium, killing everyone onboard, including his pupils, skating friends and Owen. In the aftermath of the accident, the United States had to quickly rebuild both its skating and coaching ranks.

“That was the toughest thing for me to deal with,” he said. “I lost so many friends, but my career took off because of them.”

Ludington’s coaching legacy spanned more than 50 years, serving the majority of his career as the director of the University of Delaware’s Ice Skating Science Development Center, now called the High Performance Figure Skating Center at the University of Delaware.

He produced more than 60 U.S. champions and several World medalists. Most notably, Ludington coached the brother-sister pairs team of Caitlin “Kitty” and Peter Carruthers to an Olympic silver medal (1984), World bronze

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medal (1982) and four U.S. titles (1981–84).

Ludington was inducted into the U.S. Figure Skating Hall of Fame in 1993, World Figure Skating Hall of Fame in 1999, the Delaware Sports Museum and Hall of Fame in 2000, and the Professional Skaters Association Coaches Hall of Fame in 2002.

Ludington prided himself on making teaching fun for young skaters and was beloved by his pupils.

Ludington was also passionate about teaching and helping young coaches. He was noted as the first coach to “give away secrets” to other coaches, encouraging them to copy his methods.

His initiative created a new standard for the PSA. “My role was to take care of the younger generation,” he said. “Coaches should support young coaches, and that’s what I’ve done.”

He went on to serve on the PSA board and was the first to be named PSA-U.S. Figure Skating Coach of the Year in 1990. He received the Lifetime Achievement Award and was elected an honorary member of PSA in 1995. Ludington was master-rated in figures and freestyle, dance/free dance and pairs skating by the PSA. Ludington also made great strides for the sport through his work at the University of Delaware. His work focused on tying sports science to figure skating; he ultimately started the only figure skating coaching practicum (minor) in the U.S., through which college students studied the art of coaching. Ludington helped most of the students in the 18 graduation classes find jobs throughout the country. *reprinted with permission from U.S. Figure Skating

It is with so much sadness that we share the passing of Dr. Donna Mills of Medford, Oregon. Donna was a retired professor at Southern Oregon University in Ashland and head coach at The Rrrink in Medford. Donna died from cancer complications.

Born Donna Jeanne Brown on September 17, 1953 in Norfolk, Virginia, Donna was the second of three children to Dr. Milton Brown and Catherine Brown. Donna's childhood was spent traveling to naval bases where Dr. Brown was a Naval Captain, including a memorable two years in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. After leaving the navy, Dr. Brown moved his family to Buffalo, NY. Donna was a kind, giving soul, and touched everyone she coached. Donna loved to travel, and her favorite place on earth was Glacier National Park, Montana, where she would spend many days hiking back-country trails, especially to her beloved Iceberg Lake. In addition, she made many trips to Australia and Europe.

She will be missed by all who had the pleasure to know her. Memorial plans are underway.

In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation to the Southern Oregon University Foundation and the Dr. Donna B. Mills Scholarship to support international student athletes. To donate: · Visit https://giving.sou.edu/give/ (Select “other” in the designation box and then in the box below type: Dr. Donna B. Mills Scholarship) · Send a check to the SOU Foundation at: Plunkett Center 1250 Siskiyou Boulevard, Ashland, OR 97520 · Call the Foundation at: (541) 552-6127

CLAUDIA "CANDY" COBURN

Claudia Carol Coburn known as “Candy Coburn” to family and friends of Glendale, California and Aspen, Colorado passed away on May 10, 2020 from a heart attack in Las Vegas, Nevada where she was retired.

Candy was a successful child actress with leading roles in “The Children’s Hour” and “A Child Is Waiting”, and as an adult in “The Fugitive” original cast. As a skater, she was a U.S. Figure Skating Gold Dance Medalist, 7th Figures and Freestyle, Regional and Sectional competitor, and partner with Greg Jenkins. She represented the Los Angeles Figure Skating Club and the Broadmoor Skating Club.

After graduating from Herbert Hoover High School in Glendale Ca. and attending Glendale Community College she briefly joined Ice Capades for a season. Candy then toured for twelve years with Ice Follies, and Holiday on Ice National Company with tours in Taiwan and Mexico along with the United States and Canada. Candy was a union member of SAG-AFTRA and other performing associations. After touring, Candy became a professional floral designer exemplifying her artistic flair. She loved her dogs, cooking, crafting, sewing, and was still a fan of the sport of figure skating.

A private prayer service was held Saturday May 16 at the Davis Funeral Home in Las Vegas.

The family of Candy wish to extend our sincerest thank you to all of you who loved her and will keep her close to your hearts. There is a Memorial fund set up with the American Heart Association to honor Candy’s life. Please go to the American Heart Association website for contributions and information.

SANDRA "SANDY" LAMB

Sandra J. "Sandy" (Schwomeyer) Lamb, age 73, passed away peacefully on Tuesday morning, June 2, 2020 at her home in Morgantown.

She was born January 28, 1947 in Indianapolis and was a 1964 graduate of Shortridge High School and went on to earn a Bachelor's Degree in Education from Butler University in 1969.

Sandy enjoyed a 40-year career as a renowned Olympic and World Ice Skating Coach.

Sandy is credited for developing the Special Olympics Skating Program and leading local, national and international Special Olympics organizations. She became PSA's first female President and created educational programs and professional credentials for developing coaches.

In April of 2014, Sandy was inducted into the

Professional Skaters Association (PSA) Coaches Hall of Fame.

She was a member of the Morgantown United Methodist Church, Phi Beta Sorority, and the Junior League of Indianapolis. Sandy was a coach of the Synchronized Ice Skating Team at the University of Miami for several years. She enjoyed ice skating, knitting, bird watching and spoiling her grandchildren.

Sandy is survived by her husband of 52 years, Russell A. "Randy" Lamb, sister Judy (Blake) Norton; children, Shannon Lamb and Bradley Karri) Lamb; grandchildren, Kyleigh, Madsyn and Hudsyn Lamb.

A Celebration of Sandy's Life will be held at a later date. Memorial contributions may be sent in honor of Sandy to Special Olympics of Washington Township, PO Box 40734, Indianapolis IN 46240 or the Professional Skaters Association Foundation "In Memory of Sandy" 3006 Allegro Park Lane SW, Rochester, MN 55902.

PRESIDENTIAL MEMORIES

By Sandy Lamb | PSA President 1983-1988

When I arrived in Las Vegas for our 1983 Conference I had no idea that I would leave as the first woman president of any figure skating organization.

What an honor and a challenge I was to face during my presidency.

“Organization” was my first priority. I activated the committee structure so our members felt an important part of our growth and development. The Partner Tryouts at Nationals began to match couples for pair and dance competitions. The Free Fall Seminars were also an incentive for our members. My other big goal was to have out membership reach 1000 members in 1984, and “WE DID IT!” We had outgrown our Professional Program Management group in Buffalo. The PSGA was now a formidable organization with a need for our own office and a “skating knowledgeable” executive director. I believe the best thing that ever happened to the PSGA was the hiring of Carole Shulman! I am proud that I was president

when this happened.

With Carole’s knowledge and love of skating and tremendous foresight, the PSGA grew and accomplished so much we could hardly keep up. The membership was growing, PS magazine was created, the “Convention” was now known as the International Conference, the ratings system was growing, and the apprentice program began.

The patron membership was announced in 1986 at our Conference in Boston. I will never forget Ben Wright running to the front of the room waving his money to become the first patron member of the PSGA. When I look back at all that was done in the six years that I was president, I can’t believe it.

I hope that where we are today and where we are going is in part due to the tremendous leaps forward from 1983-1988. I am so proud to have been president of the PSGA. I believe we are the finest organization in the world.

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Professional Skaters Association Announces Figure Skating Coaches

Hall of Fame Class of 2020 June 2, 2020 - The Professional Skaters Association proudly welcomes Dr. Richard Porter, Vicki Korn, and Rafael Arutyunyan to the PSA Coaches Hall of Fame. Their inductions were formally announced during the Virtual Edi Awards Presentation on May 21, 2020.

The Figure Skating Coaches Hall of Fame is the highest award of recognition by the PSA and recognizes a lifetime of accomplishment in coaching. Through the success of their athletes and/or their profound contribution to the coaching profession these coaches have made a significant impact. The candidate must have produced the majority of their work in the United States. They must be a member of the Professional Skaters Association now or in the past and may be living or deceased.

Please join us in honoring Dr. Porter, Vicki Korn, and Rafael Arutyunyan to celebrate their many profound contributions to the sport.

Dr. Richard Porter, a longtime University of Michigan health department professor, loved skating. A lowerlevel judge, he skated himself during adult sessions and enjoyed sharing the sport with his daughters, their friends, University of Michigan colleagues, and those associated with the Ann Arbor FSC. Dr. Porter is considered to be the “father” of Synchronized Skating. It can be said that Dr. Porter created his field “by accident".

The concept of precision team skating came to Porter in the fall of 1956 when he observed a group of teen girls — members of the previous year's skating chorus at the Ann Arbor FSC — choreographing steps and moves on the ice. Within a few months, the team of two dozen girls helped to create programs to perform between periods at two University of Michigan hockey games, and thus, the Hockettes were born. Dr. Porter was also instrumental in setting up the rules for the first precision team competition and by 1976 there were 17 teams at the Ann Arbor competi-

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tion — which currently is known as the Dr. Richard Porter Synchronized Classic. Due to the vision, dedication, and early leadership of Dr. Richard Porter, thousands of skaters around the world are enjoying the discipline of synchronized skating.

Vicki Korn Few people can be described as an institution, but former Miami University head synchronized skating coach Vicki Korn has earned that moniker. Her landmark accomplishments at the National and World level in the synchronized skating discipline are many. Between 2000-2008, she coached teams to seven different international medals including the silver medal at the World Synchronized Championships in 2006 and 2007. Vicki’s mark on the skating community is not reserved for team honors alone — she was the 2007 PSA Coach of the Year and holds three PSA master ratings. Along with these accolades, Vicki has always been a supporter of PSA while presenting at many conferences and serving as a rating examiner. Vicki’s passion and enthusiasm has touched many.

DR. PORTER PHOTO: U.S. FIGURE SKATING MUSEUM AND HALL OF FAME

Dr. Richard Porter

Rafael Arutyunyan Rafael Arutyunyan is becoming legendary having coached some of the world’s best skaters over the last two decades.

Born in Tbilis, USSR, now Georgia, figure skating became his passion as a young boy, and he became a hometown champion multiple times. He became a full time coach at age 18 while studying Physical Culture and Sport. In 1984, he was invited to work at one of the leading sports clubs in Moscow coaching skaters to the World and Olympic level. Since 2001, Rafael has lived and worked in California where his coaching magic continues to thrive producing National, World and Olympic competitors

and champions such as Ashley Wagner, Jeffrey Buttle, Adam Rippon, Alexander Abt, Mao Asada, Michelle Kwan, Mariah Bell, and Nathan Chen. This year his athletes won top honors at U.S. Figure Skating Championships and Grand Prix events.

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BEST BUSINESS PRACTICES

Professional Relationships

BY H E I D I T H I B E RT MC , M FS, MM , C F A N D K E L L EY MO R R I S A DA I R M D F D, MM , R F F

I

n any workplace there are bound to be people that you work well with and those that you do not. When working in a field as personal as ice skating can be, interpersonal relationships in the rink can be quite intense. But creating a team environment is imperative for a successful program.

Coaching staffs are generally small in comparison to other businesses and tend to know each other quite well. The best staff/team members are those who are able to separate their personal and professional relationships, those who are able to be professional and polite when conflicts arise, and those who genuinely have the best interest of the skater/ rink/club/program in mind at all times.

Coaches should strive to separate their professional and personal differences. Some coaches who find themselves in the same work environment may have competed or trained together in the past. It is important that these coaches are able to work together without carrying old issues into their current workplace. Professional respect is the foundation of all coach-to-coach relationships. The strength of your coaching team is the model for all athletes to emulate.

When teaching, coaches often interact with each other and work with other coaches’ private lessons. In this respect, coaches must maintain professional courtesy at all times. It is never appropriate to criticize teaching styles or techniques when working with another coach’s skater.

If a coach has a concern regarding a particular teaching technique that they feel is unsafe or harmful, that coach should bring the concern to the other coach in a manner that is not threatening or judgmental.

When there is a conflict between coaches, the parties involved need to resolve the conflict quickly, without involving other staff members. Within a close-knit group of coaches, it is difficult to resist the urge to call a fellow coach and vent your frustrations. However, a better choice in the work environment is to confide in and seek input from a neutral party who is removed from the situation and who can be objective.

You might consider sitting down and discussing the situation with the skating school director or another member of management or club officer in a timely manner.

Waiting too long to bring a conflict to resolution can only breed more ill will and feelings of resentment between those involved.

The relationship between coaches and the skating school

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director can make or break a figure skating program. The skating school director must maintain an even greater distance between professional and personal relationships within the coaching staff. A skating school director must be discreet, objective and above all have the best interest of the program at the forefront at all times. It is a good idea for a skating school director to stay distant from personal relationships with the coaches who work under him/her.

While this separation can be difficult when friendships are involved, it is in the best interest of the program, which is ultimately the skating school director’s main priority.

Setting a consistent professional standard for the team of coaches will be the foundation of your program.

Professional Standards All professions have an ethical standard that they are held to abide by. All coaches are expected to engage in and support ethical practices. Coaches understand the importance of ethical behavior, abide by codes of conduct affiliated with their sport, and teach ethical behavior in their program.

To meet this responsibility coaches must: • Abide by the PSA, U.S. Figure Skating, and SafeSport Codes of Conduct.

• Model, teach, and reinforce ethical behavior with program participants.

Coaches should also develop an ethical decision-making process based on the following ethical standards: Equitable Treatment • Coaches treat all skaters with equal consideration within the context of the sport of figure skating regardless of gender, race, and place of origin, athletic potential, sexual orientation, gender identification, faith, or socioeconomic status.

• Coaches do not participate in and will responsibly report any unjust discrimination in the sport, and act to prevent or correct practices that are unjustly discriminatory.

Respect for Participants • Coaches treat all skaters in a manner that honors their dignity by providing feedback on the skating performance rather than the skater.

• Coaches treat all officials and fellow coaches in a manner that honors their areas of expertise, experience,

“Teamwork is the ability to work together toward a common vision, the ability to direct individual and insights by carefully considering their opinion.

• Coaches are discreet in all statements and conversations, both public and non-public, and avoid demeaning references to others in and outside of skating.

Rights of the Skater • Coaches recognize the skater’s right to change coaching arrangements or consult with other coaches or advisors.

• Coaches acknowledge and respect the skater’s right to know the rules of the sport and to be kept informed by his/her coach.

• Coaches set reasonable and respectful boundaries with regard to the personal lives of skaters outside the generally accepted jurisdiction of a coach.

Skater’s Ownership • Coaches encourage and facilitate skaters’ abilities to be responsible for their own behavior, performance, and decisions.

• Coaches allow skaters a role in discussion, contribution to, and agreement with training plans and performance standards.

Informed Participation • Coaches provide skaters (and parents) with all pertinent information to make the best decisions possible.

• Coaches will be honest and clear about the scope and content of coaching services are qualified to provide.

accomplishments toward organizational objectives. It is the fuel that allows common people to attain uncommon results.”

–Andrew Carnegie – Business Magnate and Philanthropist

Confidentiality • Coaches consult with and determine with skater and his/her parents what information is confidential and keep it so by exercising discretion in recordkeeping and communication of information and restricting access to any confidential records you might keep or have access to.

• Coaches disclose confidential information only when the skater presents a danger to self or others.

Training or Competitive Environment • Coaches encourage an atmosphere of mutual support, and mutual respect for all participants ; athletes, coaches, officials, and parents In the end we must all work together and build a community of trust, respect and an ethical and professional environment that parents and skaters believe in.

We’re all in this together.

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P ROF ESSIONAL S K ATE R S F O U NDATIO N

Officers, Board Members and Trustees PRESIDENT Patrick O'Neil VICE PRESIDENT Carol Murphy TREASURER Scott McCoy SECRETARY Gerry Lane BOARD MEMBER

Paul Wylie Carol Rossignol Tim Covington Kelley Morris Adair Jill Maier-Collins TRUSTEE

Richard Dwyer Robbie Kaine Wayne Seybold Moira North Curtis McGraw Webster

Skaters' Fund – Donation Levels: • Platinum • Diamond • Gold • Silver • Bronze

$10,000+ $5,000+ $1,000+ $500+ $100+

Recognition opportunities for donors available The Professional Skaters Foundation (PSF) was founded to expand the educational opportunities of PSA members through a 501(c)(3) non-profit, charitable foundation.

The PS Foundation recently joined the Smile Amazon Program. Amazon donates 0.5% of all eligible purchases to a charity that you designate on the Smile.amazon.com website.

AmazonSmile is a simple and automatic way for you to support the PS Foundation every time you shop, with no additional cost to you.

Simply go to smile.amazon. com from your web browser, choose the PS Foundation as your designated charity, and use your existing amazon. com account with all the same settings! We all shop on Amazon today; please consider choosing the PS Foundation as your designated charity and start shopping on smile. amazon.com! Please spread the word to family and friends!

N

Remembering back to the 2019 U.S. Open!

ormally, the July article is a recap of the U.S. Open and we have the opportunity to celebrate our Grand Champion, our Skaters’ Skater, our Creative Visionary and our Ground Breaker, in addition to all our competitors. While we will not be celebrating our competitors this year, the PS Foundation would like to take an opportunity to celebrate all coaches for the honor, the passion, and the integrity they bring to our profession. We celebrate the diversity of our membership and all individuals who participate in our sport.

Through scholarships, the PS Foundation memorializes and celebrates the lives of coaches who have devoted their career to collaborating with their colleagues and mentoring the next generation of the coaching community. To mention but a few of the influential colleagues we’ve recently Tam Bui lost, we remember Maribel Fairchild, Walter and Irene Muehlbronner, Tommy McGinnis, Gus Lussi, Ron Ludington, Kathy Casey, Vicki Korn and most recently, Sandy Lamb. The scholarships provided are meant to honor the life and legacy of those who have come before us and are awarded to coaches who wish to further their education and seek to become leaders in our profession.

In our last article, we were proud to announce that the PS Foundation awarded twenty-seven scholarships to coaches at all levels of teaching, the most scholarships ever awarded in the history of the PS Foundation. Taking an active role in your profession, in your continuing education, and in yourself is important to the athletes you work with on a daily basis. These athletes see us as role models and the life lessons we teach them should include pursuing their passion, investing in educaKyle Shropshire & Ryan Santee tion, and staying current on rules and strategies.

One thing I say to athletes all over the world is this: love the process and do not worry about the product. Love the day-to-day training, put the time in, and results will follow. As coaches, we know that athletes get out of this sport what they put in.

Our development as coaches is no different. Coaches who put the time into honing their teaching technique and methodology will find their athletes will soar. As coaches, we strive for perfection in ourselves and in our athletes, but perfection can never be the enemy of progress. The PS Foundation is here to support you in your professional journey.

The PS Foundation celebrates each of you reading this. You may have a coach or a colleague who has helped you along your professional journey. If so, please consider making a donation to the PS Foundation either in honor of or in memory of that someone in the sport who you would like to be celebrated. Coming together and supporting one another is what our coaching community is all about. Coaches are a hearty bunch and we are a community who cares deeply for one another. On behalf of the board of directors and trustees, the PS Foundation wishes each of you well on your journey and we celebrate each of you and what you bring to our profession.

A Community that Cares 36

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Stephanee Grosscup

Choreography

T

he calculations of programs under the IJS system take a skilled approach by coaches to maximize a skater’s points. Part of that factoring is the Program Component Score, which encompasses skating skills, transitions, performance, composition and interpretation.

In short, choreography still counts.

In a PSA TV clip, Stephanee Grosscup brings some enduring tips for on-ice movement, beginning with encouraging your skaters to move their arms “through space.”

“When I watch a lot of programs, I see a lot of (arms) where there’s just dead space,” Grosscup said. “The arms are nice, but they’re just hanging out and they’re not really doing anything.”

Grosscup was a part of the choreographic team for the 2002 Salt Lake City Olympics; toured with Disney on Ice, Ice Follies, Holiday on Ice and countless other professional shows and events; and has worked with Olympians and fan favorites.

“When we move our arms through space, you want to actively say to yourself that the space is thick, so that you can push space and that you have tension in everything you do with your arm movement,” said Grosscup, demonstrating by pushing her arms, palms facing out, away from her with deliberate motion, then mimics a pulling action, as if gathering a length of rope. “So, when creating a movement, you can push your space, or you can take it and you can pull space.”

Ideally, a skater’s feelings come from the heart and travel through the arms and the fingertips, emoting the entire way.

“You fill up space and you create shape with your arms,” she said, expressing through her arms with a variety of movements. “Make sure that…your arms are moving in a way that creates tension and feeling and movement.”

That purposeful movement extends the other direction in a skater’s body, as well.

“The other thing is you need to have is an incredibly stretched free leg,” Grosscup said. “You have a muscle right above your kneecap and if you take that muscle and squeeze it, that is going to create a flatness on the back of your free leg. As you are skating, you want to make sure your free leg is stretching and that your toe is pointing so

that you always have a beautiful line no matter what you’re doing.”

At any level, coaching skaters to improve the fluidity and artistry of their arms and strength and length of their free leg can exponentially raise scores, whether it be competition, testing, programs across all disciplines or moves in the field.

“Have an awareness of how your moving your arms through space, how you are utilizing your space and how your pointing your toe and stretching your free leg,” Grosscup said. “This will take your skating to an elevation and level that everybody, when they watch you, is going to go to a place where there is beauty in the world.”

PSA TV is an on-demand video library of educational content that includes tips from master rated coaches, webinars, and podcasts. We proudly offer a selection of free content, videos for purchase, or subscribe for only $4.99/month for access to the full catalog.

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JULY/AUGUST 2020

Welcom e coaches!

It's that time of year again.

Time to gain compliance!

Do you know coaches who are new to the profession?

Help them get a head start on their coaching career, and encourage them to join PSA! For an up-to-date listing of banned and suspended persons, see skatepsa.com

Coach ance Compli

CALENDAR of E V E N T S

JULY Dates: Event: Location: Credits:

July 15, 2020 PSA FREE Webinar – IJS Rule Updates for Singles Virtual – Zoom Platform 1 PSA credit

Dates: Event: Location: Credits: Deadline:

July 20- August 17, 2020 (Mondays & Wednesdays) PSA Endorsed Event – Ice Dance International Virtual – Zoom Platform 18 PSA credits July 19, 2020

Please visit www.skatepsa.com for the most current Calendar of Events

SEPTEMBER Dates: September 25-27, 2020 Event: PSA Ratings – Registered thru Master L L FU Location: Virtual Credits: 1 PSA credit per exam taken Deadline: July 24, 2020

Trade your boots for slippers.

Watch and learn at your own convenience!

PSA TV is an on-demand video library of past conferences and seminars presented by the Professional Skaters Association as well as tips from master rated coaches, webinars, and podcasts. www.skatepsa.com

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2020 Photo of the Year Finalist: Melanie Heaney