March/April 2012 PS Magazine

MARCH/APRIL

2012

www.skatepsa.com

Yebin Mok Photographed by

Michael Higgins

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COLUMNS 4 6 8 14 18 46

FEATURES

Over the Edge | Jimmie Santee President’s Message | Angie Riviello-Steffano Ratings | Kris Shakarjian

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Sport Science | Heidi Thibert Education | Carol Rossignol Legal Ease | David Shulman

9 12 42 45 48 50

Ratings Exams Passed

22 31 34

MARCH | APRIL

2012 ~ No 2 #ISSN-574770

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2012 Boston PSA Conference: The coaches are

2012 Honor Roll of Coaches

Candidates for PSA Board of Governors

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An Artistic Partnership:

Meghan & Douglas Taylor-Gebler | by Kent McDill

38

PSA Calendar of Events

Jimmie Santee | Editor Lee Green | Managing Editor Carol Rossignol | Contributing Editor Amanda Taylor | Art Director Ann Miksch | Editorial Assistant Elizabeth Peschges | Editorial Assistant

CONTINUING EDUCATION REQUIREMENTS

With photos from the U.S. Figure Skating Championships pg. 29

Great Tips New Members

Guide to Taking U.S. Figure Skating CERs

coming! The coaches are coming!

Excellence On Ice Meet Your Area Representative

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43

Great Performances Start Within | by Kevin Cottam

Summary of Motions:

2011 PSA Fall Board Meeting

COVER PHOTO Skater Yebin Mok - Holiday On Ice: SPEED Photographed by Michael Higgins

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Over the Edge

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

JIMMIE SANTEE

PSA BOARD OF GOVERNORS West Mid-West

Members at Large

ISI Rep to PSA U.S. Figure Skating Rep to PSA Executive Director Legal Counsel

I

t seems to be the time of the year when all I read on the internet regarding skating is how IJS has ruined the sport. In an article widely circulated on the web by Monica Friedlander of examiner.com, former Canadian skating star Toller Cranston was quoted as saying, “The way it’s judged now, the more you can do the more points you get, so everything is overproduced and generic.” Also quoted in the article, the beloved Janet Lynn, called the IJS “a totalitarian system of measurement that does not breed freedom on the ice or lift the human spirit.”

Although Toller and Janet have earned the right to speak out, I respectfully disagree. Had Toller or Janet really been involved in the sport during the challenging transition from 6.0 to IJS, the interview and comments may have sounded a little differently and have more merit. From my perspective, I would say that Alissa Czisney’s Dr. Zhivago program from the 2009 U.S. Championships in Spokane would challenge the most esteemed champions of the past. How about Jeremy Abbott’s Day in the Life short program or from last year, Ryan Bradley’s Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy? I don’t agree with the statement that IJS does not breed freedom on the ice or lift the human spirit. It just bothers me that critics who don’t like the system take it out on the thousands of skaters out there currently giving it their all.

So let’s say we listen to the critics of IJS and go back to 6.0…how does that make the sport better? The skaters will still be the same and would they not have the same skill set? Back in the 6.0 system, is the quad going to be any less relevant? Back in the 80’s, rules were continually changing to try and limit jumps. In fact, it has been a constant tug of war since the turn of the century…

I’m referring to the 1900’s. Then again, switching back to 6.0 will allow fans to boo the judges again directly. What I believe has always been is that there are skating enthusiasts who love the theatre and those who love the athletics.

Under the international judging system, judges award points for five additional components—skating skills, transitions, performance/execution, choreography/composition and interpretation, as well as the grade of execution of skills. Now guess what… didn’t the judges consider those same components as well as the technical ability of the skater to prepare their marks in the 6.0 system? Go to YouTube and watch Toller Cranston. Do you think he couldn’t compete in an IJS system? He would kill. Even with his lack of jumps at today’s standard, could Toller be competitive? YES! He may not get the points in the jumps but as Evan Lysachek showed at the Olympics, you can get your points other ways. What has changed?

The only real difference I see between the skaters of today and those of yesteryear is the quality of flow and edges (besides the obvious growth in the number of revolutions in the air). While there are some who have those unique qualities today, it’s not the norm. I don’t blame this on IJS, but on two additional points.

4

Doug Ladret Todd Sand Dorothi Cassini Patrick O’Neil Denise Williamson Rebecca Stump Alex Chang Paul Wylie Jackie Brenner Kris Shakarjian Glyn Jones Brittany Bottoms

PSA

Change is inevitable— growth is optional!

East

Angela Riviello-Steffano Scott Brown Christine Fowler-Binder Dorothi Cassini Carol Murphy Kelley Morris Adair

MARCH | APRIL 2012

COMMITTEE CHAIRMEN Awards Coaches Hall of Fame Education Seminars State Workshops Apprentice, Intern Area Representatives Hockey Accreditation PS Magazine Sport Science Ethics, Endorsement, Products Executive Executive Nominating Finance Fundraising ISU Coaches Commission Legal Nominating Professional Standards PSA Rep to ISI Ranking Review Ratings Special Olympics U.S. Figure Skating Coaches

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

Jimmie Santee David Shulman

Denise Williamson Kelley Morris Adair Christine Fowler-Binder Thomas Amon Dorothi Cassini Rebecca Stump Marylill Elbe Paul Paprocki Bob Mock Heidi Thibert David Shulman Angela Riviello-Steffano Kelley Morris Adair Carol Murphy Larry LaBorde David Kirby David Shulman Kelley Morris Adair Lynn Benson Gerry Lane Brandon Forsyth Kris Shakarjian TBA Alex Chang

Amy Hanson-Kuleszka Anne Marie Filosa Lee Cabell Stacie Kuglin Gloria Leous Mary Lin Kent Johnson Patrick O'Neil Jennifer Cashen Thomas Amon Dan Mancera Andrea Kunz-Williamson Tracey Seliga-O’Brien Leslie Deason Michele Miranda Phaler Karen Howland Jones Nancy Garcia

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, 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. 507.281.5122, Fax 507.281.5491, Email: office@skatepsa.com © 2004 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.

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“We learned how to work the ice with our edges, to feel the bite of skating “in” the ice.

How about lilt? When was the last time you heard someone use it in a lesson?”

The first, the elimination of figures - those of us who did figures, regardless if we were good at them or not, learned to “sit” on an edge. We learned how to work the ice with our edges, to feel the bite of skating “in” the ice. How about lilt? When was the last time you heard someone use it in a lesson? I’m not even sure today’s skaters, other than dancers, would understand the term. Today’s skaters have difficulty understanding those

concepts, but it’s not their fault.

The second, the volume of new skaters beginning in the 1990’s through the mid 2000’s overwhelmed our teachers and coaches. In a frenzy of hiring new coaches to keep up with demand, actual skating skills and a lack of experience was often overlooked.

Personally, I was thrust into group classes with absolutely no idea on how to teach basic skills. Teaching a double Axel, no problem; teaching a swizzle to a group of 4-year olds, not so easy. In 1996 when I became a skating director for the first time, the learn to skate school went from 650 skaters to over 1100 almost overnight! I had no idea were to find quality instructors. I was looking for anybody with a heartbeat who could stand up in skates…owning their own skates was a plus! Eventually, many of my older competitive skaters came to the rescue and they brought great energy to the classes. This was not a problem exclusively in my arena. It was happening all over the country and besides the teenagers, many adult skaters with

almost no experience or background were teaching. While most could demonstrate the skills, many of these new coaches lacked the knowledge and experience to break down the skills to provide a solid foundation of “skating skills” like turns and steps.

I guess what I’m trying to say is that it is what it is…I love skating…yesterday, today, and tomorrow. Don’t tell me that these kids today don’t have the heart or passion. Don’t belittle their accomplishments because you don’t like the system. The past is the past and tomorrow is the future. To stay the same or to go backwards…not an option… we have to move forward!

Take note...

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NOTICE

Sport Science and Medicine The Coach's Guide to Figure Skating Sport Science and Medicine has been revamped and updated to create an informational third edition. This educational guide is a must-have for any coach, as well as coaches preparing to take the Sport Science and Medicine rating exams.

Additionally, all Sport Science & Medicine exams will be updated to incorporate the changes made in the third edition of the Coach’s Guide.

PS MAGAZINE

5

President’s Message ANGIE RIVIELLO-STEFFANO

What is Professionalism?

T

he name of our organization is the “Professional Skaters Association”…while it seems easy to grasp what we are about, there are some important key behaviors we all need to review and constantly remind ourselves.

What is professionalism? Webster’s Dictionary defines it as “the conduct, aims, or qualities that characterize or mark a profession or a professional person.” The definition is vague and does very little in helping us understand which qualities and characteristics are most important, or how you can become a recognized professional.

There is much more to being a professional than simply acquiring the best training, ratings, or rankings.

Becoming a skating professional is only one part of earning the respect of students, parents and colleagues. A large part of achieving recognition as a professional has to do with the way that you present yourself to others. It is a mindset that becomes easier to apply as you progress further and becomes an inspiration for others to follow.

There are seven important keys to being a true professional: • Character • Attitude • Competency • Conduct • Appropriate dress • Punctuality • Organization A good strong character is key. Be honest, respectful and always ethical. Always make the smart choice; your character is something you never want called into question because it’s hard to undo a perception if it’s poor.

Having a positive attitude when you approach your work every day is also important. Remember you are working with young athletes. It’s our job to be a positive role model and help with the essential life skills for our skaters. If you have a poor attitude your skaters will see that and they will not be as productive as they would in a positive atmosphere.

Competency is a must. In order to continue to grow as a professional coach, you need to always be pushing yourself to continue to educate yourself. This will

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ensure the best for your skaters and you will be able to build on the lessons you already have.

Conduct- this is such a key word right now with some of the difficult situations that have faced so many different athletes in so many different sports. Your conduct on and off the ice should never be questioned. Each coach needs to be very careful as they move forward in this age of technology and censor their behavior online as well as through text messages. What might appear very innocent could be perceived as something not so good.

Your coaching attire says a lot about you when you’re working. If you took your child to a golf professional and paid $50+ an hour for a lesson and the professional showed up in pajama bottoms, a baseball hat, and continued to talk on his or her cell phone during the lesson, you wouldn’t be very happy. So why has it become acceptable in our profession for coaches not to dress appropriately, not put their skates on to teach a lesson (when they are able to do so), and be on their cell phone on the side of the boards through a lesson? I’m not sure when this started to spiral out of control, but I know that in the ice arena I manage there is a dress code that is enforced and we strive to make a great first and lasting impression to our clients…so we keep them coming back.

The old line is true...Time is money. Part of being a true professional is showing up on time. Create a great impression and always be on time; your clients will appreciate it.

Organize yourself! Being organized will make everything in life much easier. You will be a more productive, efficient, and respected coach that others will strive to be.

In conclusion, demonstrating professionalism shows you are ethical, honest, and you will gain respect from your students and colleagues. This in turn will create an environment in which you will continue to grow as a professional and continue to enjoy this wonderful sport.

Over d 5000 sol ! e worldwid

Created by David Lipetz, Off-Ice Specialist and Physical Therapist

Ratings KRIS SHAKARJIAN

Rated Professional

By Leah Carlson

A

bove is my PSA Rated pin I earned at the Indianapolis rating site at the end of October.

I wanted to share my experience in taking my first oral ratings exam. I felt I needed to share this story because it was a scary experience for me, and I’ve learned that even some coaches who have been around for years find these as intimidating as I did.

I had been talking about taking one of these for about two years. Two months ago, I finally pulled the trigger and signed myself up to take my registered free skating exam, which is the first exam in the FS category, and my first one ever. I got my study guide in my e-mail and immediately got to work; only to find out I wasn’t really sure how to study. Yes, you have guidelines that tell you all the information the questions will cover and some sample questions, however these are not necessarily the exact questions you will be asked and not the only ones either. I told myself, “Leah, you are a college grad, you can figure out how to study for this test.” I began to fill out the study guide, covering every piece of information I thought the exam may cover, like I would if I were studying for a final back in college. Once I finished this I still didn’t feel ready, considering I was going to have to say these answers out loud to a live panel of examiners. From there I called upon a close, personal friend and fellow coach and asked her to listen to how I would answer the questions on the guide to make sure I was making sense. She gave me a boost of confidence when she said I sounded well-prepared, and reassured me that I was smart and I knew the material. I was a skating coach in my heart and I just had to trust what my years in the sport had given me. She was right.

Fast-forward to Saturday, the day of my exam. Driving to the exam location in Indianapolis, a 3.5 hour drive, left me with nothing but my thoughts. What

“I was a skating coach in my heart and I just had

to trust what my years in

the sport had given me.”

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MARCH | APRIL 2012

if I’m not as prepared as I thought? What if I panic? What if, what if, what if? I was officially freaked out. I got to the exam location and had some time to kill so I read through my study materials again and made small talk with some other coaches that I knew to distract me from my nervousness.

Then my time came. I entered a conference room where the master-rated examiners introduced themselves.

All nice enough, I recognized a few from conferences I had been to in the past. They told me how things would go, gave me a glass of water and we got started. I breezed through the first few basic questions with relative ease and felt pretty good. Then we got into the more difficult stuff, with follow-up questions and it wasn’t going as smoothly as I had pictured in my head. The examiners could see my growing self-doubt and discomfort and reassured me I was “doing great,” yet I could not squelch the growing panic I was experiencing. It bubbled inside me with each question and came out as a few tears.

Great! In front of these people I admire and hope to be one day, what must they think of me with such a lack of confidence I was showing! Again they were so nice to me, and assured me my display of emotion only showed them my passion for the sport and how much I wanted it. They were right. I really did want it badly. I sucked it up, carried on, and finished my exam.

I left the room and after some deliberation by the panel they called me back in and congratulated me on a passed exam! I was a little surprised; I had thought my little breakdown had done me in. They sat me down to go over the exam and explained to me I had all the knowledge to pass this exam, I just needed to trust myself! They thought I did well and had good problemsolving skills. I felt validated and proud at what I had accomplished, and then immediately silly for being so emotional and nervous. The examiners were nice and clearly wanted me to succeed. They mentioned I would have really benefited from attending PACE prior to my exam. It would have shown me what to expect, and the

Recently Passed

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

Congratulations to the following coaches who successfully completed the requirements for a Rating Certificate:

E-Learning | BA Exams

Rochester, MN | December 15, 2011

Julia Barnes Yoon Min Choi Jenna Dzierzanowski Julia Golovina

Thomas Hickey Alyn Libman Allison Rosecan Karanyn Wurster

Tom Hickey RPD, CPD Rochester, MN | January 11, 2012 Janice Marchewka RG

Ratings Update and Reminders • New Sport Science and Medicine exams (registered, certified, senior and • The deadline for registering for an oral exam at conference is March master) online starting in February. The new manual is ready for purchase 19th, 2012. After the 19th you will be required to pay the late fee through the online store or by calling the office at 507-281-5122. depending upon space available.

• The Registered Free Skating oral exam will have a video analysis category starting at conference.

• Trial Examiner Training will be offered at conference for anyone interested in becoming a rating examiner.

• There will be new Group Instructor exams at all levels starting at conference.

• Oral Free Dance exams will now start with a Registered Free Dance exam.

• For the first time at conference, the Ratings Committee will conduct a Monitor Training session for exam monitors.

• This year there will be a separate examiner training session for Group Instructor examiners for the new Group Instructor exams.

• All examiners will be required to attend an Examiner Training session at conference. This is a yearly requirement to maintain thei status as an examiner.

crippling fear of the unknown probably wouldn’t have been there.

I wanted to go to one of these, unfortunately there wasn’t one offered close to me before my exam. However I will be doing one of these before my next ratings exam.

Though sharing my lack of mental toughness during this exam is a little embarrassing, I thought it was important to tell everyone you don’t need to be scared, but it is okay to be nervous. Though I was not totally surprised by this panic moment, I used to do this as a skater prior to test sessions, it made my coaches and myself crazy and clearly is something I am still learning to cope with. But this is why we put ourselves through these exams, to advance and learn about our craft and ourselves.

Morals of this story: 1. Just sign up and take the exam. They aren’t that bad! And you’ll feel great when you pass!

2. Go to PACE first. This is a tool I wish I could have utilized prior to my exam and will definitely be taking advantage of before my next one.

3. Relax! And trust your knowledge. Something I had a hard time doing, but you’re a coach for a reason. You love it and you know skating! I found I really did retain all that info I had learned as a skater and through teaching.

4. Use your resources: other coaches and the study guides.

Chances are there is a master-rated coach in your area that has done it a million times and can really help you out.

Overall I am proud of myself and I learned a lot. Though it was scary, I’m happy I did it and I will do another as soon as I am ready!

Visit www.skatepsa.com to see how you can take a ratings exam and find a testing location near you.

“They mentioned I would have really benefited from attending PACE prior to my exam. It would have shown me what to expect, and the crippling fear of the unknown probably wouldn’t have been there.”

PS MAGAZINE

9

Guide to Taking U.S. Figure Skating Continuing Education Requirements (CERs) To Set Up an E-Learning Account •

To set up your PSA E-Learning account you will go to our webpage at www.skatepsa.com.

•

On the left side click on the “E-Learning/CER tab.”

•

On this page notice the login area. Once you have created your account you will log in here. Click on “First Time Visitors” on the left.

•

This brings up the page where you will create your account. The PSA membership and E-Learning databases are separate but you may make your E-Learning login the same as your membership login.

Be sure to write down your username and password for future reference. Use the name your skaters will use to fill out test session and competition forms.

•

After filling out the information, click on ”Create Account.” You have created your account.

•

Click on “Go to Student Record.”

•

You are now in your E-Learning account. From now on you will use your username and password you created to log in to your account. Please do not create a second profile.

•

The three areas you will want to become familiar with are “My Profile”, “Register for Courses,” and “My Transcript.” You can access these areas by clicking on the title across the top or by clicking the tabs on the side.

•

•

“My Profile” is where you will go to make changes to your name, email, or change login information. When you have made the corrections, click on “Apply.”

•

10

•

Read the description of the courses under each division. Decide which course you would like to take and click Register to the right of the course.

•

When you are in the shopping cart page you can click on “Back to Catalog” to continue registering for more courses. When you are finished registering for courses, click on “Checkout.”

•

Fill out the information and click “Place Order.”

To Access Study Materials •

To access a CER course that you have registered for, click on “My Transcript.”

Click on the title of the category (Example: “Category B for 2010-11”) the course is in. Click on the course you want to access.

•

Click on “Step 1 Materials.” Click on “Open Course” to access the course content materials. On the left column you can click on the various chapters. You can right click or type the “Control” Key & “P” to print the material.

•

Click “Open” if you would like to view the related materials to enhance your studying.

To Take the Exam •

Once you are ready to take the exam, click on Step 2 Tests. To begin the exam click on “Open Exam.”

•

Be sure you have all of the necessary materials before beginning. The timer will begin when you click on the “Open Exam” button. Remember that the U.S. Figure Skating Rules courses are all open book. Be sure to have your U.S. Figure Skating Rulebook with you, or the online version open in another window.

•

You will have one hour to answer the 20 questions.

Please remember that to make changes to your membership account, log in to the membership database on our homepage at www.skatepsa.com and click on Login on the left side.

To Register for Courses •

computer will still see you as Category A and will not report you as compliant.

“Register for Courses” contains the PSA catalog of all E-Learning courses. To take CER courses, scroll down to the Category A heading, Category B heading, or Category C heading for the correct year.

Be sure to register for courses under the correct heading. This is especially important if you are Category B. The system will recognize you only in the category you register in. So if you register for Category A, but decide later to do only Category B, the MARCH | APRIL 2012

• At the completion of the exam, be sure to click “Submit.”

To Print a Certificate •

When you have completed the category, print your compliance certificate by clicking on “My Transcript”

•

Click on the category title, and then on “View Certificate.”

www.skatepsa.com www.usfigureskating.org

•

Click on your printer icon or type the Control Key & P to access your printer information.

•

The certificate is a pdf document. It can be printed by computers with Adobe Acrobat installed, a common program. Also, any pop up blocker must be disabled for your name to be printed on the certificate.

•

Be sure to take a copy of your certificate to all test sessions and competitions in case your name has somehow been left off the list of registered coaches.

Having copies of your certificate, liability insurance, and membership cards will enable you to still receive a credential. Without proof, you will not be able to stand at the boards and put your skater on the ice. It is common, especially if a skater has more than one coach, to have only one coach listed in the registration for a competition.

Ethics Guidelines For Taking The CER Courses This document has been created as a supplement to the PSA Code of Ethics. As it is a supplement, it is not intended to replace the code of ethics already in place, but rather provide guidelines for our professional behavior. This document may not cover all possible issues.

•

Listed below are guidelines regarding the ethical process to take CER exams. Continuing Education Requirements (CER) are mandated by U.S. Figure Skating and administered by the PSA. CERs are intended to foster continuing professional development of figure skating coaches. Their dual purpose is furthering the knowledge base of coaches as well as enhancing their professional training and performance at all levels.

• A study group with another coach or with other coaches is very worthwhile.

• When you actually take the test, do it by yourself.

• It is not ethical to have another person take the

test for you. Coaches should be taking the exams themselves.

may result in disciplinary action.

• If you do not pass the exam, simply educate yourself

in the area that you need more work on and take the exam again. This will benefit YOU and your clientele.

• As a professional, you owe it to your clientele to be

knowledgeable, stay up to date with the latest rules and achieve and maintain the highest standard of ethical behavior

CER courses and exams are for individul use only.

By signing on to take the CER exams, you certify you are the person signing on, and personally taking this exam. False statements made by anyone taking CER exams may result in disciplinary action, up to and including, expulsion from the PSA both for the person taking the exam and the person listed as the taker of the exam.

Note for 2012-2013 CER Program: Enroll and complete CER 2012-2013 Programs BEFORE June 30, 2012 for compliance from JULY 1, 2012-JUNE 30, 2013. Take only ONE course in each of the four topics: Professional Ethics, USFS Rules, Sport Safety/ Science, and IJS Rules. Coaches will receive 1 credit (Professional Ethics) towards the Continuing Education Requirement (CER CATEGORY A or B) for the successful completion of each course.

IMPORTANT NOTE: CER ET 201 - “2 GRO-W

Champions Part 1” & CER SS 206 are twin courses due to the amount of information in the course content.

CER ET 201 is bundled with CER SS 206. You must register for both courses and take both exams in order to receive proper CER credit. Completing both PART 1 and PART 2 of the course fulfills the Ethics and Sport Safety requirements. PSA has paid for your CER ET 201 fee, and U.S. Figure Skating has paid for your CER SS 206 fee.

• It is not ethical to take the test for another person.

• When signing on to take the exam, you will need to

certify that you are the person signing on and personally taking this exam.

• False statements made by anyone taking the exam PS MAGAZINE

11

DID YOU KNOW?

OBITUARY MAY, Dr. Hellmut Rolf Richard Johannes

Kiss and Cry According to Wikipedia, at the1983 World Figure Skating Championships in Helsinki, Jane Erkko, a Finnish figure skating official, coined the term “Kiss and Cry.” Listed officially in the International Skating Union regulations, Erkko came up with the name when visiting television technicians mapping the arena prior to the event wanted to know what the area was called.

photo by Vicki Luy

Dr. May, aged 90, passed away on November 11, 2011.

Dr. May was born June 9, 1921, in Vienna, Austria. He is survived by his wife, Andréa, his son, Gerry (Anne), and grandsons, Scott and Derek.

Hellmut competed in the Winter Olympics of 1936 and 1948, as well as the 1948 World Championships. He starred as the first principal skater of the Vienna Ice Show from 1946-1953, becoming famous for performing pair skating on stilts, and acting in the lead role of their feature film, “Fruehling auf dem Eis” (“Spring on Ice”) in 1951.

He left war-torn Vienna and secured a contract with the Kerrisdale Figure Skating Club in Vancouver, B.C., where he was the master coach from 1955 through 2009. He trained many national and international champions and World and Olympic competitors. In 1964 Dr. May founded the Professional Skaters Association of British Columbia, the first coaching group in Canada. He was the co-founder and negotiator when it merged in 1965 with a similar group in Toronto to form the Professional Skaters Association of Canada (PSAC, which later became the Figure Skating Coaches of Canada, FSCC). He was elected president in 1966 and1967.

Dr. May was the author of the figure portions of the NCCP Figure Skating Technical Manuals for Level 1 and Level 2, as well as a course conductor. He was one of a few head coaches assigned to teach at the CFSA/Skate Canada National Training Seminars from 1975-1993, and invited to conduct many coaching seminars across the U.S.A. In 1969 Hellmut founded the company Can Alpine Agencies, Ltd., the importer and distributor of skating equipment, especially of the WIFA figure skating boots for North America which he designed at the factory in Vienna. He was inducted into the Skate Canada Hall of Fame in 2010 for his lifetime contributions.

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ICE CENTRE AT THE PROMENADE Westminster, CO

SHATTUCK-ST. MARY’S SCHOOL AND FSC Faribault, MN

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THE STEEL ICE CENTER Bethlehem, PA

CRYSTAL ICE HOUSE Crystal Lake, IL

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US ICE SPORTS COMPLEX Fairview Heights, IL

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2011-2012 Membership Year 12

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AMES FSC Ames, IA

MARCH | APRIL 2012

WINTER CLUB OF INDIANAPOLIS Indianapolis, IN

FRANK AND EVAN LYSACEK FRANKCARROLL, CARROLL,OTHER OTHERWORLD WORLDTEAM TEAMCOACHES COACHES ANDOLYMPIC WORLD CHAMPION CHAMPION E VAN L YSACEK KNOW LEGAL CONCERNS. DO YOU? EGAL ISSUES ISSUES AND AND C ONCERNS. D O YOU ?

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Jonathan Geen Attorney at Law Partner, Borton Petrini, LLP Over 20 years of legal experience National Judge in Singles / Pairs Former Skater http://bortonpetrini.com/bio/geen_se.pdf Coaching Agreements Rink / Coach Agreements Dispute Resolution / Grievance Counseling

Agent Agreements Show / Entertainment Contracts General Business Law and Trademark / Copyright

The Forgotten Art of Skating Etiquette Available for purchase

• Visit the PSA Online Store

View online or download at www.skatepsa.com/PSA-TV.htm

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It seems that hardly a day goes by in any rink in America where skaters don’t complain about someone getting in their way during their program. Maybe it’s a kid working on an Axel in the Lutz corner or someone practicing moves in the field in the opposite direction. Worse is the coach who follows their skaters throughout the lesson, oblivious to anyone else on the ice. Regardless, if skaters and coaches can work together, we can begin to change the culture ... one skater, one coach, one parent, one club, and one rink at a time. We can do this by making it a focus to teach our skaters the history, traditions and etiquette of our sport. This presentation is a great tool to begin the process.

PRODUCED BY THE PROFESSIONAL SKATERS ASSOCIATION 2011 PSA

PS MAGAZINE

13

Sport Science HEIDI THIBERT

Kat Arbour, PhD, MPT, CSCS – Kat recently completed her PhD from the University of Delaware in the Biomechanics and Movement Science Program. She also holds two master degrees in both exercise physiology from University of Delaware, and physical therapy form Hahnemann/Drexel University. In 2006, Kat was awarded the PSA Sport Science Coach of the Year and the US Olympic Committee’s Sport Science Coach of the Year (Doc Councilman’s Award).

Part II

The Impact of Impact

By Kat Arbour, Ph.D. The impact focus group was made possible by a partial grant by the PSA to the U.S. Figure Skating Sport Science program.

EDITOR’S NOTE:

14

Background Nearly half of competitive figure skaters develop overuse injuries each year and the top three injuries in figure skaters are directly related to high impacts: stress fractures, jumper’s knee and Osgood-Schlatter disease 1-4. Jumps, which land with an estimated 6-8.5 times body weight, and the self-reported 50-100 multiple rotation jumps practiced daily are commonly blamed for the high injury rate in figure skaters 1, 5-7.

To put this in perspective, heel strike when running is between three to five times body-weight, so a single Axel lands with more impact force that the greatest force experienced in running 8-11. A skater’s momentum is moving downward as the blade strikes the ice during a landing, and for just a moment, the landing forces are much greater than the body weight of the person. (To a much lesser degree, you experience this same phenomenon of feeling very heavy in an elevator as it first starts going up.) In addition, since the ice, blade and boot are each very stiff and cannot absorb impact forces, the forces get transferred to the foot and into the body.

It seems logical to assume that if skaters could learn to land jumps more softly or practice fewer jumps per day, then they would sustain fewer injuries. Though this may be true, it is not realistic. For skaters to become proficient and consistent at difficult double and triple jumps, they need to practice many jump repetitions on a regular basis.

We are not going to move the sport forward by simply telling skaters to land softly or recommend that skaters jump fewer times per day in order to prevent injuries. A recommendation is needed on how to effectively reduce the impact associated with skating jumps. Then skaters could practice the number of jump repetitions needed to become proficient at new jumps with a reduced risk of overuse injury associate with high impacts.

At the University of Delaware Human Performance Lab, our long-term objective is to establish a relationship between jump impact and the onset of injuries in skaters, however; first we need to identify the specific factors of the jump or the skater that have an effect on jump impact at takeoff and landing. The goal of our research conducted between 2009-2011 was to pinpoint

MARCH | APRIL 2012

the reasons why landing impact is so high. We wanted to know if the jump height, the type of jump or the number of rotations affects how hard the skater lands. We also wanted to know if gender or proficiency of the skater matters, and if the position of the foot, knee or hip during landing makes a difference. To answer these questions, we looked at the impact event at landing immediately after the blade strikes the ice for the 18 different skating jumps (six types of jumps performed with single, double and triple rotations). In addition, the takeoff impact event was analyzed for nine different jumps that takeoff and landing on the same foot (loop, flip and Lutz with single, double and triple rotations).

What is Tibial Shock?

An impact event is the moment when two objects collide, such as when a skater plants the blade into the ice on either a jump takeoff or landing. The intensity of just how jarring or shocking the collision is to the body can be measured in figure skaters by attaching a device to the front shin of the landing leg that measures acceleration or “tibial shock.” “Tibial shock” is defined as how quickly the shin slows down and stops moving when the blade strikes the ice; the more time the shin has to slow down during landing, the lower the acceleration or tibial shock, measured in gravitational units “g”.

When a skater or a metal sphere is falling through the air, it is accelerating towards the earth at 1 “g”, which means that for each second an object is falling towards ground, it is picking up speed at a rate of 32 feet per second. It is generally accepted that a successful double Axel needs about half a second in the air, which means the skater is in free fall in the downward direction for half of this time, or one-quarter of a second. The impact event occurs when the blade finally strikes the ice. At this moment, the skater will be traveling downward at eight feet per second. The size of the impact depends on how hard or soft the materials are between the ground and the foot, and how much the leg joints, especially the ankle, are able to bend during landing. If the materials have more “give” and are more shock-absorbent (running in cushioned sneakers on grass), the impact will be lower

because it will take longer for the foot to stop moving. On the other hand, the impact will be higher if the materials between the foot and the ground are stiff and inflexible such as landing jumps on ice while wearing a skate with a rigid sole, steel blade, and stiff leather or composite boot that encases the foot and ankle.

At the impact event, the foot abruptly halts to a stop due to limited ankle bending and a lack of shockabsorbing materials in the skate and transfers the shock of the impact up into the body (knee, hip, low back). Tibial shock measures the abruptness of the impact event that is transferred to the lower leg when the blade strikes the ice during takeoff and landing.

Research We wanted to know if the jump height, the type of jump or the number of rotations affects how hard the skater lands.

Does gender or proficiency of the skater matter? Does the position of the foot, knee or hip during landing make a difference?

We conducted three studies to answer these questions and more. The aim of the first study was to determine which characteristics of the skaters and the specific jumps were most strongly related to tibial shock. This study will be discussed in this article. Subsequent articles will discuss the differences between the landing phase of successful jumps versus missed jumps, and the effect of a fatiguing mock-freestyle program on tibial shock.

Methods For the current study, we wanted to know what specific factors affect the takeoff and landing shock experienced by the skater. To test this, 25 skaters were recruited who were able to successfully complete at least one triple rotation jump. Skaters each performed their personal repertoire of 18 possible jumps (six jump types performed as single, double and triple rotation types) while an accelerometer measured tibial shock on the landing leg. In addition, 3D video was recorded by 10 high-speed cameras (250 frames per second) mounted into the ceiling of the rink. The skater’s vertical jump strength was assessed off-ice in the biomechanics lab.

Results For the 25 skaters (10 male, 15 female), the total number of jumps evaluated was 170 takeoffs and 339 landings.

Gender Male skaters had significantly greater body mass, greater strength and jump height than the female skaters. Despite these differences, male and female skaters both had similar tibial shock values during takeoff. During landing, however, male skaters had significantly greater tibial shock compared to female skaters. The 3D video revealed that male and female skaters have similar ankle, knee and hip positions during landing.

Takeoff vs. Landing The average tibial shock at takeoff for flip and Lutz was about half of the tibial shock at landing. It was expected that the tibial shock at takeoff would be less than landing because the heel does not strike down during takeoff, and the highest landing forces and tibial shock values typically coincide with heel-strike.

Jump Type and Rotation Type When we analyzed all of the successful jumps, our results show that single, double and triple rotation jumps all land with similar tibial shock. This was an unexpected find, and suggests that single jumps “count” just as much as doubles and triples when considering the total number of jumps practiced daily. It is surprising that when comparing the landing tibial shock between skating and running as the heel strikes the ground, skaters land jumps with nearly ten times greater tibial shock than what has been measured in runners! We were also able to confirm that the same skater tends to jump the same height on single, double and triple rotation jumps. Coaches, this suggests that it is imminently important to teach your skaters to jump high on singles!

If jump-type and rotation-type do not affect tibial shock at landing, then what does? We found that skaters who were able to bend their ankle more between toe strike and heel strike at landing had lower tibial shock at landing. One more time: to significantly decrease the landing shock, the skater needs to be able to bend the ankle farther during the landing. These findings have important implications for both strength training and equipment. Specific landing exercise drills and changes to the skate are most likely needed to significantly reduce the landing impact event.

Proficiency The criteria to participate in the study were that skaters could land a double axel and at least one triple jump.

Some skaters were just starting to land double Axel and one triple; where as other skaters could land all six triples effortlessly. Given the range of skills, we were able to divide the skaters into two groups based on proficiency.

The tibial shock and jump height of certain double jumps were compared between skaters who could or could not complete these particular triple jumps. We found that regardless of proficiency, skaters land double jumps with similar tibial shock. This was a surprising finding since it seems like more proficient skaters land “lighter.”

Further analysis of the data between the two groups revealed that skaters who could land the more difficult triple jumps tended to jump about six inches higher on doubles. Taking this into account, the more proficient skaters were able to takeoff and land with similar tibial shock as the less proficient skaters despite having significantly greater jump height, body mass and strength.

Therefore, the more proficient skaters are better equipped to absorb the shock of landing from a greater height.

PS MAGAZINE

15

Conclusion In summary, all successful jumps (all jump types and rotation types) land with similar tibial shock, and for a given skater, the jump height is the same between single, doubles and triples.

Skaters with greater proficiency had significantly greater jump height in their double jumps than less proficient skaters, yet the tibial shock at landing between the two groups was not significantly different. Skaters who can bend the ankle more during landing have significantly lower tibial shock at landing.

The tibial shock at heelstrike when landing a jump on the ice is about tenfold greater than when running in sneakers. This dramatic difference between running and skating is largely related to the biomechanical limitations of the foot in the skate, suggest that a differently engineered skate is a needed to reduce the impact and shock of the landing. In addition, ankle strength training specific to shock absorption would further benefit the skater.

Contact Kat: 267-476-2000, kat@icedynamics.net, www.icedynamics.net 1. Pecina, M., I. Bojanic, and S. Dubravcic, Stress fractures in figure skaters. Am J Sports Med, 1990. 18(3): p. 277-9.

2. Dubravcic-Simunjak, S., et al., The incidence of injuries in elite junior figure skaters. Am J Sports Med, 2003. 31(4): p. 511-7.

3. Fortin, J.D. and D. Roberts, Competitive figure skating injuries. Pain Physician, 2003. 6(3): p. 313-8.

4. Porter, E.B., et al., Sport-specific injuries and medical problems of figure skaters. WMJ, 2007. 106(6): p. 330-4.

5. Bruening, D.A. and J.G. Richards, The effects of articulated figure skates on jump landing forces. Journal of Applied Biomechanics, 2006.

22(4): p. 285-295.

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MARCH | APRIL 2012

6. Lockwood, K.L. and P.J. Gervais, Impact forces upon landing single, double, and triple revolution jumps in figure skaters, 1997, University of Alberta.

7. Smith, A.D., The young skater. Clin Sports Med, 2000. 19(4): p. 741-55.

8. Milner, C.E., J. Hamill, and I. Davis, Are knee mechanics during early stance related to tibial stress fracture in runners? Clin Biomech (Bristol, Avon), 2007. 22(6): p. 697-703.

9. Voloshin, A.S., et al., Dynamic loading on the human musculoskeletal system -- effect of fatigue. Clin Biomech (Bristol, Avon), 1998. 13(7): p. 515-520.

10. Hreljac, A., Impact and overuse injuries in runners. Med Sci Sports Exerc, 2004. 36(5): p. 845-9.

11. Zifchock, R.A., I. Davis, and J. Hamill, Kinetic asymmetry in female runners with and without retrospective tibial stress fractures. Journal of Biomechanics, 2006. 39(15): p. 2792-2797.

Landing impact forces will be the topic of several presentations at the 2012 PSA International Conference & Trade Show in Boston May 24-26, 2012 where Mahlon Bradley M.D., Kat Arbour, Ph.D, Jim Richards, Ph.D, and Christy Krall will comprehensively address this focus. Registration for the 2012 PSA Conference & Trade Show is open now at www.skatepsa.com.

Host a WORKSHOP Think it would be great to attend a workshop in your area?

Why not host one yourself ?!

Here’s what you need to know…

Running a State Workshop is a great way to not only educate the coaches in your area, but also to attain PSA educational credits without needing to travel or lose lesson time.

WHO CAN HOST A STATE WORKSHOP? • Any PSA member is eligible to host a State Workshop. It is not necessary to be a rated professional or a skating director. You may also choose a co-host to assist you in your preparations.

WHAT DO YOU NEED TO DO? • Invite speakers/presenters who would be willing to donate their time, talent and expertise.

• PSA can approve up to $100 for expenses for speakers per workshop (travel, lodging, etc.).

• Send your workshop application and agenda to PSA 90 days prior to proposed date.

• PSA office will send you everything needed once your application is received.

• PSA will create your flyer for you once you have decided what your topics will be and you are closer to your workshop date.

BENEFITS • You can tailor your workshop according to the needs of your area and the expertise you have available in close proximity.

• Economical way to attain your PSA credits without as much travel/hotel.

• May run 3-6 hours in duration.

• Attending coaches can receive 4-6 educational credits.

• Can choose specific topics that would be most meaningful to your area coaches (Group, Free Skate, Moves, Equipment, Ethics, Ratings, Synchro, Technical Specialist, Nutritionist, etc.).

• PSA will also provide email addresses of PSA members in your area.

• No ice time is required or needed (not covered for reimbursement from PSA).

• If you feel ice time would be beneficial, contact your rink manager or local club to see if they would be willing to donate ice time toward coaches’ continuing education.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION • Can be held in any month excluding May, September, and October. It may be beneficial to coordinate with a competition date when coaches will already be in the area.

• You can advertise on club websites, with flyers at the rink, and send emails to other skating directors in your area to invite their coaching staff.

CONTACT Barb Yackel at the PSA office (507) 281-5122 or Dorothi Cassini (513) 668-1063 for help or additional information.

Education CAROL ROSSIGNOL

Managing Your Anxieties in Figure Skating

By Stanley Popovich

A

t times, our worries and anxieties In every anxiety-related situation you “When encountering can overwhelm us. In addition, our experience, begin to learn what works, worries can distort our perception of thoughts that make what doesn’t work, and what you need to what is reality and what is not. As a improve on in managing your fears and you fearful or anxious, anxieties. For instance, you have a lot of result, this may interfere with your sport of figure skating. Here is a brief list of anxiety before your event and you decide challenge those techniques that a figure skater can use to to take a walk to help you feel better. help gain a better perspective on things The next time you feel anxious you can thoughts by asking during their anxious moments. remind yourself that you got through it Sometimes we get stressed out when the last time by taking a walk. This will yourself questions everything happens all at once. When give you the confidence to manage your this happens, a person should take a anxiety the next time around. that will maintain deep breath and try to find something to Take advantage of the help that is availobjectivity and do for a few minutes to get their mind able around you. If possible, talk to a off of the problem. A person could read professional or your coach who can help common sense.” the newspaper, listen to some music, or you manage your fears and anxieties. do an activity that will give them a fresh They will be able to provide you with perspective on things. This is a great technique to use right additional advice and insights on how to deal with your before your next competition or test. current problem. By talking to a professional, a person Remember that our fearful thoughts are exagger- will be helping themselves in the long run because they ated and can make the problem worse. A good way to will become better able to deal with their problems in the manage your worry is to challenge your negative thinking future. Remember that it never hurts to ask for help. with positive statements and realistic thinking. When It is not easy to deal with all of our fears and worries. encountering thoughts that make you fearful or anxious, When your fears and anxieties have the best of you, try challenge those thoughts by asking yourself questions that to calm down and then get the facts of the situation. The will maintain objectivity and common sense. key is to take it slow. All you can do is to do your best Remember that all the worrying in the world will not each day, hope for the best, and when something does change anything. Most of what we worry about never happen, take it in stride. Take it one step at a time and comes true. Instead of worrying about something that things will work out. probably won’t happen, concentrate on what you are able Stan Popovich is the author of “A Layman’s Guide to to do.

Another technique that is very helpful is to have a Managing Fear Using Psychology, Christianity and Non small notebook of positive statements that you can carry Resistant Methods” – an easy-to-read book that presents a around with you. Whenever you come across an affirma- general overview of techniques that are effective in managing tion that makes you feel good, write it down in a small persistent fears and anxieties. For additional information go notebook that you can carry around with you. Whenever to: http://www.managingfear.com you feel stressed before your event, open up your small notebook and read those statements. This will help to manage your negative thinking.

18

MARCH | APRIL 2012

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2012 PSA International Conference AND Trade Show

BOSTON A letter from Victoria...

Hello! My name is Victoria Greco. I am a young, beginning PSA coach.

enough to be granted the Muehlbronner Award last year. This allowed

Advan Regis ce tra deadl tion ine is April 15 , 2012

I was fortunate

me to attend the 2011

Dallas Conference, which was my first conference experience.

As a conference newbie, I was very intimidated. Even though I have heard a lot about conferences (since I just happen to live with a very knowledgeable coach and board member, Kris Shakarjian), I still didn’t know what to expect when I arrived. My conference experience

was phenomenal. I had such a good time learning and fellowshipping around the country; I realized that there is nothing to be intimidated

with other coaches from

by!

Yes, learning is key at conference, but the benefits of surrounding yoursel f with good company are outstanding. I was introduced to some world famous people, such as Scott

Hamilton, Paul Wiley, Frank Carroll, Kathy Casey, Scott Moir and Tessa Virtue,

could never have imagined happening before! Simply by being in the

which I

company of amazing skaters and incredible coaches made me feel like I was a part of someth ing special. We all have such a special common bond that ties us all together like family. That is what conference felt

like to me: my huge extended family. I made awesome friends and excellen t connections.

The keynote speakers and other coaches were very friendly and easy to approach. I really

felt accepted by everyone involved. People like Scott Brown, Kelley Morris-

Adair, and

Brandon Forsyth were so helpful in showing me the ropes and guidin

g me through my first

conference that I felt like I belonged. And when I had a question it was

the kindest respect. I never felt as if I had a stupid question or I was too

always answered in

the coaching world.

young to be a part of

Most people I know expect conference to mostly be for accomplished coaches

case. I suggest to all that can, to try to attend conferences at the beginn

. This is not the

ing of their career because it is an incredibly smart move. By attending with an open mind, it will help develop and grow a young coach’s skill level and knowledge. This will also develop

good habits early, such as getting into PSA ratings and other functio Everyone—not just coaches who already know what they are doing—

ns.

should be striving to learn as much as they can and seize every learning oppor-

tunity that comes along to become a better coach.

I found conference to be a truly amazing experience and I highly suggest everyone attend this year in Boston!

Location Attend Conference and attain enough educational credits to keep your rating active for the next

3 years!

THE BOSTON PARK PLAZA HOTEL t. 800.225.2008 www.bostonparkplaza.com THE SKATING CLUB OF BOSTON

Silent Aucti May 24, 201 2

on

Don’t miss out!

t. 617.782.5900 www.scboston.org

Newly Confirmed Conference Speakers Dorothi Cassini

Angie Riviello-Steffano

Christine Fowler-Binder

Jimmie Santee

Kelley Morris- Adair

Sandy Lamb

Dr. Jim Richards

Brenda Glidewell

Kat Arbour

Michael Maisionis

Janet Tremer

Carey Tinkelenberg

Marcia Williamson

Nancy Mariani

(Dance)

(MIF)

(Dance, MIF)

(Landing Impact)

(Landing Impact)

(Basic Skills)

(Group Instruction)

(Group Instruction)

(Group Instruction)

(Group Instruction)

(U.S. Figure Skating)

(Basic Skills)

The 2012 Silent Auction, benefiting the PSA Education Foundation, will be better than ever! Be sure to place your bid on Thursday, May 24, on these fabulous donations:

(Basic Skills)

(Group Instruction)

• New England Aquarium tickets (4) • Patriots scarf • Matrix blades from Jackson Ultima • Eclipse Pinnacle blades from Riedell

Trade Show Vendors

Other silent auction donations include:

Be sure to check out the Trade Show Friday evening May 25 and all day Saturday, May 26. Confirmed Vendors include:

• Riedell • Skates US, Inc • Jackson Ultima • Dri-Ice • Harmony Sports • Brenda Morton Design • Harlick

BRENDA MORTON Design

DRI-ICE

• PIC Skate from Harmony Sports • JFK Library/Museum passes • Boston Duck Tour tickets • Super Tours Trolley tickets • Ice Light Productions – skate boot covers

SKATES US, INC PS MAGAZINE

21

HONOR ROLL

3 of 4

COACHES 2012 U.S. Figure Skating Championships Senior Ladies Ashley Wagner Alissa Czisny Agnes Zawadzki Caroline Zhang

1 2 3 4

John Nicks, Phillip Mills Jason Dungjen, Yuka Sato Christy Krall, David Santee Peter Oppegard

Senior Men Jeremy Abbott Adam Rippon Ross Miner Armin Mahbanoozadeh

1 2 3 4

Jason Dungjen, Yuka Sato Jason Dungjen, Yuka Sato Peter Johansson, Mark Mitchell Christy Krall

Senior Pairs Caydee Denney/John Coughlin

1

Mary Beth Marley/Rockne Brubaker Amanda Evora/Mark Ladwig Gretchen Donlan/Andrew Speroff

2 3 4

Dalilah Sappenfield, Larry Ibarra, Kathy Johnson, Patti Gottwein, Becky Bradley John Nicks, Jenni Meno, Todd Sand Jim Peterson, Lyndon Johnston Bobby Martin, Carrie Wall

Senior Ice Dancing Meryl Davis/Charlie White Maia Shibutani/Alex Shibutani Madison Hubbell/Zachary Donohue

1 2 3

Lynn Kriengkrairut/Logan Giulietti-Schmitt

4

Igor Shpilband, Marina Zoueva Igor Shpilband, Marina Zoueva Angelika Krylova, Pasquale Camerlengo, Elizabeth Swallow, Natalia Deller, Massimo Scali Yasa Nechaeva, Yuri Chesnichenko

Junior Ladies Gracie Gold Ashley Cain Hannah Miller Barbie Long

1 2 3 4

Alex Ouriashev, Toni Hickey, Oleg Epstein Peter Cain, Darlene Cain Kirsten Miller-Zisholz Susan Liss

Junior Men Nathan Chen Timothy Dolensky Philip Warren Harrison Choate

1 2 3 4

Genia Chernyshova, Rafael Arutyunyan Debbie Prachar, Brittney Bottoms Tammy Gambill, John Nicks Peter Johansson, Mark Mitchell

Junior Pairs Haven Denny/Brandon Frazier

1

Britney Simpson/Matthew Blackmer

2

Kylie Duarte/Colin Grafton Jessica Noelle Calalang/Zack Sidhu

3 4

Dalilah Sappenfield, Larry Ibarra, Ryan Jahnke, Janet Champion Dalilah Sappenfield, Larry Ibarra, Eddie Shipstad, Janet Champion Dalilah Sappenfield, Larry Ibarra, Debi Leeming Todd Sand, Jenni Meno, Christine Fowler-Binder

Junior Ice Dancing Alexandra Aldridge/Daniel Eaton

1

Lauri Bonacorsi/Travis Mager

2

Angelika Krylova,Elizabeth Swallow, Natalia Deller, Massimo Scali Natalya Linichuk, Gennadiy Karponosov

Lorraine McNamara/Quinn Carpenter Rachel Parsons/Rachel Parsons

3 4

Alexei Kiliakov, Elena Novak, Dmytri Ilin Dmytri Ilin, Alexei Kiliakov, Elena Novak

Novice Ladies Karen Chen Amanda Gelb Amber Glenn Madison Vinci

1 2 3 4

Sherri Krahne-Thomas, Gilley Nicholson Alex Chang, Ilia Kulik, Jere Michael Ann Brumbaugh Rashid Kadyrkaev

Novice Men Vincent Zhou James Schetelich Spencer Howe Kevin Shum

1 2 3 4

Tammy Gambill Debbie Davis Wendy Olson, Frank Carroll, Danelle Cole Lynn Smith

Novice Pairs Chelsea Liu/Devin Perini Caitlin Fields/Jason Pacini Alexandria Shaughnessy/James Morgan

1 2 3

Christina Zaitsev/Ernie Utah Stevens

4

Todd Sand, Jenni Meno Doug Ladret, Heidi Thibert Bobby Martin, Carrie Wall, Peter Johansson, Mark Mitchell Serguei Zaitsev, Elena Zaitsev

Novice Ice Dancing Holly Moore/Daniel Klaber

1

Whitney Miller/Kyle MacMillan Hannah Rosinski/Jacob Jaffe Chloe Rose Lewis/Logan Bye

2 3 4

Jackie Miles, Angelika Krylova, Pasquale Camerlengo, Massimo Scali, Elizabeth Swallow, Natalia Deller, Chip Rossbach Dmytri Ilin, Alexei Kiliakov, Elena Novak Jackie Miles, Chip Rossbach Judy Blumberg, Patti Gottwein, Ikaika Young

Intermediate Ladies Ashley Shin Elizabeth Nguyen Tyler Pierce Dalia Rivkin

1 2 3 4

Olga Ganicheva, Aleksey Letov Tammy Gambill Erica Bateman, Tammy Gambill Julia Lautowa

Intermediate Men Tomoki Hiwatashi Sean Conlon Paolo Borromeo Harrison Wong

1 2 3 4

Alexandre Fadeev, Cydele Fadeeva Kristine Bingham, Helen Hyun-Bowlin Andriy Baka, Viktoriya Glichencko Matthew Smith, Geoffry Varner

Intermediate Pairs Madeleine Gallagher/Jonathon Horton

1

Craig Joeright

U. S. Junior Figure Skating National Championships

Sophia Dai/Jeffrey Fishman Caroline Yu/Brian Johnson Juliana May/Cody Dolkiewicz

2 3 4

Johnny Johns, Adrienne Lenda Steve Hartsell, Maria Lako-Pinkowski Isabella Brasseur/Rocky Marval

Intermediate Ice Dancing Gigi Becker/Luca Becker Julia Biechler/Alexander Petrov Sammi Wren/Alexey Shchepetov Kimberly Berkovich/Micah Jaffe

1 2 3 4

Dmytri Ilin, Alexei Kiliakov, Elena Novak Andrew Newberry, Maria Pocheykina Oleg Fediukov, Slava Uchitel Jackie Miles

Juvenile Girls Caitlin Nguyen Tessa Hong Ashlee Raymond Aurora Abraham

1 2 3 4

Tammy Gambill Peter Oppegard Olga Ganicheva, Aleksey Letov Julie Eavzan, Sheryl Tautiva

Juvenile Boys Andrew Torgashev Kellen Johnson Jun-Hong Chen Eric Sjoberg

1 2 3 4

Ilona Melnichecnko, Artem Torgashev Tom Zakrajsek Damon Allen, Ryan Jahnke Tiffany Scott

Juvenile Ice Dancing Eliana Gropman/Ian Somerville Gwen Sletten/Elliott Vergurg McKenzie Schurman/Chandler Schaak Madison Fox/Val Katsman

1 2 3 4

Dmytri Ilin, Alexei Kiliakov, Elena Novak Dmytri Ilin, Alexei Kiliakov, Elena Novak Suzanne Schurman Patti Gottwein-Britton, Stefano Stangalini

Juvenile Pairs Gabriella Marvaldi/Kyle Hogeboom Alicia Bertsch/Austen Hale Joanna Hubbert/William Hubbert Darbie Burke/Griffin Schwab

1 2 3 4

Isabelle Brasseur/Rocky Marval Alena Lunin/Veronica Pershina Alex Vlassov, Laura Amelina-Vlassov Cathryn Schwab/Anna Zadorozhniuk

Pacific Coast Sectional Figure Skating Championships Senior Ladies Leah Keiser Caroline Zhang Angela Wang Sophia Adams

1 2 3 4

Frank Carroll, Christa Fassi Peter Oppegard , Karen Kwan-Oppegard Janet Champion, Christine Krall Alex Chang, Jere Michael

Senior Men Douglas Razzano Jonathan Cassar Keegan Messing Scott Dyer

1 2 3 4

Doug Ladret, Lara Ladret Frank Carroll Ralph Burghart Ken Congemi

Senior Ice Dancing Emily Samuelson/Todd Gilles Anastasia Olson/Jordan Cowan Charlotte Lichtman/Dean Copely Brittany Schmucker/Adam Munday

1 2 3 4

Yaroslava Nechaeva Pasquale Camerlengo, Natalia Deller Igor Shpilband Elena Novak, Alexei Kiliakov

Junior Ladies Katerina Kulgeyko Gwendolyn Prescott Polina Edmunds Camille Davis

1 2 3 4

Peter Oppegard Lynn Smith Nina Edmunds, David Glynn Lisa Kriley

Junior Men Nathan Chen Philip Warren David Wang Jay Yostanto

1 2 3 4

Evgenia Chernyshova Tammy Gambill, John Nicks Tom Zakrajsek, Becky Calvin Derrick Delmore, Karen Kwan-Oppegard

Junior Pairs Jessica Pfund/AJ Reiss Anna Pearce/Craig Norris

1 2

Peter Oppegard , Karen Kwan-Oppegard Jenni Meno, Todd Sand, Christine Fowler-Binder

Junior Ice Dancing Elliana Pogrebinsky/Ross Gudis Madeline Heritage/Nathaniel Fast Roxette Howe/Mark Jahnke Cassandra Jeandell/Damian Dodge

1 2 3 4

Elena Novak, Alexei Kiliakov Jonathon O’Dougherty, Pamela O’Dougherty Barrettt Brown, Yaroslava Nechaeva, Yuri Chesnichenko Yovanny Durango

Novice Ladies Karen Chen Dyllan McIntee Amanda Gelb Selena Zhao

1 2 3 4

Gilley Nicholson, Sherri Krahne-Thomas Bridget Kaus Alex Chang, Jere Michael Darren Hosier, Corrie Martin

Novice Men Vincent Zhou Kevin Shum Spencer Howe Wilbur Ji

1 2 3 4

Tammy Gambill, Erica Bateman Lynn Smith Wendy Olson Jeff Crandell

Novice Pairs Chelsea Liu/Devin Perini Elise Middleton/Robert Hennings

1 2

Hannah Klopstock/Chadwick Phillips Nancy Xu/Robert Przepioski

3 4

Jenni Meno, Todd Sand, Christine Fowler-Binder Peter Oppegard, Themi Leftheris, Naomi Nam, Karen Kwan-Oppegard Jenni Meno, Todd Sand, Carrie Phillips Tracy Prussack

Novice Ice Dancing Chloe Lewis/Logan Bye Stacey Siddon/Jared Weiss Hannah Pfeifer/Grant Lorello

1 2 3

Lauren Leonesio/Dustin Perini

4

Judy Blumberg, Patty Gottwein-Britton, Ikaika Young Yaroslava Nechaeva, Yuri Chesnichenko Karen Ludington, Christie Moxley-Hutson, Aleksandr Kirsanov Christine Fowler-Binder, Russ Witherby

Intermediate Pairs Juliette Erickson/Connor Fleming Alexandria Schmainda/Matthew Scoralle Ananya Nandy/Aditya Nandy

1 2 3

David Delago, Tracy Prussack Bianca Butler Scott Prussack

Intermediate Ice Dancing Sarah Feng/Anthony Ponomarenko Vivian Luo/Darrell Cheung Cheryl Douglass/Kevin Leahy Emily Dai/Michael Valdez

1 2 3 4

Marina Klimova, Serguei Ponomarenko Peter Kongkasem Oksana Grishuk Peter Kongkasem, Azumi Williams

Juvenile Pairs Jasmine Fendi/Joshua Fendi Hayley Todd, Matthew Rounis Stephanie Wagner/Andrew Civiello Julie Bautista/Hayden Matheus

1 2 3 4

Peter Oppegard, Naomi Nam, Karen Kwan-Oppegard Daniel Curzon, Kelsey Syme Doug Ladret, Lara Ladret, Kelsey Syme Susan Berens

Juvenile Ice Dancing Cassidy Klopstock/Logan Leonesio Elizabeth Addas/Jonathan Schultz Samantha Ramsey/Alain Sandraz Gianna Buckley/Caleb Niva

1 2 3 4

Christine Fowler-Binder Arleen Barton, Robert Taylor Crystal Beckerdite, Peter Sasmore Sharon Jones-Baker, Steven Baker

Senior Ladies Nina Jiang McKinzie Daniels Kiri Baga Morgan Bell

1 2 3 4

Shanyn Vallon Tom Zakrajsek, Tom Dickson Lorie Charbonneau, Kelly Benzinger-Grelle Cindy Sullivan, Scott Brown, Billy Schneider

Senior Men Max Aaron Grant Hochstein Alexander Johnson William Brewster

1 2 3 4

Tom Zakrajsek, Becky Calvin Lindsay O’Donoghue, Maria Moscato, Jodie Tasich Tom Dickson Jason Dungjen, Yuka Sato Dungjen, Massimo Scali

Midwest Sectional Figure Skating Championships

Senior Ice Dancing Madison Hubbell/Zachary Donohue Shannon Wingle/Timothy McKernan Carina Glastris/Kevin Allison

1 2 3

Massimo Scali, Pasquale Camerlengo Igor Shpilband, Marina Zoueva Kevin Spada, Vladimer Fedorov, Maryna Gromova

Junior Ladies Gracie Gold

1

Barbie Long Mariah Bell Hannah Miller

2 3 4

Alex Ouriashev, Toni Hickey, Oleg Epstein, Scott Brown, Pasquale Camerlengo Susan Liss Cindy Sullivan, Billy Schneider, Scott Brown Kirsten Miller-Zisholz, Tanith Belbin, Daniil Baranstev

Junior Men Timothy Koleto Troy Tomasello Lukas Kaugers Ryan Hartley

1 2 3 4

Tom Zakrajsek, Becky Calvin, Tom Dickson Glyn Watts Damon Allen Heidi Hartley, Richard Hartley

Junior Pairs Madeline Aaron/Max Settlage Olivia Oltmanns/Joshua Santillan Brianna de la Mora/Taylor Wilson

1 2 3

Dalilah Sappenfield, Laureano Ibarra, John Coughlin Trudy Oltmanns Val Prudsky, Elena Prudsky

Junior Ice Dancing Amanda Bertsch/Sam Kaplun Kailtlin Hawayek/Michael Bramante

1 2

Jessica Mancini/Tyler Brooks Jenna Dzierzanowski/Vinny Dispenza

3 4

Yaroslava Nechaeva/Yuri Chesnichenko Elizabeth Punsalan-Swallow, Massimo Scali, Pasquale Camerlengo, Anjelika Krylova Tiffany Hyden-Dombeck, Jill Haubert, Tom Dickson Alan Towers

Novice Ladies Avery Kurtz

1

Amber Glenn Bradie Tennell Madison DeLuca

2 3 4

Edwin Shipstad, Erik Schulz, Becky Bradley, Christy Krall, Damon Allen Ann Brumbaugh, Margaret Bowden-Butler Denise Myers, Scott Brown Lisa Kirby, Theresa McKendry

Novice Men Brian Krentz Chase Belmontes Nicholas Vrdoljak Kyle Shropshire

1 2 3 4

Cindy Caprel, Kristin Mita, Phillip Mills Tom Zakrajsek, Becky Calvin Cindy Caprel, Kristin Mita, Phillip Mills Carol Ueck, Zane Shropshire, Renee Brainerd

Novice Pairs Caitlin Fields/Jason Pacini Danielle Viola/Alexander Johnson Christina Zaitsev/Ernie Utah Stevens Allison Smith/Anthony Evans

1 2 3 4

Heidi Thibert, Doug Ladret Dalilah Sappenfield, Laureano Ibarra Serguei Zaitsev, Elena Zaitsev Peter Cain, Darlene Cain, David Kirby

Novice Ice Dancing Holly Moore/Daniel Klaber

1

Hannah Rosinski/Jacob Jaffe Madison George/Brad Klelfman Sierra Chadwick/Alexander Martin

2 3 4

Intermediate Pairs Caroline Yu/Brian Johnson

Jackie Miles, Chip Rossbach, Anjelika Krylova, Pasquale Camerlengo Jackie Miles, Chip Rossbach, Brandon Forsyth Elizabeth Punsalan-Swallow, Massimo Scali Elizabeth Punsalan-Swallow, Massimo Scali, Seth Chafetz, Igor Shpilband, Marina Zoueva

1

Elizabeth Egbers/Jacob Simon Sophia Dai/Jeffrey Fishman Ally Weber/Dmitry Artemov

2 3 4

Intermediate Ice Dancing Caroline Patton/Quinn Chambers Kimberly Berkovich/Micah Jaffe

1 2

Jordyn Levinsky-Carter/Jonathan Thompson Rebekah Postic/Wolfgang Ebersole

3 4

Juvenile Pairs Aya Takai/Jason Cohn Madison Fox/Val Katsman Sophia Elder/Christopher Elder

1 2 3

Maria Lako-Pinkowski, Steve Hartsell, Zuzanna Parchem Jeremy Allen, Kristin Mita, Phillip Mills Johnny Johns, Adrienne Lenda, Marina Zoueva Natalia Mishkutionok Tiffany Hyden-Dombeck, Jill Haubert Jackie Miles, Chip Rossbach, Molly German, Brandon Forsyth Tiffany Hyden-Dombeck, Jill Haubert Brandon Forsyth Debbie Dodge-Howe, Sima Baker, Nick Traxler Stefano Stangalini, Patti Gottwein-Britton, Trina Pratt Sarah Neal, Donald Adair, Kelley Morris-Adair

Chloe Wagner/Andrew Murvar

4

Seth Chafetz, Dorothi Cassini, Camille Arioli

Juvenile Ice Dancing Cate Hawkins/Eric Hartley Hilary Asher/Jarred Meyer Devlin Pascoe/Samuel Parks Eri Lee/Ryan Bedard

1 2 3 4

Heidi Hartley, Richard Hartley Natalia Mishkutionok Andrey Mokhov, Oksana Yakusheva Oleg Podvalny

Senior Ladies Yasmin Siraj Samantha Cesario Joelle Forte Haley Dunne

1 2 3 4

Peter Johansson, Mark Mitchell Peter Burrows, Mary-Lynn Gelderman Dmitri Gromov Jeff DiGregorio, Pam Gregory

Senior Men Stephen Carriere Wesley Campbell Alexander Aiken Alexander Zahradnicek

1 2 3 4

Suna Murray Julie Eavzan Paul Wylie Priscilla Hill

Senior Pairs Gretchen Donlan/Andrew Speroff Felicia Zhang/Nathan Bartholomay Kloe Chanel Bautista/Tyler Harris Alexa Scimeca/Ivan Dimitrov

1 2 3 4

Bobby Martin, Carrie Wall, Sheryl Franks Jim Peterson, Lyndon Johnston Bobby Martin, Carrie Wall Vadim Naumov, Evgenia Shishkova

Senior Ice Dancing Isabella Cannuscio/Ian Lorello

1

Anastasia Cannuscio/Colin McManus

2

Ginna Hoptman/Pavel Filchenkov Meredith Zuber/Kyle Herring

3 4

Junior Ladies Nicole Rajic Allison Timlen Jessica Hu Jenelle Herman

Karen Ludington, Christie Moxley-Hutson, Aleksandr Kirsanov Karen Ludington, Christie Moxley-Hutson, Aleksandr Kirsanov Gennadiy Karponosov, Natalya Linichuk Karen Ludington, Christie Moxley-Hutson, Aleksandr Kirsanov

1 2 3 4

Steven Rice Denise Cahill, Bobbe Shire Shirley Hughes, Paul Wylie Konstantin Kostin, Suna Murray

Junior Men Harrison Choate Timothy Dolensky Emmanuel Savary Andrew Nagode

1 2 3 4

Peter Johansson, Mark Mitchell Debbie Prachar Frank Carrol, Joel Savary Pam Gregory, Jeff DiGregorio

Junior Pairs Christine Mozer/Daniel O’Shea Kylie Duarte/Colin Grafton Audrey Goldberg/Joseph Dolkiewicz Cali Fujimoto/Nicholas Barsi-Rhyne

1 2 3 4

Jim Peterson, Lyndon Johnston Dalilah Sappenfield, Laureano Ibarra Rocky Marval, Isabelle Brasseur Tracy Prussack, Rudy Galindo

Junior Ice Dancing Lauri Bonacorsi/Travis Mager Rachel Parsons/Michael Parsons Lorraine McNamara/Quinn Carpenter Danielle Gamelin/Alexander Gamelin

1 2 3 4

Novice Ladies Madison Vinci Brianna Laxson Olivia Serafini Morgan Sewall

Gennadiy Karponosov, Natalya Linichuk Dmytri Ilin, Alexei Kiliakov, Elena Novak Dmytri Ilin, Alexei Kiliakov, Elena Novak Karen Ludington, Christie Moxley-Hutson, Aleksandr Kirsanov

1 2 3 4

Rashid Kadyrkaev Maxim Katchanov, Andrey Kryukov Steven Rice Carol Pichette

Novice Men Tony Lu Jimmy Ma James Schetelich

1 2 3

Priscilla Hill Elaine Zayak Debbie Milne-Davis

Eastern Sectional Figure Skating Championships

Oleksiy Melnyk

4

Novice Pairs Alexandria Shaughnessy/James Morgan Victoria LoRusso/Timothy Habeeb Lianna Thomas/Gene Fu Alexis Donahoe/James Rappold

1 2 3 4

Bobby Martin, Carrie Wall, Sheryl Franks Chad Brennan, Suna Murray Jason Briggs Lee Harris

Novice Ice Dancing Whitney Miller/Kyle MacMillan Rebecca Lucas/Yan Kazansky Meara Lorello/William Dean

1 2 3

Karen Tong/David Cruikshank

4

Dmytri Ilin, Alexei Kiliakov, Elena Novak Genrikh Sretenski Karen Ludington, Christie Moxley-Hutson, Aleksandr Kirsanov Inese Bucevica

Intermediate Pairs Juliana May/Cody Dolkiewicz Grace Knoop/Noah Chinault

1 2

Intermediate Ice Dancing Julia Biechler/Alexander Petrov Gigi Becker/Luca Becker Sammi Wren/Alexey Shchepetov Emily Wein/Bradley Lawrence

Serguei Kouznetsov, Nataliya Tymoshenko

Juvenile Girls Amanda Verheydt Kayleigh Elliott Natasha Strbiak Isabeau Hills

1 2 3 4

Amanda Kovar Randy Clark Christina McPherson Amanda Kovar

Senior Ladies Angela Wong

1

Rocky Marval, Isabelle Brasseur Jim Peterson, Lyndon Johnston, Alison Smith

Victoria Tugolukova Bella Martinez Kristina Struthwolf

2 3 4

Christy Krall, Janet Champion, Eddie Shipstad, Damon Allen Evgeniya Chernyshova Jayne Throckmorton, Chris Kinser Kris Sherard, Tiffany Kennard

1 2 3 4

Oleg Petrov, Maria Pocheykina Dmytri Ilin, Alexei Kiliakov, Elena Novak Oleg Fediukov, Slava Uchitel Dmytri Ilin, Alexei Kiliakov, Elena Novak

Junior Ladies Gwendolyn Prescott Polina Edmunds Camille Davis Kayla Degroot

1 2 3 4

Lynn Smith, Justin Dillon, Angela Nikodinov David Glynn, Nina Edmunds Lisa Kriley Rudy Galindo, Andrea Massarelli

Juvenile Pairs Darbie Burke/Griffin Schwab Joanna Hubbart/William Hubbart Krystal Edwards/Balazs Nagy Gabriella Marvaldi/Kyle Hogeboom

1 2 3 4

Cathryn Schwab, Anna Zadorozhniuk Alex Vlassov Oleg Efimov, Natalia Efimova Rocky Marval, Isabelle Brasseur

Novice Ladies Karen Chen Amy Lin Jordan King Elena Pulkinen

1 2 3 4

Sherri Krahne-Thomas, Gilley Nicolson Tammy Gambill, Erica Bateman Lisa Kriley Karen Gesell, Diane Miller

Juvenile Ice Dancing Eliana Gropman/Ian Somerville Gwen Sletten/Elliot Verburg McKenzie Schurman/Chandler Schaak Caroline Green/Gordon Green

1 2 3 4

Dmytri Ilin, Alexei Kiliakov, Elena Novak Dmytri Ilin, Alexei Kiliakov, Elena Novak Suzanne Schurman Dmytri Ilin, Alexei Kiliakov, Elena Novak

Novice Men Vincent Zhou Kevin Shum Wilbur Ji Evan Bender

1 2 3 4

Tammy Gambill, Erica Bateman Lynn Smith, Justin Dillon, Cohen Duncan Jeff Crandell, Charyl Brusch Garnet Fiordalisi, Derrick Delmore

Intermediate Ladies Sarah Feng Daniela Dryden Jessica Reili Santiago Julianna Decontreaus

1 2 3 4

Sherri Krahne-Thomas, Gilley Nicholson Lisa Kriley David Glynn, Justin Dillon, Josh Figurido Phillip DeGuglielmo, Diana Miro

Intermediate Men Christopher Yamamoto Colby Judd Mitchell Freiss

1 2 3

David Glynn, Kevin Peeks, Justin Dillon Lisa Kriley Amanda Kovar, Karel Kovar

Juvenile Girls Abbygalle Prusinski Anna Grace Davidson Alice Yang Elizabeth Park

1 2 3 4

Juvenile Boys Kendrick Weston Andrew (Weipeng) Xie Ryan Waner Julian Chow

Mikhail Panin Lisa Kriley Kim Micheff, Charyl Brusch, Charlie Tickner Choeleen Loudagin, Paul Spruell, Beatta Handra, David Glynn

1 2 3 4

Lisa Kriley Sherri Krahne-Thomas, Gilley Nicholson Choeleen Loundagin, Paul Spruell Jeff Crandell, Charyl Brusch

1 2 3 4

Frank Carroll Alex Chang Cindy Bortz-Gould –

Northwest Pacific Regional Figure Skating Championships Senior Ladies Amanda Hoffman Shayna Moellenberg Amy Nunn Olivia Olsen

1 2 3 4

Darin Hosier Lisa Marie Allen Darin Hosier –

Junior Ladies Alison Jeffers Samantha Stevens Willa Zhao Coral Flaherty

1 2 3 4

Diane Rawlinson Nani Tanaka Darin Hosier Lisa Henry

Novice Ladies Selena Zhao Charmaine Au Tianna Lee Ariel Yu

1 2 3 4

Darin Hosier Erica Bateman Darin Hosier Christina McPherson

Intermediate Ladies Brittney Shiue Leah Rasmussen Nicole Dietrick Nina Myrtvedt

1 2 3 4

Sofia Inthalaksa Lisa Kriley Randy Clark Heidi Sullivan

Intermediate Men Ikaika Miyata Matthew Graham Alec Schmitt Turner Malatos

1 2 3 4

Stephen Baker Karel Kovar Brenda Peterson Xavier Videau

Central Pacific Regional Figure Skating Championships

Southwest Pacific Regional Figure Skating Championships Senior Ladies Leah Keiser Sophia Adams Danielle Kahle Anna Malkova

Senior Men Andrew Gonzales Sean Rabbitt Austin Kanallakan Dennis Phan

1 2 3 4

Frank Carroll Peter Oppegard Chelsea Kanallakan Tammy Gambill

Junior Ladies Katarina Kulgeyko Ysabel Tran Taylor Sirset Lauren Campbell

1 2 3 4

Peter Oppegard Tammy Gambill Tammy Gambill Tiffany Chin

Junior Men Philip Warren David Wang Patrick Leahy Nix Phengsy

1 2 3 4

Tammy Gambill Tom Zakrajsek Tammy Gambill Alex Chang, Jere Michael

Novice Ladies Amanda Gelb Catherine Giese Emily Keiser Dyllan McIntee

1 2 3 4

Alex Chang, Jere Michael Ken Congemi Christa Fassi, Alex Chang Bridget Kaus

Novice Men Spencer Howe Othniel Chan Timothy Boore David Kent

1 2 3 4

Wendy Olson Christa Fassi Victor Yelchin Kristy Evans Heiden, Rebecca Dornbush

Intermediate Ladies Tyler Pierce Cheyenne Taylor Elizabeth Nguyen Alexis Gagnon

1 2 3 4

Tammy Gambill Anna Baram Tammy Gambill Dawn Piepenbrink-McCosh

Intermediate Men Harrison Wong Justin Ly Robert Hennings Micah Tan

1 2 3 4

Matt Smith Simon Hewitt Themi Leftheris Doug Ladret

Juvenile Girls Sarah Wu Ai Setoyama Tessa Hong Caitlin Nguyen

1 2 3 4

Alex Chang, Jere Michael Alex Chang, Jere Michael Peter Oppegard Tammy Gambill

Juvenile Boys Camden Pulkinen Aaron Hai Bryan Dang Max Lake

1 2 3 4

Karen Gesell Jere Michael, Alex Chang John Saitta Matt Smith

Southwestern Regional Figure Skating Championships Senior Ladies Amanda Dobbs McKinzie Daniels Nina Jiang Morgan Bell

1 2 3 4

Holly Kirby, David Kirby Tom Zakrajsek Shanyn Vallon Cindy Sullivan, Scott Brown

Senior Men Max Aaron Brandon Mroz Steven Evans Alexander Johnson

1 2 3 4

Tom Zakrajsek Tom Zakrajsek Natalia Mishkutionok Thomas Dickson

Junior Ladies Mariah Bell Renee Kono Janae Sims Rachel Lawson

1 2 3 4

Junior Men Lukas Kaugers William Littlefield Sebastien Payannet

Cindy Sullivan, Scott Brown Nicole Sciarrotta-Nichols, Krala Atwood Tom Zakrajsek Lou Anne Petersen-Conant, Cindy Sullivan, Scott Brown

1 2 3

Damon Allen Pierre Panayi Cindy Sullivan, Lou Anne Petersen-Conant

Novice Ladies Amber Glenn Thy-Thy Phan Avery Kurtz Anjing Fu

1 2 3 4

Novice Men Chase Belmontes Anthony Boucher Danny Neudecker John Gilmore

Ann Brumbaugh Olga Ganicheva, Aleksey Letov Eddie Shipstad Cindy Sullivan, Scott Brown, Lou Anne PetersenConant

1 2 3 4

Tom Zakrajsek Kelly Clark-Renick Damon Allen –

Intermediate Ladies Morgan Flood Ashley Shin Ayaha Chen Kaitlyn Doan

1 2 3 4

Intermediate Men Sam Andersn Misha Mitrofanov Kevin Wu Tomas Schwappach

Olga Ganicheva, Aleksey Letov Olga Ganicheva, Aleksey Letov Damon Allen Cindy Sullivan, Scott Brown, Lou Anne PetersenConant

1 2 3 4

Eddie Shipstad, Kelly Shipstad Jana Conter Aleksey Sidorov Mia Hoeksema

Juvenile Girls Anastasia Kortjohn Riley Shin Vivian Le Ashlee Raymond

1 2 3 4

Tom Zakrajsek Olga Ganicheva, Aleksey Letov Chris Browne Olga Ganicheva, Aleksey Letov

Juvenile Boys Kellen Johnson Jun-Hong Chen Benjamin Shou Allan Wong

1 2 3 4

Tom Zakrajsek Ryan Jahnke Shanyn Vallon Aleksey Sidorov

Senior Ladies Kiri Baga Katelyn Smecko Jessica Young Maria Kalina

1 2 3 4

Lorie Charbonneau Tricia Offerdahl Carol Kaufmann Page Lipe

Junior Ladies Barbie Long Lexis Verhulst Ola Czyzewski Carly Gold

1 2 3 4

Susan Liss Alexander Ouriashev Agata Czyzewski Oleg Epstein

Junior Men Jordan Moeller Cale Ambroz Joshua Santillan

1 2 3

Kori Ade Lorie Charbonneau Trudy Oltmanns

Novice Ladies Isabella Dow Vivian Yim

1 2

Sue Ervin –

Upper Great Lakes Regional Figure Skating Championships

Bradie Tennell Sara Harris

3 4

– Kori Ade

Novice Men Brian Krentz Nicholas Vrdroljak Kyle Shropshire Ryan Santee

1 2 3 4

Cindy Caprel Cindy Caprel Zane Shropshire Jamie Lynn Santee

Intermediate Ladies Elizabeth Vian Nicolle Otto Brooke Hertzfeldt Coco Kaminski

1 2 3 4

Kori Ade Janel Wamboldt Candi Diaz Judy Bouts

Intermediate Men Tomoki Hiwatashi Jason Cohn Xavier Buhman Alex Mains

1 2 3 4

Cydele Fadeeva Deborah Dodge-Howe Thomas Hickey Mary Antensteiner

Juvenile Girls Olivia Allan Faith Nguyen Emily Feng Lindsay Weinstein

1 2 3 4

Julie Malmen Candice Brown-Burek Sandra Delfs Alana Cohen

Juvenile Boys Ryan Bedard Jason Schlicher Derek Wagner Kelvin Li

1 2 3 4

Oleg Podvalny Candice Brown-Burek Denise Myers Ritsa Gariti

Eastern Great Lakes Regional Figure Skating Championships Senior Ladies Alexe Gilles Becky Bereswill Chelsea Christopher Farah Sheikh

1 2 3 4

Jason Dungjen, Yuka Sato Dungjen Yuka Sato Dungjen Jeffrey Myers Jodie Balogh Tasich, Julianne Berlin

Junior Ladies Meghan Koehler Alexie Mieskoski Caroline Nickerson Kirsten Clark

1 2 3 4

Jodie Balogh Tasich, Julianne Berlin Svetlana Khodorkovsky Valerie Marcoux-Pavlas, Mary Williamson Rebecca Hatch-Purnell

Junior Men Troy Tomasello Ryan Hartley Alexander Newman Konstantin Chizhikob

1 2 3 4

Glyn Watts Heidi Hartley, Richard Hartley Maria Lako-Pinkowski, Julieanne Berlin Jason Dungjen

Novice Ladies Madison Deluca Livvy Shilling Olivia Keils Kimberly Berkovich

1 2 3 4

Linda Johns, Lisa Kirby Valerie Marcoux-Pavlas, Mary Williamson Lisa Kirby Molly German

Novice Men Daniel Takayama Jusitn Highgate-Brutman Brian Johnson Jordan Pordash

1 2 3 4

Intermediate Ladies Aya Takai Chloe Roslin Isabella Falsetti

1 2 3

Theresa McKendry Lindsay Page-O’Donoghue Maria Lako-Pinkowski, Tracy Moore Kelly Lynch Deborah Dodge-Howe Zuzanna Parchem Theresa McKendry, Steven Pottenger

Madeleine Rutledge

4

Jodie Balogh Tasich, Julianne Berlin

Intermediate Men Daniel Li Kenneth Anderson Eric Hartley Jonathan Butler

1 2 3 4

Lisa Kirby, Theresay McKendry Laura Sanders Heidi Hartley, Richard Hartley Tatiana Ratchkova

Juvenile Girls Jacqueline Tu Vivian Chen Emma Wolak Alexis Proudlock

1 2 3 4

Mary Williamson Svetlana Khodorkovsky Theresa McKendry Laura Vigilante

Juvenile Boys Ivan Mokhov Sasha Lunin Samuel Parks Lucas Purnell

1 2 3 4

Andrey Mokhov Alena Lunin Andrey Mokhov Sarah Neal

Senior Ladies Yasmin Siraj Kendall Wyckoff Alexandria Shaughessy Amy Buchanan

1 2 3 4

Peter Johansson, Mark Mitchell Michela Boschetto, Gilberto Viadana Amanda Farkas Julie Eavzan, Chad Brennan

Junior Ladies Jenelle Herman courtney Taylor Zoe Orenstein Maggie Hausmann

1 2 3 4

Kostantin Kostin, Suna Murray Craig Maurizi Susan Dee Thomas Hickey

Novice Ladies Morgan Sewall Marissa Gottlieb Jessica Lin Heidi Munger

1 2 3 4

Carol Pichette Debi Leeming Jason Wong Peter Johansson, Jason Wong

Novice Men Adrian Huertas Robert Korycinski Paul Rizzio Liam Beatson

1 2 3 4

Jason Wong Denise Cahill, Bobbe Shire Michael Sklutovsky Joan Vienneau-Bunnell, Jason Wong

Intermediate Ladies Rebecca Jacobhs Maria Minaeva Isabelle Dost Rebecca Peng

1 2 3 4

Peter Johansson, Mark Mitchell Kostantin Kostin, Suna Murray Peter Johansson, Mark Mitchell Peter Johansson, Mark Mitchell

Intermediate Men Bennett Gottlieb Brett Mayer Daniel Kuyoth

1 2 3

Suna Murray – Nancy Rossi, Brad Vigorito

Juvenile Girls Jin Baseman Elisabeth Christ Haley Blau Alexandra Iovanna

1 2 3 4

Peter Johansson, Mark Mitchell Kostantin Kostin June Clark Peter Johansson, Mark Mitchell

Juvenile Boys Maxim Naumov Franz-Peter Jerosch

1 2

Vadim Na–umov, Evgenia Shishkova –

New England Regional Figure Skating Championships

North Atlantic Regional Figure Skating Championships

South Atlantic Regional Figure Skating Championships

Senior Ladies Abby Kimmelman Patricia DeFelice Amber Walczyk Amelia Xu

1 2 3 4

Roman Serov Rocky Marval, Tammy DeFelice Tonia Kwiatkowski, Stephanie Troyer Nina Petrenko, Elaine Zayak

Senior Ladies Haley Dunne Tianna Gallinaro Samantha Veloso Sarah Yasenka

1 2 3 4

Jeff DiGregorio, Pamela Gregory John Zimmerman Serguei Kouvznetsov Denise Cahill

Senior Men Christopher Wan Sam Dafoe

1 2

Igor Lukanin, Anton Nimenko Vakhtang Murvanidze

Junior Ladies Jessica Hu Allison Timlen Haley Mulera Tarah Kayne

1 2 3 4

Shirley Hughes Denise Cahill, Bobbie Shire Traci Coleman Jim Peterson

Junior Ladies Jordan Bauth Elise Eng Katia Shpilband Nicole Rajic

1 2 3 4

Lenel Van den Berg, Suzanne Bauth, Kirk Wyse Leon Umansky, Kristine Bingham Theresa McKendry, Igor Shpilband Steven Rice

Junior Men Andrew Nagode Marcus Mimidis Conor Wagar

1 2 3

Pam Gregory, Jeff DiGregorio Karl Kurtz, Priscilla Hill Doris Papenfuss-Swartz

Junior Men Emmanuel Savary Matej Silecky Craig Segall Alexander Bjelde

1 2 3 4

Joel Savary, Jeffrey DiGregorio Anton Nimenko Rocky Marval, Isabelle Brasseur Rocky Marval, Isabelle Brasseur

Novice Ladies Brianna Laxson Madison Vinci Jackie Jablon Maria Yang

1 2 3 4

Andrey Kryukov Rashid Kadyrkaev Ilona Melnichencko Andrey Kryukov

Novice Ladies Olivia Serafini Ella Mizrahi Adrianna Gonera Brianna Brazee

1 2 3 4

Steven Rice Mary-Lynn Gelderman, Peter Burrows Yuriy Tsymbalyuk Jana Brazee, Jason Briggs

Novice Men Tony Lu Oleksiy Mlenyk

1 2

Patrick Rupp Aaron Gunderson-Smith

3 4

Priscilla Hill, Irina Romanova Serguei Kouznestov, Natalia Tymoshenko, Maxime Katchenov Tonia Berekhovskaia

Novice Men James Schetelich Jimmy Ma Luke West Trevor Bergqvist

1 2 3 4

Kristine Bingham, Deborah Milne Davis Elaine Zayak Bruno Marcotte Lenel Van den Berg, Kirk Wyse

Intermediate Ladies Maya Carter Vanessa Feigenbaum Elise Romola Kristine Levitina

1 2 3 4

Serguei Kouznetsov Artem Togashev Andre Kryukov, Lynn Eisenhour Maxime Frossine

Intermediate Ladies Dalia Rivkin Selin Kang Lyra Katzman Hannah Peterson

1 2 3 4

Julie Lautowa Craig Maurizi, Olga Orlova Steven Rice, Roman Serov Oleg Makarov

Intermediate Men Jonah Barrett Paolo Borromeo William Uhrig Balazs Nagy

1 2 3 4

Andrei Berekhovski Andriy Baka Serguei Kouvznetsov Oleg Efimov

Intermediate Men Liam Roumila Sean Conlon Steven Rossi Yamato Rowe

1 2 3 4

Igor Krokavec, Craig Maurizi Helen Hyun-Bowlin, Kristine Bingham Gennadi Krasnitski, Steven Rice Igor Krokavec

Juvenile Girls Samantha Scott Alice Qiao Lindsay Rosenberg Ashley Young

1 2 3 4

Ilona Melchenko Barbara Wagner Artem Torgashev Rashid Kadyrkaev

Juvenile Girls Emmy Ma Deana Chan Paige Conners

1 2 3

Marina Koulbitskaya, Alexander Esman Cristen Childs-Nowka, Lesley Hammer Lenel Van den Berg, Kirk Wyse

Juvenile Boys Andrew Torgashev Eric Sjoberg John Tufts Justin Lee

1 2 3 4

Ilona Melchenko Tiffany Scott Jacques Gilson, Elizabeth Wilkinson Chris Conte

Juvenile Boys Larry Loupolover Alexander Hall Ben McDonough Volodymyr Patsukevych

1 2 3 4

Adam Leib, Stanislav Rozanski Marina Koulbitskaya, Alexander Esman Kelby Riley Mary Emes, Lisa Ervin-Baudo

If your name is missing from the Honor Roll, please notify us and we would be pleased to publish your name in the next issue. Please specify the competition, event, your skater’s name and placement. If we have inadvertently missed anyone we apologize for the omission.

28

MARCH | APRIL 2012

2012 U.S. Figure Skating Championships San Jose, CA

Photos by Vicki L uy

PS MAGAZINE

29

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1. “Why You Can’t Motivate an Athlete

to Excellence” But You Can Do Something That Works Even Better • Watch a recorded replay of this webinar! Available in the PSA online store.

2. “Not All Praise is Created Equal”

Why Your Praise Might Be Holding Back Your Athletes • Watch a recorded replay of this webinar! Available in the PSA online store.

3. “How to Turn Parents into Partners” Receive the Support You Need • Available March 7, 2012

4. “Three Silver-Bullet Coaching Techniques” How to Increase Athletic Performance & Player Loyalty • Available April 4, 2012

**Presenter at 2012 PSA International Conference and Tradeshow. David Benzel is a speaker, author, and expert in the principles of influence and coaching. His ten years as a commentator for ESPN and fifteen years as a professional water ski coach provide him with vivid insights about the challenges of sport.

IN COOPERATION WITH THE PSA

Candidates for PSA Board of Governors Eastern Section Ian Macadam — Braintree, MA

Ranking / Ratings: Senior Freeskating, Certified Moves Coaching Disciplines: Freeskating, MIF, Group

What do you believe is the main focus of the PSA Board of Governors?

The main focus of the PSA Board of Governors is to promote the profession of figure skating coaching. This promotion includes the education of new coaches in aspects of professionalism, ethics and comportment as well as experienced, elite level coaches passing along information.

The board is the hub of the organization, offering all coaches the ability to gain knowledge. Without the PSA, the ability of skaters to improve – and not just those who train in the United States – would be hindered as knowledge not shared is knowledge lost. Look back over the previous 20 years and one can see the improvements in skating at all levels of competition. The most notable are at the higher echelons. This trend must also be encouraged at all levels of skating and in all forms of skating.

What do you believe the PSA can achieve in the next 3 years?

The PSA can continue to achieve a marked improvement in the knowledge that all levels of coaches gain. This knowledge, passed on through generation of coaches to their students, will continue to improve the base of skaters. Not only must one look to finding, nurturing and training the next Olympic Champion, but also to anyone who wants to skate.

What do you believe are the three most important issues the PSA must address?

1. Education 2. Professionalism 3. Promotion of the sport

2. I believe the PSA can establish a solid relationship with the U.S. Figure Skating on every aspect of figure skating collaboration.

That would include: Start a web site of the high performance, education, research and medical aspect of figure skating, e.g., a list of doctors and scientists that deal with athletes, injury/basic first aid for common skating injuries, certified strength and conditioning specialists and/or off-ice trainers who are doing the majority of work with strength, power and conditioning training throughout the U.S., etc. This effort is already under U.S. Figure Skating’s National Provider Network.

3. More members should be utilized on PSA Committees. It seems that the same coaches are being used to serve on multiple committees. PSA Committee Chairs should solicit members through ARC. 4. Master papers written by master coaches on topics of their choice, within one or more of the disciplines in which they have a master rating. These papers can be compiled in a discipline specific “library” creating a valuable reference for all PSA members and staff.

What do you believe are the three most important issues the PSA must address?

1. Keeping members updated on the latest IJS updates.

2. Educate members at every level of figure skating, especially by expanding the development of the Continuing Education Requirements (CER) and bringing e-learning to every PSA member (E-Reach) 3. Bridge a gap between sport science theory and practicality of figure skating.

4. Update the questions for the PSA rating exams more frequently with the current issues

Denise Williamson — Davidson NC Lee Cabell — Montclair, NJ

Ranking / Ratings: Master Figures and Freeskate Coaching Disciplines: Freeskating, off-ice strength and conditioning, biomechanical and physiological analyses

What do you believe is the main focus of the PSA Board of Governors?

I believe that the main foci of the PSA Board of Governors are: • Being good stewards of the membership resources • Supporting the membership through volunteerism and sharedknowledge • Setting the standard for ethical character in coaching • Planning carefully for the future to sustain the organization for generations of coaches to come • Establishing, maintaining, and nurturing professional relationships between PSA and other sport related organizations to expand knowledge and experience offered to members What do you believe the PSA can achieve in the next 3 years?

1. I believe the PSA family houses the best and most knowledgeable coaches in the world and can increase its membership to 10,000 coaches around the world

Ranking / Ratings: Level IV Ranking, Master Freeskating, Master Moves, Certified Choreography, and Senior Figures Coaching Disciplines: Freeskating, MIF, Pairs

What do you believe is the main focus of the PSA Board of Governors?

Represent the diversity of membership within the PSA, address their concerns, create opportunities for enhancement of their profession, and use our resources within our membership.

What do you believe the PSA can achieve in the next 3 years?

Greater education for our grassroots coaches and an improved relationship with judges.

What do you believe are the three most important issues the PSA must address?

1. Rink management awareness of the importance of rated PSA members 2. Educating grassroots coaches 3. Continue to eliminate the perception of “What do I get for my PSA membership?”

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Midwestern Section Linda Alexander — Colorado Springs, CO

Ranking / Ratings: Level IV Ranking; Master Program Director, Master Figures, Master Freeskating, Master Pairs, Master MIF, and Master Group Coaching Disciplines: Freeskating, Pairs, Group, MIF, Hockey What do you believe is the main focus of the PSA Board of Governors?

Promote the highest level of education for our coaches.

What do you believe the PSA can achieve in the next 3 years?

The sky is the limit, but providing excellence of education to further our coaches and keep the knowledge on the cutting edge. Address and provide for the educational needs of the grassroots coaches.

What do you believe are the three most important issues the PSA must address?

1. Develop a committee of coaches that could be available to answer questions or give suggestions to any level of coach so they wouldn’t feel intimidated.

2. Develop a program to reward and/or acknowledge the success of our grassroots coaches.

3. More incentives for all coaches at every level to contribute to the greater good of the PSA

Patrick O’Neil — Birmingham, MI

Ranking / Ratings: Master Freeskating, Master MIF Coaching Disciplines: Singles, Pairs, Power, Hockey, Group

What do you believe is the main focus of the PSA Board of Governors?

I believe the main focus of the PSA Board of Governors is to represent the coaches involved in the sport and to ensure quality education is provided to all coaches. As well, I believe our focus needs to be on how to grow our organization both domestically and internationally.

What do you believe the PSA can achieve in the next three years?

Over the next three years, I would like to see the PSA continue to provide quality programming to coaches and figure out ways to cut costs for the educational opportunities we offer. As well, I would like to see PSA expand our services to coaches worldwide. I believe we can expand our brand, which in turn brings in more revenue and more notoriety to PSA as the educational force in figure skating.

What do you believe are the three most important issues the PSA must address?

1. The continuation of providing quality education to coaches 2. Explore our options internationally 3. Explore alternative ways to expand our brand through different types of educational opportunities and through partnerships with other national governing bodies

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Brandon Forsyth — Superior Township, MI Ranking / Ratings: Level IV Ranking, Master MIF, Master Dance Coaching Disciplines: Dance, MIF, Freeskating, Group, Program Director

What do you believe is the main focus of the PSA Board of Governors?

I feel the main focus of the PSA Board of Governors is to continue to guide the organization in its pursuit of the PSA’s Mission Statement of dedication to providing continuing education and accreditation to ice skating professionals in a safe and ethical environment along with training quality coaches around the world. The PSA Board of Governors needs to be proactive and keep their fingers on the pulse of the sport of figure skating to be able to stay on top of its everchanging environment.

What do you believe the PSA can achieve in the next three years?

In the next three years, I would like to see the PSA continue to strengthen its relationships and communication with organizations like U.S. Figure Skating, ISI, and STARS. I would like to also see a stronger presence with Skate Canada and other international national governing bodies. As the current rankings chair of the PSA, my current task is to make rankings more marketable in our industry by creating a better understanding of their value and amount of effort required to achieve a given ranking level.

What do you believe are the three most important issues the PSA must address?

1. First and most important, I believe the PSA needs to continue to increase low-cost high-quality educational opportunities across the country and encourage increased participation at these events.

2. I also feel the PSA should emphasize the use of recent and state of the art technologies available when cost conducive to make educational opportunities easily available, including a larger selection of online E-learning courses.

3. We are currently in a day and age where grievances are not an unusual occurrence due in part to economical pressures. I believe we, as an organization, need to continue to establish and help guide strong ethical leadership, especially for coaches in influential positions such as program and synchro directors in day-to-day skating communities.

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

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

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Artistic3 c AN

PARTNERSHIP MeghAN AND DoUgLAS tAYLor-gebLer CAPtUre the Art of figUre SKAtiNg iN tiMeLeSS broNZe.

By Kent McDill

Figure skating, when done correctly, is the blending of the physical capabilities of the human body, the grace and beauty of the body in motion, and the constant battle between an athlete and the forces of nature. Bronze, by definition, is a “hard water-resistant alloy consisting of copper and smaller proportions of tin, and sometimes zinc and lead.” It is the chosen professional pursuit of sculptors Meghan and Douglas Taylor-Gebler to capture all of the beauty, grace, motion and physicality of figure skating in the unforgiving, stolid medium of the metallic substance known as bronze. They succeed, and have done so time and again.

A visit to www.taylor-gebler.com will show some of their remarkable works, depicting some of the great Olympic and World medalists at peak moments in their remarkable routines.

“It has been our lives since the longest time,” said Meghan TaylorGebler from the couple’s home in Arizona. “We have worked in many disciplines, but what we love to do now is sculpting.”

Their works are on permanent display at the U.S. Olympic Headquarters Visitors Center in Colorado Springs, CO, the Vilar Center for the Arts in Beaver Creek, CO, and the Professional Skaters Association headquarters in Rochester, MN, among other locations.

THE PROCES S

“Kristi Yamaguchi's Juliet” greets visitors to the PSA office in Rochester, MN.

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When the Taylor-Geblers agree to work with a skater, they spend hours watching the skater practice. They videotape and photograph the skater’s performances, then they study those medium in the difficult task of finding the one moment to immortalize in bronze.

“We do all the mediums,” Meghan Taylor-Gebler said. “The way we work, and what we try to present, we would have to.”

The task is almost as hard to explain as it is to do. “I come at it from an emotional standpoint, in the stunningness [sic] or beauty of a moment,” said Meghan Taylor-Gebler, who remembers with great fondness her first pair of figure skates from her youth. “I look for three dimensions. Sometimes there are moments that can be exciting from one side, like in a photograph or painting, but it won’t render what we think will work in three dimensions.”

During the process of viewing video and photographs, Meghan and Douglas determine what they want to sculpt. Sometimes, it is the same

thing. Sometimes, it is not. “When you are working on things, you are bound to have all kinds of difficulties,” Meghan Taylor-Gebler said.

“We will analyze a program and find a move we both agree to proceed with. We fall in love with different things, but it is not pitting of one against another.”

“There are other people’s opinions too,” Meghan said. “Sometimes we might love a moment that they (the subject) might not want to see rendered. Sometimes they tell us they love a certain move, and we have to look at it and see if it is something we want to do. Then you get down to the fat of it; ‘Will it look good?’ ‘Is it something that is exciting and looks good in three dimensions?”

Left: Detail from “Joy” below: The sculpting process and final product of “Wylie's Reach”

T HE S C I E N C E OF I T ALL All of the figure skating works of the Taylor-Gebler’s show the athlete in motion, and almost always the skater is either momentarily detached from earthly bounds (in the air) or touching the ice with the blade of a single skate. But a statue of a skater has to be grounded to the base of the structure. At some point, the figure of the skater must make contact with the base, and when the figure is depicted up on one skate making minimal contact with the surface, the task for the sculptor is no longer about art. It’s about science. “That’s where engineering comes in,” Douglas Taylor-Gebler said. “That is one of the things that continues to be exciting. It is difficult to put a figure like that on ice, on a blade or on a point, seemingly with no structure there.

There is structure there. It is built into the figure and down into the base and into the ice that you don’t see. We engineer it that way.” But any engineer will tell you one must go through trial and error to figure out how to make some new exercise work. The Taylor-Gebler’s have their own foundry, which allows them to experiment with the weights and balances required to make a skating figurine stay upright on a solid base while appearing to float through the air.

“When you look at our work, and you see it is up on one blade, you have to have that balance present in the sculpting figure that it looks like it will function,” Meghan Taylor-Gebler said.

Look at “Kristi Yamaguchi’s Juliet,” where Yamaguchi is depicted with her back arched as she stands on one skate. The skate stands on a plate, which balances on the short pedestal. The challenge of balancing the weight of the figure for the Taylor-Gebler’s is similar to the challenge for Yamaguchi to balance her body upon the skate and the ice.

In the Taylor-Gebler’s “Repose,” a ballerina figurine, the dancer is standing on the edge of one foot, and is leaning to one side. The beauty of the piece comes in part from the magnificent use of balances required to keep the statue upright. Often, there is art to the base as well. “Wylie’s Reach,” depicting Paul Wylie in a full extension leaning at a 45-degree angle from the ice surface, rests upon a multi-tiered base that is as beautiful as it is practical, serving as a counterweight to the weight of the figure.

R E PR E S E N T I N G RE ALI TY I N ART The Taylor-Geblers’ works are realistic depictions of what skaters look like when they are performing their craft. Meghan Taylor-Gebler called it a “portrait study rather than a looser rendering.” Douglas TaylorGebler said, “We are going with realism for the figure, but it is mainly portraiture in its thrust.” Sometimes, however, reality gets in the way of PS MAGAZINE

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right: Douglas and Meghan Taylor-Gebler at the unveiling of “Joy” at the 2010 PSA Conference in Colorado Springs, CO. below: “Carla's Spin”

the art; in the pursuit of artistic expression, the artists can slide gently out of the realm of reality. “We were studying Kristi Yamaguchi for the Juliet,” Meghan Taylor-Gebler said. “Her coach (Christy Ness) came in and saw a model of our work and said ‘that figure would not be able to skate like that.’ She proceeded to give us a discourse on hip placement, and she was dead right. We are total novices about that part of our work. It is one of the reasons we need to have guidance from coaches regarding our work.”

“That also happened the first time we went to study a spin,” Douglas Taylor-Gebler said. “A lot of coaches worked with us on the hips. It is so crucial to the work, or it is wrong.”

“It is hideous to live up to the perfection of what the skaters do,” Meghan Taylor-Gebler said. “We really can’t do that. But in trying to respect their discipline, one doesn’t want to do something wrong.”

NOTHING IS IMPOS S IBLE While the challenge truly exists to depict a strong and graceful act in the singular moment of bronze, the challenge can always be met. The Taylor-Geblers said no move is impossible to sculpt. “We have done figures up in the air,” Meghan Taylor-Gebler said. “We have done impossible things. At least we think so. That is what is exciting about this work in particular. We can push ourselves, our own training and thinking, to do things that seem impossible and try to have them be exciting. And still be in bronze.”

“If we find a move we like, we find a way to make it work in sculpture,” Douglas Taylor-Gebler said. “We haven’t come across something that we can’t do, that we can’t work with.”

Meghan Taylor-Gebler laughed as she talked about their work “Caterina Lindgren’s Joy.” “That one is a counterpoint, and if you look at it, it is hard to understand how she doesn’t fall over in real life. Ask someone in the skating world about that move and see what they say.

It is very difficult to lie back like that. She had to achieve that through sheer athleticism. I think, in depicting that, we have the easier of the two assignments.”

“Nicole’s Layback,” a depiction of Nicole Bobek, is a similar piece.

Her hair, and the flow of her costume, can distract the viewer from the stunning marvel of engineering of the piece, as well as of the skater’s move.

S KATING IN S TATUE FORM Statues are usually a testament to something grand and magnificent, or deeply meaningful. They are meant to be long lasting or everlasting.

They are a gift to the world that can stand the test of time. The TaylorGeblers chose to make their artistic contributions by immortalizing figure skaters. “We both love the sport of hockey; it is exciting, very exciting,” Meghan Taylor-Gebler said. “But if you think how you would sculpt, that would be a challenge. There is so much bulky padding on that figure that it is difficult to get to the figure. Figure skating is such a lovely melding of athleticism, the pure celebration of the body in all of its strength and beauty, and it is brought out through costuming,” she said. “You cannot get better than that for us to do when you sculpture three-dimensionally.”

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P R O F E S S I O N A L S K AT E R S A S S O C I AT I O N

RATINGS “I felt very comfortable and felt as though I was in a very relaxed atmosphere.”

“My examiners kept the process fun. I learned a great deal for this exam, but more importantly, I learned how I can prepare for my next exam!”

“Great experience!

Thank you!”

“Great program to create consistency in coaching.”

“The great feedback helps me to be a better coach.”

“I loved it!!!!

Thank you!”

“Examiners were very helpful.”

“Always a learning experience. Great support and guidance from other “I have learned so MPDs!”

much as a coach in this process.”

“I truly broadened my range of coaching techniques and methods preparing for my exam and the input from my panel was constructive.”

For your future. For your skaters. For our sport.

The PSA Official Rating System is for coaches who want to validate their skating skill and teaching experience. Ratings are an assurance to clubs, rinks, skaters, parents, and the general public that the coach they hire is technically qualified to instruct at the level in which they are rated, regardless of background and skating achievement.

Ratings are offered in Free Skating, Figures, Pairs, Dance, Group, Program Director, Synchronized Skating, Free Dance, Choreography, and Moves in the Field. They are offered at the Registered, Certified, Senior and Master levels. Ratings consist of both written and oral examinations. Please visit our website for more information!

www.skatepsa.com

FREE SKATING • FIGURES • PAIRS • DANCE • GROUP • PROGRAM DIRECTOR • SYNCHRONIZED TEAM • FREE DANCE • CHOREOGRAPHY • MOVES IN THE FIELD

Great performances start within…

Where do great performances start?

Deep in the heart.

By Kevin Cottam, ACC, BSc For many years I have been working in the world of performance with professional figures skaters, managers of organizations, and associations. I have found that it is true what Shakespeare says in his play As You Like It, ‘All the world is a stage.’

Every single one of us is a performer and we are performing from the moment we get up until we sleep at night. Maybe even our sleep is a form of performance as well! Just ask yourself, ‘How do you want to perform?’ and ‘Where do you think great performances begin?’

Performance starts within our own being. We are like the drop of water that falls into the pond, which sends radiating waves of connection to others such as our students, clients, employees, family, friends, and so forth. Our performances, whether we esteem them to be good, bad or indifferent, are still performances, which carry energy and are connecting with an audience on many different mental, physical, emotional and spiritual levels.

The point about our performance is that we connect energetically and create or leave an impact. The magnitude of the impact is not necessarily something we as individuals can control as that comes from the audience or the receiver of your

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teaching, or competitive performance, or decisions. We can only control what is within our personal control and after that control is out of our hands.

We spend way too much energy on things that are out of our personal control!

How many times in life have you felt you can control factors that aren’t within your control? How does this make you feel when you can’t? Reverse your thinking and take responsibility with what you are able to control and keep a soft view to what is not within our control.

Regardless, great performances do start within each and every one of you. We are all capable of this. It depends on you and the support around you.

CONNECTION To connect implies energy and all things in this universe are energy. To connect is an action. An action takes energy to perform. Great performers connect on many levels that come together and trigger at the same time. What does this mean? It means that when the mind, body and soul come together and align, mastery in performance magically happens – and usually appears effortlessly.

If we speak about skaters then, we have seen this in performances by Janet Lynn, Gordeeva and Grinkov, Torvill and Dean, and Virtue and Moir. When they skated, their stellar performances were

“Every child is an artist.

The problem is how to remain an artist once he grows up.” Pablo Picasso completely connected and left you with memories. They were connected to the music, the ice, the sound of the blade, the technique, the theme, their minds, bodies and soul, and more. Coaches also exemplify great performances within their own proficiency.

Therefore, the goal for us as performers in life, I would suggest to say, is to align, balance and connect to the energies of our knowledge, technical skills and capabilities, heart and soul. This alignment often fluctuates with moods and emotional states of course, however, the goal, as I mentioned, is to work towards this complete holistic approach to performance.

It has been my experience that there are many ingredients which create great performances and I would like to suggest the main four. The four are vision, talent, action and passion. Connect to the energy existing within these four ingredients.

how we can train our athletes, or work with other coaches and more. To visualize is the action of seeing the vision itself.

Coaches – assist your students to create a big vision for what they want, for example, in their whole skating career, or over the next three years, or competitive season or next month, or even each session or lesson.

How do you create a vision?

1. Decide on what you want to happen. (This is the hardest part, generally.) (i.e. What does it feel like, look like, taste like? Are there colors or symbols or metaphors, etc.)

2. Get clarity on this big picture.

Decide whether it short, medium or long term.

3. Sense it, breath it, visualize it, draw it, connect to it.

4. Create an action plan to get there. (i.e. periodization or business plan)

VISION

What are your unique talents and qualities?

We are all at different talent or skill levels in all areas of our lives. Some skills can be learned and some are natural.

Some of us are better at teaching edges, other jumps, others spins, or choreography. Skaters may be better at spins; rotating slower, softer knees, fast versus slow twitch muscle fibers, and the list goes on.

Come to know and connect to your talents as a person (mentally, physically, emotionally and spiritually), as well as your unique qualities. When working with skaters understand that all people have talent within their own capabilities, physique or mindset. Encourage your students to live within their own talents.

Keep it all in perspective, yet also aspire for excellence as well. Use others as role models or mentors, but be careful of ‘wishing’ you were like them. Be one with your own talents and qualities.

As Picasso says, stretch your talents

‘We are Limited, not by our abilities, but by our vision’.

What does this mean to you? What is your vision of your life, coaching, skating or club?

Where does a vision begin? Perhaps in your mind, but mostly it starts from your heart and what you want.

As a coach, as a skater, as a human being, you need a vision. Whoever we are we ought to have a vision. As vision assists you in setting the direction you want to travel towards or head to. It is future based. It also lays the ground-work for setting strategic planning or periodization. A vision is a picture of what you mentally, physically, emotionally and spiritually want to SEE and ultimately experience.

As in sports, we learn to visualize —whether it be our jumps, skating programs, standing on the podium or

TALENT

and be open to new possibilities, e.g. new ways of teaching, different ways of seeing, music selection – and most of all encourage yourself and students to grow, discover, learn and connect in all walks of life.

Your talents and unique qualities are your gifts to yourself and the world. Take responsibility for this 100%. As a coach, it is your responsibility to give these young kids ways to enjoy and allow their talents to blossom. It is also your responsibility to develop your students to take full responsibility for their talent, aspirations and actions.

ACTION Performance is action. Action is energy in motion. This motion forward towards our vision takes careful and often strategic goal setting and periodization planning.

This takes our performance and talents to the next level where it can be realized.

To have action is one thing, but to focus, a one-pointed focus on the vision is another thing. A one-pointed focus is having your mind, body and soul connected and aligned with your direction/vision. Always keeping it in view. A one-pointed focus also is about flexibility.

Within our action plans, it is important to allow flexibility because some of our well-laid plans just may not work. Hold onto your action with focus, flexibility and a very light touch so as to not get so permanently attached to it that it doesn’t allow for variations.

May I suggest when you are creating your action plan to utilize a process called SMART: Go through your action plan and then ask the following questions and give ‘specific/clear’ answers?

• S = Specific – ‘What it the specific goal?’ e.g. To learn an Axel within two months • M = Measurable – ‘How can you measure success?’ e.g. By landing on one foot, clean edges, good posture.

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• A = Achievable – ‘Is it possible for me to achieve this?’ e.g. Can I land the Axel with in two months or can I land an Axel?

• R = Realistic – ‘Is this goal realistic?’ i.e. Yes it is realistic considering my talent, drive etc.

• T = Timely – ‘What is the possible time limit?’ i.e. Within two months.

PASSION “Great dancers are not great because of their technique, they are great because of their passion,” Martha Graham, mother of contemporary dance, said.

Great performers and performances are remembered for their passion, not their technique. What do you remember about Janet Lynn’s, “Afternoon of the Faun” performance, or Torvill and Dean’s “Bolero,” or Virtue and Moir’s 2010 Olympic performance? Most likely the passion!

Where does passion come from? Deep in the heart, the soul of a person. There is an inner drive and focus deep within that is connected to the love of what a person is performing.

Yes, technique comes into this when you see a great performance and you may certainly remember the amazing technique. All the technical elements in skating are part of the performance and when they are performed to excellence, there is a passion at the base of what is driving them. The performance then becomes mastery and is holistic.

The passionate drive for excellence and quality comes from the mind, heart, soul connection. This is all energy.

People may come to you as a coach because you are known for your technique —yet it is more than that—ask yourself “Why are you good at technique?” It can be because you are passionate about technique or skating or simply being of service to your client. It’s the same for parents or skaters.

You may also say that the new judging

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system is limiting this passionate flow.

Maybe so, however, work with the passion of the skater, their visions, talents, drive, focus and the system. If you are only focused on final results, which are out of your control in a subjective sport, then you may well be disappointed. People mostly watch skating because of the emotional impact/feelings they get from it! Passion is an emotion.

Take a moment right now and ask yourself - What am I passionate about?

What happens to you? Maybe your energy vibrates, your body feels tingly all over, and you smile, your eyes light up.

Think – mentally, physically, emotionally, spiritually.

How do you teach passion? You don’t • You encourage and inspire your students.

• You let them play and learn to love what they are doing.

• You draw it out of them by being supportive, respectful and giving.

• You ask them what they love about skating. There is no science to this – it is natural.

So where do great performances start?

Yes, deep in that mind, body, and soul heartfelt energetic connection. Connect to your performances in life. Connect to the four main ingredients I have mentioned above—vision, talent, action and passion.

How do you want to perform?

Kevin Cottam, a global citizen living currently in Singapore/Victoria Canada, is an elite figure skating choreographer/ creative director of large-scale productions, author (Mother’s Pearls…27 Aha Moments of Realization), performance mastery coach and motivational speaker. He believes in the mindful, holistic approach to coaching mastery that allows performers in life to manifest their potential. You can find out more about Kevin or contact him at www. kevincottam.com

“You may never know what results come of your action, but if you do nothing there will be no result.’

Mahatma Gandhi.

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GREAT TIPS FROM AMERICA'S TOP COACHES TIPS FROM PAST CONFERENCE PRESENTERS

Great Performances Start Within 2011 PSA Dallas Conference

by Kevin Cottam

S

hakespeare said that the world is a stage. We all live and work on a stage, every single one of you is on stage all the time. Am I talking about how you teach skaters? Possibly, but it’s also about you. With performance, we need an audience. It can be your friends, your family or your skaters. It also can be your pet poodle Fifi. We all have an audience and in fact, it can also be yourself. That’s one of the biggest audiences you can have in life. Just think about it for a moment: what makes a great performance, where does it start?

There are many ingredients, which can help to impact, influence, and create great performances. Vision, self-awareness, talent, relationships, action, passion and drive. These are not the only ingredients, but great ones to assist not only you, but also your students.

A performance which I believe is perhaps one of the greatest iconic performances in skating history was by Janet Lynn-1971, “Afternoon of a Faun” (you can find it on YouTube) John Curry says… ”she doesn’t just use her body, she uses her whole self.’” What do you do in your life; do you use your whole self? Janet was connected all the way through, not only internally but externally as well. She was connected to her skates, her blades, the ice, the air, the space, to the audience. That is connection: that is performance!

The verb perform means to carry an action, or pattern of behavior.

To give a performance. Performance means the execution of an action or the action of representing a character in a play. What about Janet Lynn? Was she carrying out performance? Yes, she was connected to the mind, body and soul. When we are connected, we create mastery. Great coaches are connected from the inside out not only to the sport, but compassion to the technique. This is what we want to move towards in life.

People will say today, with all of these new rules, “We don’t have time to think about the blade and the sound of the blade, what does it bring to us?’” But there is a connection, it is the life blood of a skater.

In 1999, I happened to make a short film called “Liberato.” It was a short film which is based on the sound of a skate blade. Think about how we can do this with our skaters. The sound of the blade, the sound of the air, that’s all real. Isn’t that exciting?! It’s exactly what happens when we skate, just like dancers; we want freedom. Liberato is freedom, to connect. So where does this connection begin? When a skater has a bad performance it can be because they connected only to their head

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and have left the rest of themselves alone. If they connect here (the heart) then the performance, elements, jumps and technique all start to happen. They have to connect through their whole body. This is important for skating and living life.

Here are a few ideas on how to connect: • Talk to your skaters about breath of an edge before they go into a jump or a lift; that is a connection.

• For an individual, a skater, or a manager, vision is what takes you to a place. It is where you are going to; it is future focused. What is your vision? What is your skaters vision?

• When your skater goes out to perform, who’s out there with them? No one! If they don’t know what they’re doing, how can they be connected? It is your responsibility, as a coach, to help them with that.

• “Great dancers are not great because of their technique, they are great because of their passion.” — Martha Graham Passion is what drives action, it drives you toward your vision and your self- awareness which drives the relationship. Have you ever asked yourself what you’re passionate about? Have you ever asked your skater what they are passionate about? It’s amazing how some people will say I’m not passionate about anything. Passion is what’s flowing out of all of you to do what you do. What gets you going in the morning? Is it just to pay the bills? Maybe, however something else is driving you. How can you get passion? Create passion? You can’t you can encourage it and bring it out to let it live, to inspire playfulness. Giving and loving, that’s what passion is about.

In everything we do, in all of our stories there are these elements, these ingredients. To do that one activity does not need to be an Olympic-size event. We are performing all the time and we’re giving and receiving all the time. It’s about connection to that energy, mind, body and soul.

Further readings from Kevin...

Mother’s Pearls… 27 Aha Moments of Realization by Kevin J Cottam http://www.kevincottam.com/services/writing/where-to-buy

SUMMARY OF MOTIONS

2011 Fall Board Meeting • Rosemont, IL

» The following are the results of the Requests for Action from the fall 2011 PSA Board of Governors meeting PASSED MOTION #F11-14: “I move that the Board of Governors accepts the resignation of President David Kirby.”

Motion: Past President Morris-Adair Second: Vice President Fowler-Binder Voice Vote: In Favor all Opposed 0 Abstentions 0

FAILED by Executive Committee MOTION #F11-8: “I move that the PSA Board of Governors approve Exhibit A, the PSA Information Delivery Job Description.”

Motion: Second: ___________________ Voice Vote: In Favor _______Opposed _______Abstentions _______

PASSED MOTION #F11-15: “On behalf of the Executive Nominating Committee I move that the board approves the nomination of Angie Riviello-Steffano to the position of president for the remainder of the term vacated by the former President David Kirby.”

Motion: Past President Morris-Adair Second: Vice President Fowler-Binder Voice Vote: In Favor all Opposed 0 Abstentions 0

PASSED MOTION #F11-9: “By recommendation of the Strategic Planning Committee, I move that the ARC Newsletter/Update will provide only fact-finding information for PSA members. This will include dates, times of upcoming events and any rule changes that are necessary. The ARC Newsletter/Updates will not contain teaching tips and/ or opinion based material. All information that is distributed to membership is to be filtered through the PSA headquarters just as all magazine articles are reviewed prior to being distributed as a PSA representation.”

Motion: Vice President Cassini Second: Governor O’Neil Voice Vote: In Favor all Opposed 0 Abstentions 0

PASSED Motion #F11-16: “On behalf of the Executive Nominating Committee I move that the board approves the appointment of Scott Brown to First Vice President, made by President Riviello-Steffano, to fill the remainder of the term of former First Vice President Riviello-Steffano.”

Motion: Past President Morris-Adair Second: Vice President Fowler-Binder Voice Vote: In Favor all Opposed 0 Abstentions 0 PASSED MOTION #F11-1: “I move that the board approves the agenda for the Fall 2011 meeting of the PSA Board of Governors.”

Motion: Vice President Cassini Second: Past President Morris-Adair Voice Vote: In Favor all Opposed 0 Abstentions 0 PASSED MOTION #F11-2 “I move that the board approves the minutes from the Spring 2011 Board meeting held in Dallas, Texas.”

Motion: Vice President Cassini Second: Treasurer Murphy Voice Vote: In Favor all Opposed 0 Abstentions 0 PASSED MOTION #F11-3: “I move that the PSA Board of Governors approve Exhibit B, the Representatives Presence at PSA Seminars proposal, to begin in 2012.”

Motion: President Riviello-Steffano Second: Treasurer Murphy Voice Vote: In Favor all Opposed 0 Abstentions 0 NO ACTION TAKEN MOTION #F11-4: “I move that the PSA Board of Governors approve Exhibit C, the IT/Talent Pool proposal.”

Motion: Second: ___________________ Voice Vote: In Favor _______Opposed _______Abstentions _______ Will become a function of the PSA office on direction of the Executive Committee.

FAILED by Executive Committee MOTION #F11-5: “I move that the PSA Board of Governors approve and support the concept of Exhibit D, the Accomplished Coaching overview.”

Motion: Second: ___________________ Voice Vote: In Favor _______Opposed _______Abstentions _______ FAILED by Executive Committee MOTION #F11-6: “I move that the PSA Board of Governors approve and support the concept of Exhibit E, the Master Paper program.”

Motion: Second: ___________________ Voice Vote: In Favor _______Opposed _______Abstentions _______ NO ACTION TAKEN MOTION #F11-7: “I move that the PSA Board of Governors approve Exhibit F, the Membership Recognition of Achievement proposal, to be announced in 2012 and begin in 2013.”

Motion: Second: ___________________ Voice Vote: In Favor _______Opposed _______Abstentions _______

PASSED MOTION #F11-10: “By recommendation of the Strategic Planning Committee, we move that the current CER courses will be counted as part of the 16 allowed credits through a US Figure Skating endorsed program.”

Motion: Vice President Cassini Second: Governor Ladret Voice Vote: In Favor all Opposed 0 Abstentions 0 PASSED MOTION #F11-11: “On behalf of the PSA By-law Committee, I propose the following amendment to the PSA Mission Statement: ‘Dedicated to providing continuing education and accreditation to ice skating professionals in a safe and ethical environment.’”

Motion: Past President Morris-Adair Voice Vote: In Favor all

Second: Vice President Fowler-Binder Opposed 0 Abstentions 0

PASSED MOTION #F11-12: “On behalf of the PSA By-law Committee, I propose the following amendment to Article III (2.): 2. The governing powers of this Association shall be vested in a Board of Governors of no more than twenty members consisting of the following: Six governors (two from each section) elected by the membership, each serving a term of three years but not more than two consecutive terms, three members at large appointed by the president and approved by the existing board; a president, first vice president (Admin/Legal Oversight), second vice president (Education Oversight), third vice president (Accreditation Oversight) of international affairs, treasurer, education events chairman, information delivery chairman, Chair of Professional Standards (COPS), ratings chairman, immediate past president, U. S. Figure Skating Association representative and Ice Skating Institute Representative. “ Motion: Past President Morris-Adair Second: Governor Shakarjian Voice Vote: In Favor all Opposed 0 Abstentions 0 PASSED MOTION #F11-13: “I move that the Board of Governors approves the following changes to the Rating System Requirements (pink pages) for the 2012 PSA Directory in regards to the Group Instructor Rating Requirements.” See Exhibit A. & B. in Appendix.

Black underlined portions were already approved at the last meeting. New changes to be approved are underlined and in blue.

Motion: Governor Shakarjian Second: Governor O’Neil Voice Vote: In Favor all Opposed 0 Abstentions 0

Directed to the Awards Committee by the Executive Committee.

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Across The Pond — Emails TO Sheila!

J Sheila Thelen Champion Cords – Alignment PRESIDENT – Champion Cords EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR –

Grassroots To Champions

ust wanted to let you know I received the cords on Friday (shipped to Australia) and promptly took them to the rink to use on my skaters that afternoon. I love them, the skaters were a little apprehensive at first, but then understood what they were feeling and started to enjoy them.

Great for the younger ones to get their posture and body line right.

Stroking position a thousand times better and now they get it when I call out for them to get their arms up!!! Fantastic for a beautiful landing position. I’m positive they will all benefit in all aspects of their skating. I even had a go myself which they got a kick out of!

The other coaches now also want to get some of their own, so expect some more orders soon.”

Coach Nicole Nyman, Erina Ice World, Australia THANK-YOU Nicole for using Champion Cords on your skaters (Jedi Mind Trick: We need a Champion Cords Seminar in Australia….)

Send your photos and success stories to me at: sk8Thelen@aol.com Champion Cords can be purchased online at the PSA Store (www.skatepsa.com) Champion Cords are Endorsed by the PSA

Meet your AREA REPRESENTATIVE Interviewed and written by Kathy Goeke

Jennifer Cashen Greenwood, Indiana Area: 9, 2 years Years Coaching: 22 Ratings: CFS Asking Jenni Cashen what she wants to be when she grows up is a loaded question.

“I started coaching in college for some spending money and really enjoyed it,” she said. “After graduating, I thought I’d do it for a few years until I figured out ‘what I was really going to do.’ That was 22 years ago!”

Cashen also works at her father’s pharmacy and volunteers in the Indianapolis area. She has worked the RCA tennis tournament and Olympic diving trials. By the time this issue is published, she will have volunteered at her biggest venue yet.

“Indianapolis has lots of opportunities to volunteer at sporting events. Next month, I will be volunteering at the Super Bowl,” she said.

Cashen is an avid college basketball fan and enjoys following her Bulldogs.

“I went to Butler University and have followed the Bulldogs all over the place the last few years on their treks to the Final Four,” she said.

Coaching, volunteering, and traveling help Cashen maintain a balanced life. She believes balance is important for skaters, too, especially those who participate in lots of different activities.

“I’ve learned to balance different goals for skaters with different levels of commitment.”

Cashen also said coaches should work with parents as teammates, as together they strive to make their child the best skater/person possible.

“Find ways to work with the parent instead of battling with them.

And if all else fails, it’s alright to steer them to another pro who might make them happier.”

Stacie Kuglin Clifton Park, NY Area: 4 Years Coaching: 31 Ratings: SFS, SF, MM Stacie Kuglin’s skating memories span a continent and a lifetime.

But two memories stand out to her more than all the rest: the first time she stepped on the ice at age 5 and the day she passed her 8th figure test.

“I remember my first time on the ice because I never ever wanted to not skate again,” she said. Stacie started taking lessons when she was 7. Later, she was the first skater in 11 years to pass her 8th figure test in Great Falls, Montana.

“That was the best day of my skating life,” Stacie said. “I remember every single moment of that day. I hope all the skaters I work with will have those kinds of memories and those kinds of days.”

Stacie was born in Los Angeles and then spent 17 years in Great Falls. She started coaching in Alberta, Canada, but soon

the city lights were calling and she returned to Los Angeles.

“I loved growing up in the mountains, but I’m really a city girl.”

Once back in L.A., she worked as a figure, freestyle, and dance coach, and as a moves in the field specialist for numerous coaches and skaters.

“As a specialty coach, I got to work with some amazing skaters I never would have taught otherwise,” she said.

Stacie now lives in upstate New York and has been the Learn to Skate director for the Clifton Park Ice Arena for almost nine years. She enjoys gardening and antiquing with her mom – and is an admitted shopaholic.

PS MAGAZINE

45

Legal Ease DAVID SHULMAN

Insured or Not Insured… that be the question R

ecently I was called upon to respond to a series of questions from injured coaches seeking benefits from insurance that was being denied.

Injuries had occurred that took the coach off the ice and into medical care. The argument came from the insurance company and their definition of the magic word… disabled. According to the carrier, disabled meant the coach could do nothing, and inability to act as a skating coach was not the end of being able to perform some activity for compensation. Is insurance available to pay benefits if you cannot do your primary job, in this case, coach skating?

Assuming the coach is an independent contractor, such coverage is available. This insurance is called disability insurance. As the title suggests, the coverage provides benefits if you become disabled.

The definition of disabled is the single most important item in the policy. While you may have a loss of ability to lace on your skates due to a fall on the sidewalk in front of your garage, the insurance company may define disability far more narrowly. Your policy may define the word disability to mean unable to do ANY work. So, ticket taking, answering phones, assigning students to classes all are items of work the carrier may say you could perform, thus meaning you are not qualified to receive benefits. Not good.

Another item to watch for when reviewing a policy prior to purchase is any requirement allowing the insurance company to contribute only as a percentage of your lost income. An example is you have income from other sources and your disability policy pays only after all other sources have paid, i.e., social security disability income, known as SSDI. If disabled in an auto accident, your auto policy may be claimed by the disability carrier to be primary and deny payment. Many policies have a waiting period and do not pay until you have been off work 1, 12 or 14 days or more. Group policies seem to have this waiting period of time deductibles.

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MARCH | APRIL 2012

Group policies disallow another important right to an insured. If your benefits are determined to have been wrongfully denied, you cannot sue for emotional distress…and this can be important. Benefits delayed or wrongfully denied can result in defaulting on payments to creditors, losing a home to foreclosure and tarnished credit report. Individual policies generally allow such claims. Both types of insurance, individual or group policies, permit the award of attorney fees in an award at the discretion of the court.

Some tips that may prove helpful: 1. Check with an insurance agency when shopping for insurance rather than a specific insurance company.

An agency can “shop” your policy needs for the best deal.

2. Be sure you understand under what circumstances the insurance will pay benefits, how much and to whom.

You want the money so you can decide who gets paid and when.

3. Be sure you understand how a claim is filed and what if any time limits control payments.

4. What proof is needed to establish a claim? Do you have to see the insurance company doctor who would do an exam to determine if you are deserving…no matter what your doctor might be reporting?

5. Whenever dealing with any claim keep a copy of all dealings, reports and notes with dates on phone conversations.

6. If you file a claim and it is denied, and you feel wrongfully denied, most states allow an insured to have your claim reviewed by your state insurance department…sometimes called the commissioner of insurance. Check the internet through the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (naic.org.) for your specific state.

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MEMBERS NEW MEMBER Blake Aaron Jennifer Adamini Angelina Aldahwi Sarah Benoit Mariah Braxton Bethany Buck Emily Caron Echo Cassill Catherine Collings Meghan Coyle Tonya Crowley Justine Daley Brandi Emser Jessica Fisher Daniel Gal Alexander Gamelin Elene Gedevanishvili Cinzia Ghiringhelli Alexe Gilles Susan Gillmor Rosstyn Gudino Katherine Hadford Denise Haley Brendyn Hatfield Leah Hill Katie Howard Deanna Inn Michele Jakubowski Michelle Jirenec Kristina Karlsson Collin Kennedy Emily Killacky Kimberly Kroh Stephanie Kuban Brooke Latchford Erica Line Nadia Lopez Ian Lorello Danielle Mather Preston Mcgurn Timothy Mckernan Anastassia Medvedeva Rodrigo Menendez Sasha Meshkov Claire Mifsud Kendra Minser Madina Muquit Amy Niewiadomski Rachel Norton Michelle Noyes Danielle Ohs Jennifer Park Anndrea Parrish

SPONSOR Jeannie Selker Shirra Sinnaeve Oleksandr Romanenko Barbara Adams Denise Cahill Marcia Williams Katherine Cherie Farrington Tanya Burgess Lloyd Eisler Kevin Curtis Linda Carrigan Gianna Goode Kyle McIntyre Andrea Hall Marina Khaltourina Angela Cardello Roman Serov Carol Rossignol Rachel Bauld-Lee Katie Holmes Laurilee Gudino Rashid Kadyrkaev Meredith Barnett Arlene McSorley Victor Farrow Stacie Kuglin Faye Kitariev Barbara Shepperson Dawn Ristow Shirley Hughes Heidi Thibert Francine Larson Darin Hosier Damon Allen Donald Mitchell Rose Keller Raymond Laub Angela Cardello Renee Epps Nicole Stalker Sheral Voelker Nina Stark-Slapnik Jessica Proctor Scott Driscoll Catherine Mifsud Dina Kortuem Catherine Link Laura Patterson Jessica Roswell-Lauria Michelle Lauerman Steve Hartsell Dana Chinn-Martin Stephanee Grosscup

NEW MEMBER Jeff Privett Miwako Satake Rachel Scharrer Anna Schwabacher Ferelith Senjem Arkadiy Sergeev Tanya Shaby Nicole Stevens Natalie Thielke Rachel Tibbetts Nicole Turchi Joanne Tyburski Vallarella Savannah Urton Krista Vagen Sophia Valdes Alexa-Rai Vanderbeek Elena Watson Toni Wright Karanyn Wurster Natalia Yingling

SPONSOR Dorothi Cassini Connie Nakamura Craig Bodoh Diane Chen Judi Harvey Sergey Magerovskiy Natalie Shaby Thomas Incatalupo Craig Bodoh Tiffany Hyden-Dombeck Dmytri Ilin Amy Montalbano Kristin Hoort Kim Ryan David Hicks Kandis Eckloff Jessica Gilmore Patti Burns Leslie Deason Natalie Mitchell-Shrader

PATRON MEMBERS • Amy Wilson

DID YOU KNOW? MR 5.13 Coaches not in compliance with the stated membership, registration and education requirements (refers to MR 5.11 and MR 5.12) will be considered “non-compliant” members of U.S. Figure Skating and PSA, and will not be allowed to coach athletes, nor have contact, either directly or indirectly, at a venue for practice and/or at U.S. Figure Skating events (U.S. Figure Skating tests, competitions, performance activities, club ice and workshops).

As of 1/1/2012

JOB PLACEMENTS Executive Director Wanted: “The Skating Club at Dartmouth, Hanover, NH, is seeking an Executive Director beginning late summer 2012.

Responsibilities: coach pre - freestyle, promote, and grow our membership; organize skating shows and competitions; and provide private lessons. This position has the potential to be combined with that of Head Coach of the Dartmouth College Figure Skating Club, a separate organization of the Dartmouth College Department of Athletics & Recreation. Please contact Mark Ashton, Co-President and Treasurer at the Skating Club at Dartmouth. mgashtonpro@gmail.com.”

Job Placement Ads which advertise a job opportunity are $25 per 50 word insertion, $.25 for each additional word over 50. An additional $25 is required to place your job posting on the PSA web site. Copy should be sent to the PSA office at Lee Green’s attention one month prior to the publication of the intended issue.

PERSONS BANNED OR SUSPENDED FROM U.S. FIGURE SKATING AND PROFESSIONAL SKATERS ASSOCIATION MEMBERSHIP The following persons have been disciplined under U.S. Figure Skating Bylaw Article XXIV and have been suspended or banned from U.S. Figure Skating membership [or competitions] These persons should not be credentialed, nor permitted to coach in any U.S. Figure Skating sponsored or sanctioned activity including but not limited to participating in qualifying or nonqualifying competitions, tests, carnivals and exhibitions.

Roy Cofer – suspended indefinitely Daniel Gray – suspended indefinitely **Tonya Harding - lifetime ban **David Loncar – suspended indefinitely **David Lowery – lifetime ban **Marc Mandina – lifetime ban Amy L. McCann – suspended until October 6, 2018 **Gordon McKellen - lifetime ban **Jacqueline Mero - lifetime ban **Joseph Mero – lifetime ban **Erik Pedersen – lifetime ban Tricia Rubacky – banned from sanctioned competitions until specific conditions are met Dennis Sveum – suspended until June 21, 2012 Laurie Van Den Bosch – lifetime ban **Robert Young - lifetime ban Through a reciprocal agreement with US Figure Skating, the PSA recognizes each disciplinary action **In reference to the Professional Skaters Association (PSA) Bylaw Article V the persons listed have been suspended or banned from PSA membership.

In addition, these persons are not eligible to attend PSA educational events, purchase liability insurance or to hold active ratings.

In addition to the above, the PSA has disciplined the following individuals: James Clifford Patterson – Expulsion; eligible for reinstatement 4/11/ 2013

RANKING Now that the qualifying competition season is over, be sure to check out the PSA ranking requirements to see if you qualify for ranking or can upgrade a current ranking!

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

PS MAGAZINE

49

CALENDAR

OF

EVENTS

MARCH Date: Location: Event: Contact:

March 7 Area 14 Dimond Ice Chalet, 800 E Dimond Blvd, Anchorage, AK 99515 U.S. Figure Skating Basic Skills Workshop (5:00 to 9:00 pm) Susi Wehrli-McLaughlin 719-635-5200 ext. 423

Date: Location: Event: Contact:

March 24 Area 11 Centerpoint Community Ice, 19100 East Valley View Parkway, Independence, MO 64055 Rating Zone 4: Oral Rating Site PSA Office 507-281-5122 or byackel@skatepsa.com Register online at www.skatepsa.com Oral Rating Exams January 23, 2012

Deadline:

Deadline:

March 25 Area 11 Centerpoint Community Ice, 19100 East Valley View Parkway, Independence, MO 64055 Entry Level Coaching Course (ELCC) [8 am - 5 pm] PSA Office at 507-281-5122 or byackel@skatepsa.com Register online at www.skatepsa.com February 24, 2012

Date: Location: Event: Contact: Deadline:

March 30 Area 8 The Summit, 9410 Davis Hwy, Dimondale, MI 48821 Michigan State Workshop 2 to 6 pm | Special Olympics MI & Special Needs Athletes Karin Straub 517-648-6212 kstraub2@gmail.com March 2, 2012

Date: Location: Event: Contact:

M AY Date: Location: Event: Contact: Deadlines:

May 21-23 Area 2 Boston Park Plaza & Towers, 50 Park Plaza at Arlington St, Boston, MA Zone 1: Oral Rating site at 2012 PSA Conference PSA Office at ratings@skatepsa.com or 507-281-5122 Oral Rating Exams: March 19, 2012 Written Exams: April 23, 2012

Date: Location: Event: Contact: Deadline:

May 25-28 Area 2 Boston Park Plaza & Towers, Boston, MA 2012 PSA Conferences & Trade Show PSA Office at office@skatepsa.com or 507-281-5122 Early Bird Deadline: January 9, 2012

Please visit www.skatepsa.com for the complete Calendar of Events 50

MARCH | APRIL 2012

DARTFISH

Introducing PSA/Dartfish TV The newly compiled Singles Skills Collection is now available!

This collection contains clips of jumps, spins, and steps at various athlete levels from the 2010 season.

From beginner to senior, some of the videos feature key teaching positions and observational descriptions of crucial aspects of the skills.

The skills can be searched by multiple criterions via a menu. Simply check the level, discipline, or skill etc.

to find exactly what you are looking for.

The first skill archive of its kind in skating, we hope you will find it a valuable and fun interactive study tool!

Content will be continually updated and added throughout the season, so check back regularly for more great interactive study tools!

Future collections will include skills for pairs and synchro as well!

Access Dartfish TV through the PSA website www.skatepsa.com

PS MAGAZINE

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