May/June 2020 PS Magazine

MAY/JUNE 2020

2020

Honor Roll of PSA Synchronized Skating Coaches Skyliners Junior C OAC H E D BY

Josh Babb & Pamela May

For the coaches.

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

Visit skatepsa.com for more information.

All contributions are tax-deductible.

MAY/JUNE 2020

COLUMNS 2

Over the Edge

4

President’s Message

6

Ratings

8

SafeSport

| Jimmie Santee | Alex Chang

| Cheryl Faust | U.S. Figure Skating

12

Sport Science

16

Education

36

Best Business Practices

| Heidi Thibert

| Carol Rossignol

DEPARTMENTS 7 11 31 38 40 42

Professional Development Recognition Board Profile Obituary Professional Skaters Foundation New Members PSA Calendar of Events

FEATURES 3

Coach Compliance Update

14

Born Into Figure Skating: Norvetta Pinch

22

2020 PSA Synchronized Skating Coaches Honor Roll

26

Preserving Figures: Debbie Stoery

33

Coach Rodrigo Menendez & 2020 Summit

32

The Rinx: Staying Successful

| Kent McDill

| Terri Milner Tarquini | Kent McDill

| Kent McDill

See page 3 for an important letter to the membership from President Alex Chang

Elizabeth Thornton | Editor/Advertising Amanda Taylor | Art Director

Find, Friend, Follow

Issue No 3 |

Cover Photo courtesy KRPhotogs/U.S. Figure Skating

WWW.SKATEPSA.COM

| Alex Chang

PS MAGAZINE

1

OVER THE EDGE Jimmie Santee, MPD, MG PSA OFFICERS President First Vice President Second Vice President Third Vice President Treasurer Past President

Values A

crisis often reveals the strengths and weaknesses of the human spirit. As coaches, our perception of the strengths and weaknesses of our skaters is generally one of our strong points. Our strategy is to maximize the strengths and minimize the weaknesses. When looking internally, maybe we are not as observant as we should be.

The crisis we are going through today and will most likely continue for the foreseeable future is no different. We must acknowledge our own fears and focus on things we can control. What we can control is our reaction to the things we can’t control.

One of the management credos of Mayo Clinic here in Rochester, Minnesota is, “moral based authority.” Moral values are the principles between good and evil, which controls a person’s behavior and choices.

In times of great stress, the easy way is not always the best way. Good decision making is driven by moral values…right is right. Mayo Clinic allows their employees to make decisions regarding their patients using this philosophy. Another philosophy of conduct from the 1990’s was by Robert Fulghum who wrote, “10 Things You Learned in Kindergarten.”

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

Committee on Professional Standards Ratings Chair Seminar/ Webinar Chair ISI Rep to PSA U.S. Figure Skating Rep to PSA PSA Rep to U.S. Figure Skating Conference Chairs Executive Director COMMITTEE CHAIRS Awards Coaches Hall of Fame Education Apprentice Program

1. Don’t take things that aren’t yours 2. Don’t hit people (Yes! Social and physical distancing)

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

3. Hold hands, stick together (well, maybe we skip holding hands right now) 4. Share 5. Live a balanced life 6. Take a nap every afternoon 7. Listen 8. Treat everyone the way you want to be treated 9. Things change and come to an end (this too will pass)

PSA AREA REPRESENTATIVES

10. Be aware of wonder

Area Area Area Area Area Area Area Area Area

We all have the skills and determination to overcome any crisis. We practice those skills daily as we practice our craft. How we interact with others during a time of crisis says a lot about our morals. Treat people as you wish to be treated. Respect begets respect.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

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

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

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

Area Area Area Area Area Area Area Area

10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17

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

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

THE PROFESSIONAL SKATER Magazine Mission: To bring to our readers the best information from the most knowledgeable sources. To select and generate the information free from the influence of bias.

And to provide needed information quickly, accurately and efficiently.

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

The Professional Skater (USPS 574770) Issue 3, a newsletter of the Professional Skaters Association, Inc., is published bimonthly, six times a year, as the official publication of the PSA, 3006 Allegro Park SW, Rochester, MN 55902. Tel 507.281.5122, Fax 507.281.5491, Email: office@skatepsa.com © 2017 by Professional Skaters Association, all rights reserved. Subscription price is $19.95 per year, Canadian $29.00 and foreign $45.00/year, U.S. Funds. Second-class Postage Paid at Rochester, MN 55901 and at additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER send address changes to The Professional Skater, 3006 Allegro Park SW, Rochester, MN 55902. Printed in the USA.

2

MAY/JUNE 2020

Message from PSA President Alex Chang

Coach Compliance Update

W

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Thank you,

Alex Chang PSA PRESIDENT

PSA MISSION STATEMENT

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

PS MAGAZINE

3

PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE Alex Chang, MFS, RM

TEAMS - Unity & Celebrating the Unique O

ne essential life lesson I like to teach my students is this: with proper planning, education, and follow through, we can do anything we set our mind to, but we must remember we cannot do everything. As a coach, I think it is important to explore the distinction between anything and everything as it applies to our coaching. We often do many different tasks, and this makes us feel like we can do anything, but with limited time, energy and resources, we just can’t get to everything that needs to be done. We generally form partnerships and coaching teams to cover all the development areas for our burgeoning champions. It’s as if by natural selection (or ‘Darwin on ice’) that we find our niche, our calling, our comfort zone, and our best contribution to the skater’s journey.

For a skater, this coaching team becomes their own personal Justice League of coaches. For those of you that know my penchant for comic books, please humor my analogy for a moment. Let’s take a closer look. We have Superman (physical powerhouse, general good guy and the glue of organizational leadership), Wonder-Woman (Amazonian combat skills and moral epicenter of truth), Batman (stealth expert and criminology mastermind), The Flash (super speed mixed with hand-to-hand combat), Green Arrow (playboyturned-rebellion-leader “PSA is continually with a long-range attack strategy), Green Lantern refining our education (cosmic hero whose only and currently we are limitations are his own imagination and the color re-examining our yellow), and the list goes on and on. offerings based on The point is this: specific audiences, everyone has their own unique strengths, experlevels, disciplines, and tise, and value as a piece of the puzzle. The team’s areas of expertise. It power lies in bringing is part of our Grand each character’s unique strength to a unified Education Plan Initiative, whole. In other words, we need to celebrate the which transforms our unique in each of us, but Strategic Plan into an with a unified vision.

In looking at your Action Plan for you!” coaching team, identify

4

MAY/JUNE 2020

existing core strengths and interests. Who demonstrates traits of the Main Coach (generalist and strategic planner)?

Who is the Technician (jump specialist both on and off the ice)? What about the Artist (creative movement, performance, and choreography), the On-Ice Trainer (drills and program run-throughs), or the Off-Ice Trainer (strength, conditioning, flexibility, agility, stamina, etc.)? Who is your Dr. Head-Space (mental preparation and high performance thinking expert)? You get the idea.

Once assembled, your coaching team can safely and purposefully move your students past their perceived, selfimposed barriers and into their next phase of growth. But a word of warning: it’s critical that your team maintains solid communication, coordination, flexibility, and perspective to keep each training segment working towards the common goal. For example, everyone must taper as you approach key competitions, right? If a lesson is skipped that week, then so be it when it’s in the best interest of the skater, correct?

Every coach should know what lane they operate in best, and though we should all know a little about everything, we shouldn’t be afraid to let go and allow others to do the job that suits them best.

In my humble opinion, both coordination and cooperation must be viewed as the greatest super powers of all. So often, coaches perceive cooperation as a weakness of character, when in reality, it is the most important strength of any team or business. It’s a trait to be respected and cultivated as it brings out the super powers of the entire team, like the Super Serum that magnifies each hero’s attack Ten-Fold.

Wowzie!! Bham!! Ka-Ploowie!! Yes, cooperation can multiply the intelligence and effectiveness of your team. The absence of cooperation, what I quite honestly believe is the ego, is the kryptonite that will destroy your team and your skater (Kryptonite is the one substance that can strip Superman of all his super powers). Remember, each coaching member must commit to and remember to check their ego (and kryptonite) at the door, each day they enter the hallowed halls of your rink, the Justice League of Ice. For those of you that are skating directors, I encourage you to talk with your staff to help them define who they are and what role they play in your facility. Are there certain coaches or skaters they look up to and would like to emulate or even one day become? Sometimes, they just need a little encouragement and an outside perspective to get them excited, engaged, and onto their personal coaching pathway.

PSA is continually refining our education and currently

The best coaches & officials are coming to you! we are re-examining our offerings based on specific audiences, levels, disciplines, and areas of expertise. It is part of our Grand Education Plan Initiative, which transforms our Strategic Plan into an Action Plan for you! Look at our educational events, seminars, webinars, Ratings Prep, e-learning, PSA TV, etc., and talk about it with your entire team to see what appeals to each member. What works for Green Lantern may not work for Green Arrow. Remember to celebrate the unique differences as well as the commonalities within your coaching team.

As this new season kicks into full swing, may you build the best team and skaters purposefully and passionately.

Whether you are a DC Fan or Marvel Fan, I honor the super hero in each of you. Cheers,

WE'RE GOING VIRTUAL We provide quality and affordable education and accreditation to skating professionals at every level.

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

www.skatepsa.com

The 2020-21 season modules are now accessible.

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

Module 1 Focused on athlete health and safety

Module 3 Ideal for developing professionals

Module 4 Created with competitive coaches in mind

Module 5 Perfect for a Learn to Skate USA coach

Module 6 Designed for synchronized skating coaches

PS MAGAZINE

5

RATINGS Cheryl Faust MFS, MM

Ratings for Job Security W

e have been through a difficult and unnerving time these last few months. Not only do you have to worry about your health and the health of others, but whether or not you will be unemployed.

As self-employed coaches, it can be scary to think with a blink of an eye your finances can drastically take a turn for the worse. Like anything else, preparedness is key. Aside from having an emergency fund, the best thing you can do is be your best! By educating yourself, you are doing everything possible to make yourself relevant in the workforce and ensuring longevity for you as well as your athletes.

On a personal note... as I was going through my ratings exam process I broke my hip playing hockey. Yes, of course I played the rest of the game and no, I did not take time off work. Teaching from the sidelines with a plugged in heating pad, I was still able to communicate to my athletes and didn’t have to miss any lessons.

The same thing happened when I sprained my ankle which had to be casted, adrenal gland surgery, walking pneumonia three years in a row, and then there was last year when I had the much needed impending ankle surgery.

I choreographed seven IJS programs from a knee scooter (and quite frankly I think they were better than the ones I did this year). So over the course of 26 years I have missed very little work as a result of going through my rating exams, which enabled me to communicate with my athletes despite being unable to skate.

The process of going through your ratings not only educates you but is giving you as much job security as possible. Many rinks and skate directors are now requiring PSA ratings to ensure their program boasts the best professionals. It also makes you marketable to rinks all over the country should you move or need a change of scenery.

PSA is here is give you that education! Continuing with our series of questions from oral rating exams, here are two questions directly from the exams to help you on your studying journey:

Senior Group Exam Sample Question Regarding class management and safety, how can the ice usage provided be maximized to increase productivity?

Potential Answers: Introductory—minimal ice is needed at this phase. Details

6

MAY/JUNE 2020

of technique, body positions, timing etc are the main focus.

Developmental—Creating certain traffic patterns are the key to this phase.

Mastery—once learned, the elements can be mastered using the traffic patterns in a more progressive/ aggressive manner. This should be done taking turns to learn from their peers.

Registered, Certified, Senior and Master Synchronized Skating Sample Question How do you go about choreographing your program for the season? Do you choreograph or do you hire a choreographer? Based on the answer please explain your methodology/steps for completing choreography.

Potential Answers: • Music then match movement versus

• Beginning then end

• Movement then match music

• Specific time allotted for each element

• End then beginning

• In advance with drawings/ • graphs with counts • • On the spot based on • natural flow of the team allowing for creativity.

• Choreograph certain highlights in the music • Add music cues once choreographed

Place skaters by height Place skaters by skill Detached learning versus connect athletes right away

• Pick the order of elements and ice coverage.

We hope you are able to use these questions to further your studies. Please download and utilize the ratings study guides on the website for free, as well as take advantage of PSA TV for more teaching tips to help make you the best coach you can be!

As always feel free to contact me at anytime!

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

Basic Accreditation (BA) E-learning Academy

Kristina Van Kregten Margie Kenny Kathryn Vaughn Shayna Wood James Morgan Shayne Orologio Kellie Bullington Grace Hancock

Gabriella Vinokur Maggie Iverson Madeleine Meyer Gianna Scalisi Aislin Rosado Mercedes Galvan Brenda Carrasco

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

Start your journey at DisneyOnIceAuditions.com

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

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

Hockey Skating 1 Abigail Peschges Kaitlin DiFranco

Suggie Oh Ray Lilja

Hockey Skating 2 Marianne Tisch Abigail Peschges Kaitlin DiFranco

Christina Walczak Ray Lilja

PS MAGAZINE

7

Know What To Do, Who To Tell A

fter multiple months of leading athlete wellbeing presentations at camps and clubs across the nation, the U.S. Figure Skating SafeSport team faced an interesting challenge: How to present relevant topics to groups ranging from 9- to 18-years-old?

The answer? Movies.

With nearly 200 athletes and their parents attending U.S. Figure Skating’s inaugural High Performance National Development Team Camp in January, the SafeSport team used scenes from three movies to present uncomfortable scenarios. After each, the athletes were asked: What would you do? Who would you talk to?

“The main theme throughout our entire discussion was if you see signs of misconduct, talk to a trusted adult.

Don’t be afraid to report it,” said John Anderson, U.S. Figure Skating senior director of the SafeSport program.

“The movie clips and open dialogue helped support that

message. It gave the athletes a visual situation and allowed them to interact with the presenters more easily.”

During the presentations – to 17 groups over two days – athletes were asked to really think about who they would turn to if they witnessed misconduct.

“A lot of them said a parent, some said coaches, teachers and older athletes, which is good, because it got them thinking it doesn’t just have to be a parent,” Anderson said.

“This exercise helped them think ahead so when they get into these kinds of situations, they’ll know what to do.

“It’s all part of empowering the athlete. What’s the one thing they can use? Their voice. And, after interacting with these athletes, I’m confident they will.

For more information about the video clips used or U.S. Figure Skating’s SafeSport Program, please contact safesport@usfigureskating.org.

THE MOVIES: What would you do?

Shelbi Meyer, manager of outreach and education for U.S. Figure Skating’s SafeSport program, has a background in child welfare and victim advocacy. She takes a look at the three movie clips shown at the National Development Team Camp and answers the question, “What would you do?”

‘Mean Girls’ In a condescending manner, popular athlete Regina (Rachel McAdams) confronts new girl Cady (Lindsay Lohan) in the busy high school hallway about why she has been talking to a less popular girl. Regina then spreads disparaging rumors about the girl while Cady takes it all in.

What would you do?

SHELBI MEYER : I’d tell Regina that my friends don’t spread rumors or talk poorly of others because really, what does that accomplish? Besides being popular, what power does Regina think she has in all of this? I would have stood up for the other person and removed myself from the situation. High school and those teenage years can be tough and for some it can feel like a very lonely place — especially when people like Regina take it upon themselves to label somebody as a being “weird” or an “outcast.” I’d also talk to

8

MAY/JUNE 2020

my school counselor or a teacher because I strongly believe that everybody deserves to be treated with dignity and respect. I’ve always been a very empathetic person so even when I was 16 I know that I would’ve offered support to the person being talked about — I would’ve invited her over after school or given her my number so she could text me if she needed to talk. The world would be a much kinder place if we all looked out for one another.

‘Kicking and Screaming’ Youth soccer coach Phil (Will Farrell) is told by his assistant coach Mike Ditka that he shouldn’t encourage his young team to hurt other players. Coach Phil loses his temper, begins screaming and acting erratically in front of the young players and their parents. The kids uncomfortably take the field while the parents stand nearby on the sidelines.

What would you do?

SHELBI : I would’ve been so uncomfortable if I were one of those kids watching this. We’re all humans and we can all have tempers, but when adults start acting like children?

It’s different and it’s odd. You can tell in this video that nobody knew what to do — even the parents! Kids should

never have to jump in the middle of adult problems to teach them what’s right and wrong. Assuming my parents were there with me, I would have talked to them about it on the way home. I’d tell them how that made me feel in hopes that my trusted adults did what trusted adults are supposed to do — act on my behalf. I know that if anything ever made me uncomfortable, my dad would be the first to step in to try to make it right.

‘Bad News Bears’ Coach Buttermaker (Walter Matthau) chews out his Little League baseball player after he hits into an out. Coach continues yelling at the player when he returns to the dugout and then starts yelling at the entire team. The players stare at him in silence before the coach — who has now calmed down — sends them back out onto the field with a humble “get out there and do the best you can.”

What would you do?

SHELBI : Kids should be allowed to be kids during sporting events, regardless of how much the adults have invested in the sport. What’s interesting here is that you can really see a change of heart in the coach as he tells the team “do the best you can.” It shows that we’re all human and I’m sure every single one of us can name a time we said something we wish we could take back. It’s OK to have bad days and it’s OK to make mistakes, but it’s not OK to belittle and berate others. In this situation I’d talk to my parents or my teammates’ parents about how we as athletes felt when our coach said all these nasty things to us. Just because a coach promises to produce a successful athlete doesn’t mean that coach has the right to treat an athlete poorly. I’d expect my trusted adults to have that conversation with the coach and I’d want the coach to apologize to our team for his/her actions. If this kept happening, I wouldn’t want to be a part of that team.

PS MAGAZINE

9

Coaches, we are here for you.

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

• Latest updates from PSA

Visit now!

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

PS MAGAZINE

11

SPORT SCIENCE Heidi Thibert, MFS, MM, MC

The Athlete-Centered Coach

BY GARRETT LUCASH

A

ccording to the International Olympic Committee, an effective sports program centers on the unique needs, qualities, and trajectories of each athlete- as a ‘whole person’- and nurtures them into a stronger, more capable individual (Bergeron et al. 2015). This ‘athletecentered’ approach adapts to the unique needs of each individual which transforms sports participation into a truly meaningful and life forming experience. This article describes what to expect from an athlete-centered coaching philosophy.

Athlete-centered coaches allow athletes to follow their own course and at their own unique pace. However, it is the coach’s responsibility to illuminate obstacles that lie ahead and to ensure athletes stay on a pathway that suits their individual goals and needs. This means athlete-centered coaches provide structure, clear guidelines, and establish a high, yet attainable, level of quality within their program for athletes to reach for. However, champion athletes are not controlled, created, or molded.

Champion athletes are nurtured, supported, and guided.

Athlete-centered coaches recognize this distinction.

They provide structure yet also consider the perspectives and feelings of their athletes. They encourage choice, share vital information, value self-initiation, independent problem-solving and decision making, and minimize pressures and demands. Athlete-centered coaches provide athletes rationale for tasks, rules, and regulations within the sport and training environment. Rationale allows athletes to value, integrate, take ownership, and feel in control of their behaviors and the ultimate choice to function within the sport and training structure (or not).

Research shows that giving learners choice boosts their sense of autonomy and self-motivation (Wulf and Lewthwaite 2016, Hagger and Chatzisarantis 2007).

Athlete-centered coaches design ‘choice opportunities’ within their curriculum to greatly enhance athletes’ training experiences. Choice opportunities allow athletes to take part in a specific decision-making process and this transforms them into active agents of their own learning.

Choice gives athletes a sense of control and allows them to take ownership of tasks. They stick with tasks when provided free time. Choice opportunities nurture deep thinking because athletes have to determine which option they will take. Coaches can adapt the bandwidth (e.g. the

12

MAY/JUNE 2020

type and number of choices provided) from context to context and dependent on the unique needs of the athlete.

For example, younger skaters might not know which skills are important to practice but older skaters probably will.

Below is a list of sample choice opportunity situations. As the list progresses down, the choice opportunity bandwidth widens to allow more choice, and ultimately, more control for the athlete.

“What do you want to practice first- outside or inside three turns?”

“How many times do you want to rehearse this skill?”

“What exercises do you want to use to improve this jump today?”

“What are your goals for this lesson?”

Coaches can assess the interactions with their athletes to determine whether or not they are athlete-centered.

Are the interactions ‘transmissive’ in that you, the coach, resort to lecturing and prescribing and your athletes stand quietly nodding their heads? Do you know exactly what each athlete understands or do you have to guess or imply that they understand? Do you give them time to answer questions, provide their own feedback back to you, or even self-correct?

Alternatively, are your coach-athlete interactions more ‘transactive’ or ‘dialogic’ in nature? This means you create conditions that require athletes’ participation in the exchange. When the interaction is transformed into a two-way dialogue, you can observe what and how athletes are learning just by allowing the athletes to convey their inner voice. All you have to do is listen. The pace and the details can be adjusted accordingly. Just as important, knowing they must contribute to the discussion means that athletes will feel accountable for learning. Athletes will realize that the coach requires their input so they have to stay focused. Feelings of accountability can be challenging for them at first, especially since each athlete is unique and responds differently. However, accountability also allows athletes to take ownership of their learning; to develop and project their inner voices and this is how they develop selfcontrol and intrinsic motivation.

Another point about athlete-centered interactions is the function they serve. Are your coach-athlete interactions ‘controlling’ or ‘informational’, for example. When an interaction serves an informational function, the athlete

maintains a sense of choice or control (think of the choice opportunities I described above). This makes the statement athlete-centered. They can choose to apply the information (or not) without risking their relationship with you. When the interaction serves a ‘controlling function’, the athlete must engage in a behavior to please the coach. This can be tricky because even statements made with positive intent can serve a controlling function. Below are several statements that coaches can make with an athlete. Which ones serve a controlling function? Which ones are informational and, therefore, athlete-centered? a) “To be a part of my program, you must train five days per week.” b) “If you work on your basics, your jumps will improve.” c) “I saw you waste time on that last session. I am not happy.” d) “You won the competition! I am so proud of you!”

Statements a) and b) are informational because they give the athlete choice. While statement a) might appear controlling, it simply states the structure and rules the athlete must accept should they choose to be a part of the program or not. Statements c) and d) are controlling because they imply that the athlete’s behaviors put their relationship with the coach at risk. The athlete might think, “To please my coach, I must win”, for example.

Coaches can observe and ask themselves questions to adapt their coach-athlete interactions. Is the athlete connecting the new skill with previously learned skills?

Is the athlete drawn to irrelevant details or those that are pertinent to successful performance? Making such inferences can help the coach adapt feedback and

discussion accordingly. This personalizes and paces the learning effectively to the unique needs and learning style of each individual.

Athletes either unfamiliar with athlete-centered discussions (this could be young children but also older athletes used to traditional exchanges) or challenged by new skills may require the coach to lead discussions more. In contrast, athletes familiar with athlete-centered discussions may be able to lead discussions themselves. Each athlete is different and coaches should assess an individualized starting point for each.

Athlete-centered coaches introduce athletes to diverse resources to facilitate their learning. Learning resources include an expanding repertoire of exercises; an endless assortment of feedback strategies and ‘games’ they can play with coaches and peers; devices that promote exploration; literature and media such as video archives to watch model performances and so on. Coaches can incorporate learning resources such as these to enrich their sports programs. The resources should be diverse enough so that no two practice sessions are ever the same and this is what makes a potentially monotonous experience more stimulating and fun.

Ultimately, an athlete-centered philosophy vastly increases the value of sports participation because sport specific skills, such as an axel, are only relevant if an individual is figure skating. However, if a sports program teaches an athlete how to manage their own learning, then that athlete has developed transferable life skills.

This means an athlete-centered figure skating program goes beyond triple jumps and level four spin technique and considers psychological abilities that make athletes better learners. These abilities are necessary for athletes to make accurate judgements about the quality of their work; to develop an understanding of the standards through which their skills are judged; to competently and effectively function in the absence of instruction; to know how to utilize available resources to improve efficiently and effectively.

References Bergeron, Michael F, Margo Mountjoy, Neil Armstrong, Michael Chia, Jean Côté, Carolyn A Emery, Avery Faigenbaum, Gary Hall, Susi Kriemler, and Michel Léglise. 2015. "International Olympic Committee consensus statement on youth athletic development." Br J Sports Med 49 (13):843-851.

Hagger, Martin S, and Nikos LD Chatzisarantis. 2007. Intrinsic motivation and self-determination in exercise and sport: Human Kinetics.

Wulf, Gabriele, and Rebecca Lewthwaite. 2016. "Optimizing performance through intrinsic motivation and attention for learning: The OPTIMAL theory of motor learning." Psychonomic bulletin & review 23 (5):1382-1414.

PS MAGAZINE

13

Born Into Figure Skating, Stayed There Forever

By Kent McDill

I

f it is possible to have figure skating in your blood, Norvetta Pinch’s blood type is FS-positive.

“I was born into it,” said Pinch, who goes by the name “Noy” to her friends. “I was probably skating around with my mother before I was born.”

Pinch has been a PSA member for more than 50 years, and has emeritus ratings in Masters Figures and Free Skate, Senior Dance, and Senior Group. She has been retired from coaching for two years.

Pinch was walking at 10 months old when her mother, a skater herself from ice shows and a coach at the Chevy Chase Ice Palace, put tiny blades over her tiny 10-month old feet and shoes. Pinch explains, “I am hanging with my arms up in the air, and she is holding on to me, at 10

14

MAY/JUNE 2020

months old. That was my introduction to skating.”

Pinch’s family moved to Massachusetts where she competed in juvenile to senior in the New England and Eastern competitions. She got married after high school and decided to apply to coach at the rink in Lynn, Mass., where her mother was still coaching, to see if she could make a few dollars coaching herself.

“Eventually, my husband asked me ‘Do you want to teach, maybe?’ and I said ‘Yeah’,” Pinch said. “At first I was just going to keep going, and then I just kept going and going, ever since 1960.”

The North Shore Sports Center in Lynn, which was then home to the North Shore Skating Club of which Pinch and her mother were members, was a popular

site for some of the biggest names in skating because it was open all year ‘round. “So, people came from all around to skate there. Maribel Vinson brought her students, like Frank Carroll and others, up from Boston.

It was a fun experience.

The North Shore Skating Club, now skating out of the Burbank Ice Arena in Reading, Mass., is about to celebrate its 75th year of existence.

Pinch received her first rating from PSA in 1975, a couple of years after she joined the organization. She attended conferences every three years, and said she would always learn something.

“My students would tell me they knew I had been to a conference because ‘you come back and try everything out on us’,” Pinch said with a laugh. “Besides learning new techniques, it made me feel validated, that I might be doing something right. You learn a lot when you go to conferences, and you hear from a lot of different coaches, which is very informative. And you get to see people you have not seen in years.”

E XCE LLE NCE ON ICE

Congratulations to the following on their EXC ELpursuit L ENC E of excellence!

O N IC E

Ames FSC

Kettle Moraine FSC

Central Iowa FSC

Lexington Ice Center

Elite Skating Academy Inc.

Martha’s Vineyard FSC

Philadelphia Skating Club and Humane Society

Vineyard Haven, MA

Ardmore, PA

Hertz Arena

Marquette FSC

The Rinx Total Skating Program

Marquette, MI

Hauppauge, NY

Ice Centre at the Promenade

Moylan Iceplex

Rochester FSC

Omaha, NE

Rochester, MN

Ice Den Chandler

Onyx-Rochester Ice Arena

Skate Frederick Ice Sports and More

Ice Den Scottsdale

Palm Beach Ice Works

The Jones Center

Palm Beach Skate Zone

Ames, IA

Urbandale, IA

Waukesha, WI Estero, FL

Westminster, CO Chandler, AZ

Scottsdale, AZ

Springdale, AR

Kendall Ice Arena Miami, FL

West Bend, WI Lexington, KY

Rocheser Hills, MI

West Palm Beach, FL Lake Worth, FL

Park City Ice Arena

Pelham Civic Complex & Ice Arena Pelham, AL

Frederick, MD

Twin Rinks Skating School Stamford, CT

World Arena Ice Hall

Colorado Springs, CO

Park City, UT

PS MAGAZINE

15

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

PART 2

Jumping for Justice—Individual Jump Technique B Y D O U G L A S H AW M F F, M M

I

n the March/April issue of PS Magazine, Doug wrote about his systematic approach to jumping with the fixed plan and fail-proof method he uses. In the article, he reviewed his 21 “Jumpisms” that he uses to get a quick fix for jumps. Here he is providing specific tips and exercises to help with each individual jump, starting with the waltz jump. Jump combinations will be addressed in a future article.

Waltz Jump | See illustration A • Draw the take-off and landing arcs on the ice emphasizing arcs, toe print on take-off and landing • Emphasize that the free leg passes underneath the free hip and close to the skating leg (like a soldiers’ march) • When the free leg passes the skating leg reinforce the “h” position where the free leg flexes at the knee • The skating side leads on the arc with the free arm further back on the take-off, then swing forward like a pendulum on a clock in a “V” position • The weight transfers to the free side, with the new free leg landing in front of the skating leg in the “h” position, arms open to land • Always emphasize joints bend in the proper order, largest to smallest, hip, knee, ankle and then ball on take-off and reverse on landing • The free leg is turned out from the hip, toe pointed back, the skating shoulder blade “checks” into the spine to slow down rotation on the landing • The eye sight (line of vision) is slightly inside the landing arc to assist with “check” Exercises: 1) Walk through with an exaggerating march up to “h” position on take-off and landing 2) Three jump — Take off on FO edge and land on the same foot on a BI edge like a jumped three-turn 3) Do waltz jump and land on two feet

16

MAY/JUNE 2020

Salchow | See Illustration B • Draw pattern on ice emphasizing three-turn to almost straight line for the “check” then arc with flag for take-off • Must have a checking action on back inside edge like a sling shot drawn back to release • Two take-off options…

1. Emphasize forward inside edge of free leg on the pattern of the take-off with “basket weave” of arms and outside of knee up into jump (the basket weave is the right arm crossing above the left arm and the right leg crossing over the take-off arc simultaneously) 2. The free foot is placed on the ice on the outside edge just prior to take-off creating a quicker transfer of weight (all the quad Salchows are executed like this). This take-off also changes the trajectory of the jump.

“It’s just an Axel off a back inside edge” Rhythm: Waltz rhythm on three-turn entry...count one, two, turn then one, two, jump.

Exercises: 1) FO three-turn hold check 2) FO three-turn hold check and hop on one foot 3) FO one-foot Salchow landing on a BI edge 4) Other entries — RBO three-turn, Mohawk (exit three with a straight line for “check”) or back change of edge (needs excellent rhythm and edge control)!

Toe Loop | See illustration C • I do not support the FI three-turn take-off as it promotes “toe” waltz jumps as the three-turn is often over-rotated! (Interesting fact…no quads are executed with a three-turn) • FO three-turn to BO take-off — skating arm stays back on the three-turn or Mohawk—when stepping from the skating foot to the opposite foot, this relates to one railroad track to the other as the feet must be parallel on the transition

A

Toe Loop • Pivot through and pole vault (free leg is fully extended with toe tap on inside edgeBO of toe rake. The free leg then bows and extends again at moment of take-off) RBO • The pressure on ball (100% body weight) FO3 then shifts to the heel of the skating foot at the moment of take-off • “Basket weave” — the right arm crossing above the left arm and the right leg crossing over the take-off arc simultaneously as mentioned above in the Salchow.

Rhythm: Loop One, two on FO three-turn; one count after turn then one flag to big toe count on opposite BO edge Exercises: BO 1) Half toe (hop twice on tapping toe) repeat 2) Back inside edge pull to right back outside then mazurka (skating foot swings past tapping foot into a semi sideways split then a quick reverse landingflag on a BO edge) then repeat edge pull for exercise to continue down the ice 3) Hop on BO edge in a checked Flip position before tap

BO

• Pump backwards on a circle to drag the free foot crossing over to aAxel back outside Takeedge Offwith the blade trailing. The baby toe of the free foot is down; all weight is on the skating foot. The free leg stays outside of change skating foot for the entire LFO3 jump. of edge • Arms on circle — free arm extended in front of the shoulder —skating arm extended behind skating shoulder with the shoulder blade pinching into spine —chest facing into circle with the eyes looking into the circle as well • The skating leg flexes and the heel points out of the circle as the edge spirals underneath the skater to take-off the toe pick —the skating arm pulls across the ht flattening chest to take-off —the body turns forward at the moment or “check” of take-off creating a “flag” at the end of the arc with the poor toe print—the headexcellent moves last • Talk about big toe pressure and the rise of skating knee to create the flag • Talk about the abdominals tighter on the take-off to support the spine and take the tension out of the shoulders Toe Loop FO

B

RFO3

One, two, as you pump; then BO cross legs and one, two, then

LBOjump x over

Exercises: FO3 1) Hop on toe pick in a circle — “h” position — Left arm in front (for single loop)

BO

Salchow BO FO3

slight flattening for “check”

Axel C

Toe Loop BO

BO

Edge Entry Rhythm: Pattern

FO

Prep

LFI

Loop | See illustration D

Waltz Jump

Axel RBO skid to big toeof onEdge Entry Pattern Change FO3

take off must hit toe

RFO3

D

LBO x over

Loop BRBIO flag to big toe BO change of edge must executeflag half a circle

E

Flip

LFO

RBO

BO

Axel Take Off

FO3

RBIO PS MAGAZINE

17

of edge

LFO3

FO3

Waltz Jump

p

F

2) Back outside three-turn, Mohawk —emphasize crossing light flattening of trailing foot (free foot trails on a back outside edge) of for “check” BO RBO back crossover FO 3) Back outside three-turn, Mohawk double three BO Prep back inside FO3 (to understand the right side folds into the left) 4) Single loop to single loop for rhythm of skating knee like a lever 5) Single, single to double 6) “Pie crust” exercise (backToe outside edge pulls with trailing Loop Salchow free foot on an outside edge in a circular pattern) of Edge Entry Pattern

Flip

Axel LFI

change of edge

LFO3

Flip

flag to big toe

RFO3

LBO Flip | See illustration E and F x over

BO BO

BO FO3

FO3

• Draw FO three turn and toe print —FO3 talk about loop flag jump — “feet in a box” and “h” position — “T” position slight flattening when you toe (the body leans as far forward as the free for “check” BRBIO leg draws back) — pole vault technique with toe tap on outside edge of toe rake • Skating arm in front, free arm back before toe tap on change of edge outside of toe rake (baby toe side) Loop • Free arm moves across chest, skating arm isolated still, st execute flag to big toe head moves last f a circle • Slight pivoting action of free toe tap to forward as the Off Axel BO feet draw together, then the “h” position is created on Pattern Change of Edge Entry the ascent RFO3 • HipsRBO start rotation on take-off LBO LFO

Exercises: 1) FO three-turn check-hop on ball Waltz Jump 2) Toe tap with no rotation hop Flip 3) Half flip-half flip in a circle many times BRBIO 4) Half flip with feet crossed on take-off BO

FO

Prep poor

BO

Lutz | See illustration G

BO

G

Lutz Toe Loop BO Loop

flag to big toe

H

BO

FO3

Axel

LFI

flag

change of edge

Loop

must execute

Toe Loop

RBO FO3

x over

• FI Mohawk, cross in front to BO (no more telegraphed half a circle long edge take-off). This allows for quicker timing with change of edge LFO3 less chance to change edge which is easier for counter rotation to wind-up.

Salchow • Make sure you place your foot directly on the outside edge RBO LFO • Emphasize lean into circle (like leaning against a giant BO upside down ice cream cone) and on the same plane FO3 • “T” when you toe — skating arm stationary, free arm for rotation • The skating foot draws a deep outside edge which creates slight flattening a counter rotation as the free leg is extended to tap again for “check” like a pole vault • Once the toe taps, the feet draw closely together and both knees bow out • The skating foot FO flag is created when the weight of the skating foot rolls to the toe as the skater rises to take-off and thus scratching a flag into the direction of rotation

Axel Change Entry MAY/JUNE 2020Pattern 18 of Edge

Toe Loop

flag skid to big toeto onbig toe take off must hit toe BO

I

Axel Take Off

poor

excellent

Flip

Axel Take Off

J

Exercises: 1) Lutz toe tap feet together (“h” position), hop (no rotation), and land BO edge 2) Half Lutz hop twice on same toe 3) Half Lutz with feet crossed on take-off 4) Half Lutz with feet crossed taking off on one circle and landing on new circle (counter action) 5) Hop on BO edge and clap feet to feel your weight on the ball of the foot then do a Lutz

Axel | See illustration H,excellent I, J

poor

• This is the only forward take-off jump…that’s why it is so challenging!

• Start to learn this jump from a standstill using a hockey line • The skating foot is behind the line with the feet in a “T” position • The arms are in a “V” position with the skating shoulder to lead on the arc thus hands are directly in front of the chest (like a baseball player about to bat the ball) • The head is looking into the direction of travel • The skater pushes from the back foot from the middle of the blade by bending both legs at the knee (the arch of the skating foot is hugging the sole of the boot on the back edge) • The free arm draws back further than the skating with the palms open (thumbs up) • After the skater pushes off they must lean into the arc • The free foot heel is very high bent quite acutely at ninety degrees • As the skater rises out of the skating knee and ankle the weight rolls forward on the blade to the toe pick increasing pressure into the ice • The skater creates a spiralling arc with the end of the arc at the line, not before!

• The take-off edge decreases in radius as the arc approaches the line leaving a print on the ice similar to a half a heart shape • The free knee is now in front of the skating leg at the moment of take-off moving off on a tangent in a straight line (skater looks like they are getting up on a horse) • They rise up to a straight leg (otherwise no complete transfer of weight is facilitated to the new skating side) • Emphasize the free arm to seat belt position (to skating shoulder) and the skating arm draws close to the midline of the body (seat belt position) • The free arm is more employed than the skating arm (body turns into skating side) • Once the landing toe hits the ice the body unfolds to a landing position

Axel Change of Edge Entry Pattern RFO3

To

LBO x over

BRBIO

change of edge

Lo

must execute half a circle

LFO

RBO

Seatbelt position

H-position take off

PS MAGAZINE

19

Front view: Landing position, head turned into circle

Side view: Landing position

Pattern: • Skate a right back inside change of edge on one foot at a slow speed proportional to the skater’s height, weight, talent and strength (a smaller arc is preferred) • The skater must make half a circle on the back outside edge before take-off • The skater rises to a straight knee on the back outside edge with the arms drawing into a “V” near the end of the arc (the left arm comes across the body to meet the right arm… similarly like a gate closing) • The free toe is to the heel of the skating foot and the skating foot draws behind the free foot to a “T” position. the arc must not change shape until the transition begins when the edge changes to inside… there is a lateral movement through the pushing foot to the left foot to create maximum power Exercises: 1) Waltz jump to back spin 2) Three-jump (forward outside jumped three), back inside three with a toe push to forward and repeat 3) Waltz jump clapping the feet together in the air (This helps a more powerful rise out of the skating knee to achieve more height.)

4) One rotation jump at the line (start at line, wait half a circle, jump off toe at the line, land forward on two feet 5) “Crisscross” jump where the skater rolls to the skating foot toe and tucks the free leg behind the skating foot then lands forward on the opposite toe completing one rotation….and repeat for rhythm... I call this the “giddy up” jump 6) “Dig a ditch” — skid to toe pick—weight between big toe and second toe where blade is aligned with foot 7) Waltz jump then an Axel immediately 8) Back outside counter to Axel For comments and questions please contact Doug Haw directly at hawskate@gmail.com

20

MAY/JUNE 2020

Side view: Landing position

Axel take off

T-position when you toe

Loop take off

Photos courtesy KRPhotogs/U.S. Figure Skating

Teams Elite Novice

Honor Roll of PSA Synchronized Skating Coaches 2020 U.S. Skating Synchronized Skating Championships Seniors Teams Haydenettes

1 Saga Krantz

Skyliners

2 Josh Babb, Pamela May

Crystallettes

3 Holly Malewski, Catherine Dalton, Katilyn Fargo

Junior Teams Skyliners Teams Elite

2 Danielle Ostrower, Lauren Roman, Joshua Fischel, Jamie Whyte

Starlights

3 Heather Paige, Jennifer Cherry

Lexettes

4 Eliana Marostica, Ashley Tomich

Collegiate Teams University of Michigan

1 Erin Donovan, Ashley Korn

Adrian College Varsity

2 Ashley Carlson, Bonnie Lynch, Brandon Forsyth, Erica Miller

Miami University Collegiate Varsity

3 Carla DiGirolamo, Lee Ann Shoker, Kelley Morris-Adair

University of Delaware

Capital Ice Chips

2 Becky Gallion, Heyley Bortke, Selena Morris

Teams Elite

3 Danielle Ostrower, Lauren Roman, Joshua Fischel, Loni Bertone

Starlights

4 Nicole Voloch, Stephanie Viggiano

Juvenile Teams Teams Elite

1 Danielle Ostrower, Lauren Roman, Joshua Fischel, Loni Bertone

Skyliners

2 Natalie Martello, Nikki Wylan

Mini Mates

3 Kendra Meller, Andi Gottfried

DC Edge

4 Jennifer Bacon, Christine Burke, Elyse Lerman, Lyn Witt

Adult Teams Esprit de Corps

1 Deirdre Wilson, Erika Hoffman

Crystallettes

2 Stacy Sue Holland, Denise Dobert, Brooke Castile

4 Megan O'Donnell, Wendy Deppe

California Gold

3 Amanda Falkowski, Katie Simpson

Team Excel

4 Merita Mullen, Kristin Curran

1 Danielle Ostrower, Lauren Roman, Joshua Fischel, Loni Bertone

Master Teams Esprit de Corps

1 Deirdre Wilson, Amy Boucher

Skyliners Blue

2 Pamela May, Natalie Martello

Allegro!

2 Carrie Brown, Hillary Menestrina

Star Mates

3 Erika Hoffman, Tessa Hedges

DC EDGE

3 Christine Burke, Elyse Lerman

Skyliners Black

4 Pamela May, Natalie Martello

Goldenettes

4 Dena Grissman, Alexandra Gamber

Novice Teams Teams Elite

22

1 Josh Babb, Pamela May

Intermediate Teams Ice Mates 1 Saga Krantz, Ashley Tomich, Eliana Marostica

MAY/JUNE 2020

2020 HONOR ROLL

2020 U.S. Figure Skating Eastern Synchronized Skating Sectional Championships Junior Team Delaware

1 Wendy Deppe, Megan O' Donnell

Novice Skyliners Blue

1 Pam May, Natalie Martello

Skyliners Black

2 Pam May, Natalie Martello

Star Mates

3 Erika Hoffman, Tessa Hedges 4 Jennfier Bacon, Christine Burke, Elyse Lerman

Team Excel

2 Krisitn Curran, Melissa Delano, Merita Mullen

Synchroettes

3 Geri Lynch- Tomich, Kaleigh Tomich- Corbett

DC EDGE

Adult Esprit de Corps

1 Erika Hoffman, Deirdre Wilson

Team Delaware

2 Wendy Deppe, Megan O'Donnell

Intermediate Ice Mates

Team Excel

3 Kristin Curran, Merita Mullen

Skyliners

2 Josh Babb, Pam May, Nikki Wylan

The Colonials

4 Chad Brennan, Amanda Werner

Triangle Formation

Open Adult Gardens Synchronicity

3 Jannika Lilja, Molly Farber, Brianne Safer, McKenzie Taylor

1 Kim Dawe

Team Image

Empire Edge

2 Megan Metro

4 Alyssa Cambria, Fiona Curry, Allegra Hawkins, Alexis Leahy

Richmond Synchro

3 Jessica Chaffee, Stephanie Meier

Cutting Edge

4 Nicole Morgan

Masters Esprit de Corps

Juvenile Skyliners

1 Saga Krantz, Eliana Marostica, Ashley Tomich

1 Natalie Martello, Nikki Wylan

DC EDGE

2 Jennifer Bacon, Christine Burke, Elyse Lerman, Lynn Witt

1 Amy Boucher, Deirdre Wilson

Mini Mates

3 Kendra Meller, Andi Gottfried

DC EDGE

2 Christine Burke, Elyse Lerman

Team Image SST

Gotham City Synchro

3 Holly Frei, Melanie Greene

4 Fiona Curry, Allegra Hawkins, Cindy Kim, Alexis Leahy

The Colonials

4 Chad Brennan, Amanda Werner

Open Masters The Colonials

1 Amy Boucher

Mirror Images

2 Jessica Stratton

Maine DownEasters

3 John Merrill

Philadelphia Symmetry

4 Agnes Spotts

Collegiate University of Delaware

1 Wendy Deppe, Megan O'Donnell

Open Juvenile DC EDGE Red

1 Caitlin Gallagher, Erin D'Amato

Icing on the Cape

2 Chrisine Costa, Alyssa Norton, Ashlee Wright

Superettes

3 Cynthia Arling- Brett, Kristine McKenzie- Wilkinson

CNY Blizzard

4 Amanda Lattimore, Carolyn Quinn

Pre-Juvenile Skyliners

1 Sarah Blosat, Sennett Cooke

The Colonials

2 Kelly Flaherty, Gianna Goode, Amanda Werner

DC EDGE

3 Christine Burke, Kristin Huppi, Shira Selis- Bradford

4 Amy Boucher, Deirdre Wilson

Munchkins

4 Katherine McKenzie, Kristine McKenzieWilkinson, Elizabeth Slade

1 Christine Costa

1 Sarah Blosat, Ashley Mulhern, Nina Newby

Team Excel

2 Melissa Delano, Lee Anne Filosa, Merita Mullen

Boston University

3 Tessa Hedges

University of Massachusetts Open Collegiate Boston College Eagles Orange Experience at Syracuse University

2 Lisa Mirabito

Preliminary Skyliners DC EDGE Blue

2 Jennifer Bacon, Christine Burke

Princeton University Synchro Team

3 Nicole Owens

Team Excel

3 Lee Anne Filosa, Johanna Jackson, Merita Mullen

Oswego State Ice Effects

4 Melissa Manwaring, Carolyn Quinn

Shooting Stars

4 Tessa Hedges, Erika Hoffman PS MAGAZINE

23

2020 HONOR ROLL

2020 U.S. Figure Skating Midwestern Synchronized Skating Sectional Championships Junior Hockettes

Novice Teams Elite

1 Danielle Ostrower, Loni Bertone, Joshua Fischel, Lauren Roman

Northernettes

2 Alana Christie, Jillian Christie, Hailey Voss

Crystallettes

2 Denise Dobert, Holly Malewski

Dazzlers

3 Debbie Buirge, Meg Plummer

Hockettes

Saint Louis Synergy

4 Charity Hendrickson, Hannah Meneely, Ramona Peterson

3 Erin Donovan, Nicole Falardeau, Marisa Hutchinson

Starlights

4 Jenny Cherry, Kristi King

Adult Crystallettes

1 Denise Dobert, Stacy Sue Holland

Intermediate Teams Elite

Starlights

2 Nicole Voloch

Allegro!

3 Carrie Brown, Hillary Menestrina

United Ice

4 Alissa Mariage, Liz Smith

Open Adult Austintatious Stars

1 Dawn Crowder- Dudley, Cathryn Tremewan

The Lakers

2 Jessica Tuzinowski

Kicks

3 Heather Flannery, Lynnae Kolden

Fire and Ice

4 Neli Stoyanova

Masters Allegro!

1 Danielle Ostrower, Loni Bertone, Lauren Roman

Capital Ice Chips

2 Becky Gallion, Haley Bortke, Selena Morris

Starlights

3 Stephanie Viggiano, Nicole Voloch

Crystallettes

4 Amy Laser, Jaclyn Young

Juvenile Teams Elite

1 Danielle Ostrower, Loni Bertone, Joshua Fischel, Lauren Roman

Starlights

2 Heather Paige, Nicole Voloch

Wisconsin Inspire

3 Emily Dehmer, Lisa Henning, Courtney Keller, David Redlin

1 Carrie Brown, Hillary Menestrina

Crystallettes

4 Stacy Sue Holland, Emily Hollander

Goldenettes SST

2 Alexandra Gamber, Dena Grissman

Starlights

3 Kristen Mersch

Open Juvenile Fond du Lac Blades

Infinity Onyx

4 Deanna Willmarth, Helene Wolf

Open Masters Allegro!

1 Carrie Brown, Hillary Menestrina

Arctic Edge Unity

2 Erin Cullen, Kristina Stein, Chelsea White

Kansas City Illusion

3 Becky Adler, Whitney Turner

Collegiate Miami University Collegiate Varsity SST

1 Jennifer McMahon, Heather Pagel, Chelsea Schlecht, Kayla Sellers

Capital Ice Chill

2 Becky Gallion, Hayley Bortke, Karly Knudson

Starlights

3 Alexis Kaplan, Nicole Voloch

Chicago Skates

4 Shannon Jahrling, Jessica Burbano

Pre-Juvenile Teams Elite

1 Danielle Ostrower, Loni Bertone, Christina Albreski

1 Carla DeGirolamo, Lee Ann Shoker, Kelley Morris- Adair

Cleveland Ice Storm

2 Liz Smith, Danielle Yurek

Adrian College Varsity SST

2 Ashley Carlson, Brandon Forsyth, Bonnie Lynch, Erica Miller

Arctic Edge Unity

3 Erin Cullen, Kristina Stein

Windjammers

University of Michigan SST

3 Erin Donovan, Ashley Korn

4 Amanda Pearson, Margaret Anderson, Gretchen Austin, Sarah Gutierrez

Michigan State University SST

4 Laura Sienkowski

Open Collegiate Adrian College Varsity SST

24

1 Erin Donovan, Alison Maki, Marisa Hutchinson

1 Ashley Carlson, Brandon Forsyth, Bonnie Lynch, Erica Miller

Miami University Club Team

2 Allyson Klovekorn, Stephanie Birnbaum, Abby Nowakowski

University of Michigan SST

3 Erin Donovan, Ashley Korn

Western Michigan University

4 Alyssa Dutton, Amy Yuengert

MAY/JUNE 2020

Preliminary Teams Elite

1 Danielle Ostrower, Loni Bertone, Laila Schlesinger

Crystallettes

2 Katilyn Fargo, Jaclyn Young

Starlights

3 Alexis Kaplan, Kristen Mersch, Karyn Nathanson

Saint Louis Synergy

4 Karen Giedeman , Stacey Tiggard

2020 HONOR ROLL

2020 U.S. Figure Skating Pacific Coast Synchronized Skating Sectional Championships Adult California Gold

1 Amanda Falkowski, Katie Simpson

Denver Synchronicity

2 Caitlin Cattelino, Alicia Jordan

Tremors of San Francisco

3 Chantal Hersey, Lindsey Wolkin

Open Adult Washington Ice Emeralds

1 Danielle Buckley, Ashley Keithley

Matrix

2 Alexis Kinney, Sarah Sherman

Masters IceSymmetrics

1 Charlene Lambros, Alyssa Lewis

Denver Synchronicity

2 Caitlin Cattelino, Alicia Jordan

Washington Ice Emeralds

3 Sarah Berkshire, Marie Grieshaber

Open Masters Cold Fusion

1 Charlene Lambros, Alyssa Lewis

Fort Collins Fire Crystals

2 Denaysa Haafen-Sisemore, Pamela Kurtz

Intermediate Pacific Edge

1 Stephen Laumann, Tisha Walker-Green

Denver Synchronicity

2 Caitlin Cattelino, Alicia Jordan

Tremors of San Francisco

3 Chantal Hersey, Lindsey Wolkin

Fusion

4 Barbara Blada, Tiffany Shih

Juvenile Fusion Open Juvenile Tremors of San Francisco

1 Barbara Blada, Tamara Smulson, Gabriella Weissmann 1 Chantal Hersey, Taylor Stender, Lindsey Wolkin

Team del Sol

2 Susan Morrison, Brian Thayer

Rose City Crystals

3 Talia Marin, Raynese Mancha, Sunshine Dela O, Sabrina Uribe- Ventrella

Pacific Edge

4 Kristina Fritz, Lauri Varvais

Pre-Juvenile Tremors of San Francisco

1 Chantal Hersey, Lindsey Wolkin

Fire Crystals

2 Pamela Kurtz

Matrix

3 Andrea Brett, Veronica LeRette

San Diego Shining Blades

4 Susan Morrison, Brian Thayer

Preliminary Tremors of San Francisco

1 Chantal Hersey, Cheney Lyford, Lindsey Wolkin

Ice Cadettes

2 Isabel Aste, Kloe Chanel Bautista, Christina Lomeli, Darlene Sparks

Denver Synchronicity

3 Alicia Jordan, Gabrielle Talbot, Kate Williams PS MAGAZINE

25

Preserving the

A rt of

Fi g u r e s hrouh

Moves in the Field

wih

By Terri Milner Tarquini

Debbie Sery

or the first 50 years of figure skating being an organized sport, compulsory figures, at the root of how figure skating itself got its name, counted for 60 percent of a skater’s overall score, outweighing free skate components.

F

Simply stated, figures were a big deal.

All figures were strictly traced circles that incorporated a variety of turns and edge requirements, which had to be performed with smoothness, precision, and accuracy.

Their importance diminished, however, and, in 1990, the International Skating Union abolished figures in international competitions and, by 1998, they were discontinued in qualifying competitions in the U.S., opening the door for a new set of skill-building drills: moves in the field.

A goal of moves in the field is to teach the elements of compulsory figures in freestyle-inspired patterns; thereby taking the turns of figures (three-turns, brackets, counters, rockers and loops) and melding them with step sequences that emphasize power, carriage, agility and flow, rather than slow-paced tracing, tracing and more tracing.

26

MAY/JUNE 2020

A huge part of moves in the field patterns is the development of the turns themselves – vital to many areas of figure skating, including jumps and step sequences.

Now, two decades down the road, figure skating is seeing a reemergence in coaches going back to the compulsory figure roots to teach these essential building blocks.

Yes. Circles are back.

In January, the Skokie Valley Skating Club hosted a PSA-endorsed event, “Preserving the Art of Figures through Moves in the Field,” featuring Debbie Stoery, an elite technical coach of 50 years who had a hand in the development of Olympians Caryn Kadavy (’88), Nicole Bobek (’98), Melissa Gregory (’06), and Evan Lysacek (’06 and ’10).

“Back then, there were 22 ‘patches’ on the ice,” said Stoery, referring to the sections of ice during figures practice sessions. “There was no music and no talking other than to our coach. What we did was trace our patterns in a very quiet environment and we learned what the appropriate sounds were so we could hear what our blade was supposed to be doing. We could hear the push and the turn and the grip of the edge.”

“Listen,” she said, demonstrating a three-turn, “there’s a swish when it’s done correctly. Skaters still need to know what that sounds like.”

For an on-ice, tip-packed seminar, Stoery and coaches Laura Kretekos Kaplan and Christine Heiser, with longtime judges Lois Todd and Pat Smith contributing, took to the ice and shared their knowledge and exercises on how to teach edges and turns for moves in the field testing success, using compulsory figures as a base. There were even several (gasp!) scribes on the ice. (A scribe is a compass-like mechanism for drawing circles of all sizes for compulsory figures.)

“While the ‘perfect’ figures circle was actually impossible due to friction, the idea of the circles and patterns was easily identifiable,” Stoery said.

“With moves in the field, now we have a system supported by the Laws of Physics.”

But why were figures so important and what is there still to be learned from something that is from so far in the past?

“The physical aspects that skaters benefitted from with figures were transverse abs (the deep front and

With less speed, the skater had to be more accurate and it was much more obvious if they weren’t. There was also visual feedback: They learned what turns and edges looked like, so they looked at the ice and understood what they needed to do differently.”

And, like most things in skating, beyond the physical, there’s the mental.

side abdominal muscles) – skaters held a position for a long time and built up muscle strength and awareness,” Stoery said. “They also learned to use the full extent of the blade.

“The mental benefits were that we had repetition, which still needs to happen, but needs to be legislated in much smaller doses or we will have zero students in a week,” Stoery said. “We had attention to detail, and we had very clear goals, which sustained us in many

ways and translated into many other areas of the sport.”

The idea of utilizing figures to teach moves in the field elements will infuse the sport with the skills from above, while also sustaining the current test structure.

“My steadfast, most important rule is to wait as long as possible before teaching the moves in the field pattern,” Stoery said. “Teach the element and legislate repetitive practice by giving the skater exact amounts of time to be working on each thing and have them document it. The pattern shouldn’t even be a thought until the element is well-established.”

Figures were never quick or easy, but they did lay a foundation that reached out to all areas of skating.

“What we teach translates into real life,” Stoery said. “If it’s worth having, it’s worth working for and waiting for.”

Preserving the Art of Figures through Moves in the Field

Pro Tips

By Terri Milner Tarquini

FORWARD THREE-TURNS “Show the skater on a circle (hockey or drawn) where their shoulders and hips need to be,” said Heiser, coach and developmental coordinator for the Starlights synchronized skating teams. “Shoulders are parallel to the circle and the skating hip is still. I have them hold a hockey stick across their body and do the turn on a circle so they have a guide of where their arms should be. Using a hockey stick, there won’t be floating arms and it’s obvious if their shoulders are turning. If they can check a three-turn, they can hold that exit edge for days – and the judges really want control out of turns.”

Teaching that there is a change of weight on the

blade is important at this beginning stage, as it carries over to more advanced turns.

PRO TIP EXERCISE: “I have the skater do an exercise where they do a full releve and come up completely onto their toe,” Stoery said. “They start the three-turn, go all the way up to the toe pick, actually jump the turn and land on the opposite backward edge. We have more bones in the foot than anywhere else in the body. The more they know how to use that foot, the more secure they will be with their blade.”

PS MAGAZINE

27

Preserving the Art of Figures through Moves in the Field

BACKWARD THREE-TURNS “In my experience, skaters find the backward outside three-turn to be the most challenging,” Stoery said. “All three-turns have a shifting of weight on the blade, but for this one, they feel like they are going to tip over backward. As humans, we have an instinct to protect our head, so they overcompensate.”

Again, understanding how long the blade is — and how far you can rock on it — is imperative.

PRO TIP EXERCISE: “Have the skater start on two feet and keep the back arm above shoulder level so they don’t feel like they’re tipping backward,” Stoery said. “Once they start on one foot, the coach can support the arm and really have them exaggerate going all the way up to the heel so they can get that feeling of their weight going back on the blade to trigger the turn. Then, once they start to feel it, the coach can hold their hand less and less.”

BRACKETS “Brackets are the first turn using counter-rotation, which is totally unnatural and absolutely necessary for the turn to be successful,” Stoery said.

“Transverse abs are what makes this turn happen. I have the skater learn the turn on two feet. I help the skater to trigger the rotation by moving the skater’s arm across the body. The hips really have to turn 180 degrees to go from forward to backward or backward to forward and I’m big on keeping the free hip down because, if they lift that hip, they cannot sustain their balance. And, again, I also want them to get the full rocking on the blade into the turn.”

Using a scribe with a marker taped to the end of it, Kaplan, figure skating director at the Twin Rinks Ice Pavilion, drew a large two-circle figure eight.

“If you can buy or borrow a scribe, I think they are invaluable to training,” Kaplan said. “You have to learn the turns slow before you can do it with speed. Learning it on a figure pattern forces them to go slowly.”

Once the counter-rotation into the turn has been established, the check from the top of the turn and on the exit edge comes next.

PRO TIP EXERCISE: Draw the two-circle figure eight on the ice. The skater starts at the middle then, for instance, does a forward outside bracket at

the top of the circle, followed by a backward inside three-turn at the three-quarter-mark and holds the edge into the center. Push and do the same thing on the opposite foot on the other circle. (A forward inside bracket would be followed by a backward outside three-turn; a backward outside bracket would be followed by a forward inside three-turn; and a backward inside bracket would be followed by a forward outside three-turn.)

“This works with either edge,” Stoery said, “and forward and backward brackets.”

The genius is in the simplicity of the exercise that makes it apparent to the skater if there’s an issue with proper checking.

“If they can’t check the bracket correctly, then they can’t do the three-turn,” Stoery said. “It’s totally selfcorrecting.”

The exercise is also a solid indicator of when the skater might be ready to put the bracket into the moves in the field pattern.

“Doing it on a figure circle is really helpful because it makes it clear to the skater where the top of the circle, or axis, is and, once they’re on the Moves in the Field pattern, the curve will be bigger,” Stoery said. “Until they can maintain control with the bracket/three-turn exercise, they should not be doing the moves in the field pattern.”

COUNTERS “Skaters are always so excited to learn counters because that’s the big time,” Stoery said. “So, the first thing to do is take them back to the figure circles! Teaching on the circles will help them with

28

MAY/JUNE 2020

the idea of the curves into and out of turns so, once they are on the pattern, they’re not just skating straight down the ice.”

Bracket/Three-turn

Rocker/Three-turn

If they can’t check

the bracket correctly,

then they can’t do the

Start three-turn...It’s totally second side here self-correcting.

Start

ket/Three-turn

Rocker/Three-turn Counter Bracket

Start

Start second side here

Start second side here

PRO TIP EXERCISE: Harkening back to the ounter Bracket bracket-three turn exercise from above, draw the same two-circle figure eight. This time, the skater starts at the top of one of the circles, skates a halfcircle then, for example, does a forward outside counter at the center and a backward outside bracket at the quarter-mark. Push at the top of the other circle and repeat on the other foot. (A forward Start inside counter would be followed by a backward

Start Start

inside bracket; a backward outside counter would be followed by a forward outside bracket; and a backward inside counter would by followed by a forward inside bracket.)

“The free thigh needs to stay in place and the lower leg scissors,” Stoery said. “If they’re swinging too much, keep it behind until just before the turn and then sneak it in front for the turn.

ROCKERS “You check with the shoulders, but you rotate with the whole torso,” Heiser said. “The whole torso – not just arms and not just shoulders – but all of the upper body.”

PRO TIP EXERCISE: As with the section above on counters, the skater starts at the top of one of the circles, skates a half-circle then, for example, does a forward outside rocker at the center and a backward outside three-turn at the quarter-mark. Push at the

top of the other circle and repeat on the other foot.

(A forward inside rocker would be followed by a backward inside three-turn; a backward outside rocker would be followed by a forward outside three-turn; and a backward inside rocker would by followed by a forward inside three-turn.)

“With these exercises, the arms can’t float up and around,” Stoery said. “The check has to be there to do the second turn. It’s obvious to the skater.”

PS MAGAZINE

29

Preserving the Art of Figures through Moves in the Field

Before I allow them to test, I have the

Counter Bracket

skater perform the

whole test one time through with their

arms overhead and one time through

Start second side here

Start

with their hands

behind their back at their tailbone.

CHOCTAWS “Have the skater start on the wall and then progress to the line,” Heiser said. “The coach can take their back hand and guide them through the curves.

They must do it slow until they understand the twisting. I tell them not to step until they are facing where they are going. The nose should not move; it should point in the direction of travel. The movement all comes from below the head. I also have them hold a hockey stick in their hands to keep things in alignment.”

PRO TIP SKILL BUILDER: Outside spread eagles in both directions. “I make everyone do a spread eagle from the very beginning stages,” Stoery said.

“If they are working on preliminary moves, they have to be working on a spread eagle – in both directions. That is money in the bank for choctaws down the road.”

FORWARD LOOPS “Loops derive no basis from any other previous skill, which is why it’s exciting for the skater – and also why it’s hard,” Stoery said. “For this, I’d work on the loop circle without the loop for a very long time.

When the skater achieves consistent balance and a proper transition, then I would add the loop.”

PRO TIP EXERCISE: The proper shape of a loop is a teardrop that is 12 inches wide, which is the width of the red or blue hockey lines, and 18 inches in length. A coach can draw a smaller figures circle with the top of the circle at the middle of a hockey line. The skater will need to feel the bend and lean to stay on the circle and then perform the loop on the hockey line.

“All weight is over the knee, which is over your skate,” said Heiser performing loop after beautifullyshaped loop. “If there is a skid, all the weight was not over the knee and not over the skate.”

On compulsory figures, the circles for loops were

30

MAY/JUNE 2020

much smaller than the circles for the other patterns, thus requiring more knee bend and more lean.

“It’s such a tighter radius so the lean is much more intense,” Stoery said. “Arms are low at hip level and the skater must maintain a much deeper knee bend than all other turns.”

With loops, skaters can really see the success – or lack thereof – in their tracings on the ice.

“There needs to be that teardrop, that wide smile on the bottom,” Heiser said. “If it is super-skinny or is an almond shape or a Jesus fish, the weight has rocked back and has not stayed at the front of the blade so the rotation – and the loop – stopped.”

Another key component of the loop is the free leg.

“When the free leg passes, the loop is over,” Stoery said. “Try to delay the free leg passing as long as possible. I tell the skater to pass the free foot later than I actually want them to because they’ll always do it earlier.”

O BI TUARY It is with heavy hearts that we share news of the passing of PSA member Vicki Korn.

Vicki had a long and successful career as a synchronized skating coach and volunteered her time as a PSA ratings examiner. She held a Level VIII ranking and earned the following ratings: Senior Figures and Free Skate, Master Group, Master Program Director, and Master Synchronized Skating. Vicki was recognized as the PSA Synchronized Skating Coach of the Year and PSA/U.S. Figure Skating Coach of the Year for her contributions to the sport. We will miss her greatly! – Alex Chang | PSA PRESIDENT

TWIZZLES “Twizzles are defined as continuous unchecked three-turns, so the turns within the twizzle can’t be checked,” Heiser said. “You have a little bit of range on the blade, but not much. You can’t hit the toe or rock back toward the heel.”

PRO TIP SKILL BUILDER: Upright spins in both directions. “I’ve been asked why my skaters tend to have such great twizzles and it has to be this: From the time they are very young, I have my skaters spin upright in both directions. Even if their spin in the opposite direction isn’t great, the body and brain is getting used to that feeling so it’s creating a history of how that feels. Even if they’re older, have your skaters start doing it now.”

Using a hockey stick can help the skater to learn how to rotate in a continuous position because there can be “absolutely no adjusting of the body during the twizzles,” Stoery said. “I also teach them to bring the free leg in before the arms – that creates rotation in and of itself. The arms come in second.”

TESTING TIME? “When a skater thinks they know the moves, I schedule a time to sit down with them to watch the moves in the field DVDs - they need to feel that they are better than the demonstrators before we can even discuss testing,” Stoery said. “Then I sit down with them to watch them again a few weeks before testing so they get another dose of what is expected of them.”

OVERALL PRO TIP: “Before I allow them to test, I have the skater perform the whole test one time through with their arms overhead and one time through with their hands behind their back at their tailbone,” Stoery said. “I start this from the very beginning with the pre-preliminary rolls. If you can do the hands overhead and behind your back, then you have control, your body is where it should be and you have definitely achieved passing ability.”

Vicki Korn OXFORD, Ohio – Miami Athletics is saddened to report the passing of long-time head synchronized skating coach Vicki Korn on April 9, 2020.

Korn spent 25 years (1984-2009) coaching Miami skating, beginning at the club level and ushering in its current era as the varsity synchronized skating program it is today. She won a combined 15 national championships, including 14 at the varsity level. Under Korn's leadership, Miami's senior program qualified for eight International Skating Union World Championships over her last nine seasons.

Korn started out as Miami's skating director and coach of the synchronized skating program at the club level in 1984. As a club program, Korn guided Miami to a national title at the junior level in 1993 and two bronze medals at the senior level.

In 1995-96, Korn began the first of many ground-breaking achievements as the program was upgraded to a varsity sport at Miami, becoming the nation's first collegiate senior-level synchronized skating program. At the varsity level, Korn led Miami to three national titles at the senior level and 11 national titles at the collegiate level. At the time of her retirement in 2009, the RedHawks had won five-straight collegiate national championships, a streak that extended to a U.S. Figure Skating record 12 by 2016.

"This is a heartbreaking loss," Head Coach Carla DeGirolamo said. "Vicki was a true visionary who pioneered collegiate skating and revolutionized synchronized skating. Her passion for the sport and for life was evident in all she did. Vicki cared deeply for her athletes and had an exceptional eye for talent. She enriched the lives of so many women and empowered us all to expect and achieve excellence. I will be forever grateful that she took a chance on me and helped shape me into the woman I am today. As a program, Miami Skating will continue to passionately strive for greatness and keep pushing to grow the sport in Vicki's honor."

Under the direction of Korn, the 2006-07 senior team made U.S. Synchronized Skating history with a silver at the International Skating Union World Championships and became the first United States synchronized skating program to compete in the World University Games at the inaugural event in Torino, Italy.

Her landmark accomplishments were not reserved for team honors alone.

Korn also has garnered several esteemed individual accolades. In 1997, 1999, and 2007 Korn was honored as the PSA Synchronized Skating Coach of the Year along with the 2007 PSA/U.S. Figure Skating Coach of the Year, which encompasses all coaches of all divisions and levels of figure skating.

Korn's family along with the Miami Synchronized Skating program plan to honor her life and legacy at a future date. Gifts may be made in Vicki Korn's memory to the newly established U.S. Figure Skating's "Synchronized Skating Athlete Support Fund" at U.S. Figure Skating.

PS MAGAZINE

31

Register Today!

Members: $150 Non-members: $200 Judges: $100 Registrants receive 32 PSA education credits

Launching May 18th on PSA TV!

Summit is going virtual!

PSA is committed to the health and safety of its members and registrants. With the uncertainty surrounding the pandemic, PSA has made the decision to transition the 2020 Summit to a virtual event. This will allow speakers and registrants to participate via an online webinar format from the safety of their home.

This decision was not made lightly but is the best course of action at this time given the information we have and the unprecedented circumstances we are facing from the COVID-19 virus. Further details regarding the modified schedule and web access information are available on our website at

www.skatepsa.com/summit All of us at PSA thank you for your support and understanding. Navigating the rapidly changing COVID-19 situation has been a challenge, and we feel the change to a virtual event will help keep us all safe and healthy.

32

MAY/JUNE 2020

When You Wake Up and Realize You Are a Figure Skating Coach

I

By Kent McDill

t is wise, it is said, to occasionally take stock of where you are in life, how you are living your life, and where you are going in life.

For Rodrigo Menendez, it is almost a daily ritual, and one that leaves him smiling and stunned at his good fortune.

“I never thought this career would be possible,” said Menendez, a 42-year-old skating coach from Mexico City. “I am super thankful.”

Menendez is a skating coach who splits his time between the Parade Ice Garden in Minneapolis (as well as other skating surfaces in the city) and Mexico City and Monterrey, Mexico, where he returns frequently to provide skating instruction of a sort that is not always available everywhere in that country.

His life story is an inspirational one, and it starts as a young boy in Mexico City.

“I remember my mom watching figure skaters in the Olympics,” said Menendez, 42. “I used to roller skate around our home, or at my Dad’s office. But then we started going to an ice rink on Saturday or Sunday when I was about 8 years old, and I thought ‘this is what I want to do”’.

So, Menendez skated, competing well enough to compete for Mexico in regional competitions, then skating for 10 years with Disney On Ice. Then, when his parents split up, he and his mom moved to North Dakota, and he began working as a skating coach.

It was in North Dakota that he found out that he could get accredited and rated as a figure skating coach, something that did not seem to be a possibility in Mexico.

“A friend told me about the rating, and that you could use them to build a career,” Menendez said. “I did not know that was possible.”

So, in 2013, Menendez did his research and found that he could attend a PSA conference in Palm Springs and could apply for a rating exam.

“I didn’t study,” he said. “I thought I knew everything. What could they ask me that I did not know? Then I got into this conference room and I have three master-rated coaches in front of me. They started asking me all of these questions and I was like ‘Oh my God! I’m not going to pass.’ But I did find out what it was all about.

Keep an eye out for these Summit sponsors!

LEFT: Proud to become a rated professional RIGHT: Helping raise money for PS Foundation at the 2019 U.S. Open Professional Figure Skating Championships in Palm Springs, CA with Ratings Chair Cheryl Faust and fellow coach Michele Cantu Felix.

52ND ANNUAL EDI AWARDS “I was so upset and disappointed in myself, because I thought it was going to be easy,” he said.

So, he tried again, in Minneapolis, and failed again. Then, at the conference in Las Vegas, he passed, and earned a registered rating in free skate. He followed that up with a passed test for registered group instruction in Orlando at the age of 37. And he is now preparing for the certified and senior free skate rating exam.

There is obvious value for Menendez to be a rated skating coach in Minneapolis. “Being Mexican in the United States, having ratings is a huge deal”, he says. But it is when he returns to Mexico that the value is multiplied.

He goes back regularly to work at the rink in Mexico City where he learned to skate as well as in Monterey, working with Michele Cantu Felix and Ana Cecilia Cantu Felix, sisters who are two of the most famed Mexican female skaters in history. Ana Cecilia first asked Menendez to attend a summer camp in Monterey to work as a pole harness tech, and that affiliation went so well he makes it a regular part of his annual schedule. At the time he was being interviewed by the PSA for this article, he was in Mexico City substituting in Monterey for Michele, who was having her first baby.

“And soon I will go down to Metepec, which is 40-some miles north of Mexico City, to teach my first solo clinic here,” he said.

“I’m so excited about that one!”

“Ratings are everything here in Mexico,” he said. “It gives people trust that you know what you are talking about. There are a lot of coaches here in Mexico who say they are good coaches, but they have no background. You don’t know what makes them good coaches.”

There is no quieting Menendez’ enthusiasm for the PSA ratings system and its value to his life.

“I want more,” he said. “You have an opportunity to create a better reputation for yourself as a coach. If you want to find another job or move somewhere else, you have your credentials to back you up.

“The PSA expanded my horizons to make coaching a career,” he said. “I found that I could get something equivalent to a college degree for coaching skating. I’m not Frank Carroll, but if I can improve my abilities, I will consider myself accomplished in life.”

Tuesday May 12 Nominee Reveal Party 7pm CST Thursday May 21 Edi Awards Presentation 7pm CST Watch your email for the Zoom link to these virtual award presentations!

C'

GiAAF

7:

FEEL THE DIFFERENCE U.S Country Manager & Exclusive U.S Distributor Matej Silecky, Si/ecky Sports LLC I matej.silecky@grafskates.ch www.graffigure.com

PS MAGAZINE

33

2014 & 2018 PSA Fritz Dietl Award Recipient

Thanks to an active social media presence, Yesenia and her dedicated staff are keeping skaters involved and motivated while away from the rink.

Staying Successful

By Kent McDill

I

t took skating director Yesenia Gilroy 20 seconds to count the number of employees she has at The Rinx skating facility on Long Island (the number was 60, not including college kids who coach in the summer).

It takes her much longer to figure out where to send all of her employees on a daily basis.

The Rinx is a collection of skating facilities spread among four communities on Long Island, providing skating opportunities for citizens throughout the year, indoor and outdoor, weather permitting.

Gilroy has to schedule and deliver coaches for skating lessons not only to the Rinx’ primary location in Hauppauge, which has two sheets of ice, but also to the Oyster Bay skating center in Bethpage, which has one sheet. In the winter, she has to make sure the Wyandanch and Port Jefferson rinks are manned and provide the full services of the other rinks when it is cold enough.

“We are the same management, the same staff,” Gilroy said. “Our staff runs from one location to the next and back.

We try to stagger our Learn to Skate times to send a group of coaches from one location to another. There are only so many coaches available on Long Island, so it is using everyone we can in the best way possible to get all locations covered.”

The Rinx covers so much ground, and services so many citizens of one area that it is actually known as The Rinx Total Skating Program, and is a two-time winner of the PSA Fritz Dietl Award for skating facility excellence (2014 and 2018).

There are almost 8 million people living

34

MAY/JUNE 2020

on the 1,400 square miles of Long Island, and The Rinx is the primary skating facility for those New Yorkers. It currently has 2,000 students enrolled in its Learn to Skate program.

While working to serve the people skating on their ice sheets today, Gilroy and her staff work diligently to make certain the citizens of tomorrow will also be served.

“We strive for excellence by going to the PSA conference every year,” Gilroy said.

“We really push coaching education here.

And, we are always looking at resources we can bring in. We have an off-ice room that has a rotation trainer that everyone is using nowadays, and we are always looking to see what other places are doing, making certain we can do those things also.”

Gilroy said The Rinx is also applying the Aspire program developed by U.S. Figure Skating to assist skaters in the transition from group lessons to a more specialized individual program. The transition from group to individual skating requires an intense alteration of practice schedules and cost and The Aspire program assists in that transition.

With no competition for skaters in the immediate area, Gilroy said her staff keep a close eye on facilities around the country that match their attention to detail and facility upgrades.

“We watch the Scott Hamilton Academy (in Antioch, Tennessee),” Gilroy said. I love their programing. They have great ideas. Their on-ice presence and on-line seminars are tools we try to emulate.”

Gilroy, who also still coaches (can you

G

ilroy spoke to the PSA for this article in mid-March when the coronavirus pandemic was reaching a height of concern, and The Rinx was the sort of facility that gathered large groups of skaters on an hourly basis. Gilroy said much of her day in March was built around preparing for the time when they could not gather groups of more than 10 people (which occurred on March 17). On the 17th, the decision was made to close the rink for at least two weeks. Gilroy worked even more hours in an attempt to provide remote coaching to skaters, especially for those for whom competition season is about to begin (if the coronavirus situation is resolved).

“I have to figure the best way to keep our skaters training,” she said. “We are offering off-ice training videos, a lot of off-ice training, daily updates on our website and through social media.”

imagine her day?), has much on her mind, and her job is complicated by the fact that The Rinx is such a widespread endeavor.

“We just want to strive to bring our local skaters the best resource we can and take them as high as we can take them,” she said.

Trade your boots for slippers.

Watch and learn at your own convenience!

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

PS MAGAZINE

35

BEST BUSINESS PRACTICES

To Tell the Truth S U B M I T T E D B Y T H E C O M M I T T E E O N P R O F E S S I O N A L S TA N D A R D S

P

SA Code of Ethic Rule #2 – No member shall represent themselves using false or deceptive statements intended to mislead.

We all know the feeling when seeing a sign in big bold print that says “half-price sale” only to find out you need to purchase something at regular price before you get the half-price deal. Is this clever marketing or intent to mislead?

Below are some of the misunderstandings being used in the field of marketing coaches. No PSA member should use deceptive information that might confuse or mislead the skating community. It is our responsibility as PSA members to be honest and forthright with our clientele.

• Personal Credentials | PSA Member vs. PSA Accredited? Coaches should only include credentials that can be easily verified by the consumer. Many coaches use “PSA Accredited” as part of their bio information on websites, seminar brochures and business cards. Accreditation is a review process to determine if educational programs meet defined standards of quality. The PSA accredited programs include Ratings, Rankings, Excellence on Ice and Hockey. These accredited programs are for coaches who want to validate their skating skill and teaching experience. Ratings, Rankings, Excellence on Ice and the PSA Hockey Program are verifiable and an assurance to clubs, rinks, skaters, parents, and the general public that the coach(es) they hire are technically qualified to instruct at the level in which they are rated or ranked regardless of personal background and skating achievement. Including “PSA Accredited” without proper qualifications could be misinterpreted by the consumer.

• Ratings | are you a PSA rated coach with inactive ratings? Once a rating has been earned, a coach must maintain a minimum of 28 educational credits over a three-year period through attendance at educational events to keep the rating active. An affidavit must be submitted to the PSA office so that the credits can be recorded. A coach may not advertise as a PSA rated coach unless the rating is active.

• Sports Science Exams or Ratings? | there are no Sport Science ratings and coaches should not advertise as having a Master Rating in Sport Science. Sport Science online exams are a pre-requisite and only one

component to taking an oral rating exam, but they are not a separate rating credential. Passing a Sport Science exam is not a rating by itself.

• Technical Specialists | are you an IJS technical specialist or are you a coach who 'specializes' in technique? They are not the same but calling yourself a 'technical specialist of jump technique' may mislead a customer into equating you to an 'IJS technical specialist.' Remember, U.S. Figure Skating Technical Specialists go through extensive IJS training and examinations to become accredited officials. To adopt this title without an official designation by U.S. Figure Skating is misleading and could create confusion with skating parents.

• CER exams | are you a U.S. Figure Skating certified coach or have you completed the Continuing Education Requirement? Many coaches misunderstand and misuse the acronym CER. It is not a certification credential and should not be used as one. Representing yourself as an U.S. Figure Skating ‘Certified’ coach is inaccurate. U.S. Figure Skating requires the mandatory yearly Continuing Education Requirement (CER) for all coaches at U.S. Figure Skating sanctioned events.

• Athlete and Parents | a “claim to fame” pledge is a very slippery slope. Coaches cannot control many aspects of the sport or the athlete’s physical development. Making promises like a placement in a competition, making final round, making it to nationals or passing a test is deceptive and misrepresents the authority of a coach.

According to the Cornell Law School website, the term “misleading conduct” means— (A) knowingly making a false statement; (B) intentionally omitting information from a statement and thereby causing a portion of such statement to be misleading, or intentionally concealing a material fact, and thereby creating a false impression by such statement; (C) with intent to mislead, knowingly submitting or inviting reliance on a writing or recording that is false, forged, altered, or otherwise lacking in authenticity; (D) with intent to mislead, knowingly submitting or inviting reliance on a sample, specimen, map, photograph, boundary mark, or other object that is misleading in a material respect; or (E) knowingly using a trick, scheme, or continued on page 39

36

MAY/JUNE 2020

Skate to a brighter future.

Skate to great.

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

Get started today, visit LearnToSkateUSA.com

endorsed by

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

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

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

Richard Dwyer Robbie Kaine Wayne Seybold Moira North Curtis McGraw Webster

Here For Coaches

By Patrick O’Neil As many of you know, the primary mission of the PS Foundation is to assist coaches and performing skaters with educational scholarship opportunities and at times when they find themselves in financial need due to illness or disability.

This year, I am happy to report that the Foundation received 28 applications for the Walter and Irene Muelbronner Scholarship (WIM), 5 applications for the Don Laws Scholarship, and 1 application for the David Shulman Leadership Scholarship. This is a marked increase in the number of applications we have received in the past. Additionally, The Foundation has provided over twenty thousand dollars in assistance to coaches who were experiencing illness during the fiscal year.

Recognition opportunities for donors available

The Foundation is proud to support the coaching community and, while we look for donations from many places, we depend directly upon the generosity of the same coaching community that The Foundation seeks to support. If you or your business currently support The Foundation, THANK YOU! Your colleagues are grateful for your donation, no matter the dollar amount. If you have never made a donation to The Foundation, please consider doing so. Reaching into your local skating community and ice rinks and asking them to support our mission is another way skating coaches can contribute to The Foundation.

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

Congratulations to all who have received educational scholarships from the PS Foundation.

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

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

2020 SCHOLARSHIP WINNERS David Shulman Leadership Scholarship The PS Foundation recently joined the Smile Amazon Program. Amazon donates 0.5% of all eligible purchases to a charity that you designate on the Smile.amazon.com website.

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

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

Ashley Wyatt Don Laws Apprentice Scholarship Odetha Hill Meredith Longoria

Shawnee Smith

Walter and Irene Muehlbronner Scholarship Linda Blount Tracy Dedrick Trista DeMuth Tara Denkers Kathleen Gazich Lisa Geltz-Perri Angela Johnstad Andria Kelling Jessica Mills Kincade Amy Ladogana Joey Millet James Morgan

Karri Nachtigal Madeleine Newby-Estrella Grace Orpiano Abby Peschges Dawn Piepenbrink-McCosh Caitlin Ramsey Sara Robertson Megan Schultz Tracey Seliga-O’Brien Dana Tang Stacey Tiggard

A Community that Cares 38

MAY/JUNE 2020

To Tell the Truth continued from page 36

device with intent to mislead.

Courts use the following six factors when determining fraudulent misrepresentation: 1. a representation was made 2. the representation was false 3. that when made, the defendant knew that the representation was false or that the defendant made the statement recklessly without knowledge of its truth 4. that the fraudulent misrepresentation was made with the intention that the plaintiff rely on it 5. that the plaintiff did rely on the fraudulent misrepresentation 6. that the plaintiff suffered harm as a result of the fraudulent misrepresentation On a bigger stage, when the FTC finds a case of fraud perpetrated on consumers, the agency files actions in federal district court for immediate and permanent orders to stop scams; prevent fraudsters from perpetrating scams in the future; freeze their assets; and get compensation for victims. When consumers see or hear an advertise-

ment, whether it’s on the Internet, radio or television, or anywhere else, federal law says that ad must be truthful, not misleading, and, when appropriate, backed by scientific evidence. The Federal Trade Commission enforces these truth-in-advertising laws, and it applies the same standards no matter where an ad appears – in newspapers and magazines, online, in the mail, or on billboards or buses.

Coaches have unique opportunities to market and promote themselves. And while this might be awkward at first remember your name is your brand and how you represent yourself will follow you forever. Be proud and be honest of what you have accomplished as a skater, no matter the test level or competition experience. All levels of knowledge and experience are valuable and the skaters you come in to contact with throughout your career deserve the best version of you. Always remember to be honest, be factual, be consistent, be aware of how you are being perceived and most of all be an ethical PSA Professional!

Learn more at www.law.cornell.edu and www.ftc.gov

2020 Event Canceled

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

Keep the skating alive!

Log on to PSA TV to watch the U.S. Open Professional Figure Skating Championships from previous years. Cheer our competitors on from the comfort of home!

PS MAGAZINE

39

NEW MEMBERS

40

Welcom e coaches!

NEW MEMBER

SPONSOR

NEW MEMBER

SPONSOR

Faye Anderson

Mary Nguyen

Rachel Musselwhite

Vearle Klinger

Andrea Antillon

Michele Cantu

Suggie Oh

Chad Goodwin

Tara Nicole Baldoz

Bianca Butler

Shayne Orologio

Kathryn Vaughn

Megan Brown

Jason Wong

Erin Orsini

Bridget Kaus

Brenda Samantha Carrasco

Ana Cecilia Cantu Felix

Kathryn Piercy

Jackie Pusztay

Aislin Rosado

Michele Cantu

Emily Chan

Olga Ganicheva

Paige Ruggeri

Brigitte Bazel

Lee Chandler

Saga Krantz

Gianna Scalisi

Tammy Jimenez

Fern Coon

Iyrna Bohovych

Nichole Tatte

Daniell Eakins

Sarah Dalton

Tiffaney Tanner

M. Ellen Tobey

Heidi Thibert

Haven Denney

Silvia Fontana

Dorothy Watanabe

Adrienne Anderson

Michaela DeToma

Joanna Zehme

Sarah Wickersham

Melia Callahan

Laura Dewey

Isabelle Prischmann

Sarah Yasenka

Andrea Mohns-Brillau

Brenda Lorena Flores

Michele Cantu

Mercedes Galvan

Michele Cantu

Anna Gulzow

Linda Loker

Evelyn Hanns

James Garbutt

Ashley Hecht

Roxanne Tyler

Angelina Huang

Damon Allen

Madelyn Jordan

Mathew Gates

Ashley Kawalec

Pamela Forster

Kamryn Keller

Annette Schaefer

Salla Kim

Danelle Cole

Emily Knecht

Laura Lepzinski

Aleksei Krasnozhon

Aleksey Letov

Kristina Layton

Carole Liotti

Ray Lilja

Ami Parekh

Katelyn Mamrick

Cheryl Faust Klein

Emily McCormick

Melia Callahan

Cheyenne McGuin

Yuriy Litvinov

MAY/JUNE 2020

Do you know coaches who are new to the profession?

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

CALENDAR of E V E N T S

MAY Dates: Launching May 18, 2020 Event: PSA Virtual Summit Location: PSA TV Credits: 32

JULY Dates: Event: Location: Credits: Deadline:

July 6, 8, 10, 2020 PSA Endorsed Event- Arctic Ice Camps Clearwater Ice Arena, Clearwater, FL 10 PSA credits May 31, 2020

Dates: Event: Location: Credits: Deadline:

July 17-19, 2020 PSA Ratings – Registered thru Senior Great Park Ice & Fivepoint Arena, Irvine, CA 1 PSA credit per exam taken May 17, 2020

Dates: Event:

Location: Credits: Deadline:

July 19, 2020 PSA Ratings – Moves in the Field & Synchronized Skating Disciplines Only Colorado Springs, CO 1 PSA credit per exam taken May 27, 2020

Dates: Event: Location: Credits: Deadline:

July 28, 2020 PSA Endorsed Event- ProSkaters Workshop Sun Valley, ID 3 PSA credits July 27, 2020

SEPTEMBER Dates: Event: Location: Credits: Deadline:

September 25-27, 2020 PSA Master Rating Site – Registered thru Master Cambria Hotel, Bloomington, MN 1 PSA credit per exam taken July 25, 2020

Please visit www.skatepsa.com for the complete Calendar of Events 42

MAY/JUNE 2020

Figure Skating Coach for Private Lessons and LTS Classes needed!

From part time Class Coach to full time career Figure Skating Coaches either living locally in the Central Atlantic Florida area or looking to relocate from out of state. Good with young athletes, adults and beginners. Our skating school is growing and needs additional coaches to help with the demand. Ice show and competition experience is helpful and fishing pole harness experience is bonus.

Must have current coach compliance.

Contact: Natalia Smith, Skating Director natalia@spacecoasticeplex.com www.spacecoasticeplex.com

PR O F E S SI O NAL SKATER S A S S O CIATION

Have you seen it yet?

Summit is going virtual!

Stay tuned for live and recorded sessions with the best of the coaching world. Stay safe, stay healthy, stay committed.

REGISTER NOW

20/20 Coaching Vision

A New Perspective on Coaching