I'm so glad that before they showed the long program they showed a bit from the short, because otherwise I would have been very confused that Jeremy Abbott wasn't in first place. However, Ryan Bradley's performance was nothing short of perfection and his Quad Triple combo contributed to his success.
I find it interesting that Jeremy Abbot talks about how he doesn't want to be forgotten as a Skater, because really he has spent so much time in the shadow of Evan Lysacheck and Johnny Weir despite his 2 US Championships. Osmetimes however, being a great skater isn't all that makes you memorable. Jeremy is an excellent skater, but it is sometimes easy to forget that he's a part of the team...perhaps his presence is just a bit too quiet and the lack fo a Quad doesn't help. Ryan Bradley seems to be a bit more memorable not just because of the Quad, but because of his ability to engage and audience and put forth memorable performances like his Short program.
I loved Richard Dornbush's Sherlock Holmes program, but on a Dick Button-esque note, I can't quite buy in to the crazy spin positions some of these guys are doing. Scott Hamilton did comment on the depth of skill in the US Men, and I agree, however we need someone to come forward with the personality of Johnny Weir or the work ethic of Evan Lysacheck and truly lead the US team.
Abbott made minor, but costly mistakes in the short...a fall, a hand down, a double instead of a triple. These mistakes didn't take away from the beauty of the program he skated, but didn't help him to defend his title in any way. Perhaps he put too much pressure upon himself. His long program score was over 12 points behind Richard Dornbush and with 3 skaters to follow him, his spot on the US Team appeared to even be in jeopardy. This skate certainly didn't help with his goal of wanting to be remembered.
The IJS system doesn't leave as much room for skating as the old judging system did. The judging system is so technical and so points based now that it if you don't land every jump you had planned and your spins don't have enough rotations in your various positions, you lose points that could have made a huge difference over all. If you want to see how the judging breaks down for every event and how the skaters actually scored you can go to http://www.icenetwork.com/ and look for the results tab. For US Nationals, CLICK HERE. You can look at individual skaters scores and see how they scored on their individual spins, jumps, and other elements. It takes some time to learn how to read the scores, but it's really interesting to look at them up close.
Ryan Bradley stepped out of his first quad and again on his second. While his program is quite amusing and the spoof nature of it was great to watch, his long program wasn't as technically sound as his short. I do love his showmanship and his ability to connect with the audience. His Triple Axel Triple Toe combination looked like he was literally holding on for dear life, but he did indeed hold on to it. His ability to re-group after those initial mistakes was indeed the stuff of which champions are made. I loved his little backflip bow that he clearly did just to amuse the audience who clearly loves him.
Congrats to Ryan Bradley, but also congrats to Richard Dornbush and Ross Miner for their excellent placement. What a great day for US Men's Skating.
Sunday, January 30, 2011
US Nationals: Women
I admit, I did not sign up for an ice network pass to watch pairs or ice dancing, and further, I have to admit that I'm just not excited about either of those areas of skating. US pairs has always seemed like the red-headed-stepchild of the pairs skating on the World Level, and While Davis/White in ice dancing paint a pretty picture on the ice, I just don't like Meryl Davis. There's something about here that reads "not nice", and I can't make myself like her or care about her skating.
That being said, I was thrilled that the ladies had prime time coverage last night and I truly enjoyed watching the programs. Alyssa Czisny finally seems to have put the past completely behind her and the momentum from her amazing showing in the Grand Prix finals really served her well in this competition. Her program was beautiful...simply beautiful. I couldn't take my eyes off the screen the entire time she skated. Rachel Flatt and Marai Nagasu both had good programs, but small mistakes couldn't hold up next to Czisny's near flalwess performance.
However, I think the bigger story of the evening was the other young women in the top six. Agnes Zawadzki and Christina Gaso had stellar Senior-National debuts and Ashely Wagner proved that she's not just an "also ran" even though she didn't medal this year. It is good to know that there are skaters in the wings wating to rise to the top behind the "Usual top 3" and that ladies figure skating in the US is not goign to diminish in world competitiveness any time soon.
On a personal note, Christina Gao is a member of the Northern Kentucky Figure Skating club and skates at the same rink where I once skated. She didn't start skating until after I was no longer with NKFSC, but it amuses me to know that my former club is growing national level skaters of Christina's caliber.
It was an excellent evening of skating in North Carolina!
That being said, I was thrilled that the ladies had prime time coverage last night and I truly enjoyed watching the programs. Alyssa Czisny finally seems to have put the past completely behind her and the momentum from her amazing showing in the Grand Prix finals really served her well in this competition. Her program was beautiful...simply beautiful. I couldn't take my eyes off the screen the entire time she skated. Rachel Flatt and Marai Nagasu both had good programs, but small mistakes couldn't hold up next to Czisny's near flalwess performance.
However, I think the bigger story of the evening was the other young women in the top six. Agnes Zawadzki and Christina Gaso had stellar Senior-National debuts and Ashely Wagner proved that she's not just an "also ran" even though she didn't medal this year. It is good to know that there are skaters in the wings wating to rise to the top behind the "Usual top 3" and that ladies figure skating in the US is not goign to diminish in world competitiveness any time soon.
On a personal note, Christina Gao is a member of the Northern Kentucky Figure Skating club and skates at the same rink where I once skated. She didn't start skating until after I was no longer with NKFSC, but it amuses me to know that my former club is growing national level skaters of Christina's caliber.
It was an excellent evening of skating in North Carolina!
Monday, November 22, 2010
Skating with the Stars?
Um..where to begin. First, an apology for my 2 month absence. I'm no longer ice monitoring, so things are a bit different. I will catch you up on the folks at the rink and how they did at regionals...but for now, lets talk about this mess "Skating with the Stars".
First, the only two stars involved in this program are Johnny Weir and Dick Button, both of whom are judges. I'm still not sure how they conned Button into doing this. Of the "Stars", I've only heard of Johnny Mosely and Vince Neil before, and I have NO idea who these "world class" skaters are. I think ABC might have gone a little low budget on this.
The rink is a small circle...so it's clear we arent' going to see any real skating. If there was any doubt we weren't going to see real skating, the commentator Tanith Belbin filled us in on what is required for this night. A side by side two foot spin (or they can do a one foot) and an Asisted one foot glide (aka a Spiral). For reference sakes, I start teaching two foot spins to basic 2/3 students and the one foot spin is in basic 5. The Spiral is also a basic skills skill. Essentially, the skills they are asking these "Stars" to do are the same skills we teach 6-7 year olds to do in a 6 week once-a-week 45 minute class period. They have had 5 weeks one on one with pros and coaches and choreographers. Gotta say, I'm not impressed. At all.
Brandon Michael Smith and Keauna McLauglin.
Who is this kid? Someone from the Disney channel. Keauna is a us bronze medalist in pairs. Skills: Forward cross over, gliding on two feet, holding an edge, lifting a pretty girl, 3 revolution one foot spin from a two foot entrance. One back cross over. Assisted one foot glide (i.e. a spiral with the partner helping hold him up). Seriously? Button says "Impressive Start and Spiffy Personality". Button nailed him on his horrible spiral position. Lauriann Gibson, a choreographer whp has never skated says it was amazing. And Johnny calls it a "solid first effort". I thought it was tolerable. At least there was some energy to the performance. Technical Merit scores LG: 6, JW: 5, DB: 5. Artistic Scores LG 7, JW: 7, DB: 6. Total :36. My scores. Technical 4, Artistic 5.
Sean Young and Dennis Petukhov
Ok...Sean Young...Blade Runner, right? That was a long time ago. And the blade runner puns are already old...older than she is even. Dennis is a US pairs silver medalist who competed in Torino. I don't remember him, so he must not have done well. Sean used a chair in practice. We use chairs with toddlers on their first day. I have 2 year olds who have been skating less than a month who don't use a chair. I have yet to see her actually skate. He's pulling her and she's gliding. This is like watching the end of the year recital at the rink, only less talented and less exciting. Seriously, no forward stroking, no cross overs, heck, I'm not even sure she even managed a swizzle. Dennis did all the work. Johnny was very nice to Sean, Lauriann is of course clueless to the world of skating. Button said she had stretched legs and pointed feet, but I didn't see it. I thought she looked sad and scared. Tanith calls the shoot the duck "beautiful". Technical Merit Scores: LG: 6, JW: 5, DB: 5. Artistic Scores: LG: 7, JW: 5, DB: 6. Total: 34. My Scores: Technical 3, Artistic 4.
Do you remember back in the 80's when they did "Circus of the Stars" and stars "learned' how to do circusy stuff and then basically tried not to die while performing? So far, this is sadder than that ever was. Apparently though, Johnny Weir is going to skate tonight, so that will make this whole thing worth watching. Thank god.
Johnny Mosley and Brooke Castille
Johnny is an olympic gold medalist in skiing, brooke is the 2007 US champion in pairs. The practice video of Johnny and Brooke shows some potential...Johnny actually seems to be able to skate. Brooke is the highest caliber skater in the skating cast. Wow...ok so Johnny is actually skating and with some speed--doing cross overs even. Ooooh...he did a hop! So far, he has definitely done the best. He skated with way more power than the others have thusfar. Lauriann wants more "funk in the trunk". Button wants to see more ski technique and better posture. Johnny said he "terrorized the ice". Tanith does note that Johnny is carrying his weight in the partnership. He is actually skating, which is nice. Technical Scores: LG: 7, JW: 7, DB: 7. Artistic: LG: 6, JW: 6, DB: 7. Total: 40. My scores: Technical 5, Artistic 6.
Oh yay! A break in the crap. We get to see Johnny Weir Skate!!! A fantastic routine to Pokerface with great costuming and make up. Woohoo we get a USFS "Learn to Skate" Basic Skills plug.
Rebecca Budig and Fred Palascak
Rebecca is a soap opera "star" and Fred is a Sectional champion. Rebecca looks fantastic. I love her outfit. She looks very graceful. She's actually skating. Her crossovers are good and her spiral position was lovely as waas her spin. She even did backwards crossovers. She did really well. Dick Button called her elegant and complimented her posture, which I agree with entirely. He wants to see stronger stroking, flow and edges. Johnny thought it was very hot and that she looked like a real skater, which I agree with as well. Rebecca did compete as a child, so it makes a difference. Laurieann is still clueless. Tanith highlighted her flexibility and lifts. Scores: Technical Scores LG: 7, JW: 7, DB: 7. Artistic Scores: LJ: 8, JW: 8, DB: 8. Total: 45. My Scores: Technical 6, Artistic 7.
Vince Neil and Jennifer Wester
Vince skated as a child and won a competition. Jennifer won a Nebelhorn Trophy whatever that is. Jennifer's hair is a disaster, but of course so is Vince's. VInce is actually skating, but it's very slow, but at least he's doing crossovers and showing some ability to hold an edge. He also got almost 4 revolutions on his one foot spin, so that's fairly impressive, but for the most part he was pretty tentative and looked slightly drunk. Johnny wanted the rock star and so did I. Laurieann is clueless still...and wanted them to spot, which is NOT right. You don't spot when spinning as a skater. dumbass. Dick Button is giving him some credit, so that's nice of him. He wants more fearlessness. "Any man who is afraid to make a mistake will never make anything". Tanith was complimentary during her commentary. Scores: Technical LG: 6, JW:4, DB: 4. Artistic Scores: LG: 6, JW: 4, DB: 4. Total 28. My scores: Technical 5, Artistic 4. He was MUCH better than Sean Young and deserves a bit of credit for actually skating which Sean did not do at all.
Bethenny Frankel and Ethan Burgess
Bethenny is one of the housewives from one of the real houswives of some important city. Ethan is a bronze medalist at US championships and did the stunt skating for Blades of Glory. Bethenny is really scary looking. She's apparently skated before and is shown in warm up wearing a little warm up skirt. She's kind of obnoxious. Well...not kind of. She's very obnoxious. So far, she's doing very little work in the program. Ethan is doing all of the work and hs'es just a long for the ride, but at least she's skating a bit. I think I saw an almost-cross-over or two, but mostly she's just "marching" on the ice. I did see a 3-turn, which was the most difficult thing she did this eve. The program moved slowly though. Laurieann is an idiot. I think she needs to go away. Dick complimented her figure, but called her static and told her to work on her flow. Johnny called her body "sick", but that she needed to push harder and not have thsi as a part time project. Tanith complimented the lifts. Scores: Technical Scores: LG: 5, JW: 5, DB: 5. Artistic Scores: LG: 5, JW: 4, DB: 5. Total Score: 29. My Scores. Technical 5, Artistic 4.
I'm not going to vote. I'm not wasting my time, but if I were to vote, I'd vote for Johnny Mosley or Rebecca Budig. All of the other contestants were not good. I think Sean Young or Vince Neil will be the first to go home unless they have a lot of fans who will be voting, however, my guess is that ratings are going to be bad for this show as it for the most part stinks! Lauriann is a terrible judge. She has no concept of figure skating and therefore has no concept of how to judge. Again, Johnny Weir and Dick Button are the only redeeming factors in this show.
First, the only two stars involved in this program are Johnny Weir and Dick Button, both of whom are judges. I'm still not sure how they conned Button into doing this. Of the "Stars", I've only heard of Johnny Mosely and Vince Neil before, and I have NO idea who these "world class" skaters are. I think ABC might have gone a little low budget on this.
The rink is a small circle...so it's clear we arent' going to see any real skating. If there was any doubt we weren't going to see real skating, the commentator Tanith Belbin filled us in on what is required for this night. A side by side two foot spin (or they can do a one foot) and an Asisted one foot glide (aka a Spiral). For reference sakes, I start teaching two foot spins to basic 2/3 students and the one foot spin is in basic 5. The Spiral is also a basic skills skill. Essentially, the skills they are asking these "Stars" to do are the same skills we teach 6-7 year olds to do in a 6 week once-a-week 45 minute class period. They have had 5 weeks one on one with pros and coaches and choreographers. Gotta say, I'm not impressed. At all.
Brandon Michael Smith and Keauna McLauglin.
Who is this kid? Someone from the Disney channel. Keauna is a us bronze medalist in pairs. Skills: Forward cross over, gliding on two feet, holding an edge, lifting a pretty girl, 3 revolution one foot spin from a two foot entrance. One back cross over. Assisted one foot glide (i.e. a spiral with the partner helping hold him up). Seriously? Button says "Impressive Start and Spiffy Personality". Button nailed him on his horrible spiral position. Lauriann Gibson, a choreographer whp has never skated says it was amazing. And Johnny calls it a "solid first effort". I thought it was tolerable. At least there was some energy to the performance. Technical Merit scores LG: 6, JW: 5, DB: 5. Artistic Scores LG 7, JW: 7, DB: 6. Total :36. My scores. Technical 4, Artistic 5.
Sean Young and Dennis Petukhov
Ok...Sean Young...Blade Runner, right? That was a long time ago. And the blade runner puns are already old...older than she is even. Dennis is a US pairs silver medalist who competed in Torino. I don't remember him, so he must not have done well. Sean used a chair in practice. We use chairs with toddlers on their first day. I have 2 year olds who have been skating less than a month who don't use a chair. I have yet to see her actually skate. He's pulling her and she's gliding. This is like watching the end of the year recital at the rink, only less talented and less exciting. Seriously, no forward stroking, no cross overs, heck, I'm not even sure she even managed a swizzle. Dennis did all the work. Johnny was very nice to Sean, Lauriann is of course clueless to the world of skating. Button said she had stretched legs and pointed feet, but I didn't see it. I thought she looked sad and scared. Tanith calls the shoot the duck "beautiful". Technical Merit Scores: LG: 6, JW: 5, DB: 5. Artistic Scores: LG: 7, JW: 5, DB: 6. Total: 34. My Scores: Technical 3, Artistic 4.
Do you remember back in the 80's when they did "Circus of the Stars" and stars "learned' how to do circusy stuff and then basically tried not to die while performing? So far, this is sadder than that ever was. Apparently though, Johnny Weir is going to skate tonight, so that will make this whole thing worth watching. Thank god.
Johnny Mosley and Brooke Castille
Johnny is an olympic gold medalist in skiing, brooke is the 2007 US champion in pairs. The practice video of Johnny and Brooke shows some potential...Johnny actually seems to be able to skate. Brooke is the highest caliber skater in the skating cast. Wow...ok so Johnny is actually skating and with some speed--doing cross overs even. Ooooh...he did a hop! So far, he has definitely done the best. He skated with way more power than the others have thusfar. Lauriann wants more "funk in the trunk". Button wants to see more ski technique and better posture. Johnny said he "terrorized the ice". Tanith does note that Johnny is carrying his weight in the partnership. He is actually skating, which is nice. Technical Scores: LG: 7, JW: 7, DB: 7. Artistic: LG: 6, JW: 6, DB: 7. Total: 40. My scores: Technical 5, Artistic 6.
Oh yay! A break in the crap. We get to see Johnny Weir Skate!!! A fantastic routine to Pokerface with great costuming and make up. Woohoo we get a USFS "Learn to Skate" Basic Skills plug.
Rebecca Budig and Fred Palascak
Rebecca is a soap opera "star" and Fred is a Sectional champion. Rebecca looks fantastic. I love her outfit. She looks very graceful. She's actually skating. Her crossovers are good and her spiral position was lovely as waas her spin. She even did backwards crossovers. She did really well. Dick Button called her elegant and complimented her posture, which I agree with entirely. He wants to see stronger stroking, flow and edges. Johnny thought it was very hot and that she looked like a real skater, which I agree with as well. Rebecca did compete as a child, so it makes a difference. Laurieann is still clueless. Tanith highlighted her flexibility and lifts. Scores: Technical Scores LG: 7, JW: 7, DB: 7. Artistic Scores: LJ: 8, JW: 8, DB: 8. Total: 45. My Scores: Technical 6, Artistic 7.
Vince Neil and Jennifer Wester
Vince skated as a child and won a competition. Jennifer won a Nebelhorn Trophy whatever that is. Jennifer's hair is a disaster, but of course so is Vince's. VInce is actually skating, but it's very slow, but at least he's doing crossovers and showing some ability to hold an edge. He also got almost 4 revolutions on his one foot spin, so that's fairly impressive, but for the most part he was pretty tentative and looked slightly drunk. Johnny wanted the rock star and so did I. Laurieann is clueless still...and wanted them to spot, which is NOT right. You don't spot when spinning as a skater. dumbass. Dick Button is giving him some credit, so that's nice of him. He wants more fearlessness. "Any man who is afraid to make a mistake will never make anything". Tanith was complimentary during her commentary. Scores: Technical LG: 6, JW:4, DB: 4. Artistic Scores: LG: 6, JW: 4, DB: 4. Total 28. My scores: Technical 5, Artistic 4. He was MUCH better than Sean Young and deserves a bit of credit for actually skating which Sean did not do at all.
Bethenny Frankel and Ethan Burgess
Bethenny is one of the housewives from one of the real houswives of some important city. Ethan is a bronze medalist at US championships and did the stunt skating for Blades of Glory. Bethenny is really scary looking. She's apparently skated before and is shown in warm up wearing a little warm up skirt. She's kind of obnoxious. Well...not kind of. She's very obnoxious. So far, she's doing very little work in the program. Ethan is doing all of the work and hs'es just a long for the ride, but at least she's skating a bit. I think I saw an almost-cross-over or two, but mostly she's just "marching" on the ice. I did see a 3-turn, which was the most difficult thing she did this eve. The program moved slowly though. Laurieann is an idiot. I think she needs to go away. Dick complimented her figure, but called her static and told her to work on her flow. Johnny called her body "sick", but that she needed to push harder and not have thsi as a part time project. Tanith complimented the lifts. Scores: Technical Scores: LG: 5, JW: 5, DB: 5. Artistic Scores: LG: 5, JW: 4, DB: 5. Total Score: 29. My Scores. Technical 5, Artistic 4.
I'm not going to vote. I'm not wasting my time, but if I were to vote, I'd vote for Johnny Mosley or Rebecca Budig. All of the other contestants were not good. I think Sean Young or Vince Neil will be the first to go home unless they have a lot of fans who will be voting, however, my guess is that ratings are going to be bad for this show as it for the most part stinks! Lauriann is a terrible judge. She has no concept of figure skating and therefore has no concept of how to judge. Again, Johnny Weir and Dick Button are the only redeeming factors in this show.
Wednesday, September 8, 2010
Spins are centered!
My spins are back! They are consistently centered and although they aren't very fast, they are centered and solid and I am very very pleased. THis is the best they have been since before I stopped skating back in 2000. I'm so glad to be finally making progress again.
Today i skated for 45 minutes this morning, walked a mile this afternoon, did some off-ice training outside and then skated again for an hour this afternoon. I'm really very happy with how it went. I just feel more like myself on the ice lately and i'm sure that having my skate situation all figured out is helping as well. I'm just really happy with how i'm skating, even if i'm embarassed if other people see me. I still feel fat and akward on the ice, but at least i'm skating better.
Robin got new skates today. So there's more drama of course. But her coach said "I only give my skaters 15 minutes to break in new skates". Really? 15 minutes? Seriously? 15 minutes to break in a new pair of skates to the point that you can jump and spin properly? I don't think so. Seriously I think Janice is wackadoodle. And that might be putting it nicely.
Today i skated for 45 minutes this morning, walked a mile this afternoon, did some off-ice training outside and then skated again for an hour this afternoon. I'm really very happy with how it went. I just feel more like myself on the ice lately and i'm sure that having my skate situation all figured out is helping as well. I'm just really happy with how i'm skating, even if i'm embarassed if other people see me. I still feel fat and akward on the ice, but at least i'm skating better.
Robin got new skates today. So there's more drama of course. But her coach said "I only give my skaters 15 minutes to break in new skates". Really? 15 minutes? Seriously? 15 minutes to break in a new pair of skates to the point that you can jump and spin properly? I don't think so. Seriously I think Janice is wackadoodle. And that might be putting it nicely.
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
Fewer 4 ams!
I'm going to be getting up at 4am less now that the class session is starting! Kensie and I are splitting the early days. This is great!
Afternoons here at the rinka re a complete madhouse though...it's like rush hour hits here about 2 hours befoer it hits anywhere else. The ice is full of kids, and while 15 might not sound like a lot of people when they are spinning and jumping and doing footwork it's a lot of traffic.
I only skated in the afternoon today, and noticed a difference in my energy level from my usual twice a day schedule. However, i'm really glad to have gotten to sleep late, so I'm definitely not complaining.
Robin however, is doing a lot of complaining and excuse making. While i'm sure a certain degree of her issue is her skates and her feet, I'm convinced that she is actually frightened of her double axel and the less she does it, the happier she is. Her inability to commit to her work really frustrates me, but the way her coach handles it frustrates me even more. I just can't believe that yelling and throwing guilt at a kid is going to make them skate harder. It makes them resent their skating and resent their coaches.
Afternoons here at the rinka re a complete madhouse though...it's like rush hour hits here about 2 hours befoer it hits anywhere else. The ice is full of kids, and while 15 might not sound like a lot of people when they are spinning and jumping and doing footwork it's a lot of traffic.
I only skated in the afternoon today, and noticed a difference in my energy level from my usual twice a day schedule. However, i'm really glad to have gotten to sleep late, so I'm definitely not complaining.
Robin however, is doing a lot of complaining and excuse making. While i'm sure a certain degree of her issue is her skates and her feet, I'm convinced that she is actually frightened of her double axel and the less she does it, the happier she is. Her inability to commit to her work really frustrates me, but the way her coach handles it frustrates me even more. I just can't believe that yelling and throwing guilt at a kid is going to make them skate harder. It makes them resent their skating and resent their coaches.
Friday, September 3, 2010
3 hours?
I accidentally skated for 3 hours today. It's so easy to skate longer when you're skating with a buddy and you're both working on stuff-- even if it's not the same stuff. Kensie and I both had lessons with Karen today and since no one was here to use the ice, she and i both skated for most of the entire session. It was great! It was fun to skate with another person and to work on synchro stuff that i've been struggling with alone. My lesson also really went well, which was a blessing. I feel like I finally have grown comfortable in my new skates and have figured out how to lace them comfortably and everything. SO...yay! now just to get my spins centered again... and that's even coming along!
Thursday, September 2, 2010
Ice Drama
So this morning when I arrived at the rink there was major ice drama. The dehumidifier had been off all night and the ice surface was a disaster. Besides the fact that it was foggy and littered with candy, hair ties, garbage and other such junk, there were also humidity stalagmites forming on a whole section of the ice. It was not a safe ice surface and so we had to switch rinks and then call the ice guy so he had a heads up. By the afternoon sessions it was solved, but it was drama i was not prepared for.
As far as my own skating, things are improving every day. My spins are much much better today. I'm starting to center them more consistently, however its only when i do it coming out of a right outside 3 turn and then pushing to my entrance. When I try to do my entrance out of cross overs i am off center every time. I need to figure out why this is exactly. Otherwise, they are getting "back to normal" to some extent.
Robin was a terror today. Janice wasn't here today, therefore she didn't feel she had to work or listen or do anything that Janice had told me to do with her. It was very annoying. But at the end of the day, i'm not the kid's coach and therefore i just can't care that much.
As far as my own skating, things are improving every day. My spins are much much better today. I'm starting to center them more consistently, however its only when i do it coming out of a right outside 3 turn and then pushing to my entrance. When I try to do my entrance out of cross overs i am off center every time. I need to figure out why this is exactly. Otherwise, they are getting "back to normal" to some extent.
Robin was a terror today. Janice wasn't here today, therefore she didn't feel she had to work or listen or do anything that Janice had told me to do with her. It was very annoying. But at the end of the day, i'm not the kid's coach and therefore i just can't care that much.
Wednesday, September 1, 2010
What makes a skater "good"?
Is it talent? Flexibility? Skill? Practice? Coaching? Work ethic?
I'm not sure what the answer is, but I know that there are alot of skaters who are "good" skaters that aren't olympic level or elite in the least, and I also know some high level skaters that I do not respect nor do I consider "good" for the sport in general. It's hard to draw a firm line, but there are some definite characteristics that make a skater "good" in my book.
1. Dedication to the sport. A good skater is dedicated to skating. To me this means that they skate numerous times in a week and consistently show up to practice. They are also dedicated to the sport overall and cheer on their country's teams and know about all aspects of the sport, not just the things they are personally interested in.
2. Skill. Yes, a certain amount of skill is necessary to be a "good" skater. But, for the most part, skill can be taught and learned. You can learn HOW to do the motions and while certain skills take longer to learn (axel), it's something that can be learned. However the degree to which those skills are practiced and executed is what separates a skater from a "good" skater and a "good" skater from a "great" one.
3. Natural abilty/grace/etc. There is an element of the sport that cannot be taught. Some skaters "have it" some don't. For some skaters, the skills come easily, for others they have to work much harder just to get the things that other skaters do instinctively. No amount of practice, teaching, and work will create a natural ability that just isn't there to begin with.
Is that all? I dont' know...but I do know these 3 elements are necessary for a skater to be a "good" skater by my defininition.
I'm not sure what the answer is, but I know that there are alot of skaters who are "good" skaters that aren't olympic level or elite in the least, and I also know some high level skaters that I do not respect nor do I consider "good" for the sport in general. It's hard to draw a firm line, but there are some definite characteristics that make a skater "good" in my book.
1. Dedication to the sport. A good skater is dedicated to skating. To me this means that they skate numerous times in a week and consistently show up to practice. They are also dedicated to the sport overall and cheer on their country's teams and know about all aspects of the sport, not just the things they are personally interested in.
2. Skill. Yes, a certain amount of skill is necessary to be a "good" skater. But, for the most part, skill can be taught and learned. You can learn HOW to do the motions and while certain skills take longer to learn (axel), it's something that can be learned. However the degree to which those skills are practiced and executed is what separates a skater from a "good" skater and a "good" skater from a "great" one.
3. Natural abilty/grace/etc. There is an element of the sport that cannot be taught. Some skaters "have it" some don't. For some skaters, the skills come easily, for others they have to work much harder just to get the things that other skaters do instinctively. No amount of practice, teaching, and work will create a natural ability that just isn't there to begin with.
Is that all? I dont' know...but I do know these 3 elements are necessary for a skater to be a "good" skater by my defininition.
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
Spinnnin and Stuff
Well, first of all, Robin landed her double axel beautifully and numerous times today. It was really awesome to watch it happen and she was so excited. I hope that this shows her that when she works harder she has better results and will encourage her to work more.
I'm finally settling into my skates. I still need to learn how to lace them so that they are tight enough to support me but loose enough that they don't hurt like holyhannahbanana. It's a balane i'm still struggling to find, so I'm working on it. I di dhowever manage to start spinning again today. It's still going to take some work to overcome the bad habits I developed in my other skates, but it's improving.
There is this new adult skater that's starting to skate here regularly and um...I don't like him. He skates really really fast and hogs the ice and I just really don't like it. There's a definite "attitude" about him and i don't like it...not at all. He makes me uncomfortable on the ice and there's just something i can't put my finger on.
But it was another day back at the rink, and it did feel good to skate. :)
I'm finally settling into my skates. I still need to learn how to lace them so that they are tight enough to support me but loose enough that they don't hurt like holyhannahbanana. It's a balane i'm still struggling to find, so I'm working on it. I di dhowever manage to start spinning again today. It's still going to take some work to overcome the bad habits I developed in my other skates, but it's improving.
There is this new adult skater that's starting to skate here regularly and um...I don't like him. He skates really really fast and hogs the ice and I just really don't like it. There's a definite "attitude" about him and i don't like it...not at all. He makes me uncomfortable on the ice and there's just something i can't put my finger on.
But it was another day back at the rink, and it did feel good to skate. :)
Saturday, August 28, 2010
Skate woes fixed!
So, my new skates were still giving me issues but the "Skate guy" here at the rink finally fixed them for me today. He "punched" out the toe area of my right skate and adjusted the blade so I can get over on an outside edge. This should greatly help me get my spins back under control and help me from falling over on that inside edge on my right foot.
My lesson was pretty much a disaster. They all have been lately. I hope that once I get my skates all settled and my feet stop aching that everything will go more smoothly. I don't know if it will happen or not, but I'm really hoping., I'm starting to get to that "very frustrated with my skating" point and I don't want to be there.
Sam and Erin both test today. I hope they do well. Kensie also tests today...she's testing her senior moves again. I really hope she passes!
My lesson was pretty much a disaster. They all have been lately. I hope that once I get my skates all settled and my feet stop aching that everything will go more smoothly. I don't know if it will happen or not, but I'm really hoping., I'm starting to get to that "very frustrated with my skating" point and I don't want to be there.
Sam and Erin both test today. I hope they do well. Kensie also tests today...she's testing her senior moves again. I really hope she passes!
Friday, August 27, 2010
Robin almost got it...
She's almost got her double axel AND her triple salchow. She's so close. She's landed the double axel a couple of times...and it's been clean...she just has to get it consistent. I'm a little shocked she's gotten it because she doesn't seem to want it very much.
I was really glad to see Jill back at the rink this morning, but her mother...egads this woman! She was just so angry about the fact that a whole 50 minutes has been cut from the freestyle schedule on Saturdays to accomodate a Synchro team. Well...no one is here at 5:30 am...why not just get up earlier? Good grief. If i can drag my bottom out of bed, so can anyone else.
I'm really tired today and not quite feeling well...i can't put my finger on it, but i just don't feel quite right. I'll of course still skate during the afternoon session, but i'm tired...so tired. I can't wait until a sleep in day. Can not wait.
I was really glad to see Jill back at the rink this morning, but her mother...egads this woman! She was just so angry about the fact that a whole 50 minutes has been cut from the freestyle schedule on Saturdays to accomodate a Synchro team. Well...no one is here at 5:30 am...why not just get up earlier? Good grief. If i can drag my bottom out of bed, so can anyone else.
I'm really tired today and not quite feeling well...i can't put my finger on it, but i just don't feel quite right. I'll of course still skate during the afternoon session, but i'm tired...so tired. I can't wait until a sleep in day. Can not wait.
Thursday, August 26, 2010
Inferior
When i'm on the ice with these kids i can't help but feel inferior. Long gone are the days when I could haul my 200 pound ass up off the ice and actually land an axel or a double salchow. Long gone are the days when I could skate at full speed for an hour and not get winded or tired.
I struggle. I mean I really struggle. I look at pictures and videos of myself skating and the struggle is so obvious. I look scared, I barely leave the ice when I jump, and my spins are a disaster of mis-balance and poor edge control. I'm slow...so slow and even when I feel like i'm going fast, i'm really going about half a mile an hour. It's so frustrating.
It's probably why I like skating by myself so much. When I'm here alone, there's no one watching me fail. I can be the skater I am in my mind instead of the one I am in actuality. The skater in my mind has beautiful deep edges, solid jumps, and beautiful spins. The skater I am in actuality is shaky, nervous, and really...just sad.
It's better with synchro because I dont' feel like I'm the worst skater on the team. I'm nowhere near the best skater, but I keep up and know what I'm doing for the most part. But when I'm out on the ice practicing my Moves in the Field or my Freestyle, I'm just...slow, old, fat, and akward. It gets really old feeling this way. Really old.
I struggle. I mean I really struggle. I look at pictures and videos of myself skating and the struggle is so obvious. I look scared, I barely leave the ice when I jump, and my spins are a disaster of mis-balance and poor edge control. I'm slow...so slow and even when I feel like i'm going fast, i'm really going about half a mile an hour. It's so frustrating.
It's probably why I like skating by myself so much. When I'm here alone, there's no one watching me fail. I can be the skater I am in my mind instead of the one I am in actuality. The skater in my mind has beautiful deep edges, solid jumps, and beautiful spins. The skater I am in actuality is shaky, nervous, and really...just sad.
It's better with synchro because I dont' feel like I'm the worst skater on the team. I'm nowhere near the best skater, but I keep up and know what I'm doing for the most part. But when I'm out on the ice practicing my Moves in the Field or my Freestyle, I'm just...slow, old, fat, and akward. It gets really old feeling this way. Really old.
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
Robin doesn't fly...
So, Robin is working on her double axel. She has been working on it very very seriously for a few weeks and it just isn't improving. She's not consistent in her take off and she falls every single time she attempts the jump. It's frustrating to watch her because in the back of my mind, I know that if she were more committed to skating and tried harder, she'd land it. She just really doesn't care. I wonder at this point if her continuing to skate is even a good idea. If she doesn't want to be here, i'm not sure she should be. Maybe a month or two as a "normal kid" would cure her and she'd be back and skating harder than ever.
Another rink rat that i'm growing more used to seeing is Tim. He used to only skate on saturday mornings at this rink and apparently during the week skated elsewhere, but now that school has started Tim is here morning and afternoon. He's 11 and the best skater at this rink bar none. This kid WILL be an olympian, i"m quite sure of it and i'm looking forward to the day when I can say "i knew him when....".
Roxy's mom fixed my skating dress for me today-- the one that i had made myself. It's much better now, but i fear the skirt is going to be too short and look bad, but oh well. It's not like i'll be skating in it all that much. I'm grateful for the help, as I had made a complete mess of the hem.
The new skates are still hurting, but I'm going to take them upstairs tonight and get them punched out a bit. I'm still having trouble with the pressure on the outside of my arches, but I think that's just because my arches are so high that the skate is hitting me in an odd way. I keep going out for half an hour at a time to try to make the skates feel better.
I've decided I'm really upset about not getting to test on Sunday. I'm ready to test these moves and be able to move on, and now i feel like i'm stuck here for another 2 months. I'm not happy about it. I'm ready to pass bronze and move on to silver...soon.
Another rink rat that i'm growing more used to seeing is Tim. He used to only skate on saturday mornings at this rink and apparently during the week skated elsewhere, but now that school has started Tim is here morning and afternoon. He's 11 and the best skater at this rink bar none. This kid WILL be an olympian, i"m quite sure of it and i'm looking forward to the day when I can say "i knew him when....".
Roxy's mom fixed my skating dress for me today-- the one that i had made myself. It's much better now, but i fear the skirt is going to be too short and look bad, but oh well. It's not like i'll be skating in it all that much. I'm grateful for the help, as I had made a complete mess of the hem.
The new skates are still hurting, but I'm going to take them upstairs tonight and get them punched out a bit. I'm still having trouble with the pressure on the outside of my arches, but I think that's just because my arches are so high that the skate is hitting me in an odd way. I keep going out for half an hour at a time to try to make the skates feel better.
I've decided I'm really upset about not getting to test on Sunday. I'm ready to test these moves and be able to move on, and now i feel like i'm stuck here for another 2 months. I'm not happy about it. I'm ready to pass bronze and move on to silver...soon.
Sharpening and such
So, today I learned how to sharpen rental skates. It's pretty mindlessly easy, but it's important that they all get sharpened before the start of Learn to Skate in September. I did 10 pair today. Janice is a bit overly excited about the fact that she's learned how to do this and has taught someone else. Of course, Janice is overly excited about just about everything, so I guess I shouldn't be suprised.
The new skates hurt my feet...of course they hurt my feet. I'm hoping that will get better over time as my feet get used to them, but for now...OW. I'm pretty unhappy with the aching in my arches specifically...but at least they don't hurt my toes anymore...there's just a lot of pressure in an odd spot on my arches. I've removed the factory insoles which has helped considerably, but now i'm unsure of what to do about the arches. I'm hoping it kind of fixes itself or that I get health insurance soon so I can just go to a podiatrist.
I had another lesson with Chloe today! She's such a joy to spend time with!
In fun rink news, school has started so all of the rink-rats have new schedules. I miss my usual kiddos that are here in the mornings.
The new skates hurt my feet...of course they hurt my feet. I'm hoping that will get better over time as my feet get used to them, but for now...OW. I'm pretty unhappy with the aching in my arches specifically...but at least they don't hurt my toes anymore...there's just a lot of pressure in an odd spot on my arches. I've removed the factory insoles which has helped considerably, but now i'm unsure of what to do about the arches. I'm hoping it kind of fixes itself or that I get health insurance soon so I can just go to a podiatrist.
I had another lesson with Chloe today! She's such a joy to spend time with!
In fun rink news, school has started so all of the rink-rats have new schedules. I miss my usual kiddos that are here in the mornings.
Monday, August 23, 2010
New Skates :(
So...I got new skates. They are Riedell 355's and I have my old Wilson Coronation Comet blades on them. They aren't the best skates in the world, but they are certainly a lot better than what I was skating in as far as the fit and the comfort level.
Tonight I met with the skate guy and he adjusted the blades for me, they are still not quite right, but they are definitely better than before. I'm feeling alot better about things when I don't have the searing awful pain in my foot, but there's the new pain of breaking in skates to deal with.
I guess the most amusing fun was that i skated for an hour with synchro in the new boots. Um ouch. But, synchro practice went really well. I totally nailed my back lunge and am getting stronger with the rest of the program. I'm slightly disappointed that we are going to have to be an Open Adult team instead of a Master's team and i'm REALLY disappointed that one of the skaters that gave me the most of a headache last season will be skating with us. I sincerely dislike being yelled at by pre-teens. It just doesn't seem right for a 12 year old to be bossing around adults on an adult team.
I do love the program we're doing though...i really like the music and the choreography thusfar.
Tonight I met with the skate guy and he adjusted the blades for me, they are still not quite right, but they are definitely better than before. I'm feeling alot better about things when I don't have the searing awful pain in my foot, but there's the new pain of breaking in skates to deal with.
I guess the most amusing fun was that i skated for an hour with synchro in the new boots. Um ouch. But, synchro practice went really well. I totally nailed my back lunge and am getting stronger with the rest of the program. I'm slightly disappointed that we are going to have to be an Open Adult team instead of a Master's team and i'm REALLY disappointed that one of the skaters that gave me the most of a headache last season will be skating with us. I sincerely dislike being yelled at by pre-teens. It just doesn't seem right for a 12 year old to be bossing around adults on an adult team.
I do love the program we're doing though...i really like the music and the choreography thusfar.
Saturday, August 21, 2010
The Coaches...
There are several different types of coaches here at the rink...besides the obvious "good" and "bad", but i prefer my own special categories.
The Ice Princesses: These were the little girls who skated as children and who could do no wrong and still feel like they deserve to be princesses even today. These are the ones who amuse me the most because of their sense of entitlement.
Nichole: she's only got a few students because she's so hard to deal with, but she'll announce to anyone who will listen that she's a "national level coach" and a "technical specialist" and therefore she doesn't understand why skaters aren't just flocking to her and fawning over her every breath. She's not very nice to other coaches, tries to steal students, and is generally a poopiehead.
Ellen: a former dancer and still a competitor, she's got princess syndrome to the highest degree. It's almost kind of sad how princessy she is. This is the type of coach who takes six weeks worth of pre-payment and then doesn't show up for the lessons. She also doesn't show up alot for classes...it's classy.
Pam: She's the old princess....the princess that is wayyyy past her prime but still likes to brag about how wonderful and special she is. She'll tell anyone who will listen that she's got the best resume at the rink and loves to tout her "off ice" skills.
Then we have the Russians:
Viktor: Viktor is the most expensive coach at the rink. He was a national champion and an olympian, so I guess he can charge whatever he wants. He's actually a good coach, but i'm not sure he's as good as he thinks he is...but heck, i'm not sure any of the coaches are as good as they think they are.
Oksana: If there was a sterotypical russian figure skating coach, Oksana would be it. She's beautiful, and talented, and meaner than a two headed snake. I think her students are scared of her, to be honest.
Then there are those that really aren't here that often...Anna, Mary, aand Parker. They aren't great, aren't awful, but just kind of "are".
Kensie is a newer coach and teaches Learn to Skate with me, and Karen of course is my coach and the coach of the synchro team.
And then of course there is the Manager...Janice...she has 4 "competitive" skaters. She's got high expectations, but low commitment level to meeting them. She's also a disorganized mess, but that's an amusing story for another day I suppose.
The Ice Princesses: These were the little girls who skated as children and who could do no wrong and still feel like they deserve to be princesses even today. These are the ones who amuse me the most because of their sense of entitlement.
Nichole: she's only got a few students because she's so hard to deal with, but she'll announce to anyone who will listen that she's a "national level coach" and a "technical specialist" and therefore she doesn't understand why skaters aren't just flocking to her and fawning over her every breath. She's not very nice to other coaches, tries to steal students, and is generally a poopiehead.
Ellen: a former dancer and still a competitor, she's got princess syndrome to the highest degree. It's almost kind of sad how princessy she is. This is the type of coach who takes six weeks worth of pre-payment and then doesn't show up for the lessons. She also doesn't show up alot for classes...it's classy.
Pam: She's the old princess....the princess that is wayyyy past her prime but still likes to brag about how wonderful and special she is. She'll tell anyone who will listen that she's got the best resume at the rink and loves to tout her "off ice" skills.
Then we have the Russians:
Viktor: Viktor is the most expensive coach at the rink. He was a national champion and an olympian, so I guess he can charge whatever he wants. He's actually a good coach, but i'm not sure he's as good as he thinks he is...but heck, i'm not sure any of the coaches are as good as they think they are.
Oksana: If there was a sterotypical russian figure skating coach, Oksana would be it. She's beautiful, and talented, and meaner than a two headed snake. I think her students are scared of her, to be honest.
Then there are those that really aren't here that often...Anna, Mary, aand Parker. They aren't great, aren't awful, but just kind of "are".
Kensie is a newer coach and teaches Learn to Skate with me, and Karen of course is my coach and the coach of the synchro team.
And then of course there is the Manager...Janice...she has 4 "competitive" skaters. She's got high expectations, but low commitment level to meeting them. She's also a disorganized mess, but that's an amusing story for another day I suppose.
Friday, August 20, 2010
The Rink Rats
I feel like I should introduce you to my usual "rink rats"-- the kids who i see on a near-daily basis here at the rink.
I start almost every day spending time with Megan. She gets to the rink around 7:30 every morning and gets on the ice around 8. She's 11 years old and in the 5th grade and is very very sweet. She's an excellent skater and is landing most of her doubles consistently. She's a very polite child and her mother is often with her. Megan speaks fluent Japanese and has a very solid skating work ethic. She skates pre-juv.
Sam is probably my favorite of the kids...he's one of the only boys at the rink and is a really funny kid. He's 13 and entering 7th grade. He'll be competing pre-juv this season and is regualrly landing doubles and has a combination jump of 3 doubles in a row. I often call him my "little coach" because he likes to coach me on the ice and make me skate even when I'm not feeling it. He's also very...umm...expressive.
Roxy is probably my other favorite. She's very cute, very funny, and has a huge smile that just goes on and on forever. She's a good skater, but lacks the drive to improve even more. She's her on worst enemy on the ice. Her mom is one of the skater moms that has a firm grip on reality and realizes her child's limitations and shortcomings.
Robin..oh Robin. Of all the kids at the rink with the most potential to really go far, Robin is the one. She could be an olympic champion. She's 12 years old, is home schooled, and is a beautiful skater. But this child...she has no drive and no self discipline. She has all of the potential in the world, natural skating talent, natural grace, but she's so un-committed to the sport. I think her mother and her coach want her to succeed more than she wants it for herself and it really shows. She doesn't do her warm up, she doesn't skate unless her coach is here to make her, and she's very very very rude.
Tara is such a beautiful girl and a beautiful skater. She's got these long beautiful legs that make her jumps gigantic. She struggles with being graceful, as her limbs kind of get tangled up around each other, but when everything works in her favor, it's beautiful.
Michele is gone now...and it makes me sad. She taught classes with me and was working on her Senior Moves test. She didnt' pass. She is a very committed skater, but is now off to college and will likely not skate anymore. I'm hoping she misses skating and makes a commitment to keep going at least until she can pass her tests, but in the meantime, i'm going to miss her at the rink and during class sessions.
Carrie is another one of thse high potential skaters who doesn't have the work ethic to follow through on what she does. She got a level 3 spin at her last competition, which is pretty awesome, but I have to be honest that I'm suprised she did that well. She doesn't even seem to care at all.
Jilll is probably the most beautiful skater at the rink. She's graceful and talented and her jumps and spins are really developing into a quality that will be competitive on a national level. She's also one of the most polite self diciplined skaters here. She does everything she's supposed to do, follows the direction of her coaches and listens to all of the adults. Her largest downfall is her mother. She has one of *those* mothers...a pushy overbearing skate mom. Gah.
The other kid with a crazy mom is Sarah. Sarah is also a lovely skater and also skates on a synchro (not mine) team. But her mom...her mom is a braggart talking about how wonderful Sarah is and how special she is and how special her team is and as a person who sits here all day, i can assure you listening to Sarah's mom begins to feel like listening to nails on a chalkboard.
Finally, for this group at least, is Moica. Monica kind of just decided to start skating a year or so ago and suddenly has an axel. She's flat out amazing. She's only 10 but is already 5'8 and still growing and her jumps are enormous. She's a little princess, but her mom is NOT one of those over indulgent princess pampering types, so Monica doesn't get away with much. It's actually quite funny to watch the two of them together.
So...those are the usual suspects...more introductions to come as necessary, and a coaches' overview is coming soon.
I start almost every day spending time with Megan. She gets to the rink around 7:30 every morning and gets on the ice around 8. She's 11 years old and in the 5th grade and is very very sweet. She's an excellent skater and is landing most of her doubles consistently. She's a very polite child and her mother is often with her. Megan speaks fluent Japanese and has a very solid skating work ethic. She skates pre-juv.
Sam is probably my favorite of the kids...he's one of the only boys at the rink and is a really funny kid. He's 13 and entering 7th grade. He'll be competing pre-juv this season and is regualrly landing doubles and has a combination jump of 3 doubles in a row. I often call him my "little coach" because he likes to coach me on the ice and make me skate even when I'm not feeling it. He's also very...umm...expressive.
Roxy is probably my other favorite. She's very cute, very funny, and has a huge smile that just goes on and on forever. She's a good skater, but lacks the drive to improve even more. She's her on worst enemy on the ice. Her mom is one of the skater moms that has a firm grip on reality and realizes her child's limitations and shortcomings.
Robin..oh Robin. Of all the kids at the rink with the most potential to really go far, Robin is the one. She could be an olympic champion. She's 12 years old, is home schooled, and is a beautiful skater. But this child...she has no drive and no self discipline. She has all of the potential in the world, natural skating talent, natural grace, but she's so un-committed to the sport. I think her mother and her coach want her to succeed more than she wants it for herself and it really shows. She doesn't do her warm up, she doesn't skate unless her coach is here to make her, and she's very very very rude.
Tara is such a beautiful girl and a beautiful skater. She's got these long beautiful legs that make her jumps gigantic. She struggles with being graceful, as her limbs kind of get tangled up around each other, but when everything works in her favor, it's beautiful.
Michele is gone now...and it makes me sad. She taught classes with me and was working on her Senior Moves test. She didnt' pass. She is a very committed skater, but is now off to college and will likely not skate anymore. I'm hoping she misses skating and makes a commitment to keep going at least until she can pass her tests, but in the meantime, i'm going to miss her at the rink and during class sessions.
Carrie is another one of thse high potential skaters who doesn't have the work ethic to follow through on what she does. She got a level 3 spin at her last competition, which is pretty awesome, but I have to be honest that I'm suprised she did that well. She doesn't even seem to care at all.
Jilll is probably the most beautiful skater at the rink. She's graceful and talented and her jumps and spins are really developing into a quality that will be competitive on a national level. She's also one of the most polite self diciplined skaters here. She does everything she's supposed to do, follows the direction of her coaches and listens to all of the adults. Her largest downfall is her mother. She has one of *those* mothers...a pushy overbearing skate mom. Gah.
The other kid with a crazy mom is Sarah. Sarah is also a lovely skater and also skates on a synchro (not mine) team. But her mom...her mom is a braggart talking about how wonderful Sarah is and how special she is and how special her team is and as a person who sits here all day, i can assure you listening to Sarah's mom begins to feel like listening to nails on a chalkboard.
Finally, for this group at least, is Moica. Monica kind of just decided to start skating a year or so ago and suddenly has an axel. She's flat out amazing. She's only 10 but is already 5'8 and still growing and her jumps are enormous. She's a little princess, but her mom is NOT one of those over indulgent princess pampering types, so Monica doesn't get away with much. It's actually quite funny to watch the two of them together.
So...those are the usual suspects...more introductions to come as necessary, and a coaches' overview is coming soon.
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
Chloe
I have my first private student. Her name is Chloe and she is by far the most adorable child on the planet. She's 2 years old. She was in my Tot 1 class on Saturday mornings and she just loved everything so much that her Mom wanted to keep her skating during the break between classes, so I have a private student. She was so cute today on the ice. She had never been on the ice with kids doing jumps and spins and programs before so, she was very easily distracted and kept turning her head to watch everything going on instead of watching what we were doing, but she did great! We had a really good time during our lesson and she did really well. I'm trying to teach her how to swizzle, which is taking some patience, but her marching is great and when she's even just barely holding my hand she marches so fast that she's almost really stroking already, which is pretty awesome. Spending 30 minutes on the ice with Chloe made my whole day just wonderful.
Chloe before skating
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
Working at the ice rink some more!
So another day another day at the rink. I got a new chair...it's lower than the stools i've been sitting on, so my hands have to reach way up to use the computer, but even so, it's wayyyyy more comfortable. It was 20bucks well spent.
I'm afraid i'm going to have to bite the bullet and buy new skates. My other ones are giving me so much trouble and i'm pulling to an inside edge on everything which is really not good when you're supposed to be nicely over your outside edge or spinning up on the flat. I can't get there...it takes so much work to get there and is so painful and in 2 weeks i start teaching again and will be on the ice for up to 4 hours at a time...i have to have skates that don't kill my feet. I'm not happy about this, BUT, i've managed to find a deal...brand new skates for $250. This is a huge deal...seriously huge, so i think i might just have to do it. Bah.
The freestyle schedule for fall came out today and unfortunately i'm going to hve to get here at 5:30 some mornings. 5:30!!!! OMFG! That's 30 minutes earlier than i get here now. Seriously...that's freaking insane. In-Sane. Crazy. I'm not happy about this. Not happy. I am however very happy to ahve a job and to be working, so i'll shut up about it...just a warning though "its too early" whining will commence soon. Just sayin :)
The good news is that it won't be every day because i'm teaching 12 hours of learn to skate each week so i only need 28 hours of ice monitor i'm not allowed to work more than 40...so i'll have to make some adjustments in my schedule. Basically, i set my schedule myself but i will be expected to be here mornings a few days a week...so we'll see. I'll figure it out tomorrow when we have our "coaches meeting".
I actually love love love what i'm doing right now...seriously. I get to hang out at the rink, watch my favorite sport, teach little ones how to skate, and i get free ice for myself. It's really a wonderful job and because i'm a member of the Professional Skater's Association, i'm going to be able to get health insurance. Insurance! How i have missed thee!!!
All in all, while it isn't what i went to 8 years of school to do, it's a job...and i like it...and there is ZERO stress and no long trips with obnoxious teenagers and the rude/obnoxious coaches that ARE here i don't have to really deal with all that much and my boss is a total ditz but a genuinely good person. I also dont' have to leave events early to get back to work for Sunday morning, although i do have to go to bed on Friday nights if i'm in town.
I'm rather content to tell the truth...and i'm getting lots of exercise. Yay. Seriously....Yay.
So..yeah...i'm sounding happier these days. There's much less stress in my life and i'm getting to spend a lot of time doing something i love. I might even have kids in a competition in January. Yay!
I'm afraid i'm going to have to bite the bullet and buy new skates. My other ones are giving me so much trouble and i'm pulling to an inside edge on everything which is really not good when you're supposed to be nicely over your outside edge or spinning up on the flat. I can't get there...it takes so much work to get there and is so painful and in 2 weeks i start teaching again and will be on the ice for up to 4 hours at a time...i have to have skates that don't kill my feet. I'm not happy about this, BUT, i've managed to find a deal...brand new skates for $250. This is a huge deal...seriously huge, so i think i might just have to do it. Bah.
The freestyle schedule for fall came out today and unfortunately i'm going to hve to get here at 5:30 some mornings. 5:30!!!! OMFG! That's 30 minutes earlier than i get here now. Seriously...that's freaking insane. In-Sane. Crazy. I'm not happy about this. Not happy. I am however very happy to ahve a job and to be working, so i'll shut up about it...just a warning though "its too early" whining will commence soon. Just sayin :)
The good news is that it won't be every day because i'm teaching 12 hours of learn to skate each week so i only need 28 hours of ice monitor i'm not allowed to work more than 40...so i'll have to make some adjustments in my schedule. Basically, i set my schedule myself but i will be expected to be here mornings a few days a week...so we'll see. I'll figure it out tomorrow when we have our "coaches meeting".
I actually love love love what i'm doing right now...seriously. I get to hang out at the rink, watch my favorite sport, teach little ones how to skate, and i get free ice for myself. It's really a wonderful job and because i'm a member of the Professional Skater's Association, i'm going to be able to get health insurance. Insurance! How i have missed thee!!!
All in all, while it isn't what i went to 8 years of school to do, it's a job...and i like it...and there is ZERO stress and no long trips with obnoxious teenagers and the rude/obnoxious coaches that ARE here i don't have to really deal with all that much and my boss is a total ditz but a genuinely good person. I also dont' have to leave events early to get back to work for Sunday morning, although i do have to go to bed on Friday nights if i'm in town.
I'm rather content to tell the truth...and i'm getting lots of exercise. Yay. Seriously....Yay.
So..yeah...i'm sounding happier these days. There's much less stress in my life and i'm getting to spend a lot of time doing something i love. I might even have kids in a competition in January. Yay!
But I don't wanna!!!!
I think i'm going to have to suck it up and buy new skates. I don't want to buy them. I'm angry that i need to, but i'm also going to be spending 4-6 hours a day on the ice 2-3 days a week starting in september and i can't see how i'm going to do it if putting skates on my feet is painful. As much as it really bothers me to have to do it, i'm going to have to buy new skates. This really really really makes me sad, but at least i'm working and making money and i don't have to pull $250 out of thin air. Of course, if anyone has just a random $250 laying around and they wanted to buy skates for me because they think i'm awesome, that would rock. However, i'm not holding my breath on that, so...yeah...new skates.
I don't want to break in new skates! gah!
I don't want to break in new skates! gah!
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