ISI Question.

[Skittl1321]

I will be moving to Iowa City in the fall and the closest skating arena is an ISI rink.

Their instructional classes have "adult beginner" and "adult intermediate." That's it. Everything else is either Tots or ages 6-15.

Does ISI not allow adults to do the greek classes and then the Freestyle classes? Will I have to only do private lessons?

Can someone explain to me a bit more about how ISI works? I thought it was adult friendly, but it doesn't seem to allow adults to progress through the system- or is it just this rink?

[garyc254]

Yes, ISI is adult friendly.

Check out: Recreational Figure Skating Program (http://www.skateisi.org/HTML/skprog/skprog_figureskt.cfm)

8-)

[jenlyon60]

It may be that that rink doesn't have enough adults to run separate Adult "greek letter" classes (or the USFS Basic Skills equiv). So they combine several levels into a generic "Adult Beginner" and several others into "Adult Intermediate."

That would be my first guess.

[Skittl1321]

I just got a PM from someone who skates at the rink in question- so I'll direct my questions about their program to her :)

Is there a way to delete a post?

[Clarice]

The Hawkeye Skating Club in Iowa City has just applied for USFS provisional status, although that rink does run an ISI learn-to-skate program. There is a USFS Basic Skills program at the rink in Davenport (about an hour away), and you might check out Cedar Rapids as well - they're about a half hour from Iowa City.

[Mercedeslove]

I wish more rinks would put in effort into their adult programs as they do the kids. They would probably get a better turn out. Adults are people too you know.

[Hannah]

My rink has one adult class called "Adult Levels". The group instructor says we can test if we want to, but nobody has ever asked.

[stardust skies]

I wish more rinks would put in effort into their adult programs as they do the kids. They would probably get a better turn out. Adults are people too you know.

But the reason they don't put as much effort is because most rinks aren't getting the turn out. It's not a matter of who is considered a person and who is not, that's overdramatic. It's supply and demand. I skate at rinks who run adult freestyles sometimes, and there are like 2 people on the ice. If it were a regular freestyle, it'd be more like 15. So they're losing money to please the adults, which is great for them, but a business can't really afford to lose money that way so I don't see what the incentive would be for them to put more adult programs that no one will sign up for. Some areas have a lot of adult skaters, and others don't. Perhaps Iowa City is one of those that doesn't so those two programs are all they can afford to run. There's no need to be paranoid or see the evil in everything, IMO. Rinks have to stay afloat too.

[LauraLa]

I guess it all depends on where you are. The rink near where I live has so many adult skaters that they run the ISI "greek letter" basic skills classes for adults-only three days a week, and also have Adult Freestyle 1-3 group classes. They also have two adults-only public sessions per week. I didn't realize I was lucky that way.

That particular rink also says that if none of the adult times are convenient for adults, they are welcome in the kid classes. Perhaps that is another option at your rink? I know some people would feel silly learning with the little ones, though.

[Casey]

At one of the rinks I skate at, both "regular" usfsa basic and adult classes are offered. A friend of mine has been skating for several months, and was taking the adult classes. But they were holding her back as they never teach anything new in those classes, and most of the adults skating in those classes weren't progressing.

She had to argue with the rink management to get them to allow her to take the regular classes, but she's doing much better now so I'd say it was worth it.

Sadly, I think a lot of places just don't put the effort into adult-specific classes. One class for all adults regardless of skill level just simply doesn't cut it, either.

[VegasGirl]

Ofcourse the ISI let's adults do the "greek" levels!
For testing purposes you start at pre-Alpha and have to work your way up. Depending on your ability your coach might be able to test you through several levels at ones as was the case with me. My first test session I passed through Beta and thus was able to compete in Beta while working on Gamma.

[blue111moon]

Like it or not, adult skating is about economics. Two years ago, my club offered an adult LTS class after parents asked for it. We started with four skaters - three dropped out due to non-skating issues so the "class ended up being a private lesson for the one skater remaining - good for the skater but a major loss for the club since paying the coach cost way more than the skater paid. Last fall only two adults signed up so the club was going to cancel the class. I volunteered to teach the adults for free just to keep them on the ice. It worked and we built the group up to eight skaters - on four different levels. Hopefully next year the club will agree to a paid coach for the adults. But unless the adults are willing to skate with the kids (which they aren't - I asked), there's no way the club can afford to have four groups going with only one or two people in a class. We figured out that we need six skaters per coach just to break even.

So unless the rink has a huge response from adults, the classes are going to be combined levels. It's nothing against adults per se, it's just a fact of economics.

[Skittl1321]

Feel free to keep the general discussion going- however, I've been told in a PM- in the case of this rink they do allow adults to take the Learn to Skate program with the kids, if you don't want to do the combined level adult classes That's good enough for me :)

[Mrs Redboots]

So unless the rink has a huge response from adults, the classes are going to be combined levels. It's nothing against adults per se, it's just a fact of economics.And, of course, let's face it, many adults don't stay on after the first couple of levels. Well, many people, not just adults. Here in the UK, skating is enormously popular right now, following the success of Dancing on Ice. Our rink, which has always been adult-friendly, has run adult LTS classes on four days a week for some years now (when we started, it was just at the weekend), and the Tuesday and Thursday evening classes are enormous! 50-plus adults, and the teachers are having to cone off half the rink. BUT, the vast majority of them are doing their first six-week course - from the last course, only 11 or so have continued! They have mustered as many people as possible to help teach, but even still, some overlap is inevitable.