UK Skaters - What's going on with NISA?

[fsk8r]

I was on the NISA website the other day and they've got some message up about covert petitions and votes of no confidence in the board and was just wondering what it was all about. They talk about some petition on the BITA website, but when I looked at that there was no petition other than the one about saving the solo dance qualifies, but I don't think that constitutes a vote of no confidence.
There also seemed to be some confusion on this new TV show for the masses to showcase the skating talent. That to me sounds like what this country needs to encourage more rinks to be built, improve skating quality etc. so it seemed a bit odd that NISA start off worrying about eligibility and then say that it's OK if you fill in some form or other for them first. Given that most of us aren't going to the Olympics any time soon, what is that all about?

Just wondering what other people's thoughts on the matters are? I know all about the Not Interested in Skating Association bit, but I hadn't appreciated that people might be more disgruntled than that.

[Mrs Redboots]

Definitely more disgruntled than that! I haven't seen this petition that's going round (nor am I quite sure where it is), but I gather that members are signing it to call for an Extraordinary General Meeting to express a vote of No Confidence in the current management. Largely because of the furore over the solo dance qualifiers, I think, but that may have been the last straw that broke the camel's back.

The thing about eligibility is that it's an ISU thing and if we lost our eligibility we couldn't compete or test any more. The ISU doesn't allow eligible skaters to skate in the "Dancing on Ice" shows in any country (for once, that's not NISA's fault!) and I think they were playing safe by telling skaters not to get involved in the ITV thing - now they've been able to clarify matters on that one. I think, actually, that the slebs in "Dancing on Ice" can become eligible once they've stopped being on it - I did hear that the woman who won it the first year had passed her Level 3 compulsory dances, but that might just be a rumour....

The rule that annoys me is that we have to let NISA know if we're going to compete abroad - that's really aimed at the younger skaters, as they want to get an IJS score to qualify them for Nationals at whatever level; that doesn't apply to us, of course (although it's nice to have an IJS score!) but we still have to let them know.

[fsk8r]

Apparently there's a top secret copy of the petition at Guildford and 17 other rinks. Didn't get to read what it was about when I saw it on tuesday night because I was stuck out in the car park, feeling very cold and miserable because the town was having a power cut and skating had just been cancelled. Unfortunately it was a tad too dark to read this document but it seemed to have a long list of grievances, and was asking for an EGM.
I can understand the solo dance qualifiers being the final straw but I was wondering what the other bits which were causing problems.

Oh and well done to any celebs which carry on and manage to test. It's hard enough for the rest of us to do it, but it must be doubly hard for them, because they definitely are stared at down the rink once they're on the show. Although our celeb from the first series I now only see sporadically (probably more because I work than anything else) and is now treated as one of the skaters.

[BatikatII]

Seen it, signed it but can't remember the details. Do remember being told that it was being pushed for by some on the NISA board and not just by skaters. NISA have pushed through a lot of changes that affect skaters/coaches with out any consultation with skaters or coaches and this is the crux of the complaint I think.

The individual signatures will be seen only by the independant auditors - in a bid to dispel people's fears that signing it will get them blacklisted by NISA!

As for celebs - don't feel too sorry for them. They get the undivided attention of top coaches for months - all paid for. I worked out that it was probably 5 years before I had as much ice time as they get before they even start the show and I'm not sure I'll ever get as many coaching hours as they've had already!;)

[fsk8r]

Yes, had the same thought about the celebs, but I've come to the conclusion, that not everything can be learnt by sheer ice time. Some of it is actually having enough time for the body to assimilate all the things it's learning. Or that's what I tell myself to make myself feel better. I wonder what their total individual coaching time for the show would add up to if someone "normal" had to pay for it?