Competing without a coach

[xofivebyfive]

Okay so my coach is having some medical problems and she won't make it to my competition. plus she won't be able to finish my progam's choreography because she's going to be busy with doctors appointments.

What do I do? I'm so nervous already and knowing that my coach won't be there totally freaks me out. someone please calm me down and tell me what to do! I can't even think right now!

Interpretive will be fine because you make it up anyway but artistic still needs a lot of work: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SEaDaDnqKYQ

can you help me and tell me where I can add in arm movements or other expressions? I haven't worked on this program with my coach in over a month and my competition is in Lake Placid this Friday!

[doubletoe]

Okay so my coach is having some medical problems and she won't make it to my competition. plus she won't be able to finish my progam's choreography because she's going to be busy with doctors appointments.

What do I do? I'm so nervous already and knowing that my coach won't be there totally freaks me out. someone please calm me down and tell me what to do! I can't even think right now!

Interpretive will be fine because you make it up anyway but artistic still needs a lot of work: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SEaDaDnqKYQ

can you help me and tell me where I can add in arm movements or other expressions? I haven't worked on this program with my coach in over a month and my competition is in Lake Placid this Friday!

If I were in your position, I would call your coach and ask for the name and phone number of another coach who could help. I think it's your coach's responsibility to help you find a temporary replacement.

[xofivebyfive]

If I were in your position, I would call your coach and ask for the name and phone number of another coach who could help. I think it's your coach's responsibility to help you find a temporary replacement.
Yeah that's reasonable, I should have just thought of that. I'm just freaking out because my program isn't even done! haha. oh boy.

[hanca]

I agree with doubletoe. If my coach couldn't attend test or competition, she would arrange another coach to look after me there or even make sure that I am ready, if she couldn't give me lesssons in the weeks before competition or tests.

[xofivebyfive]

Okay thanks you guys! I'm a little more calm and reasonable now than I was an hour ago haha. I'm going to call my coach now and see if she can give me a name of a coach who is going to the same comp.

[singerskates]

From what I saw in the video that you put up on YouTube, you need more pretty arm movements like you had for the first 20 seconds of your program (upto the end of your LBO Spiral). You need to find away to get down into your sit from your camel position (if you find it, tell me as I need help too). Your Loop jump had nice rotation but you cut the exit edge a little early and it lacked height in the air. The longer and faster your jump exits are, the more the judges think you have good edges. (me I need to get the timing down with my arms so that I don't check out early slightly cutting the rotation short but I do have decent height; 6 inches off of the ice). I rebend my knees just before taking off as deep as I can comfortably do.

One thing all of us adult skaters need is more speed. Best way to get speed is to work on the stroking skills, turns and edges. And the best way to do that is to have your coach line up a coach for you who is strong on dance and freeskate who also choreographs. Don't be afraid to take ownership of your program and get involved in your choreographing. Take the time to listen to your music off of the ice with your eyes closed and let yourself think you are an elite skater going through your program. Let the sub-coach know what you think and feel about your program and also what you're willing to try to learn for your program and what is out of the question as far as turns and footwork. Sometimes we adults can do things from higher levels but we have trouble with the so called easier things. One thing you need to do is make sure the sub-coach has you covering the whole ice with your program especially if she changes alot of it. I noticed that you didn't get to use the far right corner. With a little more speed, you'd be able to cover it.

I can see that you have potential to do an awesome program. You just need your coach to get your someone to help you finish it.

[Black Sheep]

How can I watch it?

[RachelSk8er]

Finishing your program is one thing, I'd ask your coach to suggest someone.

Plenty of adults compete without coaches just because it cuts down on expenses, especially at competitions requiring travel. Is there another adult skater a level or so higher who will be there, knows you as a skater, and could stand in when you compete? A lot of us either handle it on our own or have a friend who is there by the boards during warm-up and when we compete as a stand-in coach or for moral support/encouragement. I only have my coach around for dance tests when I obviously need him to partner with. Freestyle I go it on my own, and I didn't have a coach around on my last MIF test (but that was back in 1999, I was away at college when I took it and just had my best friend/roommate--also a skater--around for moral support). Actually one of the synchro teams I was on didn't have a coach either, two of us did the choreography/coaching and skated on the team at the same time.

It's kind of weird at first, but you get used to it.

[Sessy]

The artistic comp up in Heerenveen last year, none of the coaches of our club were there either. They were too busy with a regional competition plus, they wouldn't come that far north anyway, not for me.

I was deadly nervous about it... Turned out there wasn't anything to it. I had a safe programme in the sense that I was about 90% confident I could do all of the elements in it under pressure. I took my boyfriend cuz I expected I'd need some support but then I just sorta... zoned out. I was like all up in myself and doing the warming up and the stretching that really anybody trying to talk to me was just a distraction. I did do the stretches by the ice already so as not to miss my turn... Uhm and I just put my blade guards on the boarding. :lol: Nothing to it. Of course, this was a friendly competition. I didn't know anybody there but it wasn't the sort of competition where people send nasty text messages, say nasty things, hide each other's blade guards and that kind of thing, it was more adult oriented although most of the "adults" were teenagers.

Another thing I did was, I went with the same (elaborate! my goodness) makeup from back when I was dancing. Half a gallon or hair spray, theatrical make-up, that kind of thing. In dancing, at least here, the coaches don't travel with the couples to competitions at all, so it brought back a feeling of totally familiar ground for me, as well as being pretty meditative in its monotony itself and keeping me occupied the morning before setting off for the ice rink.

I suggest you do something like that as well. Find your safety blanket from maybe earlier recitals or performances or competitions or even school presentations, doesn't matter what in as long as it was routine for you then and you were calm doing it, and use it. Your body will switch into that calmness as familiar ground automatically.

[Mrs Redboots]

I actually much prefer competing without my coach around, which is normal for adults. Having said that, it would be fantastic if he did come out to the Mountain Cup or one of those, just to see what adults can achieve if they set their minds to it.

Seriously, though, all you really need is someone to hold your purse, your water and your spare music - could your Mum or a friend go with you and do that for you? If your coach usually reminds you of things you need to warm-up, make a written list in advance and get whoever is holding your stuff to check on that. And remember things like if you're drawn first to come off the ice at the one-minute warm-up to take off your jacket and gloves and have a last drink of water - then get back on if you want to.

Honestly, you truly don't need your coach, and if you have to, you can manage without a kind friend putting you on the ice, too!

[xofivebyfive]

How can I watch it?
That's so weird, it made itself private! anyway you can watch it now.thanks for all the advice everyone! I'll try to add in more arm movements after the back spiral. And I think I came up with a couple of things to change after seeing comments on youtube and messages that people have sent me. Thanks for being so supportive you guys! I was really nervous and now that I know it's typical for most adult skaters to compete without a coach it makes me feel a little better. My coach is going to make sure one of the other coaches puts me on the ice so that's all taken care of. :bow:

[MQSeries]

IMO, unless you're very new to competitions, I think it's a waste on money to pay a coach just so that he/she can put you out on the ice. I doubt anything he/she tells you during the competition day is going to make much of a difference. At least try to go solor for this event and then see how you do. Just don't psych yourself out before the competition even begins.

[xofivebyfive]

So I think I did a lot better today than I did yesterday, what do you think?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QD1jvi4-UeA

[sk8lady]

Very nice--you may want to stretch out spirals and arm movements so that you don't 'throw away' the moment, and to emphasize your flexibility. Did someone choreograph the end for you? I wondered what the final split position would look like if you turned to one side with both arms extended overhead, in front and behind, one palm out and the other facing down? (It looks great in my head but it sounds weird when I write it out!) Wish I had that split! Lots of nice stuff in your program.

I unexpectedly went to AN without my coach last year and without knowing anyone else in the competition, either. A friend of mine met me there and another woman I knew went to watch but the USFS would not let either of them put me on the ice as they were not PSA coaches. It was not ideal as I had been injured the day prior to leaving for the competition and needed to change a bunch of things to accommodate the injury and nobody was around who was at a level to help me rechoreograph, but I did meet a bunch of really nice skaters from my state who were very supportive and wound up having a pretty good time. If you are needy like me it's helpful to have your coach with you but there are certainly lots of adult skaters who don't bring their coaches.

[slusher]

There should always be tension in your arms. Hold the movements and make them sure, follow your hands with your eyes, and if you are not doing a specific strong movements, your arms are neutral, so consider that a position, almost. You drop your hands and there is no continuous structure to your arms.

Also, arms are an extension of the entire body and full body movement would be the next step, not just a "waving of the arms".

It's more noticeable because of the black gloves ;)

I used to compete without a coach, now I always have one. Sure someone will hold your water bottle and jacket, but a coach is someone who can keep you focused. They don't need to know your program, they just know that they are there for *you*. Keep your organized, on time, run interference with the ice captain, and keep the other talkative skaters away from your space.

[Stormy]

I unexpectedly went to AN without my coach last year and without knowing anyone else in the competition, either. A friend of mine met me there and another woman I knew went to watch but the USFS would not let either of them put me on the ice as they were not PSA coaches. It was not ideal as I had been injured the day prior to leaving for the competition and needed to change a bunch of things to accommodate the injury and nobody was around who was at a level to help me rechoreograph, but I did meet a bunch of really nice skaters from my state who were very supportive and wound up having a pretty good time. If you are needy like me it's helpful to have your coach with you but there are certainly lots of adult skaters who don't bring their coaches.


I'm confused a little, who in USFS said your friends couldn't put you on the ice at AN? I stood with my friend and she stood with me when we both went out. I'm not a PSA coach. I don't recall ever seeing any rule like that.....but I could be wrong. Considering that especially at ANs, lots of people don't have their coaches there and use friends instead.

[RachelSk8er]

I'm confused a little, who in USFS said your friends couldn't put you on the ice at AN? I stood with my friend and she stood with me when we both went out. I'm not a PSA coach. I don't recall ever seeing any rule like that.....but I could be wrong. Considering that especially at ANs, lots of people don't have their coaches there and use friends instead.

We don't run into issues because we're both competitors and have credentials and that's all we need to get to the locker rooms and rinkside.

If they just went to watch and weren't competitors with credentials, they wouldn't have been let down. To get coaches credentials now for a competition like ANs, you need a coach's USFS number and coaches who even want credentials at certain competitions (I think starting with regionals) have to be PSA members and go through background checks and all that.

[Clarice]

It's been required for awhile now that coaches at USFS qualifying events be members of PSA. Starting this year, all coaches for any sanctioned event need to be registered with USFS, prove that they have insurance, and pass a criminal background check. Continuing education requirements are coming in the future. It's up to local competitions to enforce this, though.

ANs typically had an informal friends putting friends on the ice thing going in the past, since adults seldom bring coaches with them. I would expect that this year they'll restrict access to certain areas to coaches wearing coach credentials. I have nothing to do with the LOC, though, so I don't know for sure.

RachelSk8er makes a good point, though - if you and your friend are both competitors, there won't be any problem.

[Stormy]

Very interesting, I had no idea!

[jskater49]

We don't run into issues because we're both competitors and have credentials and that's all we need to get to the locker rooms and rinkside.

If they just went to watch and weren't competitors with credentials, they wouldn't have been let down. To get coaches credentials now for a competition like ANs, you need a coach's USFS number and coaches who even want credentials at certain competitions (I think starting with regionals) have to be PSA members and go through background checks and all that.

I don't think you have to be a PSA member or even a USFS member but you do have to be registered with USFS so they can do a background check. And this is supposed to be for ANY USFS sanctioned event but we haven't figured out how that works at local competitions where we let mamas put their kids on if they want.

j

[RachelSk8er]

I don't think you have to be a PSA member or even a USFS member but you do have to be registered with USFS so they can do a background check. And this is supposed to be for ANY USFS sanctioned event but we haven't figured out how that works at local competitions where we let mamas put their kids on if they want.

j

Being a PSA member to coach at a qualifying event has been required for a few years now, I had to a few years ago because the synchro teams I coached were going to sectionals. They're just now actually starting to enforce the USFS/PSA/insurance (which were also "required") and do background checks.

As for smaller local competitions, truthfully who cares if a parent puts their kid on the ice. Sometimes coaches are so busy at these competitions with multiple skaters and they are running around trying to take care of everyone. If a parent or someone else who can devote their full attention to that skater wants to put them on, who cares? It's not like they are at any sort of advantage by this. If you don't have the skills by the time you step on the ice for warm-up, they won't magically appear when you compete just because your coach is there. If anything a coach's presence at the side of the rink at a competition is to provide last minute reminders, moral support, and someone to hug in excitement or a shoulder to cry on when you get off. Other people can serve this function just as well.

[Black Sheep]

So I think I did a lot better today than I did yesterday, what do you think?

The layback spin is the best part. :bow:

[xofivebyfive]

I did fine everybody, I skated my program the best I've ever skated it so I am very happy. One of the coaches from my rink put me on the ice and you're right she didn't really do much. Just kind of was a friendly face to keep me calm before I went on. But I did think she helped me a lot, so I'd rather pay the money if it works.. lol

thanks for all the advice everybody! it really helped!

[Stormy]

I am really glad you skated well, I hope you enjoyed yourself and had a lot of fun. Congrats!!!

[doubletoe]

Yay!!! Congratulations!!

[Sessy]

Good to hear!