USA skating programs.

[londonicechamp]

Hi guys

I am just really interested in what skating programs the USA use.

Here in Asia, we use ISI.

In London, we use NISA.

Is the LTS program taught universally in the USA, and Canada etc? What are their total levels and elements?

londonicechamp

[Skittl1321]

The USA seems to use either the USFSA LTS program (the levels are here: http://www.sk8stuff.com/f_basic_ref/lts/basic_eights.htm , also more under "basic freestyle"- though fewer rinks offer freestyle than the basic eights) or ISI, which I believe is the same as in Asia.

[londonicechamp]

Hi Skitt1321

So in the USA, there is not that many freestyle levels compared to ISI. The learn to skate freestyle only has 6 levels, whereas the ISI has 10 skating levels for freestyle.

However, the LTS has 8 levels, whereas the ISI only has 5 levels for basic skate.

londonicechamp

[Skittl1321]

The USFSA freestyle levels are "basic skills freestyle". When you are past them (or many people skip them all together) you go into the qualifying structure (starting with pre-preliminary up to senior). That's where you need to start doing Moves-in-the-field (which are touched upon in the basic skills freestyle) before you can take the freeskate test.

The ISI has many more levels, for much more accomplished skaters, because, obviously, they don't have the qualifying tests (for eligible skaters) that USFSA has- so to retain skaters in their program they need to be able to keep them for a lifetime of accomplishments.

[doubletoe]

As far as I know, the 10 ISI levels are the same for ISI organizations in all participating countries, including the U.K. and U.S.. However, ISU (International Skating Union) member organizations such as NISA and USFSA each have their own test structures.
In the USFSA, there are basic skills levels, then 8 official test/competition levels above those:
Pre-preliminary
Preliminary
Pre-juvenile
Juvenile
Intermediate
Novice
Junior (program content same as in international Senior level competition)
Senior (program content same as in international Senior level competition)