out with the old, in with the twizzles [Archive]

Mel On Ice

06-16-2010, 10:00 PM

So I went to judges' school this weekend to review the new moves. With the deadline fast approaching, how many coaches/skaters out there have made the transition and are preparing to take the new MIF tests?

Summer is usually a big testing season with everyone preparing to move up for regionals, but I'm anticipating this summer to be superbusy as a result. So is everyone practicing like mad to get through them before September 2?

I'm just curious to see if I have lots of junior/senior trial papers to look forward to reviewing or if someone has taken up the challenge the new moves promise to be.

vesperholly

06-17-2010, 04:48 AM

I will be waiting for the new moves to take my Senior test. I love the changes to Senior. Not sure if I want to test it with the adult standard since I made it this far on the standard track. We'll see how far off the mark I am the first time out!

Clarice

06-17-2010, 05:55 AM

I'm working on Intermediate. There's no way I'll have them ready this summer anyway, so I'm working on twizzles. I'll almost certainly take the Masters option when I do test them.

rsk8d

06-17-2010, 07:40 AM

I think you will see a lot of tests this summer that are put out there to try and pass before September, even if they are not completely ready. I was at a test session 2 weeks ago where there was a Novice test that was WAY below passing standard (no offense to the tester), and I overheard the coach telling the mom and student "Well, we have two more tries this summer, we'll just keep taking it." I would have rather taught the skater the new novice moves a few months ago, with goal of passing in the fall, instead of putting her through failures.

I had two novices pass at the end of March, and had to make the decision which moves to have them work on. One I chose the new moves, and the other the current test, taking into account how much they skate and their speed of learning. If I had started the skater who is working on the new moves on the old ones, I would be wasting her money and time. I would have rather put a strong test of the new moves out in October instead of a weak one in August in hopes of passing.

In general, coaches and skaters have to be realistic about the skaters' ability. I'm sure the judges don't want to sit through a bunch of sub-part tests this summer. Just some food for thought....

Purple Sparkly

06-17-2010, 10:01 AM

I'll be testing Senior moves two more times this summer. I took it two weeks ago with disastrous results... it turns out you're not supposed to run into the wall and fall twice. I dunno why...

I hope to pass this summer because I want to take the supplemental tests for the new moves. As a coach, I want to know I can definitely do the moves when I need to teach them. And I guess because I enjoy punishing myself.

JulieN

06-17-2010, 11:54 AM

I overheard the coach telling the mom and student "Well, we have two more tries this summer, we'll just keep taking it."
That was my approach too -- give myself 3 tries to get the Junior moves before the change. I gave it my first try last week and lo and behold I passed by all 3 judges! I just started learning the Senior moves and there's no way I'd be ready to take them by September 1, so I guess it'll be the new moves for that. But I do plan to take it standard. I've come this far -- I think I can take that last Senior moves standard even if it takes several years to get it!

Skittl1321

06-17-2010, 12:36 PM

Man, I'm jealous of all of you with so many test sessions to choose from. They are few and far between here, even opening up to a 2 hour radius from my home rink.

I've started working on the new moves, but it's only one change for me. And until I'm not hurt it's going to be a long road anyway.

blue111moon

06-17-2010, 01:34 PM

There are a lot of test sessions in my area - but they're all so full that non-home club skaters don't stand a chance of getting on one.

I have one college student in my club who's been trying to take Senior moves for two months now and has been bumped three times. And of course, we don't get told she's been bumped until after the deadlines for the closest three or four tests after that one.... :evil:

RachelSk8er

06-17-2010, 03:34 PM

I'm trying to get my junior in before September 2, not sure if that will happen but we'll see. My coach is really pushing me. Plan to test in July and in August. Haven't started the new moves yet, I'm trying to get the ones currently on the test down at a passing standard!!! I'm only really down to one pattern that is downright awful (power pull-quick rockers...miraculously the choctaws are coming along).

If it doesn't happen, it's not the end of the world. I don't pass, I can take my time learning the 2 new patterns while I keep the ones that are staying on the test fresh, and also have the option of taking it at the adult standard once that kicks in [ha ha except my coach won't let me]. I'm not wasting a ton of time (and money on lessons) working on patterns that may be going away/changing because with junior, the power circles are the only thing going away going away and that's not typically one that I typically need to spend a whole lot of time practicing anyway. Hence why they're getting rid of it--if you can't do crossovers by junior (on essentially the same pattern on what, intermediate?) and then glide diagonally across the ice on one foot, you've probably got bigger problems and shouldn't be on junior moves in the first place.

I actually don't think the junior changes are *that* bad. I learned the step sequence a while back and it's fun, it's pretty similar to the level 4 NHSS my last synchro team had in our program (no surprise there, my old team's coach is the one who worked on the moves changes), and if you watch the step sequence in my FS program, it's strikingly similar :). I've been working on loops and my back insides are good, so I just have to work on the back outsides and get that COE down (which is a heck easier said than done). At least that pattern doesn't scare the living crap out of me like power pull-quick rocker :(

We normally only have test summer test sessions here in August since summer is a time when a lot of kids are prepping for Regionals and not worried as much about testing, but it looks like due to the moves changes, clubs are scheduling more (we're doing June and probably July) to give skaters more chances to get these tests in.

jazzpants

06-17-2010, 05:47 PM

My skating club has a HUGE backlog of tests and they have added more test sessions because of the demand. However, I don't know if this is b/c of the change in the moves, or just because it's summer and there's a HUGE demand for taking tests though.

I'm preparing my tests as if it was for the new test system, since it will be a LOOOONG way 'til I'm ready to test Silver moves. It's just one change on the 8 step mohawks element and I'm nowhere near getting that FO mohawk in the first place to even work on the pattern, so I'll probably skip learning the old pattern in favor of the new pattern anyway. :giveup:

Scarlett

06-17-2010, 09:54 PM

I'm not even pretending to work on the old patterns. When I passed bronze moves, my coach asked me if I wanted to test silver before september and I laughed at him. I couldn't/can't do a back 3-turn if my life depended on it.

Ellyn

06-17-2010, 11:17 PM

I was going to test Prejuvenile moves last November. Got injured 2 weeks before the test and had to take several months off.

Now I'm just about ready to test them again and there's a convenient test session in July. So I'm aiming for that test. If I pass, great. Then I'll plan to take Adult Silver sometime later, whenver the 8-step gets strong enough.

If I don't pass next month, I'll wait till fall to try again.

I'd be happy to do the new version of the Prejuv test now if that were an option. I can already do the back circles because of working on figures when I was a kid. The only potential problem is getting a strong enough pushoff from the standstill to get around the first circle, especially when the ice is not fresh.

But the consolidation of the other moves means the rest of the test will get easier for me.

The back threes are still going to be the challenge, whether on old Prejuv, new Prejuv, or Silver.

But the reason I'm not going to weight until fall to try testing at all is that I don't want to wait a whole year since I signed up for the test the first time and had to scratch. There probably won't be many test sessions in September and October. And I'm not getting any younger or fitter. The longer I put it off, the more likely I'll get injured or something again and never get back to the level I'm at now or was last November.

I'd like to keep moving up to eventually test Juvenile and Adult Gold someday (I think that would be my limit). If the body gives out before then, so be it. But I really really want to get Prejuvenile, to document that I'm a better skater now than as a 14-year-old.

Debbie S

06-18-2010, 01:17 PM

Now I'm just about ready to test them again and there's a convenient test session in July. So I'm aiming for that test.Good luck! Glad to hear you're back to form.

I've given up on ever passing Pre-Juv. I failed last May, then broke my leg 3 weeks before I was going to retry. My latest doctor visit was last Wed - there is still a small portion of the bone that hasn't healed, so no turns on my left foot. I've been back to skating for about a month, but just doing stroking and edges; now I can do crossovers....and I'm starting to do turns on my right foot. But since I can't turn on my left foot, I can't retry Pre-Juv before the end of Aug- my next ortho appt is Sept 1. And I don't see myself ever being able to do that back circle 8.

So I'm just going to work on passing Gold. And last night, my coach taught me the Dutch Waltz. I attempted to practice the power circles - kind of depressing, b/c it showed how far I have to go to get back to where I was. :(

Nancy

06-18-2010, 07:08 PM

I passed my Intermediate Moves in January. There's no way I'm going to have Novice ready by September so I've been working on the new patterns. Oh, yeah....just 'loving' those twizzles!!

Most of the students at my rink who have been passing MIF tests since January, especially the higher tests, are working on the new patterns.

icedancer2

06-18-2010, 08:47 PM

Is the new BOI 8 not on any of the Adult Tests? If not that is ridiculous!

icedancer2

06-18-2010, 09:00 PM

Is the new BOI 8 not on any of the Adult Tests? If not that is ridiculous!

I just looked it up. Well, now I think that is really crazy. WHAT ARE THEY THINKING????8-)

phoenix

06-18-2010, 09:39 PM

I'm going to a moves seminar this Sunday. I'm really looking forward to it! I hope they can give some pointers on how to teach loops, because I need help breaking that down! There are so few coaches left who ever had to do them, that's one of the elements that's going to challenge some of us I think.

I have a few girls who are trying to finish up their levels before the change; a preliminary, a pre-juv and a juvenile. I HOPE that they make it! We have a test session July and August, so they have 2 shots at it.

One of my girls just passed her Intermediate this week, and I started her on the new Novice tonight. I don't think 2 months is enough for her to pull off the old Novice, and besides, I like the new Novice much better anyway!

JulieN

06-19-2010, 07:30 PM

RachelSk8er

06-19-2010, 09:26 PM

Rachel -- I hear ya about the power pulls - quick rockers! I've taken some nasty falls working on those. That move scares me! The 6 weeks leading up to my test, I skated 6 days a week and worked only on those Junior moves. Even if I only had 30 minutes to skate, I still went to the rink and practiced those moves. I know you can pass it before September! Good luck!

Thanks! Feeling good after the past 2 days of skating. I need to do the same and drag my butt to the rink in the morning even if it's just for 30 minutes (30 minutes and empty rink is just as productive as an hour and a regular session crowd). Made some good progress on the power pulls this week, they're actually almost good on the left foot. That pattern is just so darn hard to practice when you're on a normal session with other skaters hanging out at center ice (usually the same little ones who don't pay attention to anyone else and get in everyone's way) and you're trying to look behind you and steer around them. That's how I fell and got a concussion doing them back in April. Just want to get this test DONE because then my "reward" is getting back to my pre-gold dances (since I can take my time w/senior moves). I haven't tested a dance since before I started law school 2 yrs ago :(

There were quite a few skaters at the rink who look like they're trying to get moves tests in before September, I've noticed skaters spending A LOT more time on moves and less on free than I'm used to seeing them do (unless I'm just catching these paricular skaters on session where they're working on moves this summer, and not their freestyle time). One trio of teenagers who have the same coach were all practicing juv and intermediate together (they must be trying juv at our test session next week and then intermediate in July/August, or trying it contingent next week). Also saw a novice working on the new novice test because she just passed her intermediate, so she's obviously holding off until September.

Kim to the Max

06-19-2010, 09:30 PM

Thanks! Feeling good after the past 2 days of skating. I need to do the same and drag my butt to the rink in the morning even if it's just for 30 minutes (30 minutes and empty rink is just as productive as an hour and a regular session crowd). Made some good progress on the power pulls this week. That pattern is just so darn hard to practice when you're on a normal session with other skaters hanging out at center ice (usually the same little ones who don't pay attention to anyone else and get in everyone's way) and you're trying to look behind you and steer around them. That's how I fell and got a concussion doing them back in April.

I hear you on that one...I got to a point where I just didn't care if I hit someone (and got very close a few times). On one session I had to restart that pattern 20 times before I got it in.

...now, if the girls see me starting one of the patterns, they scatter pretty quickly. Particularly after one of the girls was just standing in the middle and I ended up stopping about a foot from her (she is 8 and has been skating on our club sessions for over 2 years - she knows better)...her coach yelled at her and said that she needs to not just stand there.

You are right though, it is much more difficult practicing those patterns on a regular session. I was lucky because it's summer on campus and the rink here is EMPTY!

Good luck! You will be fine!

BuggieMom

06-19-2010, 10:20 PM

My dd had the decision to try to get Senior in before the change or wait until December to try with the new moves...she opted to wait until December and do the new moves. Makes good sense, since she will be prepping for regionals until October, with no real time to practice dance or MIF from early July on...
MIF coach feels the new Senior moves will be easier for her anyway...but I really dont know! It will be the first test session for the new moves at our rink.

Do you think the judges will be tougher, or a little easier with the first few test sessions under the new changes???

phoenix

06-20-2010, 07:14 PM

I just got back from coachs' / judges' seminar on the new moves, and wow!! It was fantastic!! Brandon Forsyth was the main presenter, & he is one of the committee who came up with all the new changes. It was great to hear directly from the source how certain things are supposed to be done & what the rationale was behind it. I HIGHLY recommend attending one of the seminars if you can. It's definitely worth the time/expense. There were lots of little things I wasn't aware of, and now I feel much more confident to teach the new elements.

ALSO!!! Coaches take note: the new Novice 3 turns/rocker choctaw video on the USFSA site (the first element of the test) is INCORRECT!!! He showed a different video that has the skater doing different transition steps between lobes, and when we pointed that out, he said "yeah, we changed it." (!!)

He also said that a new DVD from PSA will be available any day, which will showcase only the new moves, and will be all correct & show a lot of stuff in slow motion, etc.

vesperholly

06-21-2010, 01:28 AM

My dd had the decision to try to get Senior in before the change or wait until December to try with the new moves...she opted to wait until December and do the new moves.

Good for her. It seems like everyone in my area is trying to cram in as many tests as possible, no matter what the quality ... :roll:

RachelSk8er

06-21-2010, 07:01 AM

Do you think the judges will be tougher, or a little easier with the first few test sessions under the new changes???

I don't know...they were pretty easy when we went from figures to moves, but that was a MUCH bigger change than what's taking place in September. It also really comes down to geography. Some areas will pass any test as long as the skater has a pulse, others are so strict that all the stars must be aligned properly for the skater to pass, and just about everything else in between. Same with panels. I imagine in areas that are more saturated with judges, test chairs will be trying to put together panels of judges with reputations for being a little more "forgiving" in these next few months.

I did watch the videos of the new junior patterns though (the ones that have been on the USFS site for a while). On the loop pattern, the skater didn't have as much control as I would expect to see at that level, and the COE that is supposed to be there after each loop was done very small/quickly and from what I recall she didn't stay on axis (not what you'd expect to see looking at the rulebook pattern and then watching the video). Also would have thought her edges in the SS would have been deeper, too. And overall just a little more polish on both patterns. I know it's a demo video and the skater probably just got the patterns down when the video was made, but still, if the video is supposed to be a learning tool and if it's supposed to demonstrate any sort of standard, I don't think the bar is being set very high. It will be interesting to see if the PSA videos are any better.

Kim to the Max

06-21-2010, 07:15 AM

LilJen

06-21-2010, 08:21 AM

Well, coach said she thinks I'm ready for Silver MITF. Been working on them for about a year. I have good days and bad days. We haven't had a test session since December (JUST got a new test chair) so I'm sure the one that's scheduled for August will be packed. In any event, if I don't pass this time there's only one minor change so it's not a big deal.

Stormy

06-21-2010, 08:35 AM

Isk8NYC

06-21-2010, 08:44 AM

I just got back from coachs' / judges' seminar on the new moves<snip>The PSA is now focusing on their Nationwide Seminars so they're not offering many of these seminars. Our Director is planning to have one for both skaters and coaches, but the PSA said that the coaches wouldn't receive educational credits. It really doesn't make sense to me, since they allow credits for other non-PSA seminars.

phoenix

06-21-2010, 09:19 AM

I don't know...they were pretty easy when we went from figures to moves, but that was a MUCH bigger change than what's taking place in September. It also really comes down to geography. Some areas will pass any test as long as the skater has a pulse, others are so strict that all the stars must be aligned properly for the skater to pass, and just about everything else in between. Same with panels. I imagine in areas that are more saturated with judges, test chairs will be trying to put together panels of judges with reputations for being a little more "forgiving" in these next few months.

I did watch the videos of the new junior patterns though (the ones that have been on the USFS site for a while). On the loop pattern, the skater didn't have as much control as I would expect to see at that level, and the COE that is supposed to be there after each loop was done very small/quickly and from what I recall she didn't stay on axis (not what you'd expect to see looking at the rulebook pattern and then watching the video). Also would have thought her edges in the SS would have been deeper, too. And overall just a little more polish on both patterns. I know it's a demo video and the skater probably just got the patterns down when the video was made, but still, if the video is supposed to be a learning tool and if it's supposed to demonstrate any sort of standard, I don't think the bar is being set very high. It will be interesting to see if the PSA videos are any better.

In the seminar the 2 presenters were very adamant (remember, a good half of the attendees were judges) that one of the main points of doing these nation-wide schools is so that everyone will now be on the same page re. what's expected & what deserves to pass, etc. They never did that before w/ moves, & that's partly why we ended up with such a wide discrepancy with what passes in various geographic areas.

During the demos on ice they would poll all the judges re. whether the demonstration was passing standard or not, and why.

They also pointed out (& I think it says this on the site too), that the demo videos are pretty much just for us to learn the steps, and in some cases they wouldn't be passing level. In fact they specifically mentioned the junior loops as one of those examples. The demo skaters did a much more clarified/held pull-change after the loop.

Although they also were adamant w/ the judges that these are NOT figure loops, and that the continuous flow is the most important thing. As long as the skater isn't doing points and is staying true to the edges of the loops, they should be okay.

phoenix

06-21-2010, 09:21 AM

The PSA is now focusing on their Nationwide Seminars so they're not offering many of these seminars. Our Director is planning to have one for both skaters and coaches, but the PSA said that the coaches wouldn't receive educational credits. It really doesn't make sense to me, since they allow credits for other non-PSA seminars.

It was a Nationwide Seminar. I got 8 points for it.

phoenix

06-21-2010, 09:25 AM

Do you remember what the transition between the lobes was? That sucks that it's incorrect, I've been practicing it the way it is in that video.

I'll try to make a little video this week & post it on youtube. I'm also going to email the USFSA & point out to them that it's wrong! Someone needs to fix that.

I sympathise w/ you--I've had a student doing this exercise for a few weeks now, and now I have to go back to her & say, 'guess what! It's wrong!' :evil:

RachelSk8er

06-21-2010, 10:02 AM

My coach attended a moves seminar a few months ago and what she told me was that the judge/coach running the seminar said that they did not really expect anyone to pass Junior/Senior in the first year 8O

I don't think that's a very realistic statement. I'm not 100% up on the changes to senior, but if you look at junior, it's 2 new patterns (and take away the power circles). If someone has been working on the test but just can't squeeze it in by September 2nd (let's say they even fail by a hair), they only have 2 new patterns to learn. The step sequence is not that difficult, especially compared to what I see a lot of juv + freestyle competitors/intermediate + synchro skaters already doing in their programs (steps are similar, but there is no set arm choreography, body levels, or being in time with music to worry about). And most skaters who are at this level have already been working on loops on their own for a while now because IJS forced them to, so the COE should be the only thing that will be tricky to master. Cases of freestyle skaters still low enough in freestyle to have never competed IJS but taking their junior moves are probably going to be pretty rare (ha ha I'm one of them but had to learn loops for synchro IJS), and even still, at least around here, coaches have been starting to teach kids loops after they get 3-turns down.

If the prediction of skaters failing because of lack of consistency in judging, well then that's a whole other issue that is no fault of the skaters and it's a shame that so much time/money (on test fees, lessons, ice time) will be wasted as a result. Hopefully the USFS is doing their job to make sure this is not an issue. I certainly don't advocate passing any piece of crap thrown out on a test session, but in certain situations (like new moves that have little precedent), any discrepancy should go in the favor of the skater, especially if that pattern is close and is the thing that makes or breaks a test. We all know how frustrating it is to get test papers back and have judges saying completely opposite things in the comments. Or how annoying it is to skate a test well and fail, only to put it out well on another test session, skate it worse than the previous one you failed, and pass.

Kim to the Max

06-21-2010, 10:08 AM

I don't think that's a very realistic statement. I'm not 100% up on the changes to senior, but if you look at junior, it's 2 new patterns (and take away the power circles). If someone has been working on the test but just can't squeeze it in by September 2nd (let's say they even fail by a hair), they only have 2 new patterns to learn. The step sequence is not that difficult, especially compared to what I see a lot of juv + freestyle competitors/intermediate + synchro skaters already doing. And most skaters who are at this level have already been working on loops on their own for a while now because IJS forced them to, so the COE should be the only thing that will be tricky to master. Cases of freestyle skaters still low enough in freestyle to have never competed IJS but taking their junior moves are probably going to be pretty rare (ha ha I'm one of them but had to learn loops for synchro IJS), and even still, at least around here, coaches have been starting to teach kids loops after they get 3-turns down.

If the prediction of skaters failing because of lack of consistency in judging, well then that's a whole other issue that is no fault of the skaters and it's a shame that so much time/money (on test fees, lessons, ice time) will be wasted as a result. Hopefully the USFS is doing their job to make sure this is not an issue. I certainly don't advocate passing any piece of crap thrown out on a test session, but in certain situations (like new moves that have little precedent), any discrepancy should go in the favor of the skater, especially if that pattern is close and is the thing that makes or breaks a test. We all know how frustrating it is to get test papers back and have judges saying completely opposite things in the comments. Or how annoying it is to skate a test well and fail, only to put it out well on another test session, skate it worse than the previous one you failed, and pass.

Agreed. In this area we have a couple of judges that are slightly harsh. One actually vocalized that her standards currently are higher than before because she believes that everyone is just throwing in tests to get them in before the changes. We also have one who was failing people not on the end patterns for Intermediate/Novice, but because they did not step EXACTLY on a 90 degree angle on the stroking in between. I know they said they are working on those things with particular judges, but we'll see.

phoenix

06-21-2010, 10:13 AM

Kim to the Max

06-21-2010, 10:16 AM

OH!! speaking of junior, there's another change that doesn't show up on the USFSA page.

The rockers--while the pattern stays the same, the cross front step right after the rocker is now changed to a mandatory cross behind step.

I can't make up my mind if that is easier or harder. I think it will be easier at first since it's a cross behind on the counters on Novice. But since I've been doing those rockers for so long, I can't imagine doing them without the cross in front...

Stormy

06-21-2010, 10:51 AM

I'll try to make a little video this week & post it on youtube. I'm also going to email the USFSA & point out to them that it's wrong! Someone needs to fix that.

I sympathise w/ you--I've had a student doing this exercise for a few weeks now, and now I have to go back to her & say, 'guess what! It's wrong!' :evil:

Thank you!! And yes, someone there does need to fix that, since I'm sure many people have been doing it wrong because of that video.

RachelSk8er

06-21-2010, 10:56 AM

I can't make up my mind if that is easier or harder. I think it will be easier at first since it's a cross behind on the counters on Novice. But since I've been doing those rockers for so long, I can't imagine doing them without the cross in front...

I think it's easier because you can get a better push from the cross behind and it helps you finish off that lobe and get back to axis if you cross behind. It's just awkward if you've been working on them the current way. Hopefully I won't have to worry about that.

Ellyn

06-21-2010, 11:28 AM

Is the new BOI 8 not on any of the Adult Tests? If not that is ridiculous!

I guess it would need to go on Silver. The only change on that test that makes it a slight bit shorter is the figure eight pattern for the Eight-Step Mohawk, which probably saves less time than adding an additional move. Maybe they didn't want to add more time to that test.

I imagine in areas that are more saturated with judges, test chairs will be trying to put together panels of judges with reputations for being a little more "forgiving" in these next few months.

Even so, if those areas are also saturated skating clubs and with skaters wanting to test, they may need to take whatever judges are available the day they can schedule the test session.

I don't think that's a very realistic statement. I'm not 100% up on the changes to senior, but if you look at junior, it's 2 new patterns (and take away the power circles). If someone has been working on the test but just can't squeeze it in by September 2nd (let's say they even fail by a hair), they only have 2 new patterns to learn.

What might happen for skaters who were just about ready to test this summer but don't manage to pass before the deadline for one reason or another is that by the time they have the new moves close enough to test, they may be able to improve the old moves enough more to gain extra points there. They don't have to actually pass the new moves, just not make serious errors and make up the point deficit on other moves.

Isk8NYC

06-21-2010, 11:28 AM

It was a Nationwide Seminar. I got 8 points for it.
I thought the "judges' school" seminars were different from the Nationwide seminars. We had a local seminar led by the PSA that focused only on the Moves changes. I don't think they called it a "Nationwide Seminar." Perhaps yours was a combination?

Those New Moves-only seminars are being discontinued in favor of the long-standing Nationwide seminars that include a variety of topics.

phoenix

06-21-2010, 11:37 AM

I thought the "judges' school" seminars were different from the Nationwide seminars. We had a local seminar led by the PSA that focused only on the Moves changes. I don't think they called it a "Nationwide Seminar." Perhaps yours was a combination?

Those New Moves-only seminars are being discontinued in favor of the long-standing Nationwide seminars that include a variety of topics.

I guess I don't really know! I looked at the form again & it says "PSA Moves In The Field Seminars"--but it was for coaches & judges, & we got points for it. Brandon said they've been doing them all over the country--I think this was the 10th one.

Whatever it was, I'm very glad I got to go! I only found out about it very last minute.

Skittl1321

06-21-2010, 11:49 AM

I guess it would need to go on Silver. The only change on that test that makes it a slight bit shorter is the figure eight pattern for the Eight-Step Mohawk, which probably saves less time than adding an additional move. Maybe they didn't want to add more time to that test.

Silver is already an insanely long test. They do not need to add additional moves to make it longer. (The new 8-step mohawk does shorten it slightly, because you don't have to pause between sides anymore.) Though I agree that does seem to be where it would need to go. (Unless you put the forward and back 8s on the bronze test- so the backward one is done at a slightly lower standard. There are quite a few other pre-juv moves on the bronze test, so it would match)

phoenix

06-21-2010, 02:20 PM

Here is my video of the demonstration yesterday. It shows the correct transitions. NOTE: the last transition has not changed--just the first 2.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zR3Dd9OIl-Y

renatele

06-21-2010, 03:19 PM

Passed Intermediate MITF today, from the 1st try. Was feeling a lot of pressure to pass them before the moves change, as I've passed adult gold moves a year ago (and then did not skate till November, and did not restart working on moves until spring, and even then skated mostly just once a week). Not passing Intermediate before the change would have been a super bummer.

... what a relief!

Will start working on Novice in the Fall, as there is very little good ice time in the Summer, plus we may need to move to a different state. Thank goodness the straight-line brackets-three-brackets are not on Novice anymore.

vesperholly

06-21-2010, 03:48 PM

My coach attended a moves seminar a few months ago and what she told me was that the judge/coach running the seminar said that they did not really expect anyone to pass Junior/Senior in the first year 8O

I could see skaters struggling with Junior, because adding in loops for skaters who have never had to do one in their life is difficult. But the changes to Senior are not bad at all. The spiral pattern is made much easier with the elimination of all the footwork at the end. The footwork sequence is basically the pieces of the circular step, split into a serpentine. There are a few tricky spots but really it's very similar.

Interesting change to the rockers! The step behind is certainly more instinctual. I'm curious to know why it was ever a step in front in the first place.

RachelSk8er

06-21-2010, 03:55 PM

Even so, if those areas are also saturated skating clubs and with skaters wanting to test, they may need to take whatever judges are available the day they can schedule the test session.

That's not usually an issue in my area. We have a regional council that governs all the clubs and one thing clubs are generally not allowed to do is schedule test sessions the same day (unless you are doing a low test session at one rink and a high at another or some other way to make it possible for judges, plus male dance coaches mostly are at multiple rinks and they can't be at 2 test sessions at different rinks at the same time, either). But on the plus side, there are never any out-of-club test fees for higher tests (I think novice MIF, novice free, pre-gold dance and anything above those tests), you just don't get priority unless you're a home club member. That keeps the clubs from duking it out over test session dates and the higher rated judges.

Plus it's summer so a lot of rinks in our area are closed or have very limited ice, and the clubs don't do much. It's mostly just the larger clubs doing test sessions over summer. (A lot of the smaller clubs only do 2 test sessions a year, whereas a club like mine will do one just about every month.)

Nancy

06-21-2010, 04:35 PM

I guess I don't really know! I looked at the form again & it says "PSA Moves In The Field Seminars"--but it was for coaches & judges, & we got points for it. Brandon said they've been doing them all over the country--I think this was the 10th one.

Whatever it was, I'm very glad I got to go! I only found out about it very last minute.

It was good to see you on Sunday. I'm not a coach or a judge, but at our test session on Monday, one of the judges suggested I come observe the demo as my coach and I have been working off the book diagrams and videos. I am so glad I did as I was doing the wrong transition on the Novice Inside 3s to Rocker Choctaw.

The best part of the demo was watching Brandon demonstrate the Senior. Too bad my videocam ran out of tape about 5 minutes before!!

phoenix

06-21-2010, 08:51 PM

It was good to see you on Sunday. I'm not a coach or a judge, but at our test session on Monday, one of the judges suggested I come observe the demo as my coach and I have been working off the book diagrams and videos. I am so glad I did as I was doing the wrong transition on the Novice Inside 3s to Rocker Choctaw.

The best part of the demo was watching Brandon demonstrate the Senior. Too bad my videocam ran out of tape about 5 minutes before!!

I know--my camera battery died during the junior demos (next time I'll be more prepared), so I didn't get to tape that either! The man skates like a god. :bow::bow:

Isk8NYC

06-22-2010, 09:53 AM

Passed Intermediate MITF today, from the 1st try. :bow:

Bravo, Renatele! Congratulations!

plus we may need to move to a different state.Come south!

Isk8NYC

06-22-2010, 10:02 AM

Whatever it was, I'm very glad I got to go! I only found out about it very last minute.The PSA promoted these mostly through the email blasts and local skating directors. The link on their just-revised website isn't correct, but I think that's just because of the new changes.

We had two "PSA Moves In The Field Seminars" within a two-hour drive, but our Director feels it's so important that she wants to host one at our rink in August, specifically for skaters and coaches. With the Nationwide Seminar rollout, the PSA doesn't have the resources to put together another seminar for the rink. They told her that she could do it on her own, but the PSA coaches would not receive PSA credit, which doesn't make sense since it's the same seminar. Thanks for letting me know it was 8 credits, I'll make a note for the affidavits.

I wonder what the Nationwide Seminar agenda will include?