Levels in Adult Figure Skating

[davincisoprano1]

Hi there! I'm new to the forums. I began skating when I was 12, stopped when I was 15, and just started back up again a year ago (at 21, now 22). I am currently taking group lessons and am listed in the Adult 4 track, and my coach is already moving me into bronze moves since pre-bronze I seem to have for the most part, it's just practice now... but I have a few questions.

What does Adult 4 mean?
What are the levels of adult skating (I know pre-bronze, bronze, silver, gold) but what do they translate to in the USFSA track? (for example, is pre-bronze basics 1-6? or is it in freeskate 1-6?)

I've searched everywhere and can't find any direct answers!

Thank you all!!!!

[climbsk8]

Welcome back to skating! It sounds like you are progressing quickly ... skating as a youngster helps.

The levels have changed a bit over the years (pre-bronze is the newest addition) but for TEST levels, the rough similarities are:

pre-bronze = pre-preliminary
bronze = preliminary
silver = pre-juvenile
gold = juvenile

This is generally true for freestyle tests and moves in the field. When a gold-level skater passes his or her tests, the next test level for them is intermediate.

As far as competition goes, even though you will see a preliminary standard-track skater attempting doubles, you'll never see that in a bronze program. The adult competition requirements are more restrictive (no axel in bronze, no double loops, flips or lutzes in gold) in order to keep adults from sandbagging.

Google Adult Well-Balanced Program Requirements and you'll find a useful chart for competitions.

Hope this helps.

[blue111moon]

Equivilancy is approximate. Pre Bronze is basically Pre-Preliminary. Bronze is Preliminary, Silver is Pre-Juvenile/Juvenile Gold is Juvenile/Intermediate.

The Basic Skills Adult Levels just condense the Badge Tests 1 - 8 into Four tests. If your LTS class is USFigure Skating's Basic Skills structure, you should get a booklet that lists all the tests and the skills for each one (along with a set of stickers to mark off each one - :) ). That should help you compare the two sets of tests.

Personally I find that the Adult Badge Tests leave out or condense too many essential skills so when I teach Adults, I teach from the Basic 8 levels. Then, if the adults want the badges, I test from the Adult ones.

[davincisoprano1]

Thank you so much guys, that really helps explain things. :)

[davincisoprano1]

One more question, how many levels in adult are there, on the basis of Adult 1/2/3/4? I'm in adult 4, are there any above that? Would I be able to progress a bit more in group lessons before I have to transition to private?

Right now it's cheaper to take group lessons until I'm working on elements that will require private lessons. I have to pay for my lessons on my own because I am a college student, unable to hold a job because my major is so demanding that I barely have time to breathe outside of classes. So it's just a little easier to take a group lesson that doesn't have many people in it because there aren't many "adult" skaters at my rink (I say "adult" because there is currently only one other person in my 4 person class that's over 21, the other two are 12, they just didn't want to be with the itty bitties).

[singerskates]

I think USFSA has group lessons for Freeskate too. Here's info on your next step once you pass your Adult Level 4 Learn to Skate....

Freeskate 1 to 6 offered in a group setting. (http://www.usfigureskating.org/Content/FreeSkateCurriculum.pdf)

Here below is the info you wanted to know about your Adult 4...

Adult Learn To Skate Levels (http://www.usfigureskating.org/Content/AdultCurriculum.pdf)

[Clarice]

Yes, Adult 1-4 is basically the equivalent of Basic 1-8, although there are some differences (adults get some beginning dance moves, for instance). What comes next for both would be Free Skate 1-6. There are seldom "adults only" classes for those levels, though. You would either have to be in a group with the kids, or, if there really aren't a lot of adults in your classes and you're able to more individual attention, keep signing up for Adult 4, but work on the higher level skills.

[Purple Sparkly]

if there really aren't a lot of adults in your classes and you're able to more individual attention, keep signing up for Adult 4, but work on the higher level skills.

This is a good idea. If you feel comfortable with the instructor, you can ask to be taught some skills that are in Basic Skills but not the adult levels, such as:

- Backward outside edge to forward outside edge transition on a circle: R & L (Basic 7)
- Moving backward to forward two-foot turn on a circle, clockwise & counter clockwise (Basic 6)
- Backward crossovers to a backward outside edge glides (landing position), clockwise & counter clockwise (Basic 7)
- Combination move: Forward crossovers (2) into forward inside Mohawk, cross behind, step into backward crossover (1) and step to forward inside edge: repeat 3 times, clockwise & counter clockwise (Basic 8)
- Moving three turns (Basic 8)
- Side toe hop (Basic 5)
- Bunny hop (Basic 6)
- Spirals and lunges (Basic 6)
- Backwards three turns (Freeskate 1 and 3)

These are all skills that adults are perfectly capable of learning and your group lesson instructor should be able to teach you with no problems, especially if there are younger "adults" in the class. Since the class has younger people, you could probably even touch on some of the freeskating skills like waltz jump and half flip.