I love this post; I've printed it and have it in my scrapbook...I LOVE IT. I must confess I also snagged the quote - I think it's Kim to the Max - has in her siggy. It's also on my fridge!

Here's my take: there's always going to be someone who says, "Pfft, how impressive - gee, you came in LAST?" This person is probably either (a) trying to hide their own shortcomings or the more likely (b), is so green with envy they should probably be named Kermit.

Someone has to be last. At some point, Sasha, Scott, Peggy, Dorothy - the great skaters we all admire - they too were last (even if they were probably seven when it happened - oh well). I have no shame in coming in last - I feel worse when I think, d*@n, I could have done that, and I didn't even try. Coming in last means I went, I took part, I tried. So in that, I didn't fail.

Just my two cents. So for everyone working toward 2009, GOOD LUCK - I'll see you in 2012!!

Nice job on the website. Woohoo!!! Just 9 months until AN and we already have a website where we can find information! Thanks so much -- I can hardly wait for AN09!

Actually, if you've passed the Bronze dances, you can skate at Adult Nationals in Interpretive--I did last year. However, the category is mixed Bronze and Silver Ladies, so you might not be real competitive--I was in IV and it was a pretty good group.

__________________
You miss 100% of the shots you never take.--Wayne Gretzky

The site looks great!

Already made a hotel reservation...now I have to go!

__________________
Revised Official 2010 Goals checklist
Skate __
New boots __
(lowering the bar for 2010 as I haven't skated in a year)

I just want to know:

a) Which of these is the "official" or "host" hotel?

b) Do any hotels on the list have blocked rooms/special AN'09 rates?

Just need a finger pointing me in the right direction!

__________________
This space has been put on hiatus for retuning....

We don't have that info just yet (we're waiting on some paperwork from USFS), but as soon as we know, I'll post it on the site!

__________________
I've got mad salchow disease!

a little local news clip on Nationals coming here:

http://fox17.trb.com/sports/?track=nav

yes, I sound like a dork. "I was a bookish child..." Of all the interview questions, he chose THAT answer? I wanted to bite it off the minute I said it. I wish they would have shown more adult footage instead of the senior ladies.

__________________
Champagne in 2005, 2008, 2009 - who's next out of the pre-bronze club...?

Wang chung!

And I wish they'd have gotten footage of me doing something cool (like my spread eagle) instead of a spin I f'ed up!

__________________
I've got mad salchow disease!

Okay I'm officially joining this group. I'm going to go for Solo dance. I need to pass one pre-bronze dance and I think I can do that.

joelle

Go for it!!! I would LOVE to finally meet you at AN after knowing 'ya all these years!!!

__________________
Cheers,
jazzpants

11-04-2006: Shredded "Pre-Bronze FS for Life" Club Membership card!!!
Silver Moves is the next "Mission Impossible"
(Dare I try for Championship Adult Gold someday???)

Thank you for the support, you guys!!!

I just figure all the people who didn't show up to skate are tied for last place, LOL!

__________________
"You don't have to put an age limit on your dreams." - Dara Torres, 41, after her 2nd medal at the 2008 Olympics

Are you kidding?! The site is wonderful! Thanks so much for putting such thought into it!

__________________
"You don't have to put an age limit on your dreams." - Dara Torres, 41, after her 2nd medal at the 2008 Olympics

I'm glad you said that. I couldn't BELIEVE how good your adult skating group was!!!!!!

__________________
You miss 100% of the shots you never take.--Wayne Gretzky

If only Alyssa Czisny competed on the adult track...

(If you didn't notice, she was the one who did the 2axel & 3lutz-2toe in the pink & green dress. The skater in black is a GR-area senior level competitor.)

__________________
I've got mad salchow disease!

U.S. Figure Skating Announces Dates and Locations for 2009 Adult Sectionals

(7/8/08) - U.S. Figure Skating announced today the dates and host cities for the 2009 adult sectional championships. These three competitions will place in February 2009.

Eastern Adult Sectional Championships
Central Carolina Skating Club
Feb. 20–22, 2009
Hillsborough, N.C.
Triangle Sportsplex

Midwestern Adult Sectional Championships
Wyandotte Figure Skating Club
Feb. 20–22, 2009
Wyandotte, Mich.
Benjamin F. Yack Recreation Center

Pacific Coast Adult Sectional Championships
Las Vegas Figure Skating Club
Feb. 20–22, 2009
Las Vegas, Nev.
Sobe Ice Arena @ Fiesta Rancho

Rob

__________________
Geriatric Figure Skating Crew - President for Life!
Georgia Figure Skating Club - President (again)
Facebook
____________________________________________
"I'm too old to die young, and too smart to be happy" - Kinky Friedman, The Mile High Club

2010 Adult Nationals - earning a gold - "Priceless"
2009 Adult Nationals - competing with a cold is not much fun.
2008 Adult Nationals - Too little sleep, too much vodka!

Reviving this thread. At our usual adults-only Thursday morning coffee club, coach mentioned that several skaters from our club will be going to MI for adult nats and hinting that I oughta go too. Um, i *just* passed pre-bronze, never mind bronze???? I think it's possible I could pass bronze moves, but FS?? Mark me a 0 for both backspin and sit spin. I think I could probably get a loop but all three jumps would be pitiful. Could I pass by whenever the deadline is? (Can our tiny, disorganized club even get a stupid test session scheduled?) I haven't even passed my prelim dances (test session problem--not enough judges with the right qualifications), let alone bronze or pre-bronze.

Anyone have a link to qualifications for adult nats? Can I skate up a level? Hey, SOMEONE has to come in last!!!

However, i don't really drink so the thought of the little booze bottles flying onto the ice isn't as much of a motivator. . . .it's just that Grand Rapids isn't too far from here, and, really, when is the next time that ANs will be that close?

__________________
"Go wash an elephant if you wanna do something big." -Baby Gramps

The last place person in Bronze III might very well be me. While I did pass my Bronze free in May, it has been a turbulent summer, with contract ice starting at my home rink, a secondary coaching change (didn't start with said coach until August), coming in last in my first competition last weekend as a Bronze lady and now.... my home rink is for sale!!
Thankfully I skate at and take lessons from Secondary Coach at another rink in the area, but that rink is not regulation size and is almost always packed.
I'm gonna need some major support from my fellow forumites in the months ahead.

__________________
Adult Nationals, 2009 "The Time of My Life"

I don't think I'm going to go after all. I just don't have the money. Hopefully they will have solo dance again next year because I'm probably not ever going to be a bronze free skater.

j

Unfortunately, no skating up is allowed at ANs.

I don't know the minimum requirements for pairs & dance, but for solo freestyle, you have to have passed at least the Bronze MIF & FS tests and for interp, you have to have passed at least either the Bronze MIF & FS tests or the Pre-Bronze dance test.

__________________
I've got mad salchow disease!

You just have to have passed prelim dances and one pre-bronze dance to qualify for solo dance.

I don't think Katie did a lutz last year and she finished 4th in our group. But overall she's a strong skater and has very nice spins.

The best thing you can do to prepare is not worry about what other people are doing, and just do what you can do well.

__________________
2010-2011 goals:
Pass Junior MIF test
Don't break anything

Katie didn't do a lutz and she 2-footed her flip, but she does have good spins and spirals.

OT: We threw a baby shower for her last week and I swear, she is one of the cutest pregnant women ever!

__________________
I've got mad salchow disease!

I think I'd actually be the elder stateswoman in Bronze II (40 in March!). We'll see how things go. . . I thought I'd heard that no skating up was allowed--thanks for the confirmation, flying camel. Might have to try the solo dance route, but dance judges are hard to come by in my area. The idea of trying to get my Bronze moves & FS passed in just a few months is stressing me out, and this is supposed to be FUN, darnit!!

__________________
"Go wash an elephant if you wanna do something big." -Baby Gramps

This thread makes me feel better - my camel/sit/back spin combo is coming along nicely and I was able to do my loop twice at a good speed today...

...but I still don't have a lutz and my flip is still a flop.

Hoping I fix those two things by AN but if not I'll really try to up the level of the other stuff...

__________________
Revised Official 2010 Goals checklist
Skate __
New boots __
(lowering the bar for 2010 as I haven't skated in a year)

Just look at it this way....prepare to be the best skater YOU can be. You can't control what jumps and spins other people in your group will show up with. You can't control placement (especially under 6.0). Heck...sometimes you can't even control what your body is going to do when you step out onto the ice to compete and the nerves and everything else get to you (even the most seasoned performer has a bad day). You CAN, however, control whether or not you step out on the ice to compete at nationals knowing that you can't possibly have prepared any harder throughout the season. And you can prepare to, no matter how you place and no matter how you perform, be proud of yourself for that. Not placing well doesn't feel too bad if you know you worked as hard as you possibly could. And be prepared to have a darn good time spending 5 days acting like a kid

I haven't been at freestyle very long, but some of the best years I had skating were when I was on a collegiate synchro team that worked our butts off just to qualify to be at synchro nationals, or on a senior team that knew we wouldn't make the podium...but were happy to have the skate of our lives at nationals. And some of the most disappointing have been when we placed 2nd or 3rd at nationals and it was because we had a crappy performance, which was the result of not working hard enough in practice.

__________________
2010-2011 goals:
Pass Junior MIF test
Don't break anything