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.

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

Wang chung!

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!

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.

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....

__________________
Visit www.sk8strong.com for complete off-ice training information and sport specific DVDs for figure skaters

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.

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!

__________________
Denver Synchronicity

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.

__________________
-Jessi
What I need is a montage...
Visit my skating journal or my Youtube videos (updated with 2 new videos Sept 26, 2009)

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....

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.

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

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.

__________________
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'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.

__________________
Happily defying the laws of physics when I skate...and not in a good way

If I could meet ole Axel Paulsen, I would kick him in the teeth

President and Founding member of the I hate Toe-Loops Club

Still a member, but trying to get out of the Pre-bronze peanut gallery.

Visit my skating journal

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.

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.

__________________
Terri C is a Bronze lady!
Gold Moves, here I come!

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.

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

__________________
Is Portland the only city with it's own ice-dance website? http://www.pdxicedance.net/

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

__________________
Is Portland the only city with it's own ice-dance website? http://www.pdxicedance.net/

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!

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!

__________________
Denver Synchronicity

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.

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

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!

__________________
Skating Dreams

"All your life you are told the things you cannot do. All your life they will say you're not good enough or strong enough or talented enough; they will say you're the wrong height or the wrong weight or the wrong type to play this or be this or achieve this. THEY WILL TELL YOU NO, a thousand times no, until all the no's become meaningless. All your life they will tell you no, quite firmly and very quickly. AND YOU WILL TELL THEM YES." --Nike

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???

__________________
BuggieMom
><>
Some people are like a Slinky...not really good for anything,
but you still can't help but smile when you shove them down the stairs....

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.

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 ...

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.

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

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

__________________
Skating Dreams

"All your life you are told the things you cannot do. All your life they will say you're not good enough or strong enough or talented enough; they will say you're the wrong height or the wrong weight or the wrong type to play this or be this or achieve this. THEY WILL TELL YOU NO, a thousand times no, until all the no's become meaningless. All your life they will tell you no, quite firmly and very quickly. AND YOU WILL TELL THEM YES." --Nike