I've never seen something like that here in the US. That would be an option if that resource is available.


BlackManSkating

__________________
Proud to be one of the few black men out on the ice

Goals
Pass my Silver Moves Test
Finish Choreography for Silver Program
Land a Clean Double Toe and Double Lutz
Work on Double Axel and Rockers
Speed up back Camel

Our coaches don't charge for attending test sessions at our rink, although we think they should! And they have loads of other skaters testing, so they are going to be there anyway. I don't think I'd care to test without them there, although I'm not quite sure why not. I don't particularly want them at competitions - nice if they're there, but it's not important.

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Mrs Redboots
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I love my computer because my friends live in it!
Ice dancers have lovely big curves!

Maybe I'm just spoiled. And I'm pretty sure I'll get to a point where I won't need my coach with me during competition. But I would feel more at ease if my coach was there for my first competition. After that, I would probably be fine on my own.


BlackManSkating

__________________
Proud to be one of the few black men out on the ice

Goals
Pass my Silver Moves Test
Finish Choreography for Silver Program
Land a Clean Double Toe and Double Lutz
Work on Double Axel and Rockers
Speed up back Camel

My son's coach charges a 20-minute lesson fee for a test session, which seemed reasonable enough to me given that he's there for longer than that and constrained from doing anything else. Son would be upset if he wasn't there...My coach's fee structure is more complicated, and since we've been doing dance tests, it'd be hard for me to do them without her. However, if you decide after this test that you don't want him there, I'd just tell him politely, and wouldn't be shy about mentioning the reason. We all know how expensive this is.

Rob

That would be a good idea, bc eventually its your own head and body you control, its a good practice to be independent, youll have more energy to concentrate on yourself, and listening and learning about you when you compete.

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Tim David's Website

I know your coach and if you tell him flat out you can't afford it, he won't be offended.

Tim, that's a good point. Thanks!!


BlackManSkating

__________________
Proud to be one of the few black men out on the ice

Goals
Pass my Silver Moves Test
Finish Choreography for Silver Program
Land a Clean Double Toe and Double Lutz
Work on Double Axel and Rockers
Speed up back Camel

Oh boy, sectionals in Wayne...that's 15 min from my parents' house and they could finally see me compete.

oof it all gets more complicated but at least I'd drive there and stay with them.

But AN in Lake Placid...

Oh I'm sure I'll win the lottery sometime this year!

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

By the way, if you decide you want to compete at Sectionals and enter a qualifying event, it might be worthwhile to ask your club if they help with travel expenses of skaters who qualify for Adult Championship events (i.e., those who place in the top 4 in a Championship event at Sectionals). I never knew our club did this, but when I came home from AN I found a letter from my FSC with a check to help cover my competition travel expenses. It wasn't a lot of money but it was enough to make a difference. What a nice surprise!

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

I am definitely wondering how much all this costs for AN. Anyone give an estimate? I would LOVe to go, but don't have a clue as to expenses. Of course, i would have to fly, and i don't even know where it will be next year.

Any $$ data would help me out!

It depends on where you're coming from, whether you have roommates for the hotel, how much you budget for food, etc.

For me coming from Chicago, it costs ~$400 round trip to Albany, $250-$300 for a rental car for the week split between 7 people (we usually get a large SUV) so we aren't at someone's mercy for the shuttle and can go to the grocery store, $250/person for the hotel for the week, and probably about the same in food.

Yes, I can quite understand that for a first competition!

Incidentally, do try and go to a competition as a spectator so you get some idea of what happens. Even if it's just a kids' competition, they're all run on much the same lines. If you're iffy about going to a kids' competition as a spectator, in case people Think Things (isn't it awful how careful you have to be!), volunteer to help out and explain why!

Come to think of it, so do I know him and I agree! Super guy - posts on here sometimes.

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Mrs Redboots
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I love my computer because my friends live in it!
Ice dancers have lovely big curves!

That's exactly what I did! It was tons of fun. I helped all the skaters check in and then was ice monitor during the adult skates- it was nice to see what the adults were able to do, and made me feel good about my skating.

Yeah- he is a super coach, nice guy and great skater- that's why I picked him, and I guess the best way is just to be straightforward. I just don't want him to think that I think I know best! Since skaters always take their coaches.

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

Yeah I think I will try to do that just to get a feel for what's going on. I really have to explain why I'm going to a kids competition?? I think people can get a little extreme sometimes, but I guess it is for good reason considering everything that's been going on in the news lately.

BlackManSkating

__________________
Proud to be one of the few black men out on the ice

Goals
Pass my Silver Moves Test
Finish Choreography for Silver Program
Land a Clean Double Toe and Double Lutz
Work on Double Axel and Rockers
Speed up back Camel

Spectators are generally welcome and many non-qualifiers (club competitions) offer Adult events sandwiched in among everything else.

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American Waltz... Once, Twice, ???? ...

Q: How many coaches does it take to fix Jen's Dance Intro-3 Problems
A: 5 and counting...

Actually, sometimes the skater does know best. Especially the adults. I hire my coach to teach me skating, not to be my psychologist. The teaching part happens long before the competition day. There's nothing my coach can tell me in the 24 hours before the competition that is going to magically "fix" my skating. As an adult, I see getting my head together to compete as my job. Some coaches are great at teaching and choreography and training, but not so good at the "head" stuff. Okay with me. I do my own "head" stuff. I've been inside my own head for 42 years; my coach has only been there for 10. I know best how to get my head in the game.

Not in the adult world.

Really??? And I was going to get rid of my shrink too!!! LOL!!!

Jessi: Trust me! I know your coach well enough to know that if you are frank with him and tell him that you just can't afford to have him there for the second test session. He's KEWL like that... and may even work out something so that you don't have to have him there.

As for me, I needed primary coach to be there for my Bronze Moves b/c I just have a horrible time with passing it and fully expected a retry on the 3rd try at it... so I needed someone to watch what I'm doing and explain why the judges marked me a certain way and take note of what I need to work on next time around. As for the Bronze FS test, well, he's been my coach for years and has been looking forward to this day for ages... and besides that, he's already there putting out two other people who were taking the Bronze FS test and their other respective tests, so it's not like I can AVOID him.

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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!!!