Ok,Kids!!! Here's one I don't think we've ever talked about. But if you could coach any level of Learn to Skate Skaters...what level would it be? You need not be a skater to answer. Other Learn to Skate Skaters are welcome as well. This is all hyphophedical. For me..... even though I'm Learn to Skate myself. I'd love to coach the Intermediates. Ok Kids...GO!!!!

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FSWer

I really enjoy working with the snowplow sam levels- it's fun to facilitate learning through game play.

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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)

I like teaching Basic 3....it's before the really hard stuff and kids who get to that level are usually pick up things easily --I know how to teach things like pumping and two foot turns....I never could figure out how to help a kid who just doesn't get swizzles! Also they are usually older by then and they don't cry! One year I taught snowplow Sam and one kid ALWAYS cried and ended up being taken off the ice by her Mom.

j

I LOVE teaching the adult classes! Probably because I started as an adult myself. Some teachers don't/won't teach them, but I request them. They have all the attention span, really want to be there, are there to have fun, and are usually really interesting people. And they get so excited when they learn something new!

OOH! I forgot all about adults. I LOVE when I get to teach adult classes.
I have to say though- I really prefer the adults who have enough balance to stand up fairly well on their own. I am pretty small and can't offer much support to adults who are flailing and falling, so the skate director tends to evaluate an adult class before assigning it to me.

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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)

Say,I've heard of that level. But never understood it. Could someone please explain the origan of that level and what it invoves as for as moves and what you learn? Thanks.

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FSWer

Snowplow Sam is the tots, generally 3-5 years old. It's mostly about just getting them out on the ice, getting them to move around & teaching them to get up by themselves when they fall. It's fun, but exhausting!!

Snowplow Sam is 3 levels designed especially for children too young to go into the Basic skill program, ages 2-5 at our rink, occasionally a 6 year old.

They learn skills using games, not direct teaching. So we will do something like "kiss your toes, click your heels" to get started on swizzles, then swizzle around beanie babies- AFTER they know the idea of swizzles, then we tell them the name and tell them it's called a swizzle. We rarely say "lets practice swizzles, now stand in a line and put your heels together, and push your toes together" like you might do with older kids- that's direct teaching.

Same things with dips- we like to play the elevator game- they go from floor 5 to the basement (falling), learning to bend their knees. Sometime's I'll tell them they have a mouse on their head and have to keep it safe- that way they bend their knees and not their waist (so they can't look down). AFTER they have the idea, then we tell them it's a dip. We use "the car game" for moving dips (you have to dip under a bridge) but it's not direct teaching. In a Basic 1 class you are more likely to say "I'd like for everyone to show me a moving dip" It should still be fun, but the basic levels have fewer games.

The skills of snowplow sam progress slower than the Basic levels
SS 1 is sit and stand up off ice, sit and stand up on ice, march in place, march 8 steps, march and 2 foot glide, dip in place.

SS 2 is march with longer glide, dip while moving, back wiggles, forward swizzles, rocking horse, 2 foot hop

SS 3 is skate forward, one foot glide, forward swizzle, backward swizzle, forward snowplow stop, curves.

The idea is after finishing all three snowplow levels you'll start basic 2. Our rink usually does SS1 and SS2 then Basic 1, we don't do SS 3 very often.

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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)

Snowplow Sam is US Figure Skating's learn-to-skate program for preschoolers. It's geared towards children ages 3-5. The skills covered are pretty much the same things as in Basic 1, but they're broken down even further into Snowplow levels 1, 2, and 3. I'm teaching a Snowplow 1 class now. We do sitting down and standing up again (both on and off ice), marching in place, marching forwards, dip in place, and a short 2-foot glide. In levels 2 and 3 they go on to skills like long glides, forward swizzles, back wiggles, and snowplow stops. When a child has passed Snowplow 3, they can skip Basic 1 and go straight on to Basic 2.

Most of the teaching is done through games. For instance, we'll do Ring Around the Rosy to practice falling down and getting up again. It's a lot of fun coming up with games and activities that use the different skills.

I think I'd like to coach adult beginners, just because I started as an adult, and the little kids make me crazy! I like the fact that you don't have to fight for the adult's attention, and they really want to be there and learn.

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Jessica

http://ilove2skate.livejournal.com/

http://www.myspace.com/sk8fabulous

I substituted for an adult class which was just one persononce it was really good for me because she was making the EXACT SAME mistakes I do - with the creeping arm in crossovers. I could see exactly why she was having trouble doing crossovers since she was totally twisted the wrong way and was fighting herself and I knew that was the same problem I had. I was very good at correcting it for her...too bad I couldn't be so successful with myself.

j

Well, i have had the privilege of coaching various levels. My absolute fav is pre-alpha. They are so full of hugs and appreciativeness, and they always remember me when they see me out and about. They are so funny and cute, too!

I like teaching up to Basic 3. My rink is going to teach a blended class next season-USFSA and ISI so we will be teaching the footwork for ISI which is groovy. I like that part of ISI.

I like teaching kids the 2-foot spin!!!! They love learning their first real skating move. Sometimes they gripe that it isn't higher level but I tell them that I compete and still throw one in.

I also love SnowPlow Sam 1 and teaching kids to fall down, and then I show them how....when they see that I can do it and not get hurt then they are so happy and less fearful! I actually had one girl that would "fall" on purpose before we worked on stuff just to get it out of the way!

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Skate@Delaware
Ah, show skating!!! I do it for the glitter!

Anyone who will listen!

Ah, so rarely children, then, Vesper! LOL!

Actually, most of the kids in my classes are quite obedient. I run the classes with an iron fist and a smile, muahaha. The ones I have the most problem with are when I'm subbing for other coaches who aren't as strict.

What do you have to do to coach? I'm only a preliminary level skater right now but I would love to teach some of the really basic stuff or snowplow sam. I'm sure theres a coaching test or class or something but how do you get started?

Every rink can set their own restrictions about who can teach and what age/level you have to be to start. Some rinks require you to work, either paid or volunteering, as an assistant to another coach for a certain amount of time. Your coach could probably give you an idea of what your rink and other rinks in your area expect.

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Shae-Lynn and Victor: We knew you were champions, and on 3/28/03 the whole WORLD found out! Thank you for twelve wonderful years!

I'd love to teach the level 7s because it's the last level before they head up into intermidiates.

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2014 and 2018 Olympics here I come!

Skating, skating all day long, skating, skating all night long! May seem tiring to some people but not me, it's my life!!

Goals: Triple Loop, Novice Competitive, Sr.Silver Dances, Gold Artistic, and top 3 at Sectionals

It depends on which country you're in; the rules are less strict in the USA than they are in the UK, for instance, where you have to be at least 16 and if you don't have a full level 6 (either Elements, Free and Moves, or Free Dance, Compulsory Dance, Original Dance and Moves) it takes about two years longer to qualify than if you haven't. I think you have to do something like 100 hours on-ice with a mentor rather than 50.

Even if you have, it can take about two years to train, and usually you are stuck as you just need one more seminar and guess what, NISA isn't holding it in the foreseeable future....

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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!

Ask your club if they need volunteers to assist coaches. Most programs need helpers to work with the slower kids, especially for preschool-age classes where you will be constantly picking everyone up. That way you can watch and learn from the coach how they teach basic skills elements.

Whenever i go to the rink for public skate, I never get anything done because i spend so much time helping first-timers, no matter their age. I'd love to teach Basic 1-first timers, but not so young they don't understand what I'm teaching them.

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deannathegeek
"It's like trying to do a toe loop in hockey skates-you have to have the right tools for the job."

ITA! I now have four adult classes and love them all.

Ain't that the truth!

That's how I got my foot in the door at the rink where I used to have my lessons, and also how I learned to teach Mommy & Me (from Isk8NYC).

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Anything but Basic 4...yikes! Those outside three turns are killer! The kids get so frustrated when they don't pass after a few tries. They get bored working on them in class after a few minutes (who can blame them?) but then get frustrated because they can't do them well enough to pass.

Really I like teaching any class...its the kids that make the class, not the particular level. I love classes that are talkative and friendly, and actually interact back with me. I've also had classes of 6 or 7 kids who won't say a word to me or each other the entire time. They just stare back at me like zombies. Makes for a loooooong half hour!

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www.myspace.com/mantysk8coach <----Add me if you are on MySpace! I need more skater friends!

Ooh, I love teaching 3-turns. Masochist!