The announcement for our annual end of the year club meeting/social came out, and on it, it says that the cub will be recognizing skaters who passed gold tests and those who competed at sectionals and junior nationals.

Makes no mention of adult nationlals (when we had 6 skaters go and bring back 3 individual medals and 2 dance teams with medals). Not sure if I should say something, I want the club to recognize us because they want to, they appreciate us, and they respect what we do. Not because I whined about it. Whether or not we were in qualifying events, we still worked damn hard to be there and do well.

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

I think I would say something. What I would say I can't tell you but I would mention it.

My club gave a certificate to everyone who placed in competitions during the year but the "big deal" at the annual meeting was all about the kids. Okay, I can appreciate that - all the parents were there and time was short.

Our Section had never mentioned Adults AT ALL on the Web site until we (my coach and I) made sure they got something all written up and ready to post. That was last year and 8 skaters from our Section went to (Adult) Nationals and brought home a total of 10 medals. MAN! If the kids had made a haul like that, the Section would have been calling in the news media and it would have been on the front page of the paper!

Yup, adults are invisible and the only way to change it is to do something to make it visible!

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Dianne
(A.O.S.S.? Got it BAD! )

I would say something. This happened at my club as well where the adults are ALWAYS ignored.

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

There's no need to whine or to be perceived as whining. Take a look at how many adult skaters are in your club and at how much ice time they buy and at how many lessons they take. Judging by the Adult Nats results it must be substantial. You can then go to the club officers responsible for the end of season event, give them hard facts, and ask for proper recognition. It can only be good for a club to have more paying members, and the adult members deserve recognition for their achievements as well as the kids.

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Well I have to say I have had the opposite experience. Back in 2004 before I was involved with the club Myself and another skater were given a full "sendoff" before we went to AN at Lake Placid. Complete with us exhibiting our programs and cake (+ wine) party at the rink. All the kids gathered to hear us speak and thank the club for their support. Now that I am president of the club I make sure that we recognize every adult who competes anywhere respresenting our club.

LW

Funny thing is that for the most part I've been pretty happy with my club. We used to have our own session but it got canceled due to numbers (an odd year where people moved away, took time off skating, had a baby, or other issues so numbers were down and it was understandable)...we got that back at least for summer now that numbers are back up. Last year pics and results from AN went up on our club web site right away (only myself and a dance team went but I finished 2nd and they won their event). I emailed them ANs results as soon as we were all done competing, so it's not like they don't know. Needless to say I'm surprised that we're kind of being ignored more so than I am really upset.

I've been asked for 2 yrs straight to be on our board and I want to so that I can really make things happen, but unfortunately I'm so busy with law school and can't make the meetings because of my classes.

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

I would suggest taking a list to your club president and saying (nicely) something like... "Here's a list of the adults who medaled at Adult Nationals. I know you'd want to recognize them for all their hard work. Maybe if the kids see there's an adult track they'll keep skating as they get older rather than dropping out." (More money for the rink and coaches, hint hint)
If there's a publication, then write an article. Don't expect someone to write one for you.
People do stuff for kids, because well, they're kids and not able to do stuff for themselves. Adults, should be well, adults and be willing to do stuff for themselves.
I don't know how the club is organized but if it's like every other club in the world the people running it are busy, busy, busy. Those who volunteer to help get the most input.

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Great forum quotes:
On Falling: '...it doesn't matter, it's what you do AFTER you fall that's more important' ISK8NYC

I do agree that a lot of clubs totally overlook adults, but just to play devil's advocate ... why should they recognize adults who enter an Open competition the same way they recognize kids who've made it to a second level of qualifying? We all know how hard we work to compete in the non-championship events at AN, but you can say the same about the kids who compete at one of their Open competitions. If they're not going to recognize those kids, why should they recognize the adults who do the same thing?

My club had a party for the kids that had competed (local ISI comps only) AND participated in the show. No mention was made about the adults that participated (i.e. skated) in the show (I won't say competed as I'm the only one at my rink that does). We had 6 ladies that skated in the shows and they were snubbed. One did say something about it later and one of the board members said "oh we figured that you all would go out and party on your own"

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

Because Adult Nationals is not just another open competition. Even if you don't have to qualify for the open events, it's still a national competition. If you look at a kid who makes it to JNs and an adult who goes to ANs in an open event...sure, the one who went to JNs had to go through a lot more competition-wise to get there, but nonetheless both have gone as far as they can in their respective areas of competition. It's just the way we're set up that not every level has to qualify, at least not yet (and even once you're there, at some levels where the numbers are high there is a final round to qualify for). That shouldn't undermine us. It's like saying clubs shouldn't recognize their synchro teams that go to nationals at levels where there are less than 12 teams in the country (senior, adult) because all they had to do to get there was show up at sectionals. Plus, it's no different than recognizing kids who went to regionals every year. All you have to do to go to regionals is be at one of the levels offered and sign up.

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

To play devil's advocate back. WHY aren't they recognising those kids who compete in non-championship events and do well? A gold medal is still a gold medal after all. I'm lucky my rink recognises all the successes of our skaters. OK normally publicity only goes out for the bigger events (the british and the british adults or european opens -Mountain Cup/Oberstdorf/etc) but the adults get as much recognition as the kids to when they do well. And my synchro club was boasting about how all three teams had done well (2 golds and a silver at synchro nationals), and that's the two kids teams and the adults. They should be publicising all successes, especially where there are lots of rinks in close proximity. Parents and adult skaters want success for their kids and believe in success breeding success. So they want to hear that a club has lots of winners, and they also want to know who the coaches are.

I do agree though that clubs do often overlook the adults and that it might be worth writing your own piece for the website, or just dropping a reminder to the chairman. I'd not make a big deal out of it as I'd just look at it as an oversight and hope it doesn't happen again. I'd be more upset if there was a negative response from them and it did happen again. They are after all volunteers and busy people.

Rachel,
I would definitely say something if I were you.
There is a good possibility that I may be switching clubs next season. It's a long complicated story that I won't go into here. The club I may switch to has quite a few adult skaters in it, but does very little recogntion for them.
If I do transfer to this club, I plan to do what I can to change that.

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Adult Nationals, 2009 "The Time of My Life"

Please say something. It probably wasn't an intentional slight. If the board is like ours, it's made up of parents that are focused on their kids skating. Some of our board members don't know too much about figure skating at all, but are there filling a need for their kids' sake.

The award/banquet committee probably doesn't realize what a big deal it is. I'd mention it. You'll have to enlighten them.

At our annual meeting, we recognize everyone for the tests they have passed for the year but don't talk about medals won at all. However, if we had any adults make it to Nationals, we would definitely make a big deal about it. We had one coach a few years ago qualify but then not able to go because of injury and we were all so proud of him! I think that is one of the reasons I like skating so much, because it is a sport that you can compete in, or just enjoy working at, your entire life. My brother didn't start skating until he was in his late 30's and my mother (now 75 and still skating) was the one who got him into it.

I think it all depends on the size of the club. For example, my skating club has nearly 500 members (yes, that includes parents, but we have many siblings, etc) not to mention training-mates from other clubs, etc. If we recognized every single skater who got a gold medal... we'd be there for days.

That being said, generally what our club does is recognizes kids and adults who go to regionals (qualifying only), sectionals, jr. nationals and nationals. They also recognize the adults who go to sectionals and nationals.

We have send-off parties, generally including a cake and a letter from the club, get gifts, and possibly have an exhibition for those above. It's not possible to do it for more than that - the club doesn't have the money!

I would say, Rachel, if the club hasn't put the results on the website and isn't recognizing them at all, I would just put the results and other things together and present them to the board (or organizer) and tell them that they must have accidentally overlooked these results and be very nice about it. But absolutely speak up!

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"Without a struggle, there can be no progress" ~ Frederick Douglass

Do you have adult representation on your club's board? If not, have you considered running for a board position?

Rachel has been asked to be on her club's board, but she's in law school and unfortunately dosen't have the extra time.


Rach, I'd defitniely bring it to their attention. I know you won't say in in a "whiny" way and maybe it was an honest oversight? I know it might not seem that way. But if you bring it up now, they likely won't forget next time.

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"Where are we going and why are we in this handbasket?"

I suppose it depends how much recognition that you're aiming for. Is it just a mention in a newsletter / website or something more formal like send-off parties and gifts? My club tends to just go for the mention on the newsletter / website in which case there is space to mention lots of people and as you say its cheaper than having parties.

Definitely say something. If you have a strong adult contingent, that recognition could lead to increased participation/club membership/test fees/$$$. Plus, it shows the parents that they can skate, too.

Personally, I find competing in open events at ANs equivalent to competing at Regionals. So medaling would be equivalent to qualifying for Sectionals/JNs.

I sent them nationals results right after ANs. And the other day as just as a "hey don't forget about us" I sent them an action shot of everyone we had go to ANs along with podium photos. I just checked the site and results and photos are up. Woo hoo!

All I want is for people to know we exist for the betterment of adult skating locally and as a whole. So that more adults pick it up, more kids stick with it through college and after they graduate, and I'd love to see more of the girls I grew up skating with come back, we had so much fun when we were kids (they miss it like crazy but don't think they can do it....I'm working on them).

Luckily this year we have a quasi-adult skater on the board (she's 20), and I always speak up if I have something to say. Just can't hold a position because of work/law school/commitments at school (I'm an officer of 3 student organizations for next school year).

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

"Not every coach is adult-friendly, not every club/rink is adult-friendly. If that is your gripe, maybe it's time to find a new coach or a new club. Don't blame the USFS for that. There are coaches out there who treat their adults like any other skater. There are clubs out there who honor their adult skaters who go to Nationals (even though for many of us all we do is sign up) just like they do for the kids who go to regionals/sectionals/JNs (giving them warm-up jackets, money, etc).

And by all means, don't just complain on a message board, it's not going to get you anywhere."

Sound familiar?

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

She was asking for advice, not complaining.

Really, if you have an issue with another thread, bring it up in that thread and don't threadcrap.

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"Where are we going and why are we in this handbasket?"

Wow, hold grudges much? Care to elaborate and actually make a point? Asking for advice on how you should take further affirmative actions (or seeing if your thoughts are justified or a mere overreaction) and just sitting around complaining in a venue which won't get you anywhere are two succinctly different things. If you actually bothered to read maybe you'd see what the purpose of this thread was.

It takes some real cajones to hide behind a screen name and argue with someone over the internet on a message board because a few weeks ago, the made a valid point that you didn't like (which were more of a reiteration of what was said by members of the adult skating committee at the meeting held at ANs). Please, grow up, drop it, or address me via PM using your real identity (not that I have time for such nonsense, but whatever).

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

Bickering solves nothing.

If you have a problem with your club, either take it up with the Board or find another club. If you don't like the way your Board runs things, then get on the Board and change it. But you don't have to be on the board to take on a project. You could volunteer to be the Recognition Chair and put together the list of the members accomplishments and make sure that adults are included. The chances are pretty good that whoever's in charge now would be happy to hand off the duty.

I know that the ONLY way I got adults intergrated into my club was to join the board and stay on it - for a couple decades. I've been around - and on the ice - so long that everyone just assumes it's normal and no one thinks about adults deserving the same recognition as kids. I don't just show up and skate and go home. I've demonstrated that I'm a valuable asset to the club and generally they acknowledge that.

But it's also a recognition that I've earned and not just demanded.