Test advice needed!!!!

[newbie mum]

Ok I am new to all this and need some advice. DD is 9 and has been doing really well. She took her L1 tests and passed. She has been entered for her level 2 which will be in 2 weeks time. Well would you know it her sit spin and back spin have gone awol and her coach doesn't think they will pass. DD is now worried and doesn't want to take the test. She has her first comp 1 week after the test.

Do we a) let her still go in for the test and hope it comes together on the day?
b) cancel the test - which will mean losing the £48 fees
c) against my better judgement pull a sickie and take the test next time and not lose the fee.

All of these have a potentially negative impact on how she will feel about the first comp. I am getting really confused about what to do. She has made such fast progress and loves to skate I on't want her to be put off.

[CoachPA]

Well would you know it her sit spin and back spin have gone awol and her coach doesn't think they will pass. DD is now worried and doesn't want to take the test.

Did you daughter's coach tell her that she will not pass? Or just mention it to you?

I've dealt many instances of this when I team coached where the secondary coach praised my skaters and encouraged them to test only to tell them two or three days before the test that there's no chance they'll pass. It's so frustrating because, as the head coach who ultimately makes all major (testing/competition) decisions, I'm the coach who then has to deal with skaters who are a complete trainwreck for their tests, which only adds unnecessary stress to an already stressful situation for most skaters. Not a good combination.

Perhaps worse off is the fact that I don't always agree with the secondary coach as to when tests are ready to be put out, so when they don't pass, I'm again the coach who has to answer the 'Why didn't I pass?' question. And, that places me in between a rock and a hard place because I don't want to have to tell my students (after having already told the parents prior to the test applications going in) that the test just wasn't ready.

I recently ended up having to have a discussion with this particular secondary coach in which coaching roles had to be redefined. For instance, as the head coach, I am the one who determines the readiness of tests; I sign the test papers, etc.

Do we a) let her still go in for the test and hope it comes together on the day?
b) cancel the test - which will mean losing the £48 fees
c) against my better judgement pull a sickie and take the test next time and not lose the fee.

All of these have a potentially negative impact on how she will feel about the first comp. I am getting really confused about what to do. She has made such fast progress and loves to skate I on't want her to be put off.

I think you need to look at your daughter and see how negatively these options will affect her. Give her the two weeks to improve and work on her elements then go from there. I mean, were her wonky spins just a one time issue or something that's been occurring repeatedly? Sometimes skaters just have an "off" day.

Also, if you feel that you'll be losing your money anyway (whether by her failing or through cancelling last minute and forfeiting the test fees--options A and B) and you feel your daughter can handle slight disappointment, I say put the test out there. At the least you'll be getting some feedback from the judges, which your daughter can put to good use in preparing to retake the test.

If you're daughter isn't the type of skater who can handle going in as the underdog at this point, talk to your daughter's coach and see what she suggests. Would she be okay with you pulling the test at the last minute? Would she be willing to pay you the money you'd be losing if your daughter scratches since she is the one who suddenly decided that your daughter isn't ready? (Probably not, but still worth a shot...)

Whatever you ultimately decide, please do not go with your third option, which I believe you know better than to do. This only shows your daughter that she can back out at any time and that fibbing to get there is acceptable.

[newbie mum]

Thanks Coach PA. Yes C) is not really my preference.

She has only been skating a year and had 6 months of private lessons (15 mins a week) so she has come long way very quickly.

She has never "failed" at anything so I am worried that if she does badly in the test she will lose all confidence. Whilst she needs to learn to not pass everything at some point, 1 week before her first comp doesn't seem like a good time to do it.

Spins were good and present until the day after I put the test forms in (she didn't know I had put them in) and they just haven't come back. The smae thing happened with her spiral and loop once before, but not for as long as 4 weeks.

Another problem is the time off school, school very reluctant and morning off 1 week and then afternoon off the following for comp is causing a problem. If she has to go into school after not passing it will make it all so much worse.

Why is it I am competent professional at work and this is making me nuts!

[CoachPA]

Why is it I am competent professional at work and this is making me nuts!

Well, welcome to the wonderful world that is skating! :lol:

[Mrs Redboots]

How did she skate on her Level 1? Was it better or worse than she normally does in practice?

I ask, because how you answer might help you decide what to do. If she went out there, thoroughly enjoyed herself, and skated an absolute blinder, the chances are she'll skate really well on test day. And competition day the week after. Especially if you don't make a big deal of passing or failling - just "Let's see whether your skating measures up to Level 2 standards; if it doesn't this time, I expect it will next".

Don't forget, you do get two chances to skate each element, and the judge can ask for a reskate on at least one element if the second chance didn't quite happen; also the judge can ask for a reskate if she misses her spin in the free, for instance. Judges do know that nerves happen, and make allowances for them.

[fsk8r]

As an 8 year old I took my Grade 2 piano exam and failed. It wasn't dressed up as a retry, it was a fail. I took it quite hard. Especially having had to wait weeks for the results. But I believe failing young taught me a valuable life lesson about things not necessarily coming easily ( and like doing some practice!). It wasn't easy, but I bounced back pretty quickly from it.
Thankfully with skating tests you find out pretty quickly afterwards, was really miserable after I failed my first test (as an adult) and life carried on and I went to work for the afternoon. How you handle her "failure" will teach her a lesson in life, so I wouldn't be afraid to let her try and not succeed.
And you never know the elements might suddenly reappear, she might have just had a growth spurt and it's upset things.
Just make sure you and she remember that it's meant to be fun!
Good luck to you and her.

[Kat12]

I guess it depends on your daughter and what type of person she is. On one hand, regardless of if she does the test, she'll still have to do the competition, right? So getting out there and getting the "big pressure" out of the way with the test might do her good and might take some of the worry of the competition off. Or if she fails the test, it may inspire her to work harder before the competition. On the other hand, if she fails the test, it may discourage her to not try at the competition--though if she passes, she might feel better about the competition!

Is she the sort to get so discouraged by a failure that she'll quit trying for a while, or no?

[newbie mum]

I guess I don't know how she'll take not passing as it simply isn't somethign that has happened to her before.

She loved doing level 1, she loved the whole process and skated better than usual and got the highest test marks on the day of anyone (the judge told us).

I wasn't aware of the two chances for each element bit, so thanks for that. Also yes she is definately having agrowth spurt as she has gone up 2 shoe sizes.

Time for another chat tonight and see how she feels.

Thanks everyone

[isakswings]

Ok I am new to all this and need some advice. DD is 9 and has been doing really well. She took her L1 tests and passed. She has been entered for her level 2 which will be in 2 weeks time. Well would you know it her sit spin and back spin have gone awol and her coach doesn't think they will pass. DD is now worried and doesn't want to take the test. She has her first comp 1 week after the test.

Do we a) let her still go in for the test and hope it comes together on the day?
b) cancel the test - which will mean losing the £48 fees
c) against my better judgement pull a sickie and take the test next time and not lose the fee.

All of these have a potentially negative impact on how she will feel about the first comp. I am getting really confused about what to do. She has made such fast progress and loves to skate I on't want her to be put off.

I think you should go for for it! You never know, as others have mentioned her sills just might come back the day of the test and for the comp! Skating is a difficult sport and it's very common for skaters to "lose" a skill only to gain it back. My daughter was landing her loop jump pretty consistantly, only to have it take a "vacation" shortly after! Dd was extremely frustrated about that! FINALLY a few weeks ago, it came back and honestly, I think it looks better then it did before! It seems to me that all the while it was "lost" she kept working on it and kept trying to figure out why it was suddenly gone. So, when it came back, she was able ot do it BETTER then she did before. :) Maybe, JUST maybe this will happen with your daughter too.

I would find a way to talk to her about the upcoming test and the competition. Tell your daughter how proud you are of her and how far she's come and express to her that all you EVER expect her to do is her best and go from there! Obviously, you are her mom and the best judge of how she might handle things if she does not test well. It's so hard to know what to do sometimes, huh?

Good luck deciding!

[Mainemom]

She has never "failed" at anything so I am worried that if she does badly in the test she will lose all confidence. Whilst she needs to learn to not pass everything at some point, 1 week before her first comp doesn't seem like a good time to do it.

Welcome to life! My DD had never failed a test either and then came down sick on the day of her Juv MIF. She tried it anyway but couldn't get enough breath to generate the power needed. All of her friends passed their tests that day so it was doubly hard to fail. But that's life and the one thing I do appreciate about skating (and sports in general) is that it teaches you to fall and get back up and try again. And fall, and fall, and fall.... Life isn't about everyone getting a ribbon for participating - there are winners and losers and all you can do is encourage her to keep on trying.

Plus, if she is like my DD, competitions are a far cry from test sessions. Testing is nerve-wracking horrible misery-enducing pain. Competing is fun! Competing is the reward, for all the hard work, the gravy, the candy! Testing is the permanent record of how hard you really have worked, where you really can't fake it. You either have it or you don't.

[newbie mum]

I guess that is why I am finding it hard. My DD has already said that to her tests are more important than comps so I think it may hit her hard. She loved the first tests and I really do mean loved. Before she knew the result she was on such a high.after I couldn't pull her down off the ceiling This is her first comp 1 week after and all the others in her group have done a whole season and in some cases 3 seasons but she hadn't even been near the ice back then. She knows she is likely to come last but hopes for more. She is fine with that but sees the test as a test of herself and therefore more important. In the UK we don't have seperate test/comp tracks, they go together from what I understand(whicH is very very little)!!!

Talking to her tonight she wants to go for it so I guess it is her decision and here we go! Some very har dpractice over the next week though.

Ho hum never thought having a kid who skates would be so stressfull!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[vesperholly]

She has never "failed" at anything so I am worried that if she does badly in the test she will lose all confidence. Whilst she needs to learn to not pass everything at some point, 1 week before her first comp doesn't seem like a good time to do it.
Failing at something is probably more important than winning all the time, IMO. It's not a fun experience, but it builds strength of mind and character. I've learned 100 times more from my failures than my successes. What you as a parent can do is make it "OK" to fail - "You tried hard, and you're going to come back even stronger the next time." Let her test, and she still has a chance of passing. If you pull her out of a test, she will 100% not pass.

Your daughter still has some time to regain the elements that have disappeared. A little hard work and diligent practice, and she'll probably get them back. I always go to pieces and skate terrible the week before a test. Bad dress rehearsal, fantastic performance!

[Schmeck]

Of course she's failed at something - unless she walked across the room the first time she stood up, spoke in sentences the first time she opened her mouth, etc. Perhaps you shouldn't think of it as 'failing' and more as a learning experience. If your daughter is smart, she'll pick up on your fears of her 'failure', and that will put more pressure on her!

So what if she doesn't pass? So what if she has a down-and-out hissy fit and quits skating? It's not life or death, and it's absolutely not healthy to shield a child from failure by avoidance, and especially not good to teach her to play sick so she doesn't have to take a test.

My oldest daughter failed 2 out of her 10 attempts at our US moves in the field tests, having to retake intermediate and novice. She cried when she didn't pass intermediate, but she knew she was rushed to take the test, as she needed that level to be eligible to skate at junior world qualifier. She needed another month, but we didn't have it. She survived, passed a month later, and skated at nationals with her synchro team. the whole experience made her a much more mature skater.

[Mrs Redboots]

If your daughter enjoyed skating in front of a judge at level 1, she will enjoy it at level 2, and probably skate really well. Getting a retry really doesn't matter that much, everybody does once in awhile. The coaches mind, as it impacts on their statistics, and, of course, it's always disappointing to have skated your best and then to be told you don't measure up. But even if your skater doesn't pass, she'll get good feedback as to what she needs to work on. Make sure she knows you're proud of her, whatever happens!

Is her competition the Guildford Open? Very nice people there, some of whom post on this forum, so she should have fun.

[newbie mum]

Thanks Mrs Redboots

Yes it is Guildford and fairly unusual I think to be going into it like this.

She is so excited, but very nervous as well.

[Mrs Redboots]

I shan't be there, as they're not offering adult dance classes this year, but I know it will be a great competition. Teach your daughter how to use her nerves to enhance her performance, not detract from it - not an easy skill, but one she needs to learn now, rather than later!