Test Chair

[isakswings]

Have any of you ever been the test chair for your club? I am considering it...but am overwhelmed a bit by what it all entails. The current person would certainly help me transition, but I am overwhelmed a bit by the thought of doing ti! LOL. Anyway, anyone ever done it before?

[twokidsskatemom]

If you have help, its not bad.
You have to pick the judges, arrange for tickets ect if they are flying,hotel ect.
You have to make the test form and send it out.
Make sure you have ice time.
Schedule the tests, copy the test forms, label them with the skaters name,USFSA number, assign the judges. You can do pre pre with single judges, then its all three judges.The USFSA will give you the times you need to allot, ie novice moves is 20 minutes I think.You have to schedules moves before FS tests.
You have to feed the judges, so hospitality.
Make sure the music system works, if you do dance tests you have to make sure they get a warm up with the right music.
We copy the results right away and give the copies to the skaters.Then you have to record the results with the USFSA.
Hope that helps!!

[FLskater]

It's probably one of the most important roles in a club! It can be hard work, and you have to deal with a lot of personalities, but it's also very rewarding.

USFSA has a guidebook for test chairs, and although it is in need of reworking (it's from 2007, I think) most of the information in there is current today. You'll also get a current test book, explaining all of the elements plus necessary time alotments and judge requirements, & a directory with current judges from all over the country.

You have to coordinate ice time at your rink with availability of the judges - and it gets trickier as the levels go up - for instance, you can have 3 silver judges up to novice, but then you need 3 gold judges beyond that. Dance is even trickier, as solo dance can be judged by one gold dance judge, but partnered dances beyond Pre-Bronze dances require multiple dance judges. You have to coordinate getting the judges' expenses paid with your club, too.

You have to post notice of the test session with enough advance notice - and make sure the deadline for applications gives you enough time to plan the schedule and print the forms. It can get a little nutty trying to make the schedule when multiple parents and coaches have time requirements (as in, my kid doesn't get out of school until this time, can she test after that? or a coach having a time requirement... moves have to be run on cleaner ice, then freeskate; I usually make sure there is clean ice for the dance tests too- you don't want them tripping up over holes in the ice made by the freeskate tests!

Most everything is done online now - you register the skaters' tests online, then you print the judges forms from there, which completes the forms with skaters' names & usfsa numbers. After the session is over, you input the scores online, too, and pay USFSA for the tests online.

The day of the tests, make sure there is someone to run the music, set up the food for the judges, keep the flow of the tests running smoothly, and copy the test scores for the coaches to review with their students.

It IS a lot of work, but it's worth it! Hope this LONG reply helps you!