July/August 2018 PS Magazine by Professional Skaters Association

JULY/AUGUST

2018

Photo of the Year by

MELANIE HEANEY

The Professional Skaters Foundation was founded to expand the educational opportunities of PSA members through a 501(c)(3) non-profit, charitable foundation. The Trustees of the PSF have developed several scholarship programs for its members through a selection process based on established guidelines and criteria.

www.skatepsa.com

JULY/AUGUST 2018

COLUMNS 2

Over the Edge

President’s Message

Ratings

SafeSport

| Jimmie Santee | Christine Fowler-Binder

| Tim Covington | U.S. Figure Skating

Sport Science

Education

| Heidi Thibert

| Carol Rossignol

FEATURES 3

2018 EDI Award Recipients

Fritz Dietl Award Winner: The Rinx

2018 PSA Coaches Hall of Fame Inductees

Orlando Conference Overview

Eating Disorders

Generation Z: Instant Gratification

New Rule Changes Coaches Should Know

Rinkblazer: Ralph Burghart

| Kent McDill | Kent McDill

| Terri Milner Tarquini | Terri Milner Tarquini | U.S. Figure Skating

| Terri Milner Tarquini

DEPARTMENTS 7

Rating Exams Passed

Professional Skaters Foundation

38 39 40

New Members

Congratulations to Joel McKeever who won a free pair of Jackson Ultima blades! Thank you to Jackson Ultima for their partnership in this promotion. *All members who purchased both membership and insurance for the 2018-2019 season by May 1 were entered to win.

Obituary PSA Calendar of Events Elizabeth Thornton | Editor/Advertising Carol Rossignol | Contributing Editor Amanda Taylor | Art Director

Find, Friend, Follow

Issue No 4 |

» COVER: Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir's "Moulin Rouge" free dance at the 2018 Canadian Championships

WWW.SKATEPSA.COM

PS MAGAZINE

OVER THE EDGE Jimmie Santee, MPD, MG PSA OFFICERS President First Vice President Second Vice President Third Vice President Treasurer Past President

This is Not a #MeToo Moment

hile what I went through has left emotional scars, nothing I went through can be compared to the victims of sexual misconduct.

My coach from 1968 to 1976 was Rubin Huron. Rubin was a former student of Carlo Fassi, and his first student to win a U.S. title was my brother, David. Rubin was a good figure coach and an adequate free style technician. Where he excelled however, was as a master motivator. Not in the Frank Carroll sense. Nor was Rubin a “spare the rod, spoil the child” type either. Rubin’s “rod” came in the form of a rubber skate guard that was used to motivate. I felt the sting of that guard often. Punishment and motivation came in different forms and wasn’t always predictable. I remember one painful experience: Rubin carried a key ring with about a half-dozen or so keys on it. When I was close to landing my first double Lutz, his solution to keep me from falling was to place the keys in my back right pocket. It only took one fall to motivate me to land it.

PSA BOARD OF GOVERNORS West Mid-West East Members at Large

Committee on Professional Standards Ratings Chair Seminar/ Webinar Chair ISI Rep to PSA U.S. Figure Skating Rep to PSA PSA Rep to U.S. Figure Skating Executive Director

Another time, one of my best friends growing up asked why I stood so close to Rubin during my lessons. I looked back at her dumb-founded. “You need to stay out of reach!” she said. I have dozens of stories like this and of course all the abuse that was dished out on other students. I don’t think there was a student of his that was not hit, but those stories are not for me to tell.

COMMITTEE CHAIRMEN Awards Coaches Hall of Fame Education Apprentice Program Area Representatives Hockey Skating Sport Science Endorsements Executive Executive Nominating Finance Nominating Professional Standards PSA Rep to ISI Ratings Adaptive Skating FCC

For a long time, I was angry that none of the adults in the rink interceded on my behalf or on behalf of his other students. My own parents, parents of other skaters, rink employees, club officials, and judges… bystanders in general. What were they thinking? However, I came to learn that the 70’s had a different view on parenting and the parenting of someone else’s child. It is hard to compare that to today’s standard. And finally, my point. Experiences from my past have shaped the way I look at misconduct today. It’s one of the reasons that I have written several editorials about SafeSport, why there is a SafeSport feature in every issue PS Magazine, and why I co-wrote 2-GRO Champions in 2011, the first e-course written for U.S. Figure Skating’s CER program that focused on abuse in sport. Since I came to PSA in 2006, instances of misconduct recognized in the media, regardless of the sport involved, have encouraged myself and our Committee on Professional Standards to review our rules and procedures. It is a continual process that will need to be followed by those that come after me as well. As coaches, we must be diligent in reporting any form of misconduct. New federal laws enacted this year require members of any national governing body to report abuse to local authorities and the Center for SafeSport within 24 hours. If it is reported to PSA, we will send in a report to SafeSport within that 24-hour period.

I have no ill feelings toward my parents or any other adult in this piece. Mr. Huron (deceased) is solely responsible for his actions.

JULY/AUGUST 2018

Christine Fowler-Binder Alex Chang Tim Covington Rebecca Stump Carol Murphy Kelley Morris Adair Phillip Mills Michelle Lauerman Teri Hooper Patrick O'Neil Cheryl Faust Janet Tremer Derrick Delmore Jason Dilworth Ben Miller-Reisman Kelley Morris Adair Tim Covington Patrick O'Neil Scott McCoy Kirsten Miller Zisholz Kelley Morris Adair Jimmie Santee

Teri Hooper Kelley Morris Adair Rebecca Stump Janet Tremer Angela Roesch-Davis Paul Paprocki Heidi Thibert Jamie Lynn Santee Christine Fowler-Binder Kelley Morris Adair Carol Murphy Kelley Morris Adair Kelley Morris Adair Gerry Lane Tim Covington Mary Johanson Carol Rossignol

PSA AREA REPRESENTATIVES Area Area Area Area Area Area Area Area Area

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

Martha Harding Kimberlie Wheeland tbd Tim Covington Angela Roesch-Davis Kevin Curtis Robyn Poe Melanie Bolhuis Lisa Bardonaro-Reibly

Area Area Area Area Area Area Area Area

10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17

Stacie Kuglin Brigitte Carlson-Roquet Sharon Brilliantine Liz Egetoe Lisa Mizonick Don Corbiell Josselyn Baumgartner Kirsty Cameron

DISCLAIMER: Written by Guest Contributor | PSA regularly receives articles from guest contributors. The opinions and views expressed by these contributors are not necessarily those of PSA. By publishing these articles, PSA does not make any endorsements or statements of support of the author or their contribution, either explicit or implicit. THE PROFESSIONAL SKATER Magazine Mission: To bring to our readers the best information from the most knowledgeable sources. To select and generate the information free from the influence of bias. And to provide needed information quickly, accurately and efficiently. The views expressed in THE PROFESSIONAL SKATER Magazine and products are not necessarily those of the Professional Skaters Association. The Professional Skater (USPS 574770) Issue 4, a newsletter of the Professional Skaters Association, Inc., is published bimonthly, six times a year, as the official publication of the PSA, 3006 Allegro Park SW, Rochester, MN 55902. Tel 507.281.5122, Fax 507.281.5491, Email: office@skatepsa.com © 2017 by Professional Skaters Association, all rights reserved. Subscription price is $19.95 per year, Canadian $29.00 and foreign $45.00/year, U.S. Funds. Second-class Postage Paid at Rochester, MN 55901 and at additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER send address changes to The Professional Skater, 3006 Allegro Park SW, Rochester, MN 55902. Printed in the USA.

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Each of these credentials are available for renewal : • U.S. Figure Skating and/or ISI membership

• U.S. Figure Skating Coaches Registration and/or ISI

background check

• PSA Membership & Liability Insurance

• U.S. Figure Skating

Continuing Education Requirement (CER) completion

• USOC SafeSport Training

skatepsa

.com

As a coach, it is your responsibility to know which professional credentials are required of you. The items listed above may not apply to every coach, and your individual state, city, facility, or club may require additional credentials.

Professional Skaters Association Announces Winners of the 50th Annual EDI Awards ORLANDO, FL – The Professional

Skaters Association (PSA) announced the winners of the annual EDI Awards at the Hilton Orlando Lake Buena Vista on Friday, May 25, 2018.

The Education and Dedication International (EDI) Awards are named after the late World and Patrice Lauzon with his EDI for 2018 Coach of the Year Olympic coach, Edi Scholdan, who died in the 1961 world team plane crash. Scholdan was the first president of the PSA and inspiration for the awards, which recognize exceptional achievement in the sport of figure skating.

2018 Coaches Hall Of Fame

2018 F. Ritter Shumway Award

Marina Zoueva Nancy Rush

Kathy Casey

2018 Distinguished Official Award

Mirai Nagasu

Lorrie Parker

2018 Betty Berens Award Carol Fox

2018 Sonja Henie Award 2018 Gustave Lussi Award Adam Rippon

2018 Joe Serafine National Volunteer Of The Year Award

2018 Paul Mcgrath Choreography Award

Patrick O’Neil

Scott Brown

2018 Shulman Award For Lifetime Achievement

2018 Pieter Kollen Sport Science Coaching Award

Janet Tremer

Devin Wang

2018 Fritz Dietl National Award For Ice Arena Excellence

New! 2018 President’s Award of Excellence

The Rinx Total Skating Program

Mary Johanson Kasandra Niemeier Alyssa Craig Theresa McKendry Andria Kelling Cindy Larson Sullivan Cheryl Faust Audra Leech Gerry Lane

2018 Coach Of The Year Patrice Lauzon

2018 Photo Of The Year Melanie Heaney

2018 Developmental Coaches Of The Year Josh Babb & Pam May

More photos from the EDI Awards on page 5.

PS MAGAZINE

PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE Christine Fowler-Binder, MPD, MG

Welcome July! W

hat does July 1st mean to you? For the majority, protect our skaters and background checks help provide July 1st is looked forward to by many—no school, a safe environment for learning. All coaches must pass a warm summer nights, cookouts, pool time, and vacation. To background check to be able to teach. most skating coaches it is associated with finishing CERs, Membership renewal for both U.S. Figure Skating completing background checks, renewing memberships, and PSA is done on a yearly basis, July 1–June 30, and paying for liability insurance, and completing SafeSport coaches benefit greatly by being members of both organizarequirements. Most coaches I know dread this time of year tions. There are countless opportunities to participate in simply because it takes time and money to complete all of education, accreditation, competitions, events, performance these requirements. But have you ever considered that these camps, and webinars. Coaches also receive publications requirements are actually helpful to your career and to the through the mail and via electronic media to help enhance safety of our profession? their instruction and knowledge. Cost is minimal for what CERs—Think of it this way, most other professional you receive in return. careers are required by law to keep up with continuing All coaches should have liability insurance. It protects education in some way. For example, doctors are required you! Educating yourself on the best coverage is importo take courses to stay current with tant. At the end of the day, you want to new practices. They attend conferfeel secure knowing that you have the "July 1st should remind best insurance in case an accident would ences to learn new techniques and hear about new developments in Again, cost is minimal for the us of how lucky we are to happen. medicine and research. The informaprotection it gives. tion that they acquire allows them teach a sport we love and SafeSport—This year has been a very to treat their patients with the most busy one for SafeSport. Since more and that these few coaching more cases of sexual misconduct are being up to date knowledge. Would you want your doctor treating you for reported, the USOC now requires all requirements help us to National Governing Bodies (NGBs) of a potential problem if they had not continued learning since they graduSports (U.S. Figure Skating be better at our jobs and Olympic ated from med school? included) to use the National Center for I realize that comparing our profesprovide a safer environ- SafeSport for investigative procedures. To sion to physicians may be a reach, but help track coaches of all NGBs, figure ment for our athletes." we teach skaters just like doctors treat skating coaches will now be required to patients. We get paid for our time take an online SafeSport course every and our knowledge. Parents hire us because we are profesother year directly through the Center for SafeSport's sionals. They trust us with their children and they expect website. Tracking coaches and requiring coaches to take this us to make them better athletes while teaching them in a type of course will help provide a safe environment for all safe environment. Therefore, don't we have an obligation athletes. Cost for this course is free and the pay off to our to skaters and parents to be up to date on our own educaprofession and to our athletes is invaluable. tion? I believe it is empowering to learn new techniques, to Maybe July 1st needs to be a date associated with empowbe educated on rules changes, and certainly to be familiar erment and self worth. July 1st is a date to make ourselves with SafeSport procedures. If we all remind ourselves that better, and improve the best you! July 1st should remind CERs are here to help us and make us better at our job, us of how lucky we are to teach a sport we love and that maybe they would be easier to complete. Maybe we would these few coaching requirements help us to be better at our actually take extra CERs to learn even more! The return on jobs and provide a safer environment for our athletes. So, investment is outstanding. welcome summer and happy July 1st! Background checks, memberships, and liability Happy coaching, insurance—All of us can agree that background checks are a necessity. Background checks are required to help

JULY/AUGUST 2018

Pam May

Scott Brown

IMPORTANT CHANGE TO

Coach Compliance for the 2018-19 season:

eginning July 1, 2018, the CER Category A and B in the CER Program will be merged and renamed to become the "Professional Coach/ Choreographer CER Program." All coaches will be required to complete four CER courses and the SafeSport Training. In order for coaches to be “Coach Compliant” on July 1, 2018, U.S. Figure Skating requires the following:

Andria Kelling, Alyssa Craig, Cheryl Faust, Cindy Larson Sullivan

Devin Wang

Carol Fox

1. Must be a current full member of U.S. Figure Skating 2. Must complete SafeSport Training • Available through the U.S. Figure Skating website 3. Must successfully pass a background check • Only if 18 years or older • Available through the U.S. Figure Skating website 4. Must complete four CER courses (See rule MR 5.12) – one course in each subject • Available through the PSA website at skatepsa.com 5. Must possess proof of current general liability insurance • With limits of $1 million per occurrence/$5 million aggregate • Available through the PSA website 6. Must be a current full PSA member (See rule 1022) • Only if coaching skaters/teams in qualifying levels at U.S. Figure Skating qualifying competitions

TO COMPLETE THE TRAINING COURSES: SafeSport Training: All coaches and registered instructors will be required to take the SafeSport training course. The course is separate from the CER courses. This course can only be accessed through the “Members Only” tab at usfigureskating.org. There is no cost to the SafeSport Training. Cathryn Schwab, The Rinx Total Skating Program

Patrick O'Neil

The PSA is sincerely grateful to the EDI award sculptors Meghan and Douglas Taylor-Gebler.

CER Courses: All Professional Coach/ Choreographer category coaches will take four CER courses—one in each of four subject areas. These courses are available at skatepsa.com, but a coach does not need to be a PSA member to complete the courses.

PS MAGAZINE

RATINGS Tim Covington MFS, MM, RC

What's Your Master Plan? B Y J A N T R E M E R , S F F, C D , M G , M P D , M M , R C

ell it’s summer… finally! Here on the east coast it has been an endlessly long winter followed by a very short spring. Everyone is very happy to see July arrive. We’re all hoping summer will last and last and last! Warm weather always signals new music and new programs and the competition season begins to heat up. Bring it on! We’re ready. Hopefully, you were able to escape your everyday life for a few short days in order to attend the 2018 PSA Conference in Orlando. Time spent learning and networking with old and new friends is priceless. For me, it’s always a juggling act to help manage certain events and to attend others; regardless, I always leave stimulated and ready to get back in the rink refreshed and eager to try new things. I sincerely hope that after attending you feel both validated in your teaching and excited about the new information you learned. The ratings taken at the Orlando Conference were very inspiring. Over 120 coaches bypassed the temptations of Disney to upgrade their professionalism by taking ratings. Mickey is proud! Their students thank them. Their colleagues applaud them! In addition, the conference hosted some ratings “firsts”: the new free skate exam debuted and "Seminars offer the chance video analysis was introduced into to gather in person to learn the master moves in the field exams. The upward trend of coaches taking and share with colleagues. figure rating exams continued. There is a nominal fee to Thanks to the renewed interest in attend. Webinars provide figures, Carol Rossignol and her Figure Ratings Committee have an opportunity to learn by worked tirelessly updating these participating electronically in exams. A potential candidate has already expressed interest in taking the comfort of your home. the master figure exam in November. Listen and watch in your Everything old is new again! As pajamas and bunny slippers our sport and our coaching evolves, tweaks and changes to the exams are or at a “webinar party” necessary. It is the always the goal with close friends sharing of the Ratings Committee to keep these exams fresh and relevant. We munchies and ideas. Attend continue with our mission to make in real time with the potential these exams more about teaching technique and less about memorito ask questions or through zation. The new exam motto is archived topics at your “if you’ve taught it and thought it, convenience." you’ll own it”.

JULY/AUGUST 2018

If you were unable to attend this year, then it’s time to think ahead. Beautiful Palm Springs, California should be a wonderful lure. Just ask anyone who attended the last conference there! They will tell you it is not to be missed! While it’s not yet the new year, it is mid-year. Now is a great time to start setting some personal coaching goals and put in place a few ratings resolutions for the upcoming year. Working towards taking any level of rating requires goal setting, planning, and preparation. It is not too soon to put a “master plan” together for next year’s exams. As the saying goes “when opportunity knocks”… well, you just can’t wait for that doorbell to ring; you have to be dressed and ready to go! To feel confident in both your teaching and your rating experience, it is necessary to know both technical information and how to deliver it. We have you covered with a variety of educational events. To help you fill your “content tank”, PSA is pleased to introduce Patrick O’Neil as our new Seminar and Webinar Chair. Already hard at work, Patrick is teaming with Barb Yackel, Carol Rossignol, and the National Education Committee to bring new, exciting, creative, innovative, and informative PSA seminars and webinars to member coaches everywhere around the country and the world. Seminars offer the chance to gather in person to learn and share with colleagues. There is a nominal fee to attend. Webinars provide an opportunity to learn by participating electronically in the comfort of your home. Listen and watch in your pajamas and bunny slippers or at a “webinar party” with close friends sharing munchies and ideas. Attend in real time with the potential to ask questions or through archived topics at your convenience. Webinars have no travel expenses or loss of income! How great is that! Some webinars are free and some have a small fee. To advance your knowledge, take advantage of the choice of seminars, webinars, or a combination of the two. Seize the moment. Free your mind from your daily regimen. Break from routine. Further your education and obtain credits to maintain ratings by participating in these events. Creating personal competence is what it means to be an ethical professional. Afterwards, it’s fun applying all that information to your own teaching. But wait, there’s more! Why not earn a professional credential that acknowledges the excellence of your knowlContinued on page 9

Recently Passed

RATING EXAMS Congratulations to the following coaches who passed the Basic Accreditation (BA) written rating exam in the PSA E-learning Academy:

PSA E-Learning Academy Kristen Adams Carolyn-Ann Alba Roger Bass Jenna Bracone Barbara Brown Marijose Cavazos Mariana De Leon Gina Deson Jose Carlos Encinas-Garcia Ally Fachler Anja Fischer Sonya Garlick Jeanine Goberna Brenda Gomez Amy Guzelf Katherine Hadford Taylor Johnson Leah Justison Sindy Kim Nicole Lee Brianna Linenburg Ian Lorello Fernanda Muttio Anna Nykiel Courtney Petersen Sean Rabbitt Laura Seal Graziella Tasca

Congratulations to the following coaches for completing an oral rating: Jill Ahlbrecht CM, RC Deanna Anderson RFS Linda Barnett RC Denise Beaumont SM Dorothi Cassini SF Marijose Cavazos RFS Carla Cavazos RFS Annacaye Clark RC Alexis CunninghamCapouellez CG, SG Mariana De Leon Hernandez RFS Jose Carlos Encinas-Garcia RFS Elizabeth Erickson RPD Ileana Garza Gonzalez CFS Lisa Geltz-Perri SG Jeanine Goberna RM, RG Lisa Goldenberg SM Amy Guzelf RFS, RM Kaitlyn Hamlin RFS, RM Ann Hanson Clemons SM LIsa Henderson SG Brock Huddleston RD Katherine Jaessing CG, RS

Barry J. Kamber - Georgetown, TX

CONGRATULATIONS

MASTER COACHES!

Elizabeth Thornton - Level II Teri Ballard - Level III

Mandy Pirich - Level III Christian Conte - Level V Damon Allen - Level VI

Emeritus-18: MFF-80, CM-01

Newly-minted master coaches gathered for a reception in Orlando, Florida, during the 2018 PSA Conference & Trade Show

Anne Goldberg-Baldwin - Level I

Liane Moscato - Level III

Thomas Kevin Poit CM Julianne Pondelli RFS, RM Fallon Racine RFS Kelly Rossbach RF, CF Jacqueline Sadowski SG Jimmie Santee CFS Ferelith Senjem RFS, RM Rebecca Schappell RG Laura Seal RFS, RM Jill Smith CFS Haley Smith CM, RS Kristina Soto RFS, RM Tommy Steenberg SFS Dana Tang RM Graziella Tasca RFS, RM Phillippa Teague CM Elizabeth Treu SFS, CM Jessica Ward SM Jessica L. Williams CFS, CM Cecelia Wisner RG, CG Elizabeth Wright-Johnson SM Ashley Wyatt RG Nicole Zawojski CM

Congratulations to the following coach on their emeritus rating:

RANKING

Stephanie Kuban - Level III

Taylor Johnson RG Angela Johnstad RS, CS Sindy Kim RFS Balam Labarrios CFS Amy Ladogana SG Audra Leech CPD Anika Leszkowicz RG Brianna Linenburg RFS, RM Ian Lorello RC Choeleen Loundagin RM, CM Gregory Maddalone RPD Amanda Meek SG Brenda Mendozza RFS Rodrigo Menendez RG Erica Miller CFS, RG Fernando Montiel CFS Daniela Mora Garza SFS John Mucko CM Fernanda Muttio RFS Kasandra Niemeier RFS Beth O'Connor RM Courtney Petersen RM, RG Camille Pitman RG

Ana Cantu-Felix MFS

Kristen Hemstreet MG

Mandy Pirich MM

Stephen Chasman MM

Craig Henderson MPD

Megan Roth MG

Lisa Geltz-Perri MM, MG

Kent D. Johnson MM

Tommy Steenberg MFS

Ann Hanson Clemons MM

Nicholas Kraft MPD

Jane Elizabeth Taylor MM

Jonathan Hayward MFS

Amanda Meek MG

Tiffany Thornton MC

PS MAGAZINE

All Coaches Must Complete the SafeSport Training Program B Y U . S . F I G U R E S K AT I N G

ear Members, Recent reports of sexual abuse in sport are heartbreaking; there is no place for such behavior in sports or anywhere in life. At U.S. Figure Skating, creating a safe environment for athletes of all ages to participate in sport is of paramount importance to the organization as a whole. We want to reassure you that we continue to work diligently to provide a safe and healthy environment for all members. As one of the first NGBs to institute strong rules and policies regarding sexual misconduct and abuse, we remain a leader in implementing SafeSport policies. In 2000, U.S. Figure Skating instituted a mandatory reporting rule and an Abuse and Harassment Policy and since that time has acted promptly on every reported incident of suspected sexual abuse. Members deserve a transparent organization. Since 2001, U.S. Figure Skating has made public the names of those members suspended or banned. Parents, skating directors and even the general public can view this list at usfigureskating.org or check if a coach or partner has completed a background screen, has proof of insurance and is up to date with continuing education. Please visit the U.S. Figure Skating website to view: • Suspended/banned list • Compliance of a coach or skating partner (pairs, ice dance) We never lose sight of what really matters: protecting our athletes. In partnership with the recently established U.S. Center for SafeSport—an independent organization that has exclusive jurisdiction and adjudication in matters of sexual abuse and misconduct—we work diligently to hold accountable those who have engaged in or who knew of sexual misconduct and abuse and failed to timely make a report. After the recent brave testimonies from sexual-abuse survivors, The Center has seen an uptick in reports. While details of these reports can be heartbreaking, it’s important to support those who come forward.

MAKE A REPORT To report any suspected or observed sexual abuse or misconduct, contact local law enforcement and the U.S. Center for SafeSport. Reports to The Center may be made online at

JULY/AUGUST 2018

SafeSport.org or by calling 720-531-0340. Reports can be made anonymously. What can you do to help? Participate in one of U.S. Figure Skating’s upcoming SafeSport webinars to educate yourself and those around you. To better understand U.S. Figure Skating’s proactive role in the area of SafeSport, you can find the following on the U.S. Figure Skating website: • • • •

Synopsis of U.S. Figure Skating’s SafeSport Policy U.S. Figure Skating’s SafeSport page U.S. Figure Skating SafeSport Handbook U.S. Figure Skating’s response to U.S. Sens. Moran and Blumenthal The safety of our athletes is every member’s responsibility. Remember, if you see something of concern, say something. Please do not hesitate to contact headquarters with any questions or concerns. We’re here for you. Thank you for all you do for U.S. Figure Skating, Sam Auxier David Raith Kris Arneson Cutler President

Executive Director

Chair, SafeSport Committee

HOW TO FILE A REPORT Sexual misconduct: If you have a reasonable suspicion of sexual misconduct, such as child sex abuse, non-consensual sexual conduct, sexual harassment or intimate relationships involving an imbalance of power, you must contact local law enforcement. Reports to the U.S. Center for SafeSport must be made online or on the phone and may be made anonymously. *The Center will share the report with U.S. Figure Skating. The U.S. Center for SafeSport | Online: SafeSport.org Phone: (720) 531-0340 Other misconduct: To report other forms of misconduct, such as emotional or physical misconduct, bullying, hazing or harassment, contact the U.S. Figure Skating Grievance Committee liaison by email or phone. U.S. Figure Skating | Email: safesport@usfigureskating.org Phone: 719.635.5200

Continued from page 6

edge and teaching? It’s time to take a rating. Scary stuff? No, not really if you know how to deliver the information in an odd setting (off ice and without skates) and in a logical, succinct manner. Sign up for Ratings Prep where you learn strategies and obtain feedback that allows you to deliver a killer rating. Learn how to untangle your tongue. Practice accurate walk-throughs. Brush up on your drawing skills. Learn how to think precisely. Select how to accurately deliver concise descriptions of your teaching technique. No more mumbling and fumbling! Ratings Prep delivers even more as you explore discipline-specific content by listening to and sharing with other participants and the course leader. Ask questions galore! I always say don’t go to Ratings Prep simply to learn how to take the exam, go to learn how to be a better coach. All of this is under the guidance of master rated examiners in specific disciplines. This past March we had an excellent Ratings Prep in West Palm Beach, Florida and I know the coaches who attended left feeling better prepared for their upcoming conference exams. So join me right now. Get out your calendar, whether phone, computer, or paper, and mark these dates as important to your professional development. You’ll be glad you did! Happy coaching. See you at ratings!

2018 August 26-27 – Ratings – Fort Wayne, IN August 27-29 – Ratings Prep – Fort Wayne, IN October 26-28 – Master Ratings Site – Phoenix, AZ

2019 March 10-11 – Ratings – Las Vegas, NV March 11-13 – Ratings Prep – Las Vegas, NV Being held at the newly remodeled Fiesta Rancho Casino Hotel. Room rates are an amazing $45.00/night plus tax.

May 20-21 – Ratings – Palm Springs, CA

As always please check the PSA Calendar on the website at skatepsa.com.

Thanks to all of the talented photographers who participated in the 2018 PSA Photo of the Year Contest — we had an impressive selection to consider. Melanie Heaney's winning photograph, featured on the cover of this issue, was an image of Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir's "Moulin Rouge" free dance at the 2018 Canadian Championships which earned them a perfect score and propelled them to their eighth Canadian title. Our judges felt the quality, drama, balance, timeliness, and the ability to have captured the moment was perfectly embodied in this photograph. Vicki Luy's photograph of Nathan Chen from the 2018 U.S. Figure Skating Championships came in second and can be found on the back cover of this issue. Please enjoy these other top contenders...

Jacob Marsh

Mark Walentiny

Deborah Hickey

Olivier Brajon, Patinage Magazine

Melanie Heaney

PS MAGAZINE

SPORT SCIENCE Heidi Thibert, MFS, MM, MC

What you Missed at

Jump On It Camp Coaches discuss the relationship between off-ice training, fundamental movement patterns and jump technique.

t the 2018 Jump on It Camp, the esteemed panel of World and Olympic coach instructors took their philosophies well beyond “jump high, spin fast.” In the opening session for coach attendees, the elite coaching panel was asked to share personal philosophy as it relates to developing jump technique: • Tom Zakrajsek—“develop athleticism early; create edge awareness and develop skating skills; emphasis on the posterior chain” • Christy Krall—“control of alignment and posture; core strength and control; correct knee excursion; developing the posterior chain” • Peter Johannsen—“keep your butt under you” • Tammy Gambill—“strong edges and strong core” • Alexei Letov—“off-ice is very important; skaters need to be quick and strong; if you are not ready physically you will get an injury” • Frank Carroll—“understanding alignment of upper and lower body; awareness of skating hip and axis throughout the jump; awareness of where you are on the blade; posture on the landing; control of the free leg in the air” Many of these qualities are trained on the ice from an early age, and are trained every day by the coach and athlete working on the fundamentals of skating skills. Proper development of movement patterns demand rehearsal with attention to the detail and quality of movement, and should become ingrained by frequent repetition as part of the athlete’s warm up or other off-ice routine. Consider areas of the body important to skating movements: • Ankle mobility in all planes of motion • Hip mobility • Core stability • Shoulder mobility • Balance and proprioception

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Think about how the skater’s ability to move and stabilize these parts of the body would be important to the skills referenced by the coaches above. The challenge for a coach tracking the progress of a young athlete as she masters these abilities is to program on-ice training and skills development to coincide appropriately with the athlete’s body being able to perform these elements. In other words, how do you know when an athlete is ready to attempt various skills, particularly advanced jumps? Are there more effective and efficient ways to develop the skater’s ability to move and stabilize her body prior to attempting more difficult jumps, vs. the “backwards” approach of training jumps and hoping these movement skills will develop?

The High Performance Movement Screen: Defined The HPMS was designed to evaluate not athleticism, which is the focus of STARS, but instead to look at basic movement abilities of the athlete to see if there are any limitations, asymmetries, or compensatory patterns in kinetic chains relevant to skating. The HPMS is designed to identify weak links that will lead to inefficient movement reducing performance, such as the athlete’s ability to skate over his/her feet, push "The challenge for a coach efficiently into the ice, and to avoid overuse tracking the progress of injuries because of a young athlete as she repetitive incorrect masters these abilities is wear on the body. The movement to program on-ice training screen was assemand skills development to bled by Team USA coincide appropriately with medical practitioners, researchers, and clinithe athlete’s body being cians from established able to perform these tests so that the focus elements. In other words, could be on evaluhow do you know when an ating the athletes, not validating the test athlete is ready to attempt protocols. Screens various skills, particularly included in the HPMS are typically advanced jumps?"

used by physical therapists, athletic trainers, and sports physicians to identify issues of performance and potential injury risk down the road. However, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s important for athletes and parents to understand that the HPMS is not intended to provide a medical diagnosis but rather to flag an athlete for follow up and ideally referral to a qualified trainer or health care professional who can help with the proper intervention. This season all ISP athletes will participate in the HPMS at one of the ISP summer camps (Pairs, Dance, Singles, and Champs Camp). The evaluation includes exercise videos based on the athleteâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s individual results to help him/her improve areas of concern. To find out more about the HPMS and to sign up, see www.STARScombine.org. PS MAGAZINE

EDUCATION Carol Rossignol, MD, MS, MG, MPD, MFF

Why Dance Matters to Figure Skating BY JODI PORTER , MC

ver the past several years, figure skating has been pegged as losing its participation and fan base with articles such as “Figure skating is dying, and judges can't prop it up” and “Figure skating losing its luster” (USA Today). With prevalent perceptions about our sport, what can we do to break the cycle and create more life-long participants? Looking at alternative models, perhaps we can turn to dance for some answers. From the top down in 2013, Dance USA sites listed 353 professional dance companies with budgets over $100k. It is predicted that 90% of all dance companies in the US have budgets under 100K (concluding that there are approx. 3,530 dance companies). Professional dancers in the contemporary world are not only proficient as accomplished trained dancers, but 95% of them hold a BA, BFA or Masters degree in dance. Look at the statistics from the National Center for Education Statistics: •Approximately 665 postsecondary institutions offer dance minor and major programs in the United States. If 665 institutions produce only 10 graduates per year, in 20 years there are over 133,000 dance educators! So how many total participants in dance are there? Looking to Google trends, it shows the ratio of searches for “dance” vs. “figure skating” average 86 to 1 except during the Winter Olympics where the ratio is 8 to 1. The opportunity we have to create a viable and robust figure skating community starts with encouraging further education from our teachers equivalent to a college degree program. Also, providing more local professional opportunities for skaters to continue to perform with a company serves as an outreach and promotional arm for a subsequent skating school. Group instruction as a way to build professional schools from “learn to skate” through elite levels has worked very well in Europe and especially Russia. With this model in place, even champions have been made. Weaving a model that supports education, performance, and group instruction is the first step, but connecting our marketing and branding strategy to associate with dance on ice can also build cross-over audiences. Ice Theatre of NY, inspired by the John

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Ballet with Annette Thomas, instructor and Education Director of AIT

Curry company, has successfully promoted a form of dance on ice for over 30 years. Another step to creating life-long participants in the sport is through training skaters as a “whole person.” Being aware that there is a need for involvement from individuals beyond skaters that are going for the “gold” is key as 99.9% of us don’t make a World or Olympic team. We need professional show skaters, artists, educators, directors, facility managers, club moms, and fans etc. to keep our sport going. If we know that skaters who compete at an elite level are less than 1% of the skating population, why are private lessons that point to competitive skating the prevalent track here in the US? As I heard Rafael Arutyunyan say at the 2016 ISI/PSA conferences in Vegas, “The strong-hold of individual coaches is killing our sport.” Encouraging skaters to value education outside of skating and fostering life lessons as a community helps build well-rounded humans that are more likely to stay engaged and give back. Lastly, I believe dancing on ice can provide physical experience and connection to the body and mind that is key in a world where kids are addicted to their digital devices.

“The opportunity we have to create a viable and robust figure skating community starts with encouraging further education from our teachers equivalent to a college degree program. Also, providing more local professional opportunities for skaters to continue to perform with a company serves as an outreach and promotional arm for a subsequent skating school.”

PHOTO BY GR ACE WILE Y

What are some new opportunities for figure skating education in collaboration with dance models in the US? American Ice Theatre has been on this quest since 1997 when I joined ranks as a BFA student in dance. Learning pedagogy, dance science, choreography, dance history, music, and art changed my perspective in not only what dance education we can bring to skating, but our model for teaching and performing skating in general. As an example of success, a new satellite of American Ice Theatre–Utah began in 2013 directed by Giselle Gorder, Rachel Peterson, and Stephanie Chace Bass who wanted to grow their current company, Crimson Ice, to include education and performance opportunities outside of hockey games. In 2.5 years they quadrupled their company, brought over 40 skaters out of “retirement”, hosted over 25 workshops and spear-headed the first AIT “school” in Park City, Utah offering group instruction modeled after dance. In their words, AIT has been just what the Utah skating community needed to thrive. The enthusiasm doesn't stop in Utah. AIT was founded in San Francisco Bay Area in 2003, but in the last four years’ projects have also sprouted in Chicago, Boston, and LA. Those who are thirsty for education, artistic pursuit, community, and the love of skating for all have come together in spirit and effort. As founder of AIT, I believe that education is the key and I have been fortunate to be educated by some of the best in the skating and dance worlds. As a PSA

KOLOB JODI POR TER C ALAR TS

TOP: Aimee Evans of AIT Chicago BOTTOM: CalArts dancers

master rated choreographer, I am currently attending top ranked CalArts for a MFA in Dance Choreography. I was mentored and encouraged to believe that learning is a life-long process by U.S. Hall of Fame inductee Ricky Harris. This knowledge I hope to continue to pay forward in supporting the growth of our sport through dance on ice. PS MAGAZINE

Julia Kim. Flying is just part of her daily routine.

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PROFESSIONAL SKATERS ASSOCIATION

EXCELLENCE ON ICE REQUIREMENTS To participate in the EOI program all coaches of the club or rink must be PSA members and carry liability insurance. Member coaches receive a variety of benefits which include: seminars, workshops and conferences, eligibility for ratings and accreditation, group health insurance, liability insurance, PS Magazine subscription, and job placement services.

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Register now and receive national and international recognition as a progressive training facility dedicated to excellence in coaching both on and off-ice. As a registered facility you will receive an ‘Excellence On Ice’ shield to be displayed in the arena, international recognition in PS Magazine, and access to a resource coordinator in the PSA office—all at no cost!

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VIDEO ANALYSIS ADDED TO MOVES IN THE FIELD RATING EXAMS Candidates will be asked to view a video from each level of moves in the field. Candidates should consider how each move builds on one another. You should consider skill progression and think about how moves in the field are used in other disciplines such as singles and dance. Video analysis will be used at each level. One move will be played at the conclusion of each level. The candidate will be asked to evaluate and provide feedback on the moves that are shown. Video analysis will be implemented by rating exam level according to the following schedule: • Senior — 2018 master-rating site in Phoenix, AZ, October 2018 • Registered and Certified — 2019 Conference in Palm Springs, CA, May 2019

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F R I T Z D I E T L AWA R D

It’s The Rinx, Again! W

hen actress Sally Field won her second Academy Award as Best Actress for her role in the film Places in the Heart, she said it confirmed for her one point: “You like me! You really like me!” The Professional Skaters Association really likes The Rinx of Islip, New York, and its Total Skating Program. For the second time in five years, The Rinx Total Skating Program has been awarded the Fritz Dietl Award for Ice Arena Excellence. It won the award for the first time in 2014. Director of Skating Cathryn Schwab expressed extreme pleasure in acknowledging the award, although she stopped short of exclaiming “They like us!” “It is a tremendous honor for The Rinx Total Skating Program to receive the Fritz Dietl Award for a second time,” Schwab said in an email interview. “We strive to be customer-centric and offer programs to develop a long term love for ice sports. Our focus, as a program, is to offer programming that benefits the recreational and competitive athlete, and we are continually seeking new ways to serve both.” Now in its 26th year of existence, The Rinx sits in the Hidden Pond Park in Islip, which itself resides on Long Island. Inside The Rinx, the Total Skating Program and its Learn to Skate series of classes provide

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a year-round opportunity for skaters to either begin their ice skating experience or advance their skill level as far as their desire and talent can take them. The Rinx also operates two other locations besides its Islip facility. It operates a small outdoor rink in Port Jefferson, N.Y., and the Oyster Bay Ice Skating Center in Bethpage. In 2016, the Rinx partnered with the Town of Babylon to offer a seasonal outdoor ice skating rink at the Wyandanch Plaza, spreading its regional influence in the pursuit of ice skating. It is the continued effort to strive for excellence and advance both skaters and the program which the PSA recognized in awarding the Fritz Dietl Award for 2018. “The Rinx Total Skating Program has had the largest Learn to Skate USA program in the country since the 2013-2014 season,” the PSA said in its official announcement. “They offer customers a variety of programs for both recreation and competitive skaters such as Compete USA competitions, an IJS non-qualifying competition,

By Kent McDill

preschool shows, and holiday shows. Their alumni have seen success at the local, regional, sectional, national, and international levels.” “Our Learn To Skate USA program serves to build a strong foundation for our skaters that go on to pursue either ice hockey or figure skating,” Schwab noted. “With the use of LTSUSA's hockey curriculum, we are developing strong skating skills in our future hockey stars, and by using U.S. Figure Skating's Bridge Program strategies, we are able to transition figure skaters to synchronized skating, pairs, ice dance, and singles testing and competing.” The Rinx is operated by the Palamara family, and Schwab says there are now four generations of the family involved in The Rinx, led by patriarch Frank Palamara.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Our strong family and community atmosphere attracts skaters to our program and keeps them coming back for generations,â&#x20AC;? she said. Fritz Dietl was an Austrian-born skater who transitioned from skating in ice shows in Europe in the early 20th century to skating for the Hollywood Ice Revue in the United States before becoming a renowned skating coach in the United States. He was a charter member of the Professional Skaters Association and served on the Board of Directors for the PSA. He passed away in 2003. The Fritz Dietl Award for Ice Arena Excellence, which first started in 2005, honors the dedication of Fritz Dietl to the ice skating industry and his determination to encourage innovation and excellence in facility management operations and programming.

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••••••••••• • • • P S A C OAC H E S H A LL o f FA M E • • • • • • • • •Marina Zoueva• • • • • • • • • • • • • • •Nancy Rush• • • •••••••••••

Class of 2018 By Kent McDill

PHOTO BY JACQU E TIEGS

Above:: Marina Zoueva poses with Alex and Maia Shibutani, Charlie White, Meryl Davis, Oleg Epstein, Scott Moir, Tessa Virtue, and Johnny Johns. Right Right:: U.S. Figure Skating VP Betty Sonnhalter, Booie Murray, and Nancy Rush in 1982. PHOTO COURTESY OF JULIE HOLMES-NEWMAN

uring the PSA Edi Awards and Banquet on Friday May 25, 2018, Marina Zoueva and Nancy Rush were inducted to the PSA Hall of Fame. Marina Zoueva has had a Hall of Fame career that is not over yet, and her induction rewards her long coaching career that included work with both sides of one of the most contested Olympic skating rivalries of recent history: Meryl Davis and Charlie White versus Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir. But the Olympic competition between those two teams, which started in Vancouver in 2010 and spilled over to Sochi in 2014, is ancient history for Zoueva, who coached the team of Maia and Alex Shibutani to bronze in 2018. In 2014, after completing the unique double-double of coaching gold and silver dance teams in consecutive Olympics (even as the gold and silver medal teams switched positions), Zoueva earned the PSA Coach of the Year. Four years later, Zoueva was selected to the PSA Hall of Fame, along with coach Nancy Rush, who was inducted posthumously. “I thought it was a mistake,” Zoueva said when she was first told of her Hall of Fame selection. “I am very honored. But I am also not done coaching.” Zoueva is a former Soviet competitive ice dancer and was a successful choreographer before coming to the United States in 1991. She choreographed the program for two-time Olympic pairs champions Katia Gordeeva and Sergie Grinkov at the 1989 World Championships, where the Russian pair won the gold medal.

nis and Massimo Scali Marina with the Shibuta ting Championships. Ska re Figu . U.S 5 at the 201 PHOTO BY VICKI LUY

A move to the United States ended up with her setting up camp in Canton, Mich., where she now works at the Arctic Edge rink as part of the International Skating Academy. She began working with Virtue and Moir in 2006, helping them win the 2010 Olympic gold in Vancouver and the World Championships in 2010 and 2012.

Soon after teaming up with Virtue and Moir, Zoueva added White and Davis to her stable of students. The American skaters are both natives of Michigan, making Zoueva’s move to the Wolverine State fortuitous for everybody. “I treat every skater differently,” Zoueva said. “Every team’s success is different. But they all mean the same to me.” Nancy Rush, who coached in the 1950s, ‘60s, and ‘70s, was born in Saskatchewan, and originally trained in ballet before transferring her knowledge to skating. She was a member of Sonja Henie’s Ice Review, which was an introduction to figure skating for many Americans, and eventually settled in California, where she began coaching numerous skaters, including Barbara Roles Williams, who was a junior and senior ladies champion. “She believed in repetitive training,” said Roles, who started working with Rush at the Pasadena Ice Rink at the age of nine. “If you do something over and over correctly, when you need it, it is there. By doing that, your confidence is high because you have done it so many times. That was the basis of her training, teaching you how to have confidence in your trade.”

Nancy Rush celebrat es student Julie Ho

lmes' Novice Ladie s title in 1965 Rush also coached U.S. junior Lake Placid. COURTE SY JULIE HOLMES -NE WMAN men’s champion Jim Short and U.S. novice and junior lady champion Julie Lynn Holmes. In two different years, her students were the champion of every ladies’ event in the Pacific Coast Championships.

Rush also worked with Peggy Fleming for a short while in Canada near the end of Rush’s coaching career. Please join us in congratulating Marina Zoueva and Nancy Rush for their inductions to the PSA Hall of Fame, Class of 2018.

LEFT PAGE | Left:: Marina Zoueva accepts her 2018 Edi award for her induction into the PSA Hall of Fame. Right Right:: Coach Nancy Rush is pictured with her students—Karen

Grobba, Johnny Moore, Julie Holmes, Avril Allen, Sondra Holmes, and Walter Hypes—at the 1964 Southwest Pacific Championships. PHOTO COURTESY OF JULIE HOLMES-NEWMAN PS MAGAZINE

PROF E S S I O NA L S K ATE R S AS S OCIATION 'S AN N UAL CON FEREN CE & TRADE SHOW

“This was the most informative conference— pivotal to my future growth in the sport. Thank you. It's an honor!"

-Holly Malewski

Overview

2018 Orlando Conference and Trade Show The Orlando conference was a great success! Every year, the conference connects coaches and judges from across the U.S., and from many other countries around the world. This year, we had over 500 attendees, 60 speakers, and 80 sessions. Even a bit of rain didn’t dampen the enthusiasm and spirit for the presentations. It was a wonderful week of continuing education, networking, attending the many social events, and the multitude of things to do in Disney Springs. Many coaches remarked how well-tailored the presentations were to their level. One attendee noted the conference had many topics that were directly applicable and relevant to the young coach, and a veteran coach who has been attending conference for years felt it was the best one she had ever attended. We had a fantastic start to the conference with Charles Marshall, the opening speaker, who had great energy, and entertained us with his engaging, humorous, and inspirational message. This year there was a high performance track conducted by the USOC that ran in conjunction with conference, along with the elite track put on by U.S. Figure Skating. We benefitted from both. Miles Henson and Phil Ferrar from the People Academy helped us explore our disc profile and assisted us with getting the most out of our relationships. What color were you – red, yellow, green, or blue? It was a very interactive session that proved interesting. Chris Snyder and Nadine Dubina welcomed us to the USOC’s Quality Coaching City and covered six quality coaching principles that highlighted coaching.

A SPECIAL THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS:

Christy Krall shared her talk on the “Language of Landing” both off and on the ice this year. Her sessions were highly rated last year in Nashville, and were again some of the top rated sessions in Orlando. The number one take away was finding the “strength of all positions”. Christy shared her strategies of teaching techniques, practical exercises you can use with skaters both on-ice and off-ice from learn to skate to elite, how to take a jump apart to make corrections, and she did it using side-by-side comparisons of different skaters’ jumps. She made good use of analogies with video/ photo diagrams to illustrate proper positioning. Frank Carroll was wonderful to hear as he shared his amazing life and wealth of skating knowledge and history. He told us many stories about his coaching and experiences throughout the years. As one attendee stated, “[It] was like being in a movie.” Thank you to our conference co-chairs, Rebecca Stump and Tim Covington, on one of the best conferences ever. It was a very successful and exciting event! We look forward to seeing you at the PSA Conference next year, to be held in Palm Springs, CA at the Hyatt Regency Indian Wells Resort & Spa, May 22-25, 2019. It promises to be another adventure in techniques, academics, and applications of everything skating. See you there!

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Scenes from Conference

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Scenes from Conference

Scenes from the trade show

THANK YOU TO OUR 2018 TRADE SHOW EXHIBITORS! Jackson Ultima Skates Arrow Sports (MK, John Wilson & Risport)

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TING A E

Dis rders By Terri Milner Tarquini

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n epidemic is defined as something that affects a disproportionately large number of individuals within a population.

A 2014 study in the Psychology of Sport and Excellence found that 13% of elite female figure skaters had an eating disorder. That is double the national average in the U.S., where up to three percent of the population struggle with anorexia in their lifetime and up to four percent battle bulimia. Statistics are not available for male figure skaters, but of the 30 million people that struggle with an eating disorder in the U.S. at some point in their lives, one-third of them are men; however, it is likely that that the percentage is higher for males who figure skate for all the same reasons that it’s more common in females who figure skate. Eating disorders in figure skating are nothing new, but they also don’t seem to be getting any better, with several more-recent skater’s stories being highlighted this past Olympic cycle. • U.S. national champion and Olympian Gracie Gold withdrew from the 2018 U.S. Figure Skating Championships due to depression, anxiety and an eating disorder. “Definitely athletes in the spotlight – figure skaters, especially – are under pressure to fit a certain mold and fit a certain body type,” Gold told “Today” in November 2017. • Japanese national champion and two-time Olympian Akiko Suzuki, at the suggestion of her coach to lose weight to improve her jumps, lost nearly a third of her body weight, plummeting from 106 to 70 pounds on her 5’3” frame. Weakened to the point of not being able to skate, and her career – and life – at risk, she was diagnosed with anorexia nervosa. “There were all these younger skaters coming along with good proportions and I started wishing for longer legs. I got a real complex. But since there was no way I could grow, the only thing I could do something about was my weight,” Suzuki told Japan’s NTV network this past January. • 2012 Russian Olympic team gold medalist Yulia Lipnitskaya quit skating entirely after getting treatment for anorexia. “Anorexia is a disease of the 21st century. It is quite common. Unfortunately, not everyone is

able to cope with it. My only regret is that I didn’t do this before,” Lipnitskaya posted on the Russian Skating Federation website. • In 2016, U.S. national champion and Olympian Adam Rippon was surviving on three slices of whole grain bread a day and cups of coffee sweetened with Splenda. In an interview earlier this year with the New York Times, Rippon said, “It makes me dizzy now to think about it. I looked around and saw my competitors and they’re all doing these quads and, at the same time, they’re a head shorter than me, they’re 10 years younger than me and they’re the size of one of my legs.” What’s going on here: Figure skating is a sport ripe to attract perfectionists and rife with putting high emphasis on aesthetics. “Sports that require a high level of precision attract perfectionists and over-achievers,” said Susan Walker, clinical director of the Walker Wellness Clinic in Texas. “Eating disorder sufferers as a whole also have the traits of perfectionism and over-achieving.” And that’s the recipe for a perfect storm that can result in an epidemic. In 2010, Jenny Kirk went public with her battle with anorexia that had a hand in ending her amateur career – but continued into her years as an ice show skater – estimating that, in her opinion, 85 percent of figure skaters struggle with eating disorders. “I couldn’t believe, looking back on it, how prevalent eating disorders are in figure skating,” said Kirk in an interview during the Winter Olympics in February. “(Figure skaters) are supposed to listen, follow directions. Nobody wants to be labeled as needy or problematic, especially while climbing up the ranks.” That’s another trait that goes hand-in-hand with those who are vulnerable to food issues. “Generally, sufferers of an eating disorder are well-behaved, they have no conduct-disorder problems, they don’t break rules. In fact, they often avoid conflict,” said Walker, who has been in the mental health field for over 30 years, with a clinical expertise in eating disorders. “They also often have a higher I.Q. than

“Generally, sufferers of an eating disorder are well-behaved, they have no conductdisorder problems, they don’t break rules. In fact, they often avoid conflict.” the general population. They are very bright, but their self-esteem is very closely correlated to body image.” Skaters now have the ability to pass tests more quickly than during the years of competitive school figures, which has had a hand in the median age of figure skaters trending younger. As such, skaters are learning jumps before they hit puberty. As their bodies begin to mature and jumps can falter – and younger skaters are coming up the ranks – the drive to stay small can take over. As Kirk pointed out, it is much more common for skaters to go to the extremes to try and control and shrink their bodies, rather than adjusting their technique and talents to fit their more adult frames. A staggering 90 percent of eating disorder sufferers are between the ages of 12 and 25 and the 2015 Journal of Clinical Sport Psychology found that female figure skaters experienced pressure to be thin as young as seven years old, a discovery the study linked to body image concerns and unbalanced methods of managing weight. “As a society, it is time to redefine what we perceive as a healthy person,” Walker said.

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“I know that Tonya Harding did not have the body type typically associated with skating, but she did maneuvers that others weren’t doing.” The first woman to land the triple axel was Midori Ito in 1988, followed by Harding, who was the first American woman to land a triple axel at the U.S. Figure Skating Championships in 1991 and then again at the World Figure Skating Championships that same year. Thirty years after Ito – with her strong, muscular thighs – made history, still only eight female skaters have landed the jump in international competition. “Just because a certain body type doesn’t fit in the mold, doesn’t mean they can’t pursue that sport,” Walker said. “In fact, they could end up being stand-outs in the sport if it can be figured out how to capitalize on their natural strengths rather than being so caught up in everyone looking one particular way. It is up to the officials and coaches to start seeing things differently.” Of course there’s logistics to consider: There is a tremendous amount of pressure on joints and the rest of the body when landing jumps. Studies conducted on the impact forces on the bodies of figure skaters show that what a skater feels when coming down from a jump can be as much as eight times their body weight. “But maybe lean is not necessarily the most conducive for the sport, maybe that’s just how everyone’s been programmed so long that it’s the automatic path,” Walker said. “Lean can often come with many downsides. If an athlete loses muscle, they are more prone to injury. So, sure, they might have less weight to get up in the air, but they won’t have the muscles to be able to land the jump anyway. When their immune system becomes suppressed, they are much more likely to get sick, which of course takes them away from practice. There will also be a loss of stamina and endurance and they will not be able to focus and concentrate. From there, the potential risks only get worse. None of that is good for the athlete or the sport. Lean isn’t as important as strong.” In 2017, shortly before the U.S. Championships, Rippon broke his foot while doing off-ice hops to warm up his legs – an injury that he came to realize, during his month in recovery, had to do with his unhealthy eating habits.

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“I think I had a stress fracture before I broke my foot,” Rippon has said, “and I think that was absolutely not getting enough nutrients.” As he began working with a sports dietician from the United States Olympic Committee, Rippon said a “fog of fatigue over him lifted.” Part of the process was a body composition analysis, an indicator of how genetics can best be used for an athlete’s gain. At the Winter Olympics, Rippon was 10 pounds heavier than he had been in 2016 during his punishing diet. His physique of strong thighs and gluteal muscles was praised – as was his skating. In the truest sense of the phrase then, it might not actually be one size fits all. A message that coaches need to be particularly cognizant of. “Athletes have to fuel their bodies in order to perform and that message has to be hammered home,” Walker said. “Coaches cannot be critical or condescending. ‘You’re fat. You’ve gained weight.’ Absolutely not. Words cut deep and feelings get hurt. You cannot be vicious with your comments; coaching doesn’t give you that license.”

emphasis with them needs to be on performing and exceling – and being healthy enough to do that.” Especially in figure skating, where opinion and subjectivity often rule, athletes find themselves able to control their food intake, which makes them feel like they are in control of something. And, in a sport where pushing your body beyond normal limits is praised, it’s a short distance to food becoming one of those limits to be pushed past as well. “When I was hungry, it made me feel strong,” Olympic gold medalist, two-time world champion and four-time national champion Brian Boitano told the New York Times. “It’s the same now as it was in my day, and I think it’s all figure skaters. We all live during our Olympic careers and, after our competitive careers, with an interesting relationship with food.” It’s a possible shift in mentality that is being toyed with even by someone of Boitano’s legendary caliber.

Studies show that sometimes it takes only one comment to send a person over the edge into an eating disorder abyss.

“Could I have had superconsistent quads, could I have been stronger, if I had eaten the way I do now?” he asked. “It’s something that I wonder about.”

“Athletes want to please others and they are highly, highly disciplined – again, making them ripe for issues with food because it is something they can control and, oftentimes, get praised for,” Walker said. “Telling an athlete they need to lose weight or that they’ve gotten heavy is an antiquated approach. The

As such, it cannot be overstated enough that

When a person is struggling with an eating disorder, weight is their sole focus in life. Every minute of every day revolves around weight and calories. It is a carousel ride that allows the sufferer to numb feelings and emotions.

eating disorders are not about food; food is the manifestation of the underlying problem. Walker advises that a good approach is for the coach to talk to the athlete first. “The trust developed between a coach and athlete is special and important,” Walker said. “The coach can say, ‘I am coming to you first, but I am concerned about your health. I will be talking to your parents and I would like you to be there. I want you to be healthy and I want you to excel so we need to help you.’” Following talking to the athlete, the next step is following up with referrals to the athlete and the athlete’s parents of local doctors or dieticians, who are in a better position to recommend testing and therapy. For a coach’s part, what is said and how it is said is extremely important when addressing these issues – and even things that are seen in society as being good, can actually be quite damaging. “Praising someone for being skinny is seen as a compliment, but it’s every bit as bad as telling someone they’ve gotten fat,” Walker said. “For an athlete that gets that sort of praise from their coach, they want to maintain that and anxiety sets in as they try to figure out how to stay there. They have guilt and shame when they have a bite of a cupcake. It all boils down to one thing: self-esteem.” The look of an athlete’s body or the number on the scale is the very, very last thing that should be emphasized. “The focus has to be on having the proper fuel for the body in order for it to perform,” Walker said. “When a coach puts the focus on the performance and excelling at the sport, it helps the athlete admit they have a problem. It should never be about looks or weight. They are already obsessed with calories and the scale. It should only be about mental toughness, the ability to focus, physical strength and performance. These are things an athlete can understand and will speak to them.” It’s important to know that, oftentimes, a sufferer doesn’t “look anorexic,” as understood by today’s society.

“As such, it cannot be overstated enough that eating disorders are not about food; food is the manifestation of the underlying problem.” Anorexics can be anywhere from five to 15 pounds underweight. By the time a sufferer looks emaciated, they are in a very dangerous place mentally and physically. A skater’s health can be in danger even if they are not overtly thin and it’s important for a coach, who is spending a lot of one-on-one time with the athlete, to act. “I hear all of the time, ‘I didn’t know if I should do something, I didn’t know if it was the right thing to do,’” Walker said. “Never be afraid to address the problem. It’s always better to do something than do nothing. You could be saving a life.” Here are the shocking facts: Every 62 minutes someone dies as a direct result from an eating disorder. That means eating disorders have the highest mortality rate of any mental illness. Physical symptoms of the body not getting proper nourishment can include a slow heart rate, heart fluttering, heart failure, low blood pressure, feeling cold all of the time, frequent illness due to an impaired immune system, brittle nails or hair loss, stress fractures, fatigue, and overall weakness. The equally damaging psychological ramifications are a negative body image, depression and anxiety, a total obsession with food and weight and a severely decreased ability to focus and concentrate.

"Here are the shocking facts: Every 62 minutes someone dies as a direct result from an eating disorder. That means eating disorders have the highest mortality rate of any mental illness." “Eating disorders are not a joke, they cannot be overlooked and they will not just get better on their own,” Walker said. “Acting with compassion from the beginning, can go a long way. Coaches need to be aware of what they say and how they say it. One comment can sometimes crush an athlete that is a perfectionist and is invested in their coach’s approval. Talk to your athlete about getting the proper fuel for their body so they can mentally and physically excel in their sport and they can reach the heights they are meant to reach.” For those with questions or who are interested in learning more about eating disorders, please contact Susan Walker at swalker@walkerwellness.com or 469951-4490. Her book “Body Esteem: Piece of Cake and Peace of Mind” is currently on sale.

PS MAGAZINE

GENERATION

Instant Gratification By Terri Milner Tarquini

JULY/AUGUST 2018

“Coaches can

emphasize to skater was struggling with her double Axel. Seems she had been shrugging off doing the off-ice jumps, plyometrics, and strength training her coach had prescribed. Nonetheless, she was upset and somewhat bewildered that she wasn’t getting the jump.

“Look,” the girl’s coach said, “you can close your eyes really tight and blow out your candles on your birthday cake and wish for a double Axel, but it’s not going to just happen.” That’s the thing about skating: You gotta work for it. But that’s the thing about Generation Z: They often don’t want to. “With the tap of a screen, Generation Z can have anything,” said Dr. Michelle Cleere, an elite performance expert of 15 years. “They don’t have to search for products or information. They can get everything they need and want without putting in any effort to attain it.” As a publication recently observed in an article titled, “An (In)convenient Truth: Gen Z and the Culture of Instant Gratification,” “Gen X grew up with fast food. Millennials enjoyed fast entertainment. For Gen Z, it’s instant everything — instant information, instant communication and, above all, instant gratification.” “Having instant everything has led to the mindset that I can have it all and I can have it all right now,” Cleere said. “It’s important that coaches constantly reinforce the idea that the athlete needs to master the skills necessary before thinking of the next level. Really, it’s a lot like feeding a toddler — you have to stress the idea that they have to eat their veggies before they can have dessert.” A Gen Z quality is that they want to start at the top. Overwhelmingly, they have no desire to work up through the ranks like previous generations. They often feel that the life lessons learned from being determined and persevering do not apply to them. “When an athlete does attain something through hard work, it’s important for the coach to emphasize that their efforts got them there,” Cleere said. “Ask the athlete how they feel once they achieved what they’d been working toward. It needs to be pointed out to the athlete that they worked hard, they achieved something and, hey, it feels really good. When other difficult things crop up in the future, the coach can refer back to how the athlete felt previously when they didn’t give up and they gave their all.” A trait central to Gen Z is one that can prove crippling, especially when it comes to sport: perfectionism. “I have seen a dramatic rise in the last five or six years in children and teens feeling they need to be perfect,” Cleere said. “Anxiety goes hand-in-hand with that and that has

the parents that a great thing to say to their athlete is, ‘I enjoyed watching you skate today.’ That puts emphasis on the actual doing, rather than the outcome.” skyrocketed. Perfect doesn’t exist so the athlete is striving for something they can never attain. That results in persistent feelings of anxiousness.” In skating this can be an obvious pitfall, as the term “clean” is essentially synonymous with “perfect.” “Coaches have to be models,” she said. “They have to model that mistakes are ok — they can even be good because they can be learned from. It’s ok to fall, to get up and to continue on. Athletes need to know that they are allowed to make mistakes and that it is safe for them to do so.” Another implication is that, in their drive for perfectionism, the youth of Generation Z don’t want to try anything they think they might not be able to be perfect at. “They are often very focused on, and want to keep repeating, what they are good at,” Cleere said. “But they don’t want to do things they are not good at or things they’ve never done before because they are worried they won’t be good at them.” Obviously, an athlete who won’t try new things can’t go very far in figure skating. “Again, it comes down to impressing on the athlete that making mistakes or falling or coming up short is ok — that’s the only way a coach will put them in a mental space to try new or difficult things,” Cleere said. “It’s important the coach creates an environment where less emphasis is put on the results and more attention is paid to the process.” Coaches aren’t the only ones responsible for not putting all the weight on the results — parents are too, and coaches can encourage that with them as well. “Coaches need to talk to parents so everyone is on the same page as far as expectations,” Cleere said. “With that, coaches should coach and parents should parent. I always tell parents that it’s not their job to give feedback to their children when it comes to athletics — they pay a coach to do that. Even positive

PS MAGAZINE

Generation Z has an attention span of 8.25 seconds — shorter than a goldﬁsh. But here’s something: Their brain is also very highly evolved. In fact, there are some who argue that Generation Z is the smartest generation yet. Due to having endless information at their fingertips, they can take in large amounts of information very quickly. They can also process it just as rapidly — swiftly sorting, assessing, and filtering mas-

sive quantities of content. But they do lose interest just as quickly. A tip from the professional for lesson time: Keep it short. “Be as concise as possible in your explanations,” said Dr. Michelle Cleere, an elite performance expert of 15 years. “It can also be helpful, when it comes to this generation, to incorporate shorter periods of work broken up by brief break times. Coaches will often say that it’s hard to get a kid back after a break, but if the coach sets it up properly and keeps the parameters strong, it does work. I know coaches already

feedback from the parents often weighs on the child because they keep wanting to be perfect. Coaches can emphasize to the parents that a great thing to say to their athlete is, ‘I enjoyed watching you skate today.’ That puts emphasis on the actual doing, rather than the outcome.” With that, parents themselves are adding fuel to the perfectionism fire. Gen Z parents do not want to see their child be critiqued, corrected or fail. They want them to be praised and passed, even if it means a sacrifice of skill mastery. “Parents of Generation Z have a real fear of their child not being successful,” Cleere said. Think about the parent that wants their child to pass three moves in the field tests in a year so the child can feel good about passing and the parent can be done paying for that lesson time. The parent is not in a space of wanting to acknowledge that, if the skater isn’t ready to pass, then they should not pass, as it could have ramifications. “Again, the importance of sitting down with the parents once or twice a year to explain the value of truly learning skills, not just being passed so it doesn’t ding the athlete’s self-esteem,” Cleere said. “Of course, some parents will be more receptive, but you might get the message across if you talk about how mastering the skills build into the bigger elements and that, without those skills, the athlete’s career will be shorter due to injury or just not being able to progress because the building blocks were never put in place. Cutting corners will not work. And, in the parent’s zeal to not upset their child now, there will be more upset in the future because they will not find the same level of success.” Another vital part of encouraging Gen Z skaters is to get them involved in the process. In the simplest terms: the more they know, the more they know. With this, they will be more willing to break with their

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don’t think there’s enough minutes in a practice, but a small break can be very beneficial. Because of their short attention span, this generation gets overwhelmed easily and the idea of a 45-minute lesson, for example, just seems like too big of a mountain to climb. But if they know that they will work for 15 minutes, have a short break and then get back to it, it goes a long way with helping with the longevity of their attention span. They find it refreshing and they actually get more accomplished.”

generation by trying new things and working hard to move up. And, maybe — just maybe, they’ll gain a greater understanding of the importance of putting in effort to master each building block and not just wanting it easy and wanting it now. “Coaches can have a huge impact on their skaters,” Cleere said. “This generation doesn’t respond well to being told what to do ‘because I said so.’ They’re not being disrespectful, they just have been raised in a world where they’re able to obtain endless amounts of information so they have a need to know why. Include them in the decision-making process so they have a real understanding of why and have a say in how. It’s always a coach’s job to progress kids the best way possible.” Michelle Cleere has her PhD in Clinical Psychology, her master’s degree in sport psychology and is a professor at John F. Kennedy University in California. As an elite performance expert for 15 years, she has developed strategies used by coaches around the world.

New Rule Changes Coaches Should Know and Where to Find the Details This year, the Governing Council delegates considered approximately 70 rule changes and eight bylaw changes. The biggest change coming out of the meeting was the approval of the Competition Task Force proposal, which will make changes to the qualifying structure beginning with the 2019-20 qualifying season. More details are available on the U.S. Figure Skating website and will be provided throughout the next year. Here is a summary of additional rule changes that will have the greatest effect on coaches. All of these changes go into effect July 1, 2018, unless otherwise noted. SafeSport / Compliance • Three different articles of the U.S. Figure Skating bylaws were amended to further support U.S. Figure Skating’s SafeSport efforts • Anyone partnering a pairs test, pattern dance test, or free dance test will be required to be a registered member in good standing of U.S. Figure Skating Singles • Effective immediately, the maximum age for juvenile boys was increased such that skaters must be 13 years of age or younger as of Sept. 1, 2018 to enter a juvenile boys event for the 2019 qualifying season. This is one year older than the requirement to enter juvenile girls events. • Novice and intermediate ladies and men’s events will be contested at the U.S. Collegiate Championships beginning this summer • Juvenile and open juvenile girls and boys will be allowed to perform one triple jump in their free skate. This triple jump can only be included once and may not be repeated. They will also be allowed to perform a three-jump combination including three double jumps if one of those double jumps is a double Axel. • Singles jump bonuses will be added for junior ladies and men’s events and amended for novice, intermediate, and juvenile events • A camel spin will be required as the spin in one position in the intermediate men’s short program and the novice men’s short program • Beginning Feb. 1, 2019, the program length for the novice ladies free skate will increase to 3:30 +/- 10 seconds, and a maximum of seven jump elements will be allowed for tests and competitions. This will align the novice ladies free skate

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requirements with the novice men’s free skate requirements. Beginning this same date, the length of the intermediate ladies and men’s free skate will increase to 3:00 +/- 10 seconds for tests and competitions. Ice Dance • For ice dance, changes will be made to the definitions of elements and the requirements for all solo free dance tests to better align with the Solo Dance Series requirements Pairs • Juvenile pairs will be allowed to perform a throw double Salchow, throw double loop, or any single throw jump in their test and competition programs • The intermediate pairs short program has been removed as an event at qualifying competitions. The elements in the intermediate pairs free skate test and well-balanced program will be adjusted to incorporate elements that were only being performed in the short program. • Teams will be allowed to change feet in the spin element in the novice pairs short program Synchronized Skating • Juvenile, intermediate, and novice synchronized teams will be permitted to perform jumps of more than one revolution • The lengths of the open masters, open adult, open collegiate, intermediate, juvenile, and masters synchronized wellbalanced free skates will be reduced by 30 seconds each. The length of the adult synchronized well-balance free skate will be reduced by 45 seconds. Official practice ice times will also be adjusted accordingly. • The masters synchronized event will be judged using the IJS • Juvenile synchronized teams will be judged using three components: (1) Skating Skills, (2) Performance and (3) Interpretation Adult Skating • Adult silver and centennial singles events will be judged using the IJS at adult sectional championships and the U.S. Adult Figure Skating Championships • Element requirements and program times will be changed in adult and centennial pairs competition events and tests, and in adult solo free dance competition events • Effective Sept. 2, 2018, the test requirements for the adult pre-bronze, bronze, and silver free skate tests, and adult and masters free dance tests will change to better align with the competition requirements Though not passed by the 2018 Governing Council delegates, there are a few other changes taking effect during the 2018-19 season of which coaches need to be aware: • Singles: Beginning July 1, 2018, the senior men’s free skate program length will be reduced to 4:00 +/- 10 seconds and

the junior men’s free skate program length will be reduced to 3:30 +/- 10 seconds for tests and competitions. The maximum number of jump elements allowed at both levels will be reduced to seven. • Pairs: Also beginning July 1, 2018, the senior pairs free skate program length will be reduced to 4:00 +/- 10 seconds, and the junior pairs free skate program length will be reduced to 3:30 +/- 10 seconds for tests and competitions. Pending approval at the ISU Congress in June, the solo spin combination will be removed from the list of required elements for both of these programs and will only be required in the senior and junior pairs short programs. • All Tests: Effective Sept. 2, 2018, all tests judged at a test session will be marked on a scale ranging from -3 to +3, in whole number increments, with “0” equal to passing average for test level expectations. The Judges Committee rolled out training for the new marking system at Governing Council and will offer online training beginning this summer. Judges and prospective judges will be notified via email and the U.S. Figure Skating website as soon as more information is available regarding the online training.

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Combined Report of Action These changes only represent a portion of what was approved by the Governing Council on May 4-5. To get the full details of all of these changes and others, please see the 2017-18 Combined Report of Action, available on the U.S. Figure Skating website. The Combined Report of Action is the ONLY OFFICIAL report of U.S. Figure Skating bylaw and rule changes and contains all changes that were made by the U.S. Figure Skating Board of Directors and the Governing Council this past season. As always, we caution coaches from using word-of-mouth, Facebook, or other unofficial information found via the internet to educate themselves on rule changes. Coaches should utilize the Combined Report of Action with their 2017-18 U.S. Figure Skating Rulebook until the 2018-19 U.S. Figure Skating Rulebook becomes available. The 2018-19 rulebook will be available online at www.usfigureskatingrules.org and made available through the U.S. Figure Skating Publications App. A link to order a printed copy will also be available on the U.S. Figure Skating website in mid-August.

PS MAGAZINE

Professional Skaters Foundation

A Community that Cares

U.S. Open – a huge success! By Carol Murphy, PSF President The U.S. Open Professional Figure Skating Championships was held on May 22, 2018 at the RDV Sportsplex Ice Den in Orlando, FL with over 30 competitors! What an amazing evening and an incredible display of talent! Very special thanks to RDV Sportsplex Ice Den, and rink manager Debby Kwasman, along with all of our volunteers who have worked very hard to make this one of the greatest and most memorable events imaginable. I would also like to thank our judges: Janet Champion, Jamie Coffey, Shepherd Clark, Paula Trujillo, Douglas Webster, and our celebrity judges Leslye Gale & Chad Pitt, for donating their time to this wonderful event. Lastly, a special thank you to our Master of Ceremonies, Tim Covington for all his efforts. I am excited to announce our winners: • • • •

Grand Champion - Jonathan Cassar Creative Visionary Award – Most Innovative and Original – Jason Graetz The Skater’s Skater Award – Best Skating Technique – Rohene Ward Ground Breaker Award – Breakout or Up-and-Coming – Piercyn Hunt

This extraordinary event raised over $22,000 with all proceeds benefiting the PS Foundation. The PS Foundation provides educational scholarships for coaches as well as financial assistance for coaches in need. A special thank you to all of our sponsors and donors that supported this wonderful cause: Platinum Sponsor – World Art / Shepherd Clark Silver Sponsors – FMC, Illinois Council, Jackson Ultima, Mondor Pewter Sponsor – Tri-State Council Champion Sponsors – Southern Eastern Great Lakes Council, Skating Club of Boston, Ice House Skating Academy, Kirsten Miller-Zisholz, Ice Stars Company

P R O F E S S I O N A L S K AT E R S F O U N DAT I O N

B OA R D U P DAT E

It was to our great surprise at the end of April, the estate of Roslyn S. Heath generously donated $191,000 to the Skaters Fund! This left me, quite literally speechless. This amazing gift will allow us to assist more coaches facing financial hardship due to sickness, disability, or age. Roslyn “Rone” Sara Heath, who was a member of the Professional Skaters Association since 1988, passed away in 2017 in Pueblo, Colorado. Rone devoted over 65 years to the art of figure skating and was involved with the Pueblo Plaza Ice Arena serving the rink for 35 years as a coach, skating director, and pro shop manager. On behalf of the Foundation and the Professional Skaters Association, I would personally like to extend our heartfelt thanks to Rone and her family for this generous gift. Rone dedicated her life to skating, and we will use her gift to continue to assist the skating community. The Foundation has always relied on the continued support of its members and public to provide these resources for our skating community. If you are interested in contributing to the Foundation, or like Rone, would like to name the Foundation as a beneficiary of your estate, please contact Jimmie Santee. The Foundation is a tax exempt foundation organized under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. We are happy to work with your financial and legal advisors regarding any donations.

JULY/AUGUST 2018

Top: Piercyn Hunt Right: Jason Graetz PHOTOS BY MARK WALENTINY

Roslyn S. Heath June 11, 1933 – October 14, 2017 Roslyn Sara Heath (her friends and associates called her Rone) Born June 11, 1933 in Great Falls, Montana, Rone passed away quietly at her home on October 14, 2017, in Pueblo, Colorado. Rone is preceded in death by her parents, Howard and Jeanette Ferguson, her brother Donald Judd, husband William S. Heath, and son Craig E. Highline (Jeannie). Rone is survived by her stepsons Brad Heath (Gina), Gary Heath (Denise), and Kent Heath (Donna), grandson Matthew Highline, granddaughter Chelsea Highline, step grandson Kris Brinkman, and her beloved dog Bailey. She spent over 40 years in the banking field in Colorado (she was the Branch Manager at Columbia Savings in Pueblo), California, Virginia, and Montana. Rone was a member of the Professional Skaters Association, the United States Figure Skating Association, and the Pueblo Figure Skating Club. She devoted over 65 years to the art of figure skating and was involved with the Pueblo Plaza Ice Arena. Rone was on the citizen’s committee to choose a location for the ice rink facility in Pueblo and served the rink for 35 years as a coach, skating director and pro shop manager. After Rone retired from the Pueblo Plaza Ice Arena, she began volunteering at Parkview Medical Center. Rone was a devoted member of Christ the King Catholic Church. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the U.S. Figure Skating Association, Professional Skaters Association, or the Pueblo Figure Skating Club.

2018 DONATING RETIREMENT ASSETS TO THE PS FOUNDATION There are ways to contribute retirement assets to the PS Foundation that prove to be a win-win. Current regulations allow you to contribute with appealing tax advantages. Here’s how: IRS rules mandate that individuals age 70 ½ and older must take RMDs (Required Minimum Distribution) from their IRA each year regardless of whether the income is needed. These annual withdrawals are subject to ordinary income taxes. However, one can elect to make a Qualified Charitable Distribution (QCD). A QCD allows those age 70 ½ and older to donate up to $100,000 tax free to a charity (such as PS Foundation) directly from their IRA each year. Making a QCD as opposed to a normal charitable gift has two main advantages. First, a QCD satisfies an individual’s required minimum distribution for that year. Second, the distribution is excluded from the taxpayer’s income. This second benefit is particularly important under the new tax bill. With very few individuals expected to itemize under the new tax bill, the income tax deduction for charitable contributions will be lost for many people. However, if you make a QCD, you get a full exclusion of that income from your taxes. By donating to the PS Foundation, you can enjoy the satisfaction that you are contributing to a worthy cause while effectively lowering your tax bill. This may also be a way to claim a state tax deduction as well. Donating an IRA to charity upon death The benefits multiply when you name a charity as a beneficiary to receive your IRA or other retirement assets upon your death. Some of those benefits include: • No income tax paid on the distribution of assets by either your heirs or estate • The value of the assets is included as part of the gross estate, but the estate receives a tax deduction for the charitable contribution, which offsets the estate taxes • The full amount of the donation benefits the PS Foundation since charities do not pay income taxes • Retirement assets can be divided between charities and heirs according to any percentages that you choose • This allows you to support a cause you care about as part of your legacy To designate the PS Foundation the beneficiary of your IRA or other retirement asset, complete a designated beneficiary form through your plan administrator, bank, or financial services firm. Once the forms are in place, the assets will generally pass directly to your beneficiaries (including charities) without going through probate. If you are married, ask the plan administrator whether your spouse is required to consent. If required but not done, this could result in a disqualification of the charity as your beneficiary. Be clear about your wishes with your spouse, lawyer, and any financial advisors, giving a copy of the completed beneficiary forms as necessary. Please consult a tax professional for further details.

Jonathan Cassar GRAND CHAMPION

Special thanks to our wonderful judges and Master of Ceremonies Tim Covington

JA N E T C H A M P IO N SHEPHERD C LA R K JA M IE C O FF E Y D O U G LA S W EBSTER LE S LY E G A LE C H A D P IT T PA U LA T R U JI LLO

RINKBLAZER

Ralph Burghart

By Terri Milner Tarquini

storied skating career beget a coaching career that continues to ascend. Born in Vienna, Ralph Burghart was crowned Austrian national champion an amazing seven times. In 1992, he competed in the Winter Olympics in France, finishing 18th. Following his sixth trip to the World Figure Skating Championships that same year, he retired from competition and spent a year skating with Ice Capades. His home for the last 23 years has been in Alaska, coaching at the Dimond Center Ice Chalet. In that time, Burghart has coached skaters from the U.S., Canada, Austria, Russia, and Taiwan to success. With a strong emphasis on jump technique and physical fitness, he has taught over 30 regional champions, as well as several sectional champions and national competitors and medalists. But even with that resume, this past skating season has been a real standout. Keegan Messing was six years old when he started taking lessons from Burghart. Now, with Burghart by the boards for the last two decades, Keegan Messing had quite the 2017-2018 season: bronze medalist at the Autumn Classic International, 5th place at the NHK Trophy, and silver medalist at the Canadian Figure Skating Championships. And then Burghart, the former Olympian, found himself the coach of an Olympian when Messing placed 12th at the 2018 Winter Olympics in South Korea, followed by an 8th place finish at the World Figure Skating Championships. “I’ve been with Keegan for 20 years,” Burghart said. “There is something so special about working with someone for that long and having that level of trust. I know him so well. I know where he is in his head and whether I can push him or not. That is worth so much in a coach-student relationship.”

Did you know you would coach one day? As an amateur in my early 20s I thought I might like to coach and go to the United States one day. When I got the chance, I discovered I had a gift for doing it. I found I really enjoyed building a skater from the ground up, taking a skater from the very beginning levels and bringing them all the way up. I still love the building process. I love being there with a skater on their journey from a waltz jump to a triple Axel. You have had solid success as a skater. What do you think your background brings to the table that can help your skaters succeed? Experience. I have competed at every level, so that kind of experience can be very helpful. Another thing is that, at 6’2”, I am fairly tall for a skater so I need to have very good technique. I was coached with strong Mishin techniques so I was very strong in that way. (Russian coach Alexei

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Mishin is well-known for his mechanicalbased approach to skating technique.) Jump technique is a big thing for me and it’s something I focus a lot of my time on now. I also always liked the process of training and I like helping the skaters train properly so they can be in the best shape possible. I was a good patch skater, so I also work on those skills with them. Those are important building blocks for the rest of their skating. Bringing all of those things together and giving them to my students brings me great joy. It helps me mold them so they can find success.

What do you think has been key in taking your skaters to higher and higher levels? Skaters who are willing to be structured. As a coach, you’ve got to have an athlete who is driven and wants to succeed. If they are talented enough, then you can give them structure and discipline. I also

emphasize fitness because if you are fit and strong, it is good for any sport, but especially in skating. Fitness is part of that structure and discipline.

What would your advice be to coaches who are working their way up and trying to have success at the regional and sectional level? You need to look for talent. And get them early, like five or six years old. Then you need to make sure the basic skating skills are good. Take your time on the technique of the single jumps. Take your time on the spins—those are getting increasingly important at the lower levels. Take your time with the basics. Skating as a sport takes great passion. So does coaching. What are you most passionate about? I am passionate about creating skaters, especially teaching them from the beginning. I love creating powerful skaters who can create speed with just a few strokes. I love jumping and love teaching air position and height. I have a wonderful choreographer I work with now, Lance Vipond, and I like when it all comes together to create the whole picture for my skaters. You talked about generating power from a few strokes and previously you talked about patch

This page: Ralph with skater Keegan Messing at an Olympic send off in Anchorage this past February. Opposite page: Seattle Ice Fest with skaters Hagen Pisano, Aspen Tunney, and Zoe Springsteen.

The even more amazing thing is that he’s still getting better—his quad Lutz is improving, his performing is improving, his line is improving. For my part, I’ve had patience and have had to let him find his own way and he finally found it. I’m so proud of him.

skating. What are your thoughts on teaching these things in a post-figures skating world? I’m of the opinion that it was a mistake getting rid of figures. I think basic skating suffered. But this is where we are. Skaters can certainly learn turns on a freestyle session, but it’s not the same as a patch turn—it doesn’t have the exactness and the poise and the balance and the awareness of the body over the blade. It takes a lot more from coaches to work on those basics now. What is your favorite move to watch when it’s performed really, really well? I love a great death drop—it’s just so powerful. I really like a good split jump. I also really appreciate a great triple Axel, but not the careful ones. I like Hanyu’s or Keegan’s triple Axel where they fly into it and let it go. And quads are obviously impressive. With your interest in jump technique, what are your thoughts on the possibility of a quintuple jump? I think, for very special athletes, they are doable, but I think it’s going to end there…. unless the human body changes somehow. A quadruple Axel will happen, but we’re pushing the lines here. Quintuples won’t be as common as quads are now. There will be some, but they will only be done by those athletes with enormous skills, strength, and coordination. I’m not sure when, but I think it will happen. A quadruple jump takes almost a full second

in the air, so a quintuple would obviously need more time than that. A second in the air—that alone is a tremendous feat.

Do you have a motto or philosophy? Never give up and never surrender. I’m of the thought that, if you’re not pushing your body, if you’re not sore, then you’re not doing enough. Pain is weakness leaving the body so embrace the process and it will lead to greatness. I tell my skaters at competitions not to submit to their fears and to keep fighting. I am also a man of faith so I believe it’s important to trust in God to take you there. What do you think has been key in your journey getting you to your level as a coach? Consistency. Reliability. Those things are true for any coach. It’s also very important to have a vision for your skaters. Teaching is not just a job for me; it’s about building a bond and building trust with my skaters. I want to do everything I can to make their dream my dream. Obviously having the technical skills and knowledge has played a part, and I have a real passion and drive for what I do. If you have those things and you have a skater who has talent, there’s really nothing you can’t do. With that in mind, what was it like getting Keegan to the Olympics? It was an amazing journey. He didn’t stop and he didn’t surrender. He never gave up. He also gained a lot of maturity and I think that’s part of what got him there.

How would you describe your journey in the skating world so far? Amazing. Skating has been a big part of my life since I was three years old and I honestly can’t complain about anything. As a skater I had success and then being able to take a student to the Olympics— it’s full circle. It—all of it—has really been amazing. Down the road of life, what are some things you hope your skaters take with them that they learned from you? Discipline and structure. Those tools can help them be successful in whatever, really. I find such joy in knowing I’ve helped young people be successful in the rest of their lives. Keegan is an amazing athlete, but he’s not everyone. Most skaters will not get to his level, so it’s really about having an impact on every kid’s life that you have the opportunity to touch. This is a sport where the lows are so low and the highs are so high. One mistake makes a difference—more so than in other sports. If you play tennis, you can have a couple of bad serves or swings or even sets and you can still win. In skating, you have anywhere from two minutes to four-and-ahalf minutes that decides everything. One mistake can change the whole outcome. That is a whole lot of pressure. If you can have the mental toughness to succeed in skating, you can succeed in life.

PS MAGAZINE

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MEMBERS NEW MEMBER SPONSOR Joye Abdulkarim Emma Astrup Evan Bender Sarah Berkshire

Shelly Frisch Schreiner Derrick Delmore

Danielle Montalbano Kris Moran Alyssa Pressley

Alex Chang Thomas Amon Barb Foltz

Ashley Chaudiere

Eveline Rigo

Silvia Anna D'Avola

Alyxzandria Biondo

Kelda Nolen

Jacob Schedl

Victoria Fauver Robb

Nicholas Buckland

Rocky Marval

Alesia Smith

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Beverly Messina-Fernald

Erica Steinel

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Isabelle Carter Alexandru Chis-Luca Penny Coomes Victoria Craw Natalie Dayvault Nhi Do

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Tessa Dutcher

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Ellen Fink Teia Gherman Kassandra Hazard Tasia Hillestad Nadezhda Hodgkinson

Kim Micheff

Mark Poole Andrea Pieper Shannon Owens Julia Harden Barb Yackel Kalle Strid Kristen Mingoia

Matthew Kennedy

Marcia Walkney

Gennady Kislyuk

Michael Villarreal

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Debby Jones

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Jerry Wheeler

Katie Luggar

Sheila Thelen

Kyle McMinn

Pamela Gregory

JULY/AUGUST 2018

Kristie Yuen

Janusz McKinnon

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Dianne Deleeuw-Chapman Eve Chalom

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NEW MEMBER SPONSOR

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Welcome coaches!

Do you know coaches who are new to the profession? Help them get a head start on their coaching career, and encourage them to join PSA! Visit www.skatepsa.com or contact Justin at jmathre@skatepsa.com to learn more about PSA membership opportunities.

OBITUARY

On-ice sessions from the 2017 Conference are now available !

Michael Tamres November 27, 1945–June 12, 2018 Michael (Mike) Tamres joined the Professional Skaters Guild Association (PSGA), later the PSA, in 1975. He was master rated in dance, moves in the field, and group. He was also a Level V ranked coach and served on the PSA Ratings Committee and the U.S. Figure Skating Dance Committee. Mike was a frequent examiner on ratings at conference and at ratings sites. He loved skating and coaching and he loved to mentor young coaches coming up and help them grow and prepare for rating exams. He was known for having a great sense of humor. He taught in every section of the United States throughout his 43 years as a coach, so he was well known and respected to a large cross-section of our membership. He also ran a skating school in Kingston, Ontario. At his memorial service at the Emanuel Cemetery in Denver, CO, the Rabbi referred to Mike as a Sabra, which is a term for a native-born Israeli. Mike was not a native-born Israeli, though he always dreamed of visiting there one day. The term came from a cactus-type plant—the tsabar—which is a tenacious, thorny desert plant with a thick skin that conceals a sweet, softer interior. This was a great description of Mike who was a champion of the underdog and would speak out about inequities in our sport.

www.skatepsa.com SKYL IN E PH OTO CO U R TE S Y OF THE NA SHV IL L E CONV ENTION & V ISITOR S COR POR AT I ON

Mike is survived by his daughters Melissa Beadsworth and Kassi Tamres, and his grandchildren Holly and Joshua. He requested that donations in his memory be made to the ALS Association, Rockey Mountain Chapter at www.alsrockeymountain.org.

PS MAGAZINE

CALENDAR

EVENTS

J U LY Date: Event: Location: Credits: Hosts: Schedule:

Deadline:

July 21-22, 2018 Area 11 PSA Super Site Centerpoint Community Ice in Independence, MO 12 PSA credits Mid-West Figure Skating Council Debbie Cole-Gerber Debgosk8@gmail.com July 21 - Skaters & Parents July 22 - Coaches & Judges

June 24, 2018

AUGUST Date: Event: Location: Credits: Host:

August 11, 2018 Area 11 PSA Theatre on Ice Half-Day Clinic Mount Prospect Ice Arena in Mount Prospect, IL 6 PSA credits Shannon Lamaster info@iceacademyofmountprospect.com

Deadline:

July 27, 2018

Date: Event: Location: Credits: Hosts:

August 19, 2018 Area 3 PSA Full-Day Seminar JM McDonald Sport Complex in Cortland, NY 12 PSA credits Stacy Petri stacympetri@hotmail.com Nicole Goodelle nmgoodelle@gmail.com

Deadline:

July 27, 2018

Date: Event: Location: Credits:

August 26-27, 2018 Area 9 PSA Oral Rating Site SportOne/Parkview Ice House in Fort Wayne, IN 1 PSA credit per oral exam taken

Deadline:

June 26, 2018

Date: Event: Location: Credits: Host:

August 27-29, 2018 Area 9 PSA Ratings Prep SportOne/Parkview Ice House in Fort Wayne, IN 28 PSA credits Alena Lunin alunin@icesports.com

Deadline:

July 27, 2018

SEPTEMBER

Date: Event: Location: Credits: Hosts:

September 9, 2018 Area 10 PSA Full Day Seminar Bloomington Ice Garden in Bloomington, MN 12 PSA credits Twin Cities Figure Skating Assoc. & PSA

Deadline:

August 17, 2018

JULY/AUGUST 2018

Please visit www.skatepsa.com for the complete Calendar of Events

CLASSIFIEDS SEPTEMBER Date: Event: Location: Credits: Host:

September 16, 2018 Area 6 Foundations of Coaching Course Gardens Ice House in Laurel, MD 12 PSA credits Greg Maddalone gmaddalone@gmail.com

Deadline:

August 20, 2018

Date: Event: Location: Credits: Hosts: Schedule:

September 22- 23, 2018 Area 8 PSA Super Site Farmington Hills Ice Arena in Farmington Hills, MI 12 PSA credits Detroit Metro Council & PSA September 22 - Coaches & Judges September 23 - Skaters & Parents

Deadline:

August 31, 2018

O C TO B E R Dates: Event: Location: Credits:

October 26-28, 2018 Area 16 PSA Master Rating Site (all levels included) Radisson Phoenix Airport Hotel in Phoenix, AZ 1 PSA credit per oral exam taken

Deadline:

August 31, 2018

The Town Toyota Center in Wenatchee, WA is seeking an experienced USFS & PSA professional instructor to join our current coaching team. Independent contract position. Must be knowledgeable in Learn to Skate USA, USFS and IJS. Willing to work with skaters in both group and private lesson settings while building a clientele. Please send resume to lkapeikis@towntoyotacenter.com

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HONOR ROLL CORRECTION Skyliners intermediate, novice, junior, and senior coached by Pamela May

Happening Now

Clinics Seminars Super Sites

May 22-25, 2019

2019 PSA Conference & Trade Show Hyaďż˝ Regency Indian Wells Resort & Spa

Find an event near you at www.skatepsa.com

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PHOTO OF THE YEAR RUNNER UP by VICKI LUY Nathan Chen | 2018 U.S. Figure Skating Championships

July/August 2018 PS Magazine

Articles inside

Nutrition and Eating Disorders

What you Missed at Jump On It Camp

PSA 2018 COACHES HALL of FAME

What's Your Master Plan?