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
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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”.
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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
