May/June 2018

MAY/JUNE

2018

2018

Synchronized Skating Championships HAYDENETTES | coached by SAGA KRANTZ & ADAM BLAKE

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

MAY/JUNE 2018

COLUMNS 2

Over the Edge

4

President’s Message

6

Ratings

8

SafeSport

| Jimmie Santee | Christine Fowler-Binder

| Tim Covington | U.S. Figure Skating

10

Sport Science

14

Education

| Heidi Thibert

| Carol Rossignol

FEATURES 17

Coach Compliance

18

Technology and Coaching Generation Z

22

How U.S. Figure Skating Rules Are Made

25

Olympic Cadence: Yeaji Shin

29

2018 Honor Roll of Synchronized Skating Coaches

32

Updates in Concussion Research

34

New Excel Track

35

Remember Summer Skating Camp?

40

Rinkblazer: Amanda Kovar

| Terri Milner Tarquini | Terri Milner Tarquini

| Terri Milner Tarquini

| Jana Raisner

| Elise Preston | Kent McDill

| Terri Milner Tarquini

DEPARTMENTS 7

Rating Exams Passed

36

Professional Skaters Foundation

42 44

New Members PSA Calendar of Events

May 23-26

See you in Florida!

Elizabeth Thornton | Editor/Advertising Carol Rossignol | Contributing Editor Amanda Taylor | Art Director

Find, Friend, Follow

Issue No 3 |

» COVER: Photo by Brant Thornton

WWW.SKATEPSA.COM

PS MAGAZINE

1

OVER THE EDGE Jimmie Santee, MPD, MG

A Look Back at “Is the Triple Axel Becoming Irrelevant?”

A

year ago I asked, “Is the triple Axel becoming irrelevant?” My hypothesis was twofold. One was the program component mark that maxes out in the long program at 100 points for the men (80 for the women) creates a stationary target for the best jumpers. Specifically, I wrote after the 2017 U.S. Championships that if Nathan Chen landed two more quads than Fernadez, Hanyu, or Uno, he would win. If not for Chen’s disastrous short at the PyeongChang Olympics, I would have been right.

The International Judging System scale of values is currently weighted heavily to the quadruple jumps- too heavy if you ask me. At the highest elite level, barring a mistake, the spins are irrelevant, as well as the dance step, and the PC marks. If you added up three level four spins and the step sequences, all with +3 GOE, you still don’t have the points of a 4T + 3T combination.

Adding the second half bonus separates jumps even further. Doing all your jumps in the second half is ridiculous. A case in point, Alina Zagitova earned an additional 8.47 points in the bonus. An average of the next nine competitors showed they performed 4.33 jump passes in the bonus for an additional 2.36 points per program.

The scale of values is the same for men and women, but the PC marks are factored differently between men and women. The factor is supposed to bring the PC scores in line with the technical scores. What that does in my mind is devalue the PC scores even further for the women.

Zagitova had the 4th highest PC scores, only 2.44 points behind Evgenia Medvedeva and 4.97 points from the max of 80 points. Of course, if you follow social media, the not-too-silent majority’s sentiment was questioning how Zagitova could have such high PC scores with an unbalanced program?

Reviewing the protocol, she was dinged in the composition mark by a whole eight-one hundredths of a point…

Do I think the results are fair? Based on the current rules and accounting of scores, this might have been the cleanest Olympic competition in a long time. However, if it was my system, the results would have been different.

Evgenia Medvedeva would have defended her title! The fact that an artistic skater can conceivably receive a perfect score and not even come close to winning is a disturbing trend.

Moving forward, I am hoping for significant changes from the ISU so the best, most well-rounded skater wins. It has been reported that the men’s program will lose thirty seconds and one jump element. The scale of GOE’s will be increased to a range from -5 to +5 which should give the judges more leeway. What does that really mean? A GOE of +1 is actually a percentage of the base value of each element. A +3 for a triple is 2.1 and a Quad, 3.0. If the scale remains the same for the +5 range, OK. But if it’s increased using the current formula, a +5 triple would be worth an additional 3.5 points and a quad 5.0 further distancing the quads from the rest of the pack.

My System I want the program components to be factored the same between the men and women. The factor would be determined yearly based on the average of the 20 highest technical scores of either sex for the last three years in

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PSA OFFICERS President First Vice President Second Vice President Third Vice President Treasurer Past President PSA BOARD OF GOVERNORS West Mid-West East Members at Large

Committee on Professional Standards Ratings Chair Seminar Chair ISI Rep to PSA U.S. Figure Skating Rep to PSA PSA Rep to U.S. Figure Skating Executive Director COMMITTEE CHAIRMEN Awards Coaches Hall of Fame Education Seminars Apprentice Program Area Representatives Hockey Skating Sport Science Endorsements Executive Executive Nominating Finance Nominating Professional Standards PSA Rep to ISI Ratings Adaptive Skating FCC

Christine Fowler-Binder Alex Chang Rebecca Stump Tim Covington Carol Murphy Kelley Morris Adair Phillip Mills Michelle Lauerman Teri Klindworth Hooper Patrick O'Neil Tim Covington Janet Tremer Cindy Sullivan Jason Dilworth Carey Tinkelenberg Kelley Morris Adair Tim Covington Don Corbiell Scott McCoy Kirsten Miller Zisholz Kelley Morris Adair Jimmie Santee

Tim Covington Kelley Morris Adair Rebecca Stump Don Corbiell Janet Tremer Gloria Leous 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 3, 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.

comparison to the same average of program component scores for the same period. This would allow the scoring system to continually adapt to the growth and development of the competitors.

The length of all novice, junior, and senior programs in singles, dance, pairs, and synchro should be the same length. For the short, 2:40 minutes, and for the long, 4:00 minutes.

The second half bonus needs to be the last quarter bonus starting after the three minute mark. Anyone who can get seven jump passes in one minute should get a medal!

Finally, the scale of values. The base value for all spins needs to be increased by at least 1 point to make them relevant. A great spin should at least be equal to the base value of a double Axel. Quads should be slightly decreased to promote better parity, competition, and the importance of a well-balanced program.

In essence, the scoring system should grow with the skaters and one dimensional skating should not be rewarded. Skaters like Yuna Kim, Evgenia Medvedeva, Yuzuru Hanyu… those are champions whose athletic prowess matches their artistic form.

Former CER Category A and B for US Figure Skating Coach Compliance is now: “Professional Coach/ Choreographer” Category. The program is open in the PSA E-Learning Academy and accessible from the PSA website at skatepsa.com. The following two courses are prepaid, and all other courses are $35 each until July 1, 2018. An annual subscription fee of $25 is charged to access the e-learning platform. This fee is paid directly to the provider, not to PSA or U.S. Figure Skating.

Professional Coach/Choreographer CER Program Topic Area: RULES OF SPORT (ROS)

CER ROS 201 – Understanding Test Refresh CER ROS 201 is prepaid by U.S. Figure Skating (January 1 to July 1, 2018)

Professional Coach/Choreographer CER Program Topic Area: ATHLETE/ COACH PROTECTION (ACP)

A new way to submit affidavits!

CER ACP 402 – Coach Health, Well-Being and Self-Care CER ACP 402 is prepaid by PSA (January 1 to July 1, 2018)

Former CER Category C for U.S. Figure Skating Coach Compliance is now: “Professional Group Instructor” Category. The program is open in the PSA E-Learning Academy and accessible from the PSA website at skatepsa.com. All courses are $10. An annual subscription fee of $25 is charged to access the e-learning platform. This fee is paid directly to the provider, not to PSA or U.S. Figure Skating.

1.)

Go to skatepsa.com homepage and click Affidavit

2.) Fill out the form and click Submit 3.) The information will be emailed to staff to enter into your account Contact affidavit@skatepsa.com or 507.281.5122 with questions CONTINUING EDUCATION REQUIREMENTS

PS MAGAZINE

3

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

A Look Back and a Look Ahead I

can’t believe how quickly these past two years have gone by! As I begin my third and final year as PSA President, I would like to share some of the important milestones from the past two years and my vision for the next 12 months.

First, the most important goal to me was to make education more accessible and less expensive for all coaches, no matter where they live or work. With the PSA webinars and the live streaming of seminars, this has become a reality.

Many of you already participated in one of our webinars this past fall (program components, IJS for grassroots, test refresh, and more!), but if not, there is still time. Many of these webinars are still available to watch on our website on-demand. These webinars explained very critical information provided by some of the best officials and coaches in our country, and they shared their time and their expertise with all of us. I am grateful for the many hours of volunteer time that coaches, board members, committee members and officials were willing to give, so take advantage of this and take part in one of our webinars! That being said, my vision for the next 12 months does include more online education. A variety of webinars will be offered and our goal is to include: IJS for pre-preliminary through juvenile, IJS spins, moves in the field, and theater on ice. The PSA staff is working hard to develop each of these webinars and my goal is to have them ready before summer. To meet this new demand, I have appointed a new webinar chairperson that will also be assisting PSA staff with content and guest speakers for our webinars. Stay tuned for more online fun!

Another goal of my presidency was to strengthen our relationship with U.S. Figure Skating. This relationship has grown over the past few years and I am happy to say that our two organizations are working very well together. For the past two years, we have had a full time PSA employee working at U.S. Figure Skating headquarters. This has allowed for efficient communication between the two organizations and provides coaches more opportunities to receive education and educational credits while attending performance-based events or camps. PSA and U.S. Figure Skating are also working together on continuing education courses and SafeSport issues. Since PSA is U.S. Figure Skating’s educational arm, it is necessary that both parties work toward the common goal of increasing the number of people who are skating and providing necessary educa-

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MAY/JUNE 2018

tion to those coaches who are instructing them. Coaches are the front line to our athletes and parents, so we need to be professional, ethical and educated to ensure that our skaters learn in a safe and healthy environment and want to continue to skate for years to come.

Over the next 12 months and beyond, my vision is to have more PSA members serving on both U.S. Figure Skating committees and PSA committees. Coaches sometimes complain (I know I am guilty) about PSA coaching fees or U.S. Figure Skating rule changes, but maybe instead of complaining, coaches could become part of the solution. If coaches would be more involved with the process, it will ultimately benefit our athletes. Try to get involved to help make a difference. Try serving on a committee and give back to the sport that has given you so much, or communicate with your club delegates to find out what will be voted on at Governing Council so that your voice can be heard. I realize that sometimes life may get in the way, but try to volunteer your time to help direct the future of our sport.

And lastly, I hope over the next year our members can see the benefits of their PSA membership. Are you utilizing your membership to the fullest? There are so many wonderful educational opportunities offered by PSA—become familiar with them and use them to your advantage. Go on our website and research what events suit your coaching needs most effectively. B.B. King was once quoted as saying, “the beautiful thing about learning is that no one can ever take it away from you”. So use your membership to learn—come to conference, attend a seminar, or stay home and take part in one of our many webinars. What you learn can never be taken away!

Skate to an unbreakable team.

Skate to great.

Ice skating teaches kids how to work as a team and make lifelong friendships along the way.

Get started today, visit LearnToSkateUSA.com

endorsed by

RATINGS Tim Covington MFS, MM, RC

Rating Exam Update: What does that mean?

B Y J A S O N D I L W O R T H , M F S , M M , M G , S F F, C P D

M

any of you have heard that a few of the rating exams are going through an overhaul. In the past two years the ratings team has worked tirelessly and diligently to rewrite the free skating and choreography exams. Many who have taken the new exams have stated that they appreciate that they are based mainly in what the coach is teaching on a daily basis.

Heidi Thibert- Choreography Committee writes: "The choreography revision was to refresh the focus on evaluating the candidate’s ability to articulate the coherency of their choreographic process. The revised vision and goal of the choreography exam revision was to identify and measure the aspects of choreography that are essential to produce programs that: • Adhere to the ever-changing rules of our sport • Develop the athlete’s creative and artistic potential • Teach the athlete beyond the choreography"

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er e the a lite ten CONT perform r than scular : To tak asis, or ne • Time from one A mu .

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DANC thumb an PRINCIPL E ssi king Pa gages to Allegro, ARAB ded behin the RAPHIC a-ZHAY) AY) Ta t. l y disen (Adagio en with REOG hn-BL fee tiona or movement CHO is ext t slightl : (day-g foo of music : (ah-sa two (both) conven “TIME” AS A n) ment the the co GAGÉ and fast ,beat MBLE on DEslow ined vs sudde note or move The ced in ASSE d landing position ced particular t.

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The group is er angleMeter beat. The VELO will counted at e-TEW wa numb m leg DEure; propo by a down botto a measurermers lin ed . ng (ah-te ed in a for bent at an ifi in rki ident ion meas beats E: 4 r =ect rfomusic, usually ee UD lift Mete dir the wo : 4/4an re pein ATTIT free leg is with the kn Example: of time in y nchoreent or mo ne no your urem in ree s, do e” meas ion the , of the : Th each measure. ect ng. leg ry axi pts of “spac foot.

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DI backw her than the t or of space through which d a sta lyAG the tra usual un t on the . vem the athlet of mo in the space t actions weigh ent aro e place. athlete to angle ss how you and hig houtteach Direc on size p of the and the shapes they make onshi movem relati “indirect”. ative Step wit e ethe able to discu L: A staying in e, -related “direct” to should be first DIG: AXIA Th relaround the athletconti n should includ a bentfrom meander en route. Space ssion ussio g inYou otor or a s innuum the space on leg toN: hy. The discu and NSIO g in e area, locom ograp p startin din ME the ice bothct actions detour moves in space hindire the skater leap wit Y) A ste e side lan This refers both to DI howce. reflects A, whereas, about, circuitous.vement ation the spaeir destin : -lahn-SAhtly to on factor AG (ba space e mo The m on est path to theirLE ST s round p lig icate NCE: ating versu t frothe short : to ind DOUB g, undeviating BALA position; lea ightake ervin main levels ection er of we action words: unsw position. y, Laban); three of fifth ié. : A dir transf energ (Rudo GEPRIN t lph CIPLE space ent quick nts ofon oftre NSTAICdie atmen nce. demi-pl oudivisi the d or GE: A t ofam d movem hip DOW RAPH au the aspec the A CHOREOG rn(s) skate trolle “SPAC CHAN ard theRefers toadone m theE” AS or the patte ions in level ing in lowiat A con ed fro tow BALL another.

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OR CH binati rson wh tire routin en R: Pe — with com APHE vements or — 28 EOGR CHOR ations or mo combin P R O F E S S I O N A L S K AT E R S A S S O E C I AT I O N GUID

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CHOREOGRAPHY Instructor Rating

CHO

R EO

GRA

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STU

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Est. 1938

"The ratings exams are designed to be a tool for coaches to get involved in a process of understanding, self-discovery, and philosophy by assisting in developing their knowledge and expertise in the sport, benefiting the coach, and most importantly, the athletes they work with."

6

MAY/JUNE 2018

Cheryl Faust- Free Skating Chair writes: "During the evolution of the free skate exam constant rule changes, movement to IJS, the addition of video analysis, and the inclusion of SafeSport have made it impossible to administer a comprehensive exam within the time allotted. Therefore, we have separated free skate exams into two parts: a written exam and an oral exam.

• The oral exam is more comprehensive and technique based.

• The written exam covers rules, ethics, SafeSport, IJS, turn drawings, and jump drawings."

Currently, the group exams are going through a similar process with a tentative launch date of November 2018 at the master rating site. The program director exam will soon follow. So how does this all happen and what is that process?

To begin, many discussions are had between the Ratings Chair, discipline chair, and Senior Director of Education and Accreditation using data analysis of the rating exam evaluation forms returned by candidates. Ratings exams are also audited by the PSA office and the chair on a regular basis to ensure question accuracy, flow, time, etc.

Examiners are educated to provide the best exam possible for the candidates. Once the chair agrees that there is a need to rewrite, the process begins.

First, approval must be given from the Ratings Chair to go to the Board of Governors with the request for a budget approval. Once the board has approved the budget, a Project Proposal Form is submitted to the office so that they are informed of the approximate timeline and can provide assistance for the project. Finally, a team of knowledgeable coaches are assembled according to their expertise and experience in that particular discipline…and then finally, work can begin. Phew!

So here’s the scene: The team of volunteer coaches chosen are sequestered in a room away from the distractions of their “normal everyday lives”. For both the free skating and group exams, it was four days of 10-14 hours of work each day. It easily could have been longer. The sequestering of these experts was just to get the basic outline of the exam down and to figure out any new ideas or concepts that could be brought to the table. When the basic outline is completed, many more hours are spent changing and rewording questions while being mindful of the work done on the exams in the past. Explicit

Recently Passed

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

Congratulations to the following coaches for completing an oral rating: Kent Johnson SM Audra Leech RPD Megan Schultz RFS Margarita Tyler SM

PSA E-Learning Academy

Linda Barnett RG Rebecca Clark SM Lisa Geltz-Perri SM, CG Ann Hanson Clemons RM, CM Kristen Hemstreet CG, SG

Alexis Gagnon Sean Marshinski Grace Orpiano Maureen Schembri Wismayer

Congratulations to the following coach on completing an apprenticeship:

Apprentice: Ally Fachler

consideration of the following structure was necessary to ensure competency of the exams: discipline, category, order, content, accuracy, awareness, flow, and, of course, ensuring the exams educational.

Following the initial “Think Tank” are countless conference calls, emails, texts, etc. Finally the exams are completed to point of being able to hold “mock exams” with a candidate who is gracious enough to lend their time. The mock exam is then used to make any final adjustments, and the new exams are implemented.

If the criteria for taking exams needs to be changed, it has to be voted on by the PSA Board of Governors. I am pleased to announce the major criteria change for this upcoming year is the addition of a First Aid/CPR Certification requirement for all free skating and group candidates beginning at the certified level. In addition, all registered candidates will be required to complete concussion training. This mandate will go into effect as of 5/1/19 and be required for candidates taking exams at the 2019 conference and thereafter.

As coaches, safety is our number one priority and this initiative is a tremendous leap forward to ensure the safety of the athletes with which we work. Many thanks to the PSA Board of Governors for taking into consideration that we are dealing with safety concerns on a daily basis and voting to take this important step towards ensuring our members are at the top of their game in all situations.

According to statecpr.com, there are 39 states that require CPR and First Aid training for high school students in

Level & Discipline: Level 1 Group Instructor

Mentor(s): Deborah Leitner Jones, MG, MM

order to graduate. Eighteen states currently require it for physical education teachers, and several states require it for all teachers. A number of states are requiring it for coaches in all sports. It’s only appropriate that it’s mandated for the coaches of the Professional Skaters Association.

The ratings exams are designed to be a tool for coaches to get involved in a process of understanding, self-discovery, and philosophy by assisting in developing their knowledge and expertise in the sport, benefiting the coach, and most importantly, the athletes they work with.

Discover the ratings process...it could be one of the most impactful things you do for your coaching career!

“Excellence is an art won by training and habituation.

We do not act rightly because we have virtue or excellence, but we rather have those because we have acted rightly. We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act but a habit” -Aristotle

PS MAGAZINE

7

All Coaches Must Complete the SafeSport Training Program

BY HEIDI DELIO THIBERT

U

.S. Figure Skating has long enforced rules and policies that help ensure the safety and well-being of its members. This includes screening and background checks, two-deep leadership, supervision of locker rooms and changing areas, a strict travel policy and strong Codes of Conduct, among others. The PSA has been a strong supporter of those rules and policies.

New this season (2018-19) is a requirement for coaches to complete the official SafeSport Training Program course by July 1 as part of Coach Compliance.

The official SafeSport Training Program course is separate from the CER courses. The course can be accessed through the “Members Only” tab at www.usfigureskating.org. There is no cost to the official SafeSport Training Program course.

To complete the official SafeSport Training Program course go to: • usfigureskating.org • Click on: “Members Only” and log in with your username and password • Click on: The blue “U.S. Figure Skating SAFESPORT” tile • Scroll to/ click on: “SAFESPORT INITIAL TRAINING” tile and follow the prompts for registering for the training • Complete three parts to the training accessible by video: • Sexual Misconduct Awareness Education • Mandatory reporting • Emotional and Physical Misconduct • Set aside 1½– 2 hours of time for the initial registration process and the training Upon completion, you will be able to access and print a certificate for each portion of the training. Your SafeSport Profile will contain your SafeSport Training Program status, the date of the completion of the training, along with the date of expiration which is two years from the date of completion.

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Coach Compliance Requirements: As most of you are aware, for the 2018-19 Season, CER Category A and B Categories in the CER Program have been merged and renamed to become the Professional Coach/Choreographer CER Program. All coaches are required to complete four CER courses for Coach Compliance. In order for coaches to be “Coach Compliant” on July 1, 2018, U.S. Figure Skating requires the following: 1. Must be a current full member of U.S. Figure Skating • Either through a member club or as an individual member—usfigureskating.org 2. Must complete the official SafeSport Program Training • Available now through the U.S. Figure Skating website “Members Only” tab at usfigureskating.org 3. Must successfully pass a background check • Only if 18 years or older • Available through the U.S. Figure Skating website “Members Only” tab 4. Must complete four CER courses – one in each of four subject areas (See rule MR 5.12) • Available now—skatepsa.com 5. Must possess proof of current general liability insurance • With limits of $1 million per occurrence/$5 million aggregate • Available for PSA members through the PSA website and through U.S. Figure Skating “Members Only” tab for non-PSA members 6. Must be a current full PSA member (See U.S. Figure Skating Rule 1022) • If coaching skaters/teams in qualifying levels at U.S. Figure Skating qualifying competitions

To complete the CER courses: CER COURSES: All Professional Coach/Choreographer category coaches will take four CER courses. These

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

courses are available at skatepsa.com, but a coach does not need to be a PSA member to complete CER courses.

PSA and U.S. Figure Skating are committed to providing a safe environment for our members to participate in our sport free of harassment and abuse.

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

PRESS RELEASE

Professional Skaters Association Announces Best Performance Awards The Professional Skaters Association is pleased to announce the winners of the EDI Awards for Best Performances at the 2018 Prudential U.S. Figure Skating Championships and the 2018 Synchronized Skating Championships. One winner was chosen from each category—men’s, ladies, pairs, dance and synchronized skating—to honor and recognize the outstanding efforts of these skaters. The award is based on the "total performance" with an eye to costuming, presentation, music selection, choreography, style, and technique.

Best Performance Award Winners for the 2018 Prudential U.S. Championships in San Jose, CA; BEST PERFORMANCE LADIES Mirai Nagasu | Championship Ladies Free Skate Program PSA Coach – Tom Zakrajsek Choreographer – Jeffrey Buttle Music Selection – Miss Saigon Costume Designer – Pat Pearsall BEST PERFORMANCE MEN Ross Miner | Championship Men Free Skate Program PSA Coaches – Mark Mitchell, Peter Johansson Choreographer – Jamie Isley Music Selection – Queen Costume Designer – Alicia Jackson BEST PERFORMANCE PAIRS Tarah Kayne / Danny O’Shea | Championship Pairs Free Program PSA Coaches – Jim Peterson, Amanda Evora Choreographer – Shae-Lynn Bourne, Shae Zukiwsky Music Selection – “Swan Lake” by Pytor ILyich Tchaikovsky (selected and edited by Jim Peterson) Costume Designers – Tarah Kayne, Jim Peterson, Dawn Imperatore

BEST PERFORMANCE ICE DANCE Madison Hubbell / Zachary Donohue | Championship Dance Free Dance Program PSA Coach – Patrice Lauzon Choreographers – Marie-France Dubreuil, Samuel Chouinard Music Selection – “Across the Sky” Instrumental by Rag N’Bone Man, “Caught Out In the Rain” by Beth Hart Costume Designers – Susan Hubbell and Mathieu Carron Best Performance Award Winners for the 2018 U.S. Synchronized Championships in Portland, OR; BEST PERFORMANCE SYNCHRONIZED SKATING: Skyliners, SC of New York | Senior Free Skate Program PSA Coache – Josh Babb Choreographer – Josh Babb Music Selection – Cleopatra Costume Designer – Hazel Matthys

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SPORT SCIENCE Heidi Thibert, MFS, MM, MC

Peak Performance Requires Optimal Sleep and Alertness O LY M P I C C O A C H V O L U M E 2 0 N U M B E R 2 B Y M A R K R . R O S E K I N D , P H . D . P R E S I D E N T A N D C H I E F S C I E N T I S T— A L E R T N E S S S O L U T I O N S

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oach, I had so much to do to prepare for today’s competition that I had to stay up all night to be ready.

Coach, to prepare for the time zone change at the international competition I have been sleeping during the day and staying awake all night.

Coach, I couldn’t relax and just kept worrying about today’s big event but after a few beers I feel much better.

Hopefully, you will never experience these situations. In fact, they probably represent the exact opposite of what you and your athletes are working so hard to attain.

Unfortunately, many common practices that are thought to be helpful or benign can actually create performance decrements equivalent to these scenarios.

Consider the diverse and complex array of factors that coaches and athletes address to achieve peak athletic performance and success. Conditioning, sport-specific skills training, nutrition, recovery, strength training, and mental/psychological considerations are just some examples of important factors that can significantly affect athletic performance. So, in all of your preparation, planning and training for your athletes and yourself, how and where do you address sleep, circadian rhythms (the body clock), and alertness?

Humans have some basic physiological requirements for survival: food, water, and air. Though often ignored or underestimated, sleep is also a basic human biological need, equal to food, water and air in its importance to life and for achieving optimal performance and alertness. Sleep is not elective; it is not an option, to be obtained when convenient.

Overwhelming scientific data clearly show that sleep loss and circadian disruption can impair performance, degrade health, and disturb mood. More importantly, obtaining optimal sleep, addressing circadian factors, and effective use of alertness strategies can enhance performance, health, and mood and provide a competitive advantage.

An introduction to sleep and circadian basics, some example sleep and alertness strategies, and an approach to planning can provide an initial, informed foundation for addressing this basic physiological requirement.

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I’m human, I sleep, I’m an expert.

About a decade ago, the National Sleep Foundation conducted a simple 10-item “Sleep IQ” test and found that 82% of respondents failed the test with an average score of 46% (1). Flipping a coin could provide a 50% score, so the average respondent did worse than chance.

Generally, though our society has become more informed and active regarding exercise and nutrition, the need for sleep and its importance to our performance, alertness, safety, health, and mood continues to be ignored or diminished. Awareness about sleep may be increasing but knowledge and effective actions are alarmingly rare.

Here are four basics about sleep and circadian rhythms that everyone should know (2).

1. Sleep need. Physiologically, adult humans require about eight hours of sleep; with a range of around seven to nine hours. The amount of sleep an individual requires is genetically determined and “training” cannot reduce this sleep requirement.

Kids and young adults from junior high/middle school years through their early 20’s physiologically require about nine to ten hours of sleep.

2. Sleep debt. Lose sleep and it builds into a cumulative sleep debt. Though most adults require about eight hours of sleep, on average, they obtain about 1.5 hours less. This sleep loss accumulates into a sleep debt. For example, over a five-day work week, a daily 1.5 hours of sleep loss would build into a 7.5 hour sleep debt by the weekend. This equates to losing one full night of sleep (i.e., pulling an all-nighter) going into the weekend. (Coach, I had so much to do to prepare for today’s competition that I had to stay up all night to be ready.)

3. Circadian rhythms. Humans are hard-wired with a biological clock in the suprachiasmatic nucleus of the hypothalamus. This circadian (circa=around, dies=a day) clock controls the 24-hour rhythms of our physiological and behavioral activities. Its programming controls the 24-hour fluctuations in

sleep/ wakefulness, hormones, alertness, performance and is exhibited at the cellular level. Circadian disruption commonly occurs as a result of irregular schedules and crossing time zones and has similar negative effects on performance, alertness, health, and mood as sleep loss.

4. Experience ≠ reality. How alert an individual “feels” does not reflect reality. Generally, even though an individual might report feeling wide-awake and at peak alertness, the person’s actual performance could show significant impairment and the person might fall asleep in less than five minutes (a sign of pathological sleepiness). A person’s ratings of alertness and performance do not accurately reflect actual levels. This “disconnect” is one reason why individuals feel that sleep loss and circadian disruption have minimal or no effect.

Our whole society is sleep deprived, who cares?

Most people believe that they can lose sleep or disrupt their circadian clock with minimal or no consequences; ok, maybe they feel a little tired. Extensive scientific research clearly demonstrates that sleep loss and circadian disruption can degrade or impair just about every aspect of human capability and performance. For example, studies have shown that sleep loss can reduce judgment and decision-making, reaction time, attention, memory, communication skills, mood, and learning. Depending on the variable and amount of sleep loss, performance in these areas can be reduced by 10 to 50%. Performance during the lowest circadian point in the night could be reduced by up to 30%.

How much sleep loss does it take to see these levels of performance reduction? Studies have shown that getting two hours less sleep than needed can significantly impair performance. For example, in one study, allowing eighthour sleepers to get only six hours of sleep (two hours less than they needed) impaired performance to the equivalent of drinking two to three 12 oz beers, a level that equates to about .05% breath ethanol concentration. Getting four hours of sleep (four hours less than they needed) impaired performance to the equivalent of drinking five to six 12 oz beers, a level that equates to about .10% breath ethanol concentration (3). (Coach, I couldn’t relax and just kept worrying about today’s big event but after a few beers I feel much better.)

Sleep loss and circadian disruption also can reduce safety and health. There could be an estimated 1 million car crashes annually due to fatigue and drowsy driving. National Sleep Foundation polls indicate that 60% of Americans have driven drowsy in the last year and 37% report nodding off at the wheel (1). Irregular schedules can be associated with up to a 50% increase in on-the-job injuries and accidents. Disturbed sleep and circadian disruption also can be associated with increased risks for heart and stomach problems, high blood pressure, cancer, pregnancy problems, obesity, anxiety, and depression.

Though not extensive, there are some scientific studies examining these issues and their effects on athletic performance. Most of the efforts have focused on circadian rhythms and circadian disruption associated with jet lag and travel across time zones. For example, one study found circadian variations in world recordbreaking performances with most records broken by athletes in the early evening (4). Another study with British Olympic squad members showed performance impairments in several measures over a five-day period after crossing multiple time zones (5). An examination of NFL Monday Night Football outcomes showed that West coast teams had a 20% higher win percentage compared to East coast teams playing at a worst circadian time (6). Even without overwhelming, solid data due to a paucity of studies, there is no justification to consider that the human physiological requirements related to sleep and circadian rhythms do not extend to athletes and their performance.

Optimal sleep and alertness strategies There are a variety of scientifically validated strategies that are effective in promoting optimal sleep, alertness and performance. Here are two approaches for obtaining optimal sleep and one powerful strategy to increase performance and alertness.

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1. Good sleep habits. The following “good sleep habits” should become part of everyone’s routine to obtain optimal sleep. a. Protect sleep from intrusions b. Keep a regular bedtime and wake time (whenever possible) c. Use a pre-bedtime routine to prepare for sleep d. Use the bed and bedroom for relaxation and sleep e. Avoid work and worry in the bed and bedroom f. Learn and practice a relaxation technique for sleep g. Avoid caffeine, alcohol, and exercise within at least two hours of sleep h. Get the sleep you need, make sleep a priority 2. Environmental factors. Evaluate and address the following “bedroom” factors. a. Noise (background vs intrusive events) b. Temperature (cooler is better than warmer) c. Light (use black out curtains; night light) d. Use a reliable, regular, effective alarm clock e. Determine personal comfort for mattress and pillows f. Consider privacy/security 3. Strategic naps significantly increase performance and alertness. While at NASA, we conducted a study that provided commercial airline pilots a planned nap opportunity in-flight to determine the effects of a 40-min nap on performance and alertness (7). It remains a unique study, conducted in the real-world during actual flight operations with pilots flying nine hour legs between the US and Japan, and included multiple flight legs both day and night.

We physiologically monitored the pilots’ brainwaves and eye movements and they completed sensitive, validated performance tests (see photo). Our findings: on average, pilots fell asleep in about six minutes and slept for about 26 minutes. These 26-minute naps enhanced objective performance by 34% and increased physiological alertness by 54%, with effects lasting around three to four hours.

“A planned nap is a very powerful alertness strategy that can significantly increase performance and alertness.”

A planned nap is a very powerful alertness strategy that can significantly increase performance and alertness. Some general guidance for effective use: a. For a short nap, up to 40 minutes in length (helps to avoid deep sleep) b. For a longer nap, around two hours

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c. Avoid a long nap too close to planned bedtime d. Allow 10-15 minutes “wake-up” after nap e. Consider sleep aids: eye mask, ear plugs

Planning for optimal sleep and alertness Before using any strategy in a travel or competitive situation, test it at home to ensure that it is safe, effective, and works for you and your athletes. Like any other aspect of coaching, training, strategy, and competition: have a plan. Create a specific plan for managing sleep, circadian rhythms and alertness at home and traveling to competitions. Identify specific strategies to obtain optimal sleep, how to manage circadian disruption, and when to use alertness strategies.

Without a plan or addressing the issues identified, performance will be reduced by sleep loss and circadian disruption. Though only an introduction to a complex area, the knowledge and strategies presented can make a significant difference in successfully mitigating negative outcomes and helping to enhance performance and creating a competitive advantage. There is much more to learn and apply but you and your athletes will already have an edge by acknowledging these physiological and performance issues and applying strategies to achieve peak athletic performance through optimal sleep and alertness.

REFERENCES 1. http://www.sleepfoundation.org/ 2. Kryger M, Roth T, Dement W, eds. Principles and Practice of Sleep Medicine. Philadelphia, PA: Saunders; 2005.

3. Roehrs T, Burduvali E, Bonahoom A, Drake C, Roth T. Ethanol and sleep loss: a “dose” comparison of impairing effects. Sleep. 2003 Dec 15;26(8):981-5.

4. Atkinson, G., Reilly, T. (1999). Comments—Re: Dalton, B., McNaughton, L., Davoren, B. Circadian rhythms have no effect on cycling performance. Int. J. Sports Med. 20(1):68.

5. Reilly T, Atkinson G, Waterhouse J. Travel fatigue and jet-lag. J Sports Sci. 1997 Jun;15(3):365-9.

6. Smith R, Guilleminault C, Efron B. Circadian rhythms and enhanced athletic performance in the National Football League. Sleep. 1997 May;20(5):362-5.

7. Rosekind, M, Graeber, R, Dinges, D, Connell, L, Rountree, M, Spinweber C, Gillen, K. (1994). Crew Factors in Flight Operations IX: Effects of Planned Cockpit rest on Crew Performance and Alertness in Long Haul Operations (NASA Technical Memorandum 108839). Moffett Field, California: NASA Ames Research Center.

Dr. Mark Rosekind is an internationally recognized expert on sleep, circadian rhythms, performance and alertness. He previously directed the NASA Fatigue Countermeasures Program and prior to his NASA position, directed the Center for Human Sleep Research at the Stanford University Sleep Center.

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

Tips and Tricks for Coaching, Teaching, and Parenting Young Athletes

BY DARREN WENSOR , GENERAL COACHING

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oach in a way that kids can’t wait to get there! Any long-term involvement in a sport, whether it be at a recreational or competitive level, first requires an interest which develops into a passion. Facilitating this is one of the critical roles of a youth coach.

Five Top Tips for Coaching Kids When coaching kids for the first time, it is not uncommon to lack direction. It is a period when coaching beliefs, standards, and philosophies are only starting to be established. To fast-track this process, below I share five of the top things that I have learned during my coaching journey so far. I hope that you find them helpful.

1. The goal of kids’ sports is different than elite sports.

You need to adjust to this.

Generally, the main goal of elite sport is to win. The goal of kids’ sports is development. This difference is critical. Winning can still occur if development is done well, but winning should not be the emphasis of a kid’s sport program. Focusing on winning causes a coach to think and plan short-term. It can also lead to coaches using inappropriate training content for the development stage of an athlete. Focusing on long-term development brings an entirely different and more “kid-friendly” approach to your coaching. Remember that it is about the kids, not you.

Kids’ sports are DIFFERENT than elite sport. This should be apparent in your coaching.

2. Your demeanor is just as important as your

technical knowledge.

Don’t be scared away from coaching kids by thinking that you don’t know enough of the technical stuff.

Technical knowledge doesn’t impress kids, but passion and being likable will. How you coach is just as important as what you coach. The two are not mutually exclusive and you obviously need to know the basics; but the basics are often enough for kids. The basics is what they

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really need to know. It is not just what you say, but how you say it.

Direct your effort into developing HOW you coach rather than WHAT you coach.

3. Smile a lot and look like you want to be there.

Enthusiasm is contagious. A coach’s energy will flow on to their group.

Therefore, you must smile. Look enthusiastic. Appear excited. Be “up on your toes”. Bounce around. Be a performer. Tell them that you are glad to be there. Tell them that you’ve been looking forward to the session and have been for days. If the kids believe that you like what you are doing, you will draw them in.

4.

Don’t measure your success in medals.

Don’t chase medals. Or titles. Or premierships. This will lead you down the wrong path with both how and what you coach. It will also send the wrong message to the kids because they will be influenced by your lead. We need to help kids to love the sport more than the medals.

Extrinsic motivation won’t sustain a young athlete’s motivation. How will you know you are doing a good job as a kid’s coach? See Point 5.

Medals don’t measure youth coaching success.

5. The best indicator of grass roots coaching success: the

kids keep coming back.

If the kids want to keep coming back, if they look forward to seeing you, if your session is one of their favorite times of the week, you are doing a fine job as a coach of young athletes.

Some of the best feedback that I have ever received was when a parent told me that her daughter’s favorite day of the week was Tuesday—because that was the day she came to my coaching sessions.

Above anything else, that to me, is what youth coaching is all about—the young athlete loves to come to practice and can’t wait to get there.

"Some people think taking a paycheck makes them a professional. Others think being part of a trade association or having a certification makes them professional. But we disagree.

Being a professional, especially when it comes to working with children, means holding yourself and others to a standard of excellence and relentlessly pursuing knowledge and improvement every single day. Just like we expect from our athletes." –Jacqueline Brenner

“If it’s not ‘your day’ then try to make someone else’s.” – Allistair McCaw,

7 Keys to Being a Great Coach

Any long-term involvement in sport, whether it be at a competitive or recreational level, first requires an interest which develops into a passion. Facilitating this is one of the critical roles of a youth coach.

Start by finding out what the athletes in your charge like about the sport and coming to practice, and what they want from a coach. Match this with what you provide them and you will have a winning formula.

Coach in a way that the kids love to come to practice and can’t wait to get there.

Further reading:

• How to Help Kids Love the Sport More Than the Medals • How to Measure Your Success When Coaching Young Athletes • Book Review: 7 Keys to Being a Great Coach by Allistair McCaw Darren Wensor is a sports development professional, coach educator, specialist coach of young athletes and founder of the blog coachingyoungathletes.com. He is based in Sydney, Australia. He has 23 years’ experience working full-time in sports development and coach education, and 28 years of coaching/teaching experience.

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

#WeGetUp

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IMPORTANT CHANGE TO

Coach Compliance for the 2018-19 season:

B

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 will now require the following: 1. Must be a current full member of U.S. Figure Skating • Either through a member club or as an individual member — available at usfigureskating.org 2. Must complete SafeSport Training • Available now through the U.S. Figure Skating website “Members Only” tab at usfigureksating.org 3. Must successfully pass a background check • Only if 18 years or older • Available through the U.S. Figure Skating website “Members Only” tab 4. Must complete four CER courses (See rule MR 5.12) – one course in each subject • Available now 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 now 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.

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.

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GENERATION

How Technology Plays a Role When Coaching Gen Z

By Terri Milner Tarquini

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G

eneration Z is the first generation that has been raised, not just with technology, but by technology.

Let that sink in for a minute.

Most coaches, depending on age, have had various experiences of the role that electronics have played in their lives; however, for the post-millennial Gen Z (also known as iGen), technology isn’t just a convenience, it has been an integral part of their entire lives.

“Why did Steve Jobs not want his kids to have devices?” said Dr. Patrick Cohn, founder of Peak Performance Sports in Orlando and a leading

mental toughness coach. “He knew the addictive qualities of them. I like the communication aspect of technology, but there’s a lot of other things that come along with that.”

Research from 2014 showed that an average American child spends more than seven-and-ahalf hours a day using smart phones and other electronic screens.

When taking into account that the average work day comes with two breaks and lunch, that means kids of today are on devices more time than a substantial amount of the population spends at their job.

“Skaters are always trying to improve their programs, all of the time. And they have less competitions than, say, basketball players have games, so there’s a pressure to deliver every single time that opportunity comes along.”

“This generation is always worried about what others think,” Cohn said. “It’s intrinsically tied into social media. ‘How many likes did I get?

What did people comment?’ Self-worth is judged by the reactions they’re getting online.”

Looped into this, then, is the reality that the current generation looks to others for self-worth.

While every generation has had its own version of the “cool kids” who seem to decide the trends, the social media onslaught has allowed for judgment to be passed much more swiftly and during all hours of the day and night.

“I often work with athletes who rely too much on others for their confidence,” Cohn said. “What others say becomes central for them. In my view this is a problem because the comments of others are not always consistent and often are not positive or constructive.”

In his work with athletes, Cohn stresses the need for them “to rely on self-confidence instead of other confidence.” It’s a skill that can be mas-

saged and fostered in athletes by their coaches, essentially be consistently putting the ball in the athletes’ court.

“I would suggest coaches ask athletes how the skill ‘feels’ to them and what they think needs to improve,” said Cohn, who created a certification program to provide coaches with mental training strategies for peak performance. “As a coach, you want athletes to understand how a skill should look and feel, so they can make their own adjustments instead of athletes relying too much on a coach’s feedback.”

One of the foremost tolls this constant ‘judgey’ feedback on social media has taken on Gen Z’ers is the drive to be perfect – a problem already somewhat common in highperformance athletes.

“Ninety percent of the athletes I work with are perfectionists who are constantly training and constantly trying to improve,” said Cohn, who works with athletes from all sports. “Skaters are always trying to improve their programs, all of

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the time. And they have less competitions than, say, basketball players have games, so there’s a pressure to deliver every single time that opportunity comes along. Then you add in that, in this digital age, everyone can see how you did and everyone can see the results with just a click of a button and it becomes a lot to handle.”

All of a sudden, the focus is not just about how you think you did—it’s about how others think you did.

“This generation is always worried about what others think, which only continues to drive the perfectionism,” Cohn said. “All of that results in the athletes focusing on the wrong things.”

And it’s not just “friends” on social media, this generation is hyper-aware of pleasing their parents and coaches.

“I call it being ‘other motivated,’” Cohn said. “Coaches need to refocus them on being ‘self-motivated.’ But that takes tapping into why they are skating and what they love about the sport. Coaches need to tap into what motivates each individual athlete – is it to master skills, to accomplish goals, to have fun – those are all fine, but it will affect how you coach them so it’s important to know so you as the coach can keep them motivated by what’s important to them.”

The downside of not encouraging self-motivation comes with a hefty price tag: they don’t perform well under pressure.

“In perfection sports, like skating, gymnastics, and dance, coaches often become the driver of everything and, by extension, their approval becomes something the athlete is working for,” Cohn said. “Striving to make others happy causes real problems when it comes time to compete – they can’t do the best they can because of fear of failure.

That fear is compounded by the judging on social media.”

With an attention span of eight seconds, Generation Z’s ability to focus is shorter than any generation before them. How does a coach command attention for the 20-30 minutes of a typical lesson, considering that that is a substantially longer period of time than they are used to focusing on average?

“If they’re getting sidetracked, coaches need to first define what the distractions are,” Cohn said. “Where is the attention going? Other skaters? School work? If the coach can help define what’s drawing them away, then they can work with them on what’s relevant and what’s not while they’re on the ice. Then they can devise strategies to mitigate those things.”

A tact that will aid in both self-motivation and in focus is encouraging the skaters to take ownership of their skating by setting their own objectives.

“I encourage the athletes to have very specific objectives for their training sessions; two or three things they feel needs to be worked on,” Cohn said. “Of course, how much

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input the coach decides to have partially depends on how old the skater is, and they can always modify and make suggestions, but if the skater feel they have had some input, they are more invested in their goal. And if they understand what they’re trying to accomplish, they will have more focus while they are trying to accomplish it.”

While many coaches of today were trained by coaches who were unquestionably in charge, today’s athletes are largely cut from a different cloth.

“While the authoritarian route might work for some skaters, the ‘my way or the highway’ way of doing things doesn’t often work for this generation – they tend to push back,” Cohn said. “Because of the internet, kids today are more aware of what else is out there. They are not just held to the confines of their rink and the coaches who are there. They have access to athletes and coaches around the world so they are much more savvy and educated as to what is out there so they are aware that there’s not just one way to do things.”

Which means that coaches are responsible for getting outside of the ‘one size fits all’ style of coaching now more than ever before.

“Getting on each individual athletes level and finding out what matters most to them and pursuing that path is crucial,” Cohn said. “It will result in better performances and will result in their longevity in the sport.”

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U.S. Figure Skating

How Rules are Made

By Terri Milner Tarquini

Coaches have a voice and they can have it be heard.

“We’ve tried to make the process for rule changes as public as possible,” said Juliet Newcomer, director of technical services for U.S. Figure Skating. “We don’t want to work in a vacuum; we want that feedback from coaches.”

Proposals for rule changes is a multi-step process through U.S. Figure Skating, but it starts with one key element: knowledge.

“It is absolutely critical that coaches are aware of changes that are coming down the pipeline so we understand what is happening and why it’s happening,” said Alex Chang, vice chair for athlete development for singles skaters for U.S. Figure Skating and PSA vice president. “Doing your job well requires education and knowing what’s going on in our sport.”

Any rule changes made from May to May are published in a combined report of action and take effect on July 1, following the spring meeting, unless another date is specified.

“The Report of Action must be made available by 14 days following the Governing Council meeting in early May,” Newcomer said. “The document is posted on the Report of Action page, the Rulebook page within the Technical Info section and on the U.S. Figure Skating homepage. From there, it will be incorporated into the rulebook. Coaches should look for the Report of Action every May so they know what’s going on.”

Even for coaches who are not of the vocal ilk, being in the know is vital.

“At a bare minimum, coaches need to know when rules are changing,” Newcomer said. “If they show up at a competition with the wrong elements in their skater’s program, it creates a bad situation for everyone involved – and there are rule changes every year.”

But why not just leave everything as is? Why all these changes?

“The sport is constantly evolving and we’re trying to adapt to be current,” Chang said. “We also, of course, want the safeguards in place as the landscape of sport itself keeps changing and becomes more sophisticated. These things, then, lead to ongoing modification of rules and regulations to capture all of this change.”

Rules are changed for several reasons: if a rule is found to be unclear, if a rule conflicts with other rules, if a rule has a loophole that has been discovered or in order to stay compliant with another organization, such as the International

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Skating Union (ISU) or the United States Olympic Committee (USOC).

Coaches who feel they have a valid proposal can reach out to the chair of the committee that their suggestion falls under or they can connect with other committee members.

“When a coach reaches out to a committee member, they can have input on a project or have ideas heard and questions answered,” Chang said. “But I do think it’s important to keep in mind that ‘just not liking something’ isn’t a productive approach.

It’s important to have gathered the details so you can form an educated opinion and possible solutions. Then, reaching out, with ideas and solutions can really go a long way and create better direction.”

Here’s how it all works: If the committee chair feels there is validity to a rule change, a ballot is sent to their committee, as well as any other committee that might be affected by the rule change. Committee members are a mix of officials, athletes, coaches, and sometimes parents.

Through e-mail or conference call, committee members evaluate the change, the chair makes any necessary tweaks, and then there is an online vote.

If approved, a request for action is sent to the U.S. Figure Skating board of directors and voted on. The board can choose to amend it, approve it, refer it back to committee for further research, or rescind it. The board meets once a month by conference call or in person and, following each board meeting, a report of action is published on the U.S. Figure Skating website detailing all official actions taken by the board, including any rule changes.

About one month before the Governing Council meets in the end of April or the beginning of May, a meeting book recounting all board actions from the previous year and any new requests for action that

Voting during Governing Council

| Courtesy U.S. Figure Skating

have not been voted on by the board is published. The Governing Council has delegates selected by U.S. Figure Skating member clubs to be their voting representatives. The Governing Council has the authority to ratify, amend or overturn any actions of the board and can also refer requests for action back to the committees for further review. The decisions of the Governing Council are final.

“The Governing Council delegates are from U.S. Figure Skating clubs,” Newcomer said. “Each club selects their delegates, based on the number of paid memberships in that club prior to June 30. If the delegates can’t be at the meeting, they can assign a proxy. If coaches don’t know who their club delegate is, they should find out. That is the first person who should know if a coach has a strong feeling over a request for action. Coaches can also be delegates or can attend the Governing Council meeting as an observer so they can see everything in action.”

The combined report of action, detailing all of the decisions made by the board of directors and the Governing Council, is posted on the U.S. Figure Skating website and then goes into the rulebook.

“There are a lot of checks and balances,” Newcomer said.

“We try and ballot as many of those who are affected as possible, but we can’t possibly look at it from every different perspective. That’s why it’s important that coaches are paying attention to and keeping up on this. We really do want everyone to have a voice.”

What’s already started coming down the pipeline in November 2017, and will continue into fall of this year, is Test Refresh.

“We took a hard look at how tests are judged and what was missing, and we kept coming back to the idea that we wanted to communicate to coaches and skaters more effectively,” Newcomer said. “We realized that one judge might score an element one point down and another judge scored it two-tenths down. How they felt about the element was the same, but how they applied the scoring wasn’t. So we devised a scale that can be more easily applied by judges and is more understandable by coaches and skaters.”

The first aspect that took effect in November was an updating of free skate tests to align with the rules of a well-balanced competition program so skaters don’t have to choreograph and practice different programs for competing and testing.

The second aspect, also in effect since November, is allowing skaters to compete at nonqualifying competitions and submit credit for passing that test in juvenile through senior free skate, adult gold free skate, juvenile through senior pairs, and juvenile through senior free dance.

“We’re trying to provide the skater more control of their own path through the sport,” Newcomer said. “A test session is still an option if it works for them, but this also gives the skater more options to get credit in a situation where they might feel more comfortable, and it can also save money.”

Scheduled to take effect September 2, 2018, will be an update of the 6.0 judging system to a +3/-3 system across the board.

Also coming September 2 is a change allowing skaters to receive a “pass with honors” or a “pass with distinction” designa-

“There are a lot of checks and balances...We try and ballot as many of those who are affected as possible, but we can’t possibly look at it from every different perspective. That’s why it’s important that coaches are paying attention to and keeping up on this. We really do want everyone to have a voice.” JULIET NEWCOMER tion when testing.

“The hope is to move away from skaters just aiming for a passing test,” Newcomer said. “We want to change the mentality from trying to just get through, say, moves in the field tests. We want to give them an incentive for doing better.”

But even the best laid plans can sometimes have to be amended.

“The exception to all of this is if the ISU makes changes at their meeting in June, we will automatically make a rule change to coincide with the ISU’s ruling if it pertains to junior or senior levels,” Newcomer said. “If it has to do with those two levels, it does not have to go through Governing Council, and we can immediately go with what the ISU rules.”

U.S. Figure Skating has members on the ISU technical committee, so it has an idea of what is being discussed—for instance, a possible shift from a GOE of +3 to -3 to a GOE of +5 to -5.

“We might have an inkling, but we don’t know for sure until the ISU officially publishes its rulings or until the ISU conference,” Newcomer said. “And to some degree we are held to their ideas to keep things cohesive within the sport.”

The ISU mandates the structure of the sport when it comes to the junior and senior levels; it has recommendations for the novice level.

“The ISU is always trying to see what’s in the best interest of the sport globally,” Chang said “Then it’s up to us to adapt what’s appropriate for the U.S. athletes.”

The upcoming Governing Council is May 2-5 in Orlando, Florida. For more information on the upcoming meeting or for more information regarding the 2017 GC decisions, go to usfigureskating.org.

“A lot of people who are very good at their jobs are trying to capture all of the moving parts of a sport that is constantly changing,” Chang said. “By adapting to change, we can keep our organization moving in the right direction.”

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Olympic Cadence When Yeaji Shin thought of the 2018 Winter Games, she heard the beat of drums. >> BY TERRI MILNER TARQUINI

“S

|

PHOTOS BY DAE-WOO SUNG

ogo was my brainstorm,” said Shin, referring to the so(small) go(drums).

“The thought of bringing those drums on to the ice was exciting.”

Four years ago, a figure skating fan from Korea suggested Shin, who has her PSA master rating in choreography, start thinking of ideas for Olympic choreography. While she researched Sochi and Vancouver, drums kept playing in her head.

“I wanted to do something original and creative around Korean dance,” Shin said. “Sogo dance was invented for farmers from the Chosun Dynasty

(that lasted from 1392-1910, the longest dynasty of Korea). By our ancestors’ cultural life, we celebrate and worship the harvest.”

When Shin got the call from Sue Lee from the Korean Olympic Committee to choreograph the gala opening and finale, the drum beat only got louder.

“Having the girls actually drumming on the ice would give a great loudness from the instrument,” said Shin of the gala opening. “I wanted to turn this joyful moment to the skaters.”

Last August, prior to skater auditions, Shin did eight weeks of training in

Korean traditional dance with a professional Korean dancer. Once the team of 16 skaters, none of whom were synchronized skaters, was in place, they also did dance training with Kim Yeon Jung.

The skaters, ages 13-18 years old, trained for one hour off-ice and two hours on-ice every Sunday night from November through January in an effort to not interrupt the skaters school and individual practices.

“We had to go to Gangneung on January 29—so way earlier than the other skaters,” Shin said. “I was acting like a mom to them while we were there and I tried to take good care of the girls. There are a lot of good memories from being with the girls— it was a very special time.”

Shin lives in Gyonggido, just outside Seoul. In 2007, she was the South Korean national silver medalist. She competed in the Junior Grand Prix series for two seasons, receiving a bronze medal during the 2006-2007 season and placed 8th at the World Junior Championships. In the off-seasons, Shin traveled to California to train with Frank Carroll and Ken Congemi and choreographers Cindy Stuart and Scott Brown.

Retiring from competition in 2009, Shin became a choreographer and coach, doing choreography for a couple of ISU finales. She currently works at the Gwacheon ice arena and choreographed South Korean Olympic ladies figure skater Hanul Kim’s free skate.

Shin said another highlight of the Games was watching the pairs event with Carroll.

“It’s funny, when he sees me, he always only asks, ‘How is your mom?’”

Shin laughed.

The gala finale was also Shin’s brainstorm, moved as she was by the soundtrack from the movie “The Greatest Showman.”

“I recommended to do ‘This is Me,’” said Shin of the lyrics that include ‘Look out ‘cause here I come, and I’m marching on to the beat I drum. I’m not

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scared to be seen, I make no apologies, this is me.’

“I really wanted to do some movements similar to the choreography in the movie,” she said. “The lyrics and song are a great match with the gala. It was just the right time for our Olympians.”

With the monumental experience of Olympic gala choreography done, Shin plans to keep learning so she can keep growing—in herself and in her profession.

“My second major at the university was French,” said Shin, who put her French to good use while coordinating times with the French Zamboni technicians. “It’s not as good as my English, but I can communicate. In 2000, I could only say, ‘Hi. Hello. How are you?’

Knowing other languages can give you a great connection with others. I would like to study some other languages.”

Personal development translates into

professional evolvement and, striving toward that, Shin is following the beat of a drum all her own.

“I plan on preparing for some exams,” said Shin. “And I will continue dancing, strolling around museums, and having fun. Being a choreographer means a person develops and finds different things in everyday life.”

ne 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: • Master — 2018 conference in Orlando, FL, May 2018 • 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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!

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.

w

V I D EO A N A LYS I S A D D E D TO M OV E S I N T H E F I E L D R AT I N G E X A M S

2018 U.S. Synchronized Skating Championships

SKYLINERS, SENIOR

HAYDENETTES, SENIOR

CRYSTALLETTES, SENIOR

TEAM EXCEL, ADULT

MINI MATES, JUVENILE

Photos by Jay Adeff/U.S. Figure Skating MIAMI UNIVERSITY, SENIOR

2018

HONOR ROLL

2018 HONOR ROL L

of

SYNCHRO COACHES

U.S. Synchronized Skating Championships

Senior Haydenettes Skyliners Miami University Crystallettes

1 2 3 4

Saga Krantz, Adam Blake Josh Babb Carla Degirolamo, Lee Ann Shoker, Kathleen Bowling Holly Malewski, Shannon Peterson

Junior Skyliners Lexettes Starlights Chicago Jazz

1 2 3 4

Josh Babb Saga Krantz, Ashley Tomich Jenna King, Heather Paige Paula Bischoffer, Lisa Darken

Adult Team Excel Crystallettes Esprit de Corps DC Edge

1 2 3 4

Kristin Curran, Merita Mullen Denise Dobert, Stacy Sue Holland Erika Hoffman, Deirdre Wilson Jennifer DeSimone Bacon, Libby Rhoads JAY ADE FF/U .S. FIGU RE SK ATIN G

Masters DC Edge Denver Synchronicity IceSymmetrics Team Delaware

1 2 3 4

Christine Burke, Jennifer DeSimone Bacon Alicia Carr, Caitlin Cattelino Charlene Lambros, Alyssa Lewis Linda Bacon, Wendy Deppe, Megan O'Donnell

Collegiate University of Michigan Adrian College

1 2

Miami University Michigan State University

3 4

Erin Donovan, Ashley Korn Ashley Carlson, Patricia DeFelice, Brandon Forsyth, Bonnie Lynch Carla Degirolamo, Lee Ann Shoker, Kathleen Bowling Miranda Micallef, Laura Sienkowski

Novice Skyliners Ice Mates Team Image Teams Elite

1 2 3 4

Natalie Martello Saga Krantz, Ashley Tomich Cindy Kim, Alexis Leahy Danielle Ostrower, Robert Peal, Lauren Roman

Intermediate Teams Elite Skyliners Capital Ice Chips Team Del Sol

1 2 3 4

Danielle Ostrower, Robert Peal, Lauren Roman Josh Babb, Nikki Wylan Hayley Bortke, Rebecca Gallion Janelle Craft, Karen Wiesmeier

Juvenile Mini Mates Skyliners Teams Elite Starlights

1 2 3 4

Ashley Tomich Natalie Martello, Nikki Wylan Danielle Ostrower, Robert Peal, Lauren Roman Loni Bertone, Christine Heiser

FIG URE SK ATI NG JAY AD EFF /U. S.

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2018 HONOR ROL L

Pacific Coast Sectional Synchronized Skating Championships Adult Denver Synchronicity Washington Ice Emeralds

1 2

Open Adult Rose City Crystals

1

Alicia Carr Rachel Franchock, Kristina Kupferschmidt

Masters IceSymmetrics Denver Synchronicity Washington Ice Emeralds

1 2 3

Charlene Lambros, Alyssa Lewis Alicia Carr, Caitlin Cattelino Marie Grieshaber

Open Masters Cold Fusion Synchro

1

Charlene Lambros, Alyssa Lewis

Intermediate Team Del Sol Matrix Fusion California Gold

1 2 3 4

Janelle Craft, Karen Wiesmeier Alexis Kinney, Sarah Sherman, Lauronce Traylor Tiffany Shih Amanda Falkowski, Kristina Fritz

Juvenile Team Del Sol Park City Icing

1 2

Janelle Craft, Karen Wiesmeier Erika Roberts, Haley Smith

Open Juvenile Rose City Crystals Pacific Edge Washington Ice Emeralds Matrix Pre-Juvenile San Diego Shining Blades Tremors of San Francisco Fusion Matrix Preliminary Junior Ice Cadettes Park City Icing

1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2

Tamra Smulson Rachel Franchock, Marie Grieshaber Andrea Brett, Sarah Sherman Susan Morrison, Brian Thayer Chantal Hersey, Lindsey Wolkin Allison Ramos Natalie Lau, Lauronce Traylor Kloe Chanel Bautista, Darlene Sparks Morgan Irvin, Erika Roberts, Haley Smith

Midwest Sectional Synchronized Skating Championships Junior Northernettes

1

Alana Christie

Adult Crystallettes Starlights Infinity Onyx Leather and Laces

1 2 3 4

Denise Dobert, Stacy Sue Holland Jennifer Cherry, Nicole Marconi-Voloch Deanna Willmarth, Helene Wolf Andrea Hall

Open Adult Capital Ice Alumni Austintatious Stars Allegro!

Infinity Onyx

1 2 3 4

Rebecca Gallion Dawn Crowder-Dudley, Cathryn Tremewan Carrie Brown, Hillary Menesetrina Deanna Willmarth, Helene Wolf

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Masters Allegro!

Goldenettes Braemar Panache Evolution

1 2 3 4

Carrie Brown Debi Gamber, Dena Grissman Jerre LeTourneau Amy Wright

Open Masters Allegro!

Evolution Team Glace

1 2 3

Carrie Brown Jenny Gibson, Brooke Sloan

Collegiate University of Michigan Miami University Adrian College

1 2 3

Erin Donovan, Ashley Korn Kathleen Bowling, Carla DeGirolamo, Lee Ann Shoker Ashley Carlson, Patricia DeFelice, Brandon Forsyth, Bonnie Lynch

Western Michigan University

4

Open Collegiate Miami University Club Team University of Wisconsin-Madison University of Michigan Adrian College

1 2 3 4

Allyson Klovekorn Lisa Henning Erin Donovan, Ashley Korn Ashley Carlson, Patricia DeFelice, Bonnie Lynch

Novice Teams Elite Starlights Crystallettes Hockettes

1 2 3 4

Danielle Ostrower, Robert Peal, Lauren Roman Melissa Hampson, Kristi King Denise Dobert, Holly Malewski Erin Donovan, Nicole Falardeau, Marisa Hutchinson

Intermediate Teams Elite Capital ice Chips Crystalettes Starlights

1 2 3 4

Danielle Ostrower, Robert Peal, Lauren Roman Hayley Bortke, Rebecca Gallion Emily Hollander, Jaclyn Young Jennifer Cherry, Nicole Marconi-Voloch

Juvenile Teams Elite Starlights Chicago Jazz Crystallettes

1 2 3 4

Danielle Ostrower, Robert Peal, Lauren Roman Loni Bertone, Christine Heiser Tammy Cervone, Lisa Darken, Kristi Frank Stacy Sue Holland, Emily Hollander

Open Juvenile Allegro!

Starlights Kicks Dazzlers Silver

1 2 3 4

Carrie Brown, Hillary Menestrina, Amy Yuengert Nicole Marconi-Voloch Lynnae Kolden, Julie Ploeckelman Barbara Foltz, Kristine Zieman

Pre-Juvenile Crystallettes Fond Du Lac Blades Chicago Skates Starlights

1 2 3 4

Stacy Sue Holland, Amy Laser Jennifer McMahon, Heather Pagel, Stephanie Vogds Shaheen Bronkowski, Jessica Burbano Loni Bertone, Christine Heiser

Preliminary Teams Elite Hockettes Cleveland Ice Storm Starfire

1 2 3 4

Kristina Lohre, Laila Schlesinger Jason Deveikis, Erin Donovan, Lia Forsyth Julie Bellomy, Miranda Oltmanns Kathleen Mitchell

2018 HONOR ROL L

Eastern Sectional Synchronized Skating Championships Junior DC EDGE

1

Team Delaware Philadelphia Symmetry Synchroettes

2 3 4

Christine Burke, Jennifer DeSimone Bacon, Libby Rhoads Wendy Deppe, Megan O'Donnell Kati Link, Victoria Lyons, Ashleigh Renard Kaleigh Corbett, Geri Lynch-Tomich

Adult DC EDGE Espirit de Corps Team Excel Team Delaware

1 2 3 4

Jennifer DeSimone Bacon, Libby Rhoads Erika Hoffman, Deirdre Wilson Kristin Curran, Merita Mullen Wendy Deppe, Megan O'Donnell

Pre-Juvenile Skyliners DC EDGE Red Shooting Stars DC EDGE Blue

1 2 3 4

Sarah Blosat, Celeste Cote-Estrada Christine Burke, Jessica Chaffee Elise Larsson Amanda Warner, Lyn Witt

Preliminary Skyliners DC EDGE Blue Shooting Stars Skyliners Pre

1 2 3 4

Sarah Blosat, Ashley Mulhern, Nina Newby Kristin Huppi, Shira Selis-Bradford Tessa Hedges, Erika Hoffman Sarah Blosat, Ashley Mulhern, Nina Newby

PHOTOS BY BR ANT THORNTON

Open Adult Triangle Formation Genesee SST

1 2

Jannika Lilja Pamela Warren

Masters DC EDGE Espirit de Corps Team Delaware The Colonials

1 2 3 4

Christine Burke, Jennifer DeSimone Bacon Donna Mitchell, Deirdre Wilson Linda Bacon, Wendy Deppe, Megan O'Donnell Chad Brennan, Amanda Werner

Open Masters Precisely Right Philadelphia Symmetry The Colonials

1 2 3

Kathy Ortolani, John Towill Ashleigh Renard Amy Boucher

Collegiate University of Delaware University of Massachusetts Boston University Liberty University

1 2 3 4

Wendy Deppe, Megan O'Donnell Amy Boucher, Deirdre Wilson Katherine Wilson Emily Halvorson, Tatiana Payne

Open Collegiate University of Maryland Terrapins Black Oswego State Ice Effects Mirror Images Princeton University

1 2 3 4

Victoria Karolenko Carolyn Quinn Jessica Stratton

Novice Team Image Ice Mates Skyliners DC EDGE

1 2 3 4

Intermediate Skyliners Team Image Star Mates Chesapeake Synchro

Cindy Kim, Alexis Leahy Saga Krantz, Ashley Tomich Natalie Martello Christine Burke, Jennifer DeSimone Bacon, Elyse Lerman

1 2 3 4

Josh Babb, Nikki Wylan Alyssa Cambria, Cindy Kim, Alexis Leahy Erika Hoffman Rachel Fleishell, Lauren Neidig

Juvenile Skyliners Mini Mates DC EDGE

1 2 3

Philadelphia Symmetry

4

Natalie Martello, Nikki Wylan Ashleigh Tomich Christine Burke, Jennifer DeSimone Bacon, Elyse Lerman Kati Link, Victoria Lyons, Ashleigh Renard

Open Juvenile DC EDGE Red Steel City Blades National Blades Superettes

1 2 3 4

Kristin Huppi, Susan Petruccelli Rachel Lane-McCarthy, Jennifer Vicinie Katrina Lei Chu, Amy Yuengert, Teresa Yuengert Cynthia Arling-Brett, Kristine McKenzie-Wilkinson

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UPDATES IN CONCUSSION RESEARCH

What Does the Research Say? Jana Raisner, Student Physical Therapist (SPT) » PSA Ratings: BA, RG

I

t is an exciting time in research, as the push for knowledge continues to progress in the medical management of concussions and injury prevention.

Female Athletes and Concussions Research shows there is an increased prevalence in the number of concussions and symptom severity in female athletes compared to their male counterparts. There is no clear answer as to why this is, but there are several factors that researchers believe play an influence. Women have differences in neck stability and musculature in comparison to men which may make women more susceptible. Hormonal differences may also impact concussion symptoms and severity. Progesterone, a hormone associated with the menstrual cycle, may have a protective influence on the brain. Throughout the menstrual cycle, progesterone fluctuates which may impact the severity of symptoms a female experiences following a concussion (Mollayeva, El-Khechen-Richandi and Colantonio, 2018).

From a social standpoint, researchers believe women may be more open to seeking medical help when experiencing concussion symptoms. A study completed by Covassin et al. evaluated the occurrence of concussion in athletes at the collegiate level who participate in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). The study found female athletes reported concussions 1.4 times more than male athletes. Research continues to work on better understanding concussions in women, however the best treatment, regardless of sex, continues to be treating patients based on their symptoms. (Mollayeva et al., 2018).

Headbands and Protective Equipment As seen in the media, there is a lot of research into the development of a better helmet especially for football and ice hockey. Having worked with hockey parents, I know some truly believe they bought a “concussion proof ” helmet.

Unfortunately, there is no “concussion proof ” equipment.

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In recent years there has been a growth in the popularity of figure skaters wearing padded headbands. The idea behind the headbands is to reduce the impact forces of a hit to the head. Although the theory is valid, there currently is little to no research into the effectiveness of these headbands in decreasing the severity or occurrence of a concussion. More research is needed in equipment design and its effectiveness in protecting against concussion.

The Future of Concussion Diagnosis: An Objective Measurement The standard for diagnosing a concussion has previously been subjective, meaning the athlete would have to report symptoms to medical providers. This posed many issues including athletes not reporting all symptoms and potentially returning to sports too early before they had fully recovered. Returning too soon can create many potential problems including Second Impact Syndrome, sustaining a second concussion before the previous concussion has healed causing life-threatening swelling to the brain. Although there have been several tests to better assess cognitive changes after a concussion, the tests are difficult to determine severity and length of recovery.

Several major research institutions have been working to create a way to diagnose concussions from an objective standpoint, including the use of a blood test. Just this mid-February the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved of the first blood test to diagnose concussions (Kaplan & Belson, 2018). What researchers have found is that after someone sustains a concussion there are chemical changes in the brain that cause the release of specific stress markers into the blood.

Institutions such as the Mayo Clinic have been examining the levels of these specific stress markers immediately following a concussion in athletes such as ice hockey. Current results from the Mayo Clinic’s study on concussions in ice hockey show there are elevations of specific stress markers in the

blood following a concussion (Smith et al., 2017). With the FDA approving the use of a blood test to diagnose a concussion, this is only the beginning of what lies ahead for concussion diagnosis and treatment options. As research continues there is the hope that better understanding will lead to being able to determine severity and the ability to better gauge when an athlete is safe to fully return to sports. Also, as research is finding a specific link to stress markers and concussions, it shows promise of a future where medical treatments such as medications could potentially be beneficial.

There is much groundbreaking concussion research going on right now. Much of the research is hopeful in improving the ability to diagnose a concussion, determine its severity and potential paths for treatment options.

Keeping athletes safe and healthy is of top priority and it is exciting to see where the road of research continues to go.

Take Aways: Female athletes have a higher incidence of concussions and symptoms experienced in comparison to male athletes.

Research predicts that concussion awareness among coaches and medical providers who work closely with athletes play a role in the number of concussions reported (Mollayeva et al., 2018). Knowledge is power, if you are concerned that an athlete has concussion symptoms, have athletes and parents seek medical attention.

There are currently no “concussion proof ” equipment available to protect against sustaining a concussion.

The FDA approved of a blood test to diagnose concussions. This will take time to carry over into all health care facilities in the country, but demonstrates hope and potential for future medical treatments when an athlete sustains a concussion.

Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are my own and do not reflect the views of the Mayo Clinic.

REFERENCES Kaplan, S., & Belson, K. (2018, February 14). First Blood Test to Detect Concussions Is Approved. Retrieved February 14, 2018, from https://www.nytimes.com/2018/02/14/ health/concussion-fda-bloodtest.html Mollayeva, T., El-Khechen-Richandi, G., & Colantonio, A. (2018). Sex & gender considerations in concussion research. Concussion, (0), CNC51.

Smith, A. M., Stuart, M. J., Roberts, W. O., Dodick, D. W., Finnoff, J. T., Jorgensen, J. K., & Krause, D. A. (2017). Concussion in ice hockey: current gaps and future directions in an objective diagnosis. Clinical journal of sport medicine, 27(5), 503-509.

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*new!

Excel Track

By Elise Preston, Chair, U.S. Figure Skating Program Development Committee

A

s figure skating coaches, we are all too aware of the ever-expanding disconnect between the minimum passing requirements of U.S. Figure Skating test levels versus the much higher level of technical elements required of a skater who has hopes of earning a spot on the podium when they compete.

In an effort to address this issue in 2006, U.S. Figure Skating introduced Test Track—events for non-qualifying competitions that limit the difficulty of skating elements performed at each level. The idea behind test track was to give skaters whose abilities precisely matched the testing requirements a fair playing field when competing.

And to that end, Test Track has been successful. Skaters who work through the test levels as they become proficient in performing elements that meet the minimum required to pass a test have found, in large part, that when competing in Test Track events they are well-matched with their competitors.

However, as the canyon between minimum testing requirements and allowable technical elements expands each season, we have been left with a wide berth of our skaters for whom competing with competence in the well-balanced track is out of reach, yet their technical ability is well beyond the limits of test track. Arguably, this group of skaters likely represents a majority of our skaters under the age of 18 who have passed at least their pre-preliminary free skate test.

Take as an example, a juvenile level skater. In order to pass her test, a skater needs a minimum technical jump of a single Axel; no double jumps are required to pass the juvenile test. However the singles free skating requirements chart for the 2017-18 season at the juvenile level lists all single and double jumps, including the double Axel as allowable jumps.

Test Track was first introduced by and lives under the domain of the U.S. Figure Skating Program Development

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Committee.

Consequently, this committee is tasked with monitoring and making updates to Test Track. The impetus to undertake a larger rework of Test Track was prompted by a number of issues: a need to address common complaints with the track, concerns for how the new Test Refresh may impact Test Track events and perhaps most importantly—addressing the need in our sport for events designed for the middle group of skaters whose skills are beyond the limits of Test Track, yet do not have even a fighting chance at qualifying competitions.

The two most consistent complaints that have been brought to the committee’s attention over time are: a dislike for the name Test Track and the more challenging issue of the sandbagging that has become commonplace—specifically, the high incidence of coaches and skaters who are not following the limits rules stated for the track, yet are only penalized by the .2 deduction mandated by 6.0 judging rules. Time and again, coaches and parents are telling us that

explored potential causes and asked whether this issue could potentially be addressed through our project of reworking Test Track.

Starting September 1, 2018, the fresh Excel Track will be offered at non-qualifying competitions. What will be similar? What has changed? Beyond the new name, we also have a new chart that is laid out in a style consistent with test and free skating requirements charts.

Excel events will continue to serve those skaters for whom Test Track had been a relatively comfortable fit. To better serve those skaters in the middle we have added Excel Plus events—more challenging at key levels, yet still with upper limits on technical elements.

The popularity of competitive opportunities like the Solo Dance Series, National Showcase, Synchronized Sectionals, and National Theatre on Ice indicate that many of our skaters yearn for competitive opportunities that provide the potential experience of earning a chance to move on to a higher tier of competition. These experiences fuel excitement and motivate skaters to train harder, set competitive goals, and challenge themselves to excel. As Christine Fowler-Binder points out, these opportunities are key to keeping skaters on the ice and keeping you busy coaching.

"The popularity of competitive opportunities like the Solo Dance Series, National Showcase, Synchronized Sectionals, and National Theatre on Ice indicate that many of our skaters yearn for competitive opportunities that provide the potential experience of earning a chance to move on to a higher tier of competition." these skaters who do not follow the rules intended to level the playing field in Test Track, are those who end up on the podium at competitions.

While Test Track has had relative success in some parts of the country, we recognize that many skaters are still left without a competitive experience that is both challenging and level-appropriate.

Having recognized the same critical issue in our sport that PSA President Christine Fowler-Binder explored in a recent issue of PS Magazine—that we are losing so many skaters just beyond the juvenile level—the Committee has

As part of the new Excel track, the U.S. Figure Skating Program Development Committee is excited to introduce the Excel Challenge Series in the 2018-19 season. Watch for details about this new program in the coming months!

And lastly, as you are preparing your skaters for summer competitions and into the fall, be sure to download the Excel Elements Chart, which will take effect September 1, 2018. The chart is available on the U.S. Figure Skating website (under Programs, Excel).

By Kent McDill

T

he school year is over, and those three short months of summer loom so large. There will be cookouts, fireworks, and perhaps a vacation. But there will be no down time, because you enrolled in a summer skating camp at your favored rink.

Summer skating camp—those three words bring to mind different types of concentrated learning to different people. But to skating coaches, summer skating camp represents the opportunity to provide concentrated coaching and teaching to skaters who really want to become better at their chosen pursuit.

The range of summer skating camps is vast. There are camps offered at local community rinks as part of the park district summer activity program for all children, and there are camps that offer skaters the chance to leave home for a few weeks and live figure skating for most of the time they are on site.

Tom Hickey, the director of figure skating of Shattuck-St. Mary’s in Faribault, Minn., has run both kinds of camps in his day. “I ran a camp at a one-sheet facility,” said Hickey, a former PSA Board of Governors member. “There were different levels of skaters, and each level had a set amount of time on the ice, and coaches would work their way down to the lower levels. They would not be on the ice as much, doing a little bit more off-ice work.

“Then I have run camps like our skating camp, which is a boarding camp, and 95 percent of the skaters end up spending the night, as much like a summer camp as you can possibly get,” he said. “We run classes the entire day, from six in the morning to eight at night, and it is more a la carte, where kids sign up

for the classes they want.

“Both are ideal; it really depends on what you are looking for,” he said.

There are facilities which do not currently host summer skating camps but want to do so. For those, the experts have some advice.

A NEW SUMMER SKATING CAMP For facilities that are considering offering a summer camp, there are considerations that must be addressed initially.

“There has to be a bottom line for doing this,” said former Olympic coach and PSA Coach of the Year Audrey Weisiger, who operates camps at the Fairfax Ice Arena in Virginia. “If it is to offer great services to all skaters, that’s great. If management just wants to beat everybody else in the area or is trying to outdo someone else or another facility, it can’t be a hostile decision. It has to be everybody pulling together to help the skaters. It can’t be just to make a lot of money for the coaches and the facility.”

Facility managers need to determine the amount of interest that exists among the figure skaters who participate in after-school and weekend sessions during the school year.

“You have to have people who want to register,” said Weisiger. “Most kids come out of these camps so jazzed.”

However, facilities also have to have the support of their local coaches, whose lives and schedules are altered.

If a facility wants to bring in specialized coaching, or “name’’ coaches for short sessions to draw greater interest, personal interests and outright jealousy may ensue.

“We have had clubs contact us that they want a camp, and I tell them I

would bring our traveling skating school —an off-ice person, a dance instructor, a jump technician, and a spin coach,” Weisiger said. “Then they tell me their coaches are not interested in attending a camp. That is very short-sighted behavior. Local coaches don’t enjoy having guest coaches come to skating camps.

They are intimidated that the kids will want to try something else, or move on from their current coaching. I don’t think that is helping skating in America.”

THE PLANNING PROCESS Creating an effective skating camp is not an easy undertaking. As explained above, the first step is to get everyone on board—facility managers and staff, coaches, and skaters.

“You not only need the right amount of coaches, you need the right dynamic of coaches,” Hickey explains. “They all have to work together under the same roof and get along.”

The next step is to schedule the classes and ice time, with an eye toward appealing to different age and talent levels, coaching availability, and balancing on-ice and off-ice time for each skater. Most skating camps require skaters to stay on-location the entire day, so there needs to be Continued on page 39 PS MAGAZINE

35

Professional Skaters Foundation

A Community that Cares 2018/2019 Officers, Board Members, and Trustees

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 PS Foundation recently made some changes to its Board Members and Trustees. We would like to thank Doug Mattis, Tara Hillstrand Lane, and Kim Seybold for their service and contribution to the PS Foundation. Their time and expertise is sincerely appreciated. It is our policy to continually rotate individuals on the Board in order to involve more members and to provide fresh and new ideas, and insight.

PRESIDENT VICE PRESIDENT TREASURER SECRETARY Board Member Board Member Board Member Board Member Board Member Trustee Trustee Trustee Trustee Trustee Trustee

We are pleased to welcome Jill Maier-Collins to the PSF Board, and Curtis McGraw Webster and Moira North as Trustees. Jill Maier-Collins is a master rated coach, toured with Holiday on Ice, and is a U.S. Figure Skating representative for the Learn to Skate (LTS) Program. Moira North is the Founder and Artistic Director for Ice Theatre of New York. Moira has been a driving force in the development of figure skating as a performing art. She toured with Peggy Fleming and the Ice Follies, and toured internationally as well. Curtis McGraw Webster is the President of the Lisa McGraw Figure Skating Foundation. Curtis is also the President of The Vertical Corporation, a recording studio based in New York City.

The unique skills and experience of these three new members will be a great asset to the PS Foundation Board. Welcome!

Carol Murphy Kelley Morris-Adair Scott McCoy Gerry Lane Paul Wylie Jill Maier-Collins Carol Rossignol Tim Covington Patrick O’Neil Richard Dwyer Cindy Geltz Robbie Kaine Moira North Wayne Seybold Curtis McGraw Webster

Thanks to 201 7 S K AT E RS F UN D CON TR IBUTOR S Gold Patrons $1,000+

Bronze Patrons $100+

Cindy Geltz, in memory of Jim Sladky,

Kathryn Sutterfield Denver Skating Club Carol Scherer Murphy

Bobbie Shire, and Tom McGinnis

The PS Foundation is a part of the Smile Amazon Program.

Thanks to DAV I D S H U L M A N L EA DER SHIP SC HOL A R SHIP CONTRIBUTORS Silver Patrons $500+

Bronze Patrons $100+

FMC Ice Sports ISI District 1 Cindy Geltz

Gerry & Debbie Lane

The Skaters Fund continues to assist all coaches and performing skaters who need financial assistance due to sickness, disability or age. The PSF through the Skaters Fund has distributed $49,000 to 24 coaches since April 2015. We are honored that we have been able to assist these coaches and continue the legacy that was started with both Sandy and Charles Fetter.

U. S. O P E N U P DAT E It has been all-hands-on-deck to secure sponsorships and ads for the upcoming US Open on May 22, 2018 at the RDV Sportsplex Ice Den in Orlando, FL. We are excited to announce that Shepherd Clark, 2017 World Figure Champion, will be a Platinum Sponsor of the U.S. Open! Additionally, we are grateful to the following organizations who have generously become Silver Sponsors: FMC Ice Sports, Jackson Ultima, and Skating Council of Illinois.

Shepherd Clark | Shepherd is part of the movement to preserve our sport’s namesake, and to celebrate our figure history. He has a vision of placing figure skating at the center

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of the art world and refers to the sport as “The Crystal Stage,” and “The Jeweled Sport.”

He sees figure skating as a blend of the four major art genres, and as such, believes it is the perfect, and most magnificent platform on earth, for art and artists. Shepherd has also founded the WORLD ART Champions Museum, which seeks relevant, original, masterful manifestations of art.

FMC Ice Sports (Facility Management Corporation) is an innovative leader of public recreational facility management, specializing in the management and operation of public ice arenas. Combined, FMC’s team has over a century of experience in the industry and provides its clients a high quality and professional business operation. FMC Ice Sports currently operates eighteen Commonwealth of Massachusetts skating arenas as well as providing management services for three municipal arenas.

Jackson Ultima is a global leader in figure skate boots and blades. Their expertise and

Amazon donates 0.5% of all eligible purchases to a charity that you designate on the Smile.amazon.com website. It is a simple and automatic way for you to support the PS Foundation every time you shop, with no additional cost to you. Visit smile.amazon.com and select the Professional Skaters Foundation as your designated charity, and use your existing amazon. com account with all the same settings! Please spread the word to family and friends!

passion for the sport is embodied in Jackson Ultima’s commitment to technology that enhances the performance of the World’s leading skaters. Jackson Ultima also offers a complete range of recreational figure and leisure skates to enhance the pleasure and enjoyment of all skaters.

The Skating Council of Illinois consists of seventeen member clubs representing skaters in Illinois, Iowa and Wisconsin. The Council sponsors competitions, schools, and seminars and has hosted many qualifying and nonqualifying competitions. They also sponsor judges’ schools, technical panel schools, educational opportunities for coaches, and special events for athletes. The Council also helps educate our member clubs about current issues facing U.S. Figure Skating.

Tri-States Council of Michigan is a Pewter Sponsor. We are also excited to announce that Skating Club of Boston, Southern Eastern Great Lakes FS Council, and Greater Cleveland Council are all Champion Sponsors.

Tuesday May 22, 2018

RDV Sportsplex Ice Den Orlando, Florida LIVE Entertainment at the 2018 U.S. Open Professional Figure Skating Championships!

Ladies, mens, pairs, dance, specialty acts, and groups compete together to win prizes and prestigious titles. The Grand Champion will take home a cash prize and an invitation to perform with Ice Theatre of New York.

PHOTO BY MARK WALENTINY

Continued from page 35

accommodations for off-ice activities, both for skating purposes and for simple down-time (meals, breaks, non-skating activities). Facilities with swimming or team sport activities available should schedule time for skaters to participate in these camp-like endeavors.

Another consideration when dealing with both skaters and coaches is whether there are competitions or testing events scheduled during your camp.

If so, your coaching staff and skater attendance will be affected, and could seriously impact the value of your camp.

While summer skating camps appeal to young and relatively new skaters as a way to spend their summer breaks somewhere other than at home, summer skating camps also appeal to high level skaters who are trying to hone their skills. Boarding camps, where skaters stay on-location overnight, allows facilities to bring in coaches to work on power training, edges, jump techniques, ballet classes, and physical training work, for those “kids who never get an opportunity to get a taste of that level of training to see what it really is like,” Hickey said.

THE VALUE TO THE SKATER During the school year, skaters fit their skating lessons into a day already occupied by the demands of attending school.

A summer camp allows skaters to focus their attention on the one activity many of them wish they were doing during the school year when they are learning algebra and government and grammar.

The camps allow you to come together and train tougher when it is not for a competition,” Weisiger said. “When kids go to competitions and the focus is on themselves and their routines, they are not open to learning new things. A skating camp is where I like to teach something new.

“Most kids enjoy skating camp,” she said. “It is true some do not work the way they should in the midst of a camp and they need individual attention, but the kids who come to our camps enjoy the group atmosphere, both on the ice and off.”

With all of the attention given to specialized instruction and extended participation in team sports, with soccer players and baseball players playing on travel teams with no down time and a push to improve every day, parents and coaches must attend to a concern over “burnout”.

Will a figure skater who spends all of his or her summer days in their skates and on the ice suffer from too much skating?

“It’s a hard day, but skaters are not forced to do it,” Hickey said. “At the beginning of the session, they may ask themselves ‘How am I going to get through it?’ but when the end of the camp comes along, they say ‘I can’t believe it is over already’. It goes by that quick.”

THE VALUE TO THE FACILITY Creating an atmosphere in which figure skating is a year-long process adds to the sense of community and continuity which can foster a dedication to the sport.

“Your kids improve, and their skating career lasts longer because they get better,” Weisiger said. “They are more invested, they make more friendships, and they have a greater understanding of what it takes to be good because they get more specialized training in matters like sports psychology and nutrition.

“At a skating camp, skaters get to work with and hang out with skaters of all levels,” she said. “It creates an atmosphere of improvement in a group setting rather than on an individual level.”

As the experts say, facilities should not operate summer camps solely to benefit their organizational bottom line. Camps must be organized and executed with an

eye toward improving the skaters, and perhaps benefitting the facility in a way other than with dollars and cents.

“I would only do a camp if I had a tight unit that wants to go in the same direction,” Hickey said.

“It has to be with the idea that the athlete wants to improve in some area,” Weisiger said. “To provide every opportunity to the athlete is the purpose of the camp.”

PS MAGAZINE

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RINKBLAZER

Amanda Kovar

By Terri Milner Tarquini

W

hen it comes to cool accomplishments, this one ranks right up there: Amanda Kovar and her husband, Karel, were one of seven pairs teams who skated in the opening and closing ceremonies of the 2002 Winter Games in Salt Lake City. “It was the most incredible professional experience of my life. Kenny Ortega and Sarah Kawahara, who won an Oscar for their choreography, came into the stadium where the professionals were waiting to go on the ice,” Kovar laughed. “They said to us, ‘Go nail it. 4.3 billion people will be watching you, but don’t be nervous.’”

Kovar wasn’t a pairs skater to begin with, but, during her first of four years with Disney On Ice, she learned to become one once she was matched with Karel, who placed second four years at the Czechoslovakian National Championships in singles and pairs. The two went on to skate in the Sun Valley Ice Show for three years and appeared in a Nancy Kerrigan Christmas Special on NBC. Now the duo team-coaches at the Wasatch Figure Skating Club in Ogden, Utah, and they are carving out a resume that keeps building momentum. With skaters qualifying for sectionals and U.S. Championships, the 2017 and 2018 seasons resulted in seven Central Pacific Regionals medalists, two Pacific Coast Sectionals medalists and a U.S. Figure Skating Championships medalist in juvenile boys, in addition to numerous medalists in non-qualifying events.

“My husband and I coached Nathan Chen when he was three until he was nine; he was one of our first skaters,” Kovar reminisced. “We are so proud of him I can’t even tell you.

He is such a wonderful young man and works his tail off in everything he does. He is so humble, so multi-talented, and so genuine. He is everything he seems to be.”

Kovar has a rich history in skating and percolates with enthusiasm when she talks about the sport where she learned valuable life lessons; traveled the world; met her husband; skated in the Olympic ceremonies; and now coaches both her son, Kai, 11, and her daughter, Milada, 8, and has the opportunity to pass all of that gathered knowledge onto their skaters.

“We try to create for each skater that same level of love that we still have for the sport,” she said.

Tell me about your path into skating?

I’m from a small town in northern Minnesota and I’m the third of four children. My older brother played hockey and my older sister figure skated so it was easy to bring me to the rink, but I love skating. It’s my passion and I knew I was meant to do it. When I was 11, I started training in Minneapolis where my grandparents lived and I took from Ann Eidson at the St. Paul FSC. She has been an incredible role model and very supportive. I still mentor under her.

Did you always know that coaching would be in your future?

I graduated from the University of Minnesota, Duluth with an elementary education degree. I was done with college and I didn’t know what I wanted to do. I knew I could fall back on skating, but it had always been more than that to me—skating was part of my identity. So I tried out for Disney On Ice and it dominoed from there. I had been a singles skater, but they needed pairs teams so they partnered me with Karel, who had been a pairs champion. That first year, we were best friends and then it went from there. We

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were in Ireland with Disney when we got the coaching job in Utah.

What is it like team coaching with your husband?

You know, it’s easy. We work alongside each other but not with each other. We each do our own thing and have our specialties.

What’s great about it is that we have the same ideas, same agenda and same goals to accomplish with our skaters. The number one goal is we want them educated so they can understand what they want out of skating. We want to educate the parents too. Education is power. There are a lot of demands on athletes in this sport—on their minds and on their bodies. Empowering them through knowing what the sport entails is so important.

Karel and I started as friends and we still are. We don’t bring skating home. Our kids skate, but they also play other sports.

I believe strongly that skating is a tool to guide you through life. The goal setting, the work ethic—things for your future. Whether you’re a champion or not, you’re already successful because you know how to fail, you know life isn’t always fair and you know how to get back up.

Amanda with children Kai and Milada

My son’s feet grew three times in one year.

He has three consistant triples and he won regionals, but he went into sectionals with new skates and he just couldn’t manage it.

It was the worst he has ever skated. It was so difficult, but it’s a life lesson that he will never forget. Life happens and you have to learn how to lose. What’s really important is that you have to be as gracious as a loser as you are when you’re a winner.

Skating as a sport takes great passion—so does coaching. What are you passionate about?

I love packaging and choreography. I love the hair, the makeup, the costuming, the music. Each skater has their own personality and I love finding that individual part of them. My absolute favorite thing is honing in on it and bringing it out of them. My husband is the technician—he’s strong and does the harness and works technique. I bring in Alex Chang and we stay up until 3 a.m. working on our vision and how to best execute the choreography and presentation and packaging.

What do you think your background brings to the table that help your skaters succeed?

It’s all about everything you’ve ever been exposed to. Being in the show world completely opened my eyes and mind and I got to work with such great choreographers.

Watching Cindy Stuart and Sarah Kawahara work blew my mind. My coach, Ann Eidson, continues to inspire me because she’s so passionate and her fire never goes out. Ev-

unflappable. It’s an incredible gift to come by naturally, but it can be learned.

What is your favorite move to watch when it’s performed really, really well?

Amanda and Karel with a young Nathan Chen

erything I’ve ever experienced, it has created the coach I am.

What do you feel has been key in taking your skaters to that next level, where they are qualifying for sectionals and the U.S. Championships?

Consistency. It is so important for them to be consistent practicers and consistent with their mental space. It’s ok to have a bad day, but before you step on the ice tomorrow, there should have been a lot of visualization.

I always ask, ‘Did you talk to yourself? Did you visualize? Did you make a change so today is different than yesterday?’ Nathan Chen had one of his worst practices at the U.S. Championships, then he turned around and landed four quads in competition. The mental game can equal success or it can tear you apart. I’ve known Karen Chen since she was a kid. She is so incredibly steady. Totally

As far as movement is concerned, I love a good butterfly.

When it flies into a strong spin or the skater does stars into a huge butterfly that just soars. That’s just awesome to me.

Do you have a motto or philosophy?

(Laughs) ‘If you don’t believe, you won’t receive.’ My skaters hate it because I say it all the time. But it’s the absolute truth. My husband and I have a real ‘You can do it’ attitude. Once you get into that routine with the kids and the parents, it works.

What are your goals with regards to your career?

That’s a great question. My coach asked me that exact same thing when I started coaching. Then, I said my number one thing was having a skater get a medal at the U.S. Championships – and I did that. (Nathan Chen earned a bronze medal in juvenile boys at the U.S. Figure Skating Championships with the Kovars coaching him during the 2008 season.) So I guess, along that same line

of thought, my next goal would be having an international skater. But, where I am now, that’s not really at the heart of it. Honestly, I like having skaters accomplish their goals. I like helping them finish their gold tests and working with adult skaters. In the beginning, it was more about where I, personally, could go with my coaching career, but now it’s more about helping them succeed in their skating and learning and lives. Now that I’m older, my goals are not as generic. I’m still as ambitious as ever, but I want to get them as far as they can go for themselves.

How would you describe your journey in the skating world so far?

Lucky. So fortunate. I’ve met the best people of my life in this sport. I had unique and interesting experiences. I never thought me, from small-town northern Minnesota, would skate in the opening and closing ceremonies of the Olympic Games.

Down the road of life, what is something you hope your skaters take with them that they learned from you?

Humility. The more you succeed, the more humility you need to wrap your arms around. I hope they take that away from our coaching. I really like the gracious athlete.

Maybe it’s my Midwest upbringing, but I think it’s so amazing to be the average Joe who is just completely awesome. My parents always said, ‘You don’t have to toot your own horn, just show them you’re good.’

Do you have a plan to get rated?

UPCOMING RATING SITES:

May 21-22 | Orlando, Florida August 26-27 | Fort Wayne, Indiana October 26-28 | Phoenix, Arizona

>> Register at skatepsa.com Study guides, manuals, exam requirements and other resources are available at skatepsa.com

PS MAGAZINE

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New

MEMBERS NEW MEMBER SPONSOR Maxwell Aaron Kevin Ackley Armen Agaian Monica Amalla-Walter Allison Ballweg

Jeannie Clay George Shankulashvili Elaine Jurun

Dustin Sierk Eldo Silva Michael Simon Jessica Slade

Jim Bowser Russ Witherby Marisa Marrocco-White Heather Piepenburg

Alice Wentworth

ChloĂŤ Thompson

Sarah Lyle

Valorie Battle Haddock

Leslie Deason

Kimberly Tiplady

Jilayne Dunn

Siena Belda

Michael Chack

Isabella Tobias

Michael Bruscino

Jacki Farrell Munzel

Marijose Cavazos

Daniil Barantsev

Kathryn Christensen

Alexei Mantsorov

Mervin Tran

Timothy McKernan Bruno Marcotte

Gabriela Ulloa

Tara Denkers

Angela Vandermissen

Tami Mickle

Julianna Conenna

Irma Sveiteryte

Nicholas Cotroneo

Sigrid Berge

Rafael Dominguez

Jacqueline Munzel

Evan Whitlow

Heidi Whitlow

Amy Engeler

Denise Beaumont

Kaylin Zilar

Eddie Shipstad

Elizabeth Eskander

Morgan Parkinson

Gina Fiorile

Dia McGaughey

Sari Kauppinen

Kelly Takemura

Kylie King

Beth Nilsson Dana Zakrzewski

Courtney Kirschke

Randy Clark

Julie Lenz

Jacki Munzel

Effie-Loucia Magionos

Michelle Worthy

Nicolle McBlair

Michele Iverson

Fernanda Muttio

Carla Sophia Cavazos

Luis Angel Ortiz Guillen

Ana Palomo

Tamra Pennington

Janet Tremer

Abigail Riggs

Renae Sundgren

Lauren Salzlechner

Audra Leech

Jennifer Sand

Hilary Eberle

MAY/JUNE 2018

Hailey Voss Solveig Weinberg

Alana Christie Sharon Brilliantine

Jillian Frascoia

Ian Kang

Madeline Kennedy

42

Julie Patterson

NEW MEMBER SPONSOR

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.

NOTICE is hereby given that Seth Chafetz of Michigan has been permanently expelled from membership effective the 26th day of March, 2018.

NOTICE is hereby given that Genrikh Sretenski of Maryland has been permanently expelled from membership effective the 20th day of March, 2018, per GR 18.02, which grants reciprocity to imposed disciplinary decisions of U.S. Figure Skating. A review of the action can be found at www.usfigureskating.org.

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

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

PS MAGAZINE

43

CALENDAR

OF

EVENTS

M AY Date: Event: Location: Credits: Register:

May 12, 2018 Area 10 Champion Developmental Seminar Eau Claire, WI 6 PSA credits southwak@hotmail.com

Deadline:

until filled

Date: Event: Location: Credits:

May 21-22, 2018 Area 7 PSA Oral Ratings at 2018 PSA Conference & Trade Show Hilton Orlando Walt Disney World Resort, Lake Buena Vista, FL 1 PSA credit per oral exam taken

Deadline:

March 16, 2018

Date: Event: Location: Credits:

May 23-26, 2018 Area 7 2018 PSA Conference & Trade Show Hilton Orlando Walt Disney World Resort, Lake Buena Vista, FL 28-35 PSA credits

Deadline:

April 15, 2018

JUNE Date: Event: Location: Credits: Register:

June 2, 2018 Area 10 Champion Developmental Seminar Eagan, MN 6 PSA credits eicfsc.com

Deadline:

until filled

Date: Event: Location: Credits: Register:

June 3, 2018 Area 11 Grassroots to Champions St Peters, MO 6 PSA credits stlg2c.com

Deadline:

until filled

Date: Event: Location: Credits: Register:

June 16-17, 2018 Area 6 Boots Plus Alexandria, VA 6 PSA credits skatebootsplus@gmail.com

Deadline:

June 1, 2018

Date: Event: Location: Credits: Register:

June 24-30, 2018 Area 6 Grassroots to Champions Yorktown, VA 28 PSA credits grassrootstochampions.com

Deadline:

May 1, 2018

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

J U LY

44

Date: Event: Location: Credits: Hosts:

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

Deadline:

June 24, 2018

MAY/JUNE 2018

CLASSIFIEDS AUGUST Date: Event: Location: Credits: Host:

August 11, 2018 Area 11 PSA Theatre on Ice Half-Day Clinic Mount Prospect Ice Arena, 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, Courtland, 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, 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, Fort Wayne, IN 28 PSA credits Alena Lunin alunin@icesports.com

Deadline:

July 27, 2018

The Ann Arbor Figure Skating Club located in Ann Arbor, Michigan is looking for elite freestyle figure skating coaches.

Successful applicants should have a history of building on past successes of taking skaters to “the next level”.

Please respond with resume.

Bonnie Shay bshay@umich.edu

ADVERTISE WITH US!

Let the skating community know about your upcoming event, product, service, or job opportunity by advertising with the PSA! We offer many different advertising options at affordable rates. For more information, go to our website at skatepsa.com and click on "About Us" and then "Advertise.".

SEPTEMBER Date: Event: Location: Credits: Hosts:

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

Deadline:

August 17, 2018

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

September 22- 23, 2018 Area 8 PSA Super Site Farmington Hills Ice Arena, 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, Phoenix, AZ 1 PSA credit per oral exam taken

Deadline:

August 31, 2018

June Tsuya Clearance Sale Let our quality Tsuya apparel work for you both on and off the ice!

Take advantage of our great deals and order now!

Supply is limited.

skatepsa.com

PS MAGAZINE

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3006 Allegro Park SW Rochester, MN 55902

photos by Brant Thornton