SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER
2017
quality
Apparel to go the distance
Tsuya tsoo-ya
Created by Kristi Yamaguchi and influenced by her years as an international athlete, Tsuya offers modern designs in ultra comfortable fabrics. A portion of proceeds benefits the Always Dream Foundation.
Stock up at www.skatepsa.com While supplies last
SEPTEMBER/ OCTOBER 2017
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
24
Real Life Coaching
26
Best Business Practices
| Heidi Thibert
FEATURES 12
Learn to Skate USA Update
16
Coach of the Year: Tammy Gambill
20
Theatre On Ice Nationals
25
Coaches Taking Care of Themselves
28
Rinkblazer: Darin Hosier
| Kent McDill
| Terri Milner Tarquini | Terri Milner Tarquini
| Terri Milner Tarquini
| Carol Rossignol | Bob Mock
DEPARTMENTS 7 19 30 32
Rating Exams Passed Obituary New Members PSA Calendar of Events
Elizabeth Thornton | Editor/Advertising Carol Rossignol | Contributing Editor Amanda Taylor | Art Director
Issue No 5 |
WWW.SKATEPSA.COM
Find, Friend, Follow
» COVER: Tammy Gambill accepts her EDI Award at the 2017 PSA Awards Dinner & Banquet PHOTO BY Mark Walentiny
PS MAGAZINE
1
OVER THE EDGE Jimmie Santee, MPD, MG
All is Quiet on the Western Front
PSA OFFICERS President First Vice President Second Vice President Third Vice President Treasurer Past President PSA BOARD OF GOVERNORS West Mid-West East
I
t has been a little over a year since Ottavio Cinquanta finally left office as the President of the ISU. I’ve missed writing about him. There has been little to complain about that I haven’t already written about. So I went to the ISU website and poked around. Interesting…
There are currently fifty-seven ISU office holders which include only two Russians. Yes, you read that right. Of the people that run the events and make the rules only two are from Russia. There are thirteen Council Members and only one who is Russian- 2nd Vice President for Figure Skating, Alexander Lakernik. What strikes me as a significant change is that Cinquanta, who once said, “I don’t know figure skating so well,” was a polar opposite from the new ISU president, Jan Dijkema of the Netherlands. Mr. Dijkema, who will be president until the spring of 2018, has stayed away from influencing the direction of figure skating. He is letting the “experts” set the agenda. I’m keeping my fingers crossed.
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 Special Olympics FCC
Please don’t take this as a condemnation of Mr. Lakernik, who chaired the Singles and Pairs Committee for almost 15 years. Ottavio Cinquanta wanted figure skating to be quantitive. Who better to quantify a sport than a mathematician? Unfortunately, the quantification of the sport has taken a toll on the artistic side. Maybe not so much at the very top of the sport, but as I wrote regarding Nathan Chen and the weight of the quad, the technical scores are becoming overly dominant. Now enter the new chair of the Singles and Pairs Technical Committee, Fabio Bianchetti. At the recent Broadmoor Open, Mr. Bianchetti, held an open meeting to discuss the future of IJS. Very interesting to say the least. Beginning after the 2018 Olympic Games in PyeongChang, the scale of values will reduce the base values of the triple Axel and all quads. This will be needed because the grade of execution will be expanded from -5 to +5. All senior programs will be 4:00 minutes in length, all juniors 3:30, with the men in both levels eliminating one jump pass. Moving forward from there will be crucial. Mr. Bianchetti talked about the vision. The possibility of moving away from a short program and free skate, and introducing a technical program and artistic program. Even more interesting is the fact that a title could be awarded separately for each program and a third for a combined event. Each program will be judged using the IJS system but designed separately for each program. The technical program would be very similar to today’s IJS with a few minor modifications. Program Components would be factored at 33%
2
SEPTEMBER/ OCTOBER 2017
Christine Fowler-Binder Alex Chang Rebecca Stump Tim Covington Carol Murphy Angela Riviello Phillip Mills Michelle Lauerman Teri Klindworth Hooper Patrick O'Neil Tim Covington Janet Tremer Cindy Sullivan Jason Dilworth Carey Tinkelenberg Robbie Kaine Tim Covington Don Corbiell Scott McCoy Kirsten Miller Zisholz Kelley Morris Adair Jimmie Santee
Tim Covington Angie Riviello Rebecca Stump Don Corbiell Janet Tremer Gloria Masterson Leous Paul Paprocki Heidi Thibert Jamie Santee Christine Fowler-Binder Angie Riviello Carol Murphy Angie Riviello Robbie Kaine Gerry Lane Tim Covington TBD 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 Anne Marie Filosa tba Tim Covington Angela Roesch-Davis Kevin Curtis Tracey Seliga-O’Brien 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 Gloria Leous
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 5, 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.
On-ice sessions from the 2017 Conference are now available ! and no vocal music would be allowed. The artistic program, however, would be very different and include vocal music. No quads would be allowed and the program components would be weighed at a factor of 66%. Jumps would have a GOE but no edge or rotation calls. On paper it looks very interesting. What actually happens‌who knows? One thing for sure is someone is finally thinking outside the box. I wish Mr. Bianchetti the best and I’ll keep my fingers crossed.
www.skatepsa.com SKYLI NE PHOTO COUR T ESY OF T HE NASHVI LLE CONVENT I ON & VI SI TO RS CO RP O R AT IO N
PS MAGAZINE
3
PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE Christine Fowler-Binder, MPD, MG
Why Do You Coach? M
y last article on coaching philosophy led me to another question: Why do you coach? There are countless answers to this question, but the answers may be different for each of us. Maybe you coach because you need to make a living, pay bills, or be a provider to others. Some of you may coach because you love the sport and you want to stay involved or give back. Others may coach to make a difference in their athletes’ lives, to be a role model, or simply to be heard. I fell in love with coaching a few years after I finished my competitive skating career. I was training in Colorado Springs with my ice dance partner, Garrett Swasey, when I decided to retire, move home to Baltimore, and pursue my master’s degree in human resource management at the University of Baltimore. When I returned home, I was asked by the Baltimore FSC to come and teach at the rink where I grew up. I desperately needed “I enjoy being on the money to get me through school, so I happily accepted. I started teaching at the ice with my the club, mostly assisting other coaches with skaters on choreography, skating students, being skills, and ice dancing. I loved being on the ice, interacting with the athletes, and creative, and trying making a small difference in these skaters’ Soon I was teaching every day, early different techniques lives. mornings, afternoons, and evenings, and to help them skaters of all ages and disciplines. I look back now and realize this is the time achieve their goals.” I began to develop my own coaching methodology and coaching philosophy. My master’s degree program was demanding, but my skating background helped me succeed. I eventually graduated with honors and was asked to speak at my commencement ceremony. During my schooling, I was also working at Coca Cola in the Human Resource Department as an intern. I learned so much from the opportunity at Coca Cola, but mostly I realized that I wasn’t ready to sit at a desk all day, answer phones, work on employee files, and benefit packages. So after graduation I had to make a choice between a full time job with a great company or taking a chance with full time coaching. Full time coaching was my choice. After many years of coaching in Baltimore, Delaware, Philadelphia, and currently in Southern California, I love to coach. I enjoy the freedom that coaching gives me— being my own boss, making my own schedule, designing a
4
SEPTEMBER/ OCTOBER 2017
business for my own lifestyle. I enjoy being on the ice with my students, being creative, and trying different techniques to help them achieve their goals. It is challenging at times, but also extremely rewarding watching my skaters grow and mature. It is even more rewarding that I still have a relationship with many of my skaters today even after their skating careers have ended. Believe me, there are those days that I wonder why I get up at 4:00am or after a bad day ask myself why I coach, but what I always come back to is that I love making a difference, I love helping skaters thrive, and I love this sport. Another reason I coach is because of the inspiring coaches and mentors I have taught with over the years. When I was on the east coast, I was fortunate to team coach with world level ice dancing coaches, top jump coaches, and coaches who specialized in the art of skating, edges, and movement. Today, I am lucky to team coach with two of the top pair coaches in the world. All these coaches have influenced me in so many different ways and drove me to be a better coach, to stay educated and on top of current techniques, trends and rules. Relationships with other coaches or being in a positive “team” environment is a major reason why I continue to coach. As a wise man once said to me, “skaters will come and go through your career, but the coaches you teach with every day will still be standing next to you for years to come, so you need to all work together to make your work environment a healthy and happy place you want to come to every day.” Looking back, I have to say I am proud and happy with my decision to be a coach. Teaching skating allows me to make a difference in my athletes’ lives. I love giving back to a sport that has given so much to me. I enjoy teaching with my family of coaches and look forward to the challenges of each lesson. Most of all, I enjoy the process of developing a skater, helping them learn, achieving goals they have set for themselves. I am thankful that I am able to build character and guide skaters to see their full potential, not only in skating, but in life.
Lucy O’Neill. Rising from shyness to showmanship.
#WeGetUp
WeGetUp.com
RATINGS Tim Covington MFS, MM, RC
Team Teaching with a Synchro Coach B Y R E B E C C A S T U M P, M S , M G , M M , C F F, R P D
T
he development of a synchronized athlete is dependant on training with a “team” of coaches in varying disciplines who have mutual respect, consideration, and active communication with each other. Most synchronized skaters work with several coaches beyond their synchronized team coach. This team of coaches may include the moves in the field coach, the free skating coach and the ice dance coach. Fostering good relationships and strong communication skills between all coaches on the team will benefit the athlete, the coaching team, and the synchro team. It is not uncommon to hear complaints from coaches in the rinks such as “I just found out my student is away for a synchro competition again!” or “The synchro coach is demanding my student HAS to pass her test by the end of the month!” or “My student just cancelled her lesson last minute because she has a last minute synchro practice!”. This late notice and clear lack of communication creates frustration with the singles, dance and moves coaches and builds resentment towards the synchro team. These kinds of problems can be avoided with good communication and considerate respect to all involved. When a synchronized team has announced the team’s rosters at the beginning of a new season, it is recommended that a meeting be held with the team’s parents. Schedules for the season regarding practice times and dates, possible extra practices that could be scheduled during vacation weeks or holidays, and possible travel and competition dates should be handed out. The dates may be tentative but it will give people an idea of the dates to keep in mind. Parents must be told to share this information with every coach that their skater has scheduled lessons with. Any changes to the schedule must be communicated as soon as possible to the parents, and a reminder should be given to the parents to inform their athlete’s coaches. In addition, the synchro team should post all schedules on the club’s bulletin boards and the club’s newsletters so that the club’s coaching staff may plan appropriately. Any test recommendations and deadlines must be announced at the beginning of the season and handouts with this information should be distributed to the parents and the athletes. Again, the parents must give this information to all of their coaches. The synchro team should post this information publicly at their clubs for the coaching staff to view. Whenever possible, the synchro coaches
6
SEPTEMBER/ OCTOBER 2017
should make a point of speaking with the coaches on staff of any updates to schedules, testing recommendations, and travel. It is constant, never-ending communication between all parties. U.S. Figure Skating has minimum moves in the field test requirements for each division in synchronized skating. The deadline for passing this test level is October 1. If a synchronized skater does not pass this test by that deadline, the team cannot roster that skater for sectionals. This is where all coaches who train an individual must work together in order to help this skater. However, if the synchronized coach is requiring that each team member pass a certain level of moves, free skating, or dance test beyond this minimum U.S. Figure Skating requirement, it may be very necessary for the coaches to discuss what the real needs are for that individual skater. For example, the free skating coach may want the skater to compete at the regional championships at a lower level than the free skate requirement set by the synchro coach. In this case, both coaches must determine what is in the best interest of the skater. Throughout the competitive season, the synchro coach may have concerns with the skater’s skills. Communicate with the appropriate team coach and work together to help the athlete. Some teams will issue periodic report cards to their team members. This report will evaluate the progress of the skater and improvements that should be made. It is a good idea to tell the parents to share this with all of their athlete’s coaches. Be sure to include contact information in case the coach wants to discuss their student’s needs with the synchro coach.
Recently Passed
Congratulations coaches!
RATING EXAMS Congratulations to the following coaches who passed the Basic Accreditation (BA) written rating exam in the PSA E-learning Academy:
PSA E-Learning Academy Kristen Adamczyk Lewis Anthony Evans Tiffany Ho Michele Mosher Madeleine Newby-Estrella Daniela Payes Kseniya Ponomaryova Gunda Pretzel Alexander Zahradnicek
RANKINGS Chelsea Goessl- Level I Christy Donat-Germain-Level I Erin Egelhoff- Level I Emily Keppeler- Level II Ellen Poulsen- Level II Lisa Bradley- Level III Brandon Larcom- Level IV Mark Poole- Level IV Dawn Wagner-Johnson- Level V Ashely Carlson- Level V
Congratulations to the following candidates who passed a rating exam:
Synchro Summit | July 27-28, 2017
Ratings Prep | July 30-31, 2017
Bonnie Lynch RS. CS Melanie Green RS, CS Jordan Mann RFS, CFS Michelle Goodnetter RPD
Alyssa Craig CFS Charmin Savoy RFS John Ivanich CFS Jennifer Schultz RFS, CG Gunda Pretzel RFS Lyssa Cobb RFS, SM
Laura Baker RFS, CG Jessica Ward CM, CG Linda Loker RM Tatum Neustadt RM Debbie Cole Gerber SG
• Thank you! This has been a very beneficial experience. I learned new ways to teach that I can take back with me. I also feel more comfortable in taking rating exams again. • I learned a great deal and enjoyed all the presentations and classes. • Thank you for a wonderful Ratings Prep experience! I will be back for more. • Everyone was supportive, helpful, friendly and very inspiring and encouraging. • Thank you for providing this Ratings Prep! • So glad I attended. Really helped my confidence. A must before ratings! • I loved this class. I feel I have learned so much and definitely feel better prepared for exams. I would love to attend Ratings Prep again in the future. • Loved this!! The speakers were excellent at preparing us for ratings tests. Very detailed information concerning expectations.
Are you looking for additional PSA credits? Do you have an idea for a seminar or education event in your area? Good news! The PSA is now offering an exciting new opportunity to broaden our outreach for educational credits and coaching seminars. We are looking for educational partners and events that we can put a stamp of approval on and endorse. We recognize that you are always looking for ways to obtain PSA educational credits. This new venture will help us partner with educational events in your area for PSA credits. Event coordinators will be responsible for finding speakers and setting their agenda, which will be reviewed by PSA as part of the endorsement application. PSA will help with marketing and promotion of endorsed events. If you have an idea for an event or are interested in an endorsement, please contact Carol Rossignol at crossignol@skatepsa.com or visit skatepsa.com for more information.
PS MAGAZINE
7
SAFESPORT
U.S. Figure Skating Harassment and Abuse Policy In an effort to keep coaches informed with any changes to U.S. Figure Skating policy or guidelines, PSA has reprinted this information with permission from U.S. Figure Skating from the SafeSport Handbook, revised July 1, 2017.
U
.S. Figure Skating strives to provide a safe environment for its members and to protect the opportunity of its members to participate in our sport in an atmosphere that is free of harassment and abusive practices. The association will not tolerate or condone any form of harassment or abuse of any of its members including coaches, officials, directors, employees, parents, athletes, and volunteers—or any other persons—while they are participating in or preparing for a figure skating activity or event conducted under the auspices of U.S. Figure Skating.
Definitions 1. Harassment Harassment is defined in various sources such as case law, state legislation, sports organization and professional association codes of conduct and training manuals, corporation and workplace documents, and human rights commission materials. U.S. Figure Skating has not adopted any specific definition of harassment, choosing instead to defer to such general sources and definitions for reference and application, depending upon the circumstances. The following, however, presents a general overview. • Behavior: Any pattern of physical and/or non-physical behaviors that (a) are intended to cause fear, humiliation, or annoyance, (b) offend or degrade, (c) create a hostile environment, or (d) reflect discriminatory bias in an attempt to establish dominance, superiority, or power over an individual participant or group based on gender, race, ethnicity, culture, religion, sexual orientation, gender expression, or mental or physical disability. • Environment: Creation of an environment through behavior or course of conduct that is insulting, intimidating, humiliating, demeaning, or offensive. Harassment usually occurs when one person engages in abusive behavior or asserts unwarranted power or authority over another, whether intended or not. It includes, for example, name-calling, taunts, threats, belittling, unwelcome advances and requests for sexual
8
SEPTEMBER/ OCTOBER 2017
favors, as well as undue pressure to perform or succeed. Harassment includes child abuse. 2. Child Abuse A legal definition of child abuse exists in each state. For purposes of enforcing this policy, U.S. Figure Skating adopts the legal definition of child abuse of the state(s) in which the child resides and where the incident of child abuse occurs. If there is a conflict between the state laws defining child abuse, the definition that provides the child with the greatest protection will be used for enforcing this policy. A child is someone under the age of 18 or who has not attained the age of legal majority in the state in which he or she resides. Child abuse and misconduct can be physical, sexual or emotional in nature. Child physical abuse includes physical contact—or the threat of it—that intentionally causes bodily harm or injury to a child. This includes, for example, hitting, shaking, kicking, shoving a skater into a barrier, etc., as well as forcing an individual to skate when he or she is injured, or mandating excessive exercise as a form of punishment. Child physical abuse also includes providing alcohol and drugs to a minor, knowingly permitting an athlete to return to sport prematurely following an injury, and chronic inattention to a child’s basic needs and welfare. Child sexual abuse involves any sexual activity between an adult and a minor. Sexual contact between minors can also be abusive if there is a significant imbalance of power or disparity in age, development or size, such that one child is the aggressor. The sexually abusive acts may include sexual penetration, sexual touching, and noncontact sexual acts such as taking and/or distributing sexual explicit photos or sending sexually suggestive written or digital communications. Child emotional abuse involves a pattern of deliberate, non-contact behavior that has the potential to cause emotional or psychological harm to a participant. These behaviors may include, for example, patterns of verbal behavior attacking an athlete personally, or a pattern of ignoring an athlete for extended periods of time.
Procedures for Reporting Child Abuse 1. Report the abuse to authorities. In most states, you are obligated to bring this matter to the attention of local law enforcement or a public child welfare organization and make a report. In fact, not reporting the incidents in some states is against the law and the coach or witness could be liable for failure to report. Some states have a “Mandated Reporter Status.” Be aware of your state laws and specific reporting requirements as people involved in certain occupations must report suspected child abuse. If you do not know which authorities to contact in your state, call the National Domestic Violence / Abuse Hotline 1-800799-SAFE (1-800-799-7233 or 1-800-787-3224 TDD). All calls to the hotline are confidential, and callers may remain anonymous if they wish. You may also call Victims Assistance Ministry at 1-800-355-2545 or seek help directly by contacting one of the Child Protective Services or one of the Law Enforcement Agencies in your area. 2. Report the abuse to U.S. Figure Skating. Notify the U.S. Figure Skating SafeSport Committee Chair or safesport@usfigureskating.org. Mandated Reporters: A key legal protection for children and youth across the United States is the requirement that, following special training in the identification and reporting of child abuse, people involved in certain occupations must report suspected child abuse to a local law enforcement agency or local public child welfare agency or both, depending on state law. These mandatory reporter occupations include health practitioners, teachers, social workers, psychologists, clergy, firefighters, police officers, day camp administrators and youth organization and youth recreation program employees and coaches, among others, as prescribed by state law. Therefore, if mandated reporters observe abuse or suspect abuse of a young skater, they are required by law to report it immediately. Mandated reporters may be U.S. Figure Skating team physicians, sport psychologists, or certain rink employees. They are not required to disclose the fact that they made such a report to the parent or guardian, nor are they supposed to investigate the situation. They will obtain only enough information to report a “reasonable suspicion.” The reporter’s identity is confidential and will only be disclosed between cross-reporting child protection agencies. Other Observers: If any form of child abuse is observed or suspected by a non-mandated reporter, that person should immediately telephone either local law enforcement or a public child welfare agency and make a report. (If more than one child protection agency exists, many states require that they cross-report.)
Some communities provide a child abuse hotline for this purpose. Even if observers are unsure as to whether or not an action, incident, or situation meets their state’s legal definition of child abuse, they should report it. Child safety must be the most important consideration. To encourage this, the reporter’s identity is always kept confidential. The local child protection agency is then responsible for assessing the matter and conducting any investigation. That agency is also responsible for informing the reporter as to what determination it made and what actions it took as a result of its evaluation. Observers should not attempt to handle the situation themselves or investigate the circumstances. Instead, they must report the matter to their local child protection agency.
Procedures for Reporting Harassment Harassment, as defined herein, between or among U.S. Figure Skating members, shall be reported to the chair of the Ethics or Grievance Committee of U.S. Figure Skating as soon as is practicably possible, per ECR 2.00 and GCR 2.00. Depending on the nature and/or severity of the harassment, the reporter may also choose to contact a local law enforcement agency or seek assistance from a local or state human rights commission.
Violation of Harassment and Abuse Policy Any person in violation of this policy statement will be subject to disciplinary action in accordance with Article XXV, Section 3 of the U.S. Figure Skating Bylaws. Any person convicted of child abuse or sexual abuse in a court of law shall be permanently banned from membership in U.S. Figure Skating and from participation in U.S. Figure Skating programs and activities, in accordance with the association’s Code of Ethics.
Retaliations or Threats of Reprisal Retaliation or threats of reprisal against an individual for filing a complaint under this policy or for participating or assisting in any procedure under this policy will be considered harassment for the purpose of this policy.
Condemnation or Groundless Allegations If a person in authority knows or should reasonably have known that harassment or abuse may have occurred and fails to report it or take appropriate action as set out in this policy statement, that person may be subject to disciplinary action per Article XXV, Section 3B, of the U.S. Figure Skating Bylaws. Further, any person who makes groundless allegations or complaints of abuse or harassment may be subject to disciplinary action per Article XXV, Section 3B, of the U.S. Figure Skating Bylaws. PS MAGAZINE
9
SPORT SCIENCE Heidi Thibert, MFS, MM, MC
Common Injuries Among Adult Figure Skaters BY NOELLE TUTTLE
O
10
SEPTEMBER/ OCTOBER 2017
Other
Hand
Wrist
Elbow
Shoulder
Head
Neck
Ear
Upper Back
Low Back
Hip
Groin
Knee
Thigh
Ankle
Foot
ver the past several years, adult figure skating has training, participation in skating related or non-skating increased greatly in popularity. Whether new to the related off-ice training, or skill level (classified by the most sport or continuing from childhood, adult skating offers difficult jump the skater was able to complete) did not have opportunities to compete in various levels and disciplines, an influence on the number of injuries experienced. even competing at non-qualifying international events. It should be noted that data was collected from a conveAdult skaters are competitive, with 236 skaters regisnience sample and may be skewed towards reporting a tering for sectionals, and 373 competitors at the 2017 higher than average injury rate, as skaters who have experiAdult Championships this past year. Many may experience enced injuries may have been more likely to complete the injuries similar to those of younger athletes. injury survey. More complete data from a larger population In order to learn more about the injuries experienced by is required to make accurate conclusions regarding overall adult skaters, an electronic injury survey was distributed to injury rate and potential risk factors for injuries among various skating clubs across the country between August adult figure skaters. 2015 and May 2016. This survey was distributed via email Adult figure skaters are highly competitive and involved and was also shared through U.S. Adult Skating social in the sport. As athletes, they experience injuries associated media. Skaters were asked about their training and skating with their training. Many of these injuries are serious and related injury history and asked to give specific details about require medical attention. It is known that elite skaters the cause of injury and body part(s) involved for up to four injuries. From the responses, we FIGURE 1 calculated the following proportions: skaters Number of Skating Related Injuries Since Beginning Private Lessons who experienced an injury, injuries at each body part, acute and overuse injuries, mecha80 nism of injury, and time of injury. 70 A total of 220 adult skaters completed 60 the survey, with the majority being female 50 40 (93.2%). Skating related injuries were 30 reported by 71.8% of survey respondents, 20 with most experiencing one to three injuries 10 in their skating careers (Figure 1). Among the 0 158 skaters with injuries, the most commonly One to Four to Seven to Eleven to Sixteen Twenty-one reported sites of injury were the knee, ankle, Three Six Ten Fifteen to Twenty or More low back, wrist, and head (Figure 2). Of the 281 specific injuries reported, the sites most FIGURE 2 frequently involved in an injury were the knee, Body Parts Injured by Adult Figure Skaters ankle, low back, head, and wrist. The majority 90 of injuries (90.6%) occurred during on-ice 80 practice. Tripping (not involving another 70 skater) resulted in 37.8% of injuries, while 60 “other� and fall from a jump also contributed 50 40 to injuries. Most injuries (74.5%) were acute, 30 rather than overuse. The most common injury 20 diagnoses were other (most often ligament 10 0 tears), fracture, and sprain (Figure 3). Number of jumps per session, hours per week spent
FIGURE 3 Types of Injuries
1 2
Other
Undiagnosed
Subluxation
Contusion
Dislocation
Laceration
Stress Fracture
Fracture
Compartment Syndrome
Shin Splint
Osgood-Schlatter
Bursitis
Plantar Fasciitis
Strain
Tendonitis
Sprain
Concussion
70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0
suffer from more overuse injuries1, which is in contrast to our findings that adult skaters experience more acute injuries. This is most likely related to the high frequency of tripping related injuries, which may also explain the high frequency of head injuries. Skaters of all ages and levels are at risk for injuries and care should be taken to minimize their occurrence, through the use of on and off-ice training programs. For adult skaters, this may involve off-ice balance training, as it has been associated with a reduction in falls.2 An on-ice training program can also be implemented to avoid tripping and its associated injuries and should focus on skating skills, such as proper stroking technique, including knee bend, posture, and ankle control.
Dubravcic-Simunjak, et. al. Am J Sports Med. July 2003; 31(4):511-7. Sinaki. Curr Osteoporos Rep. Dec 2004; 2(4):131-7.
AllEventsHorizontalAd.indd 1
7/18/17 8:59 PM
PS MAGAZINE
11
awesome to keep moving and making it better and better.”
s the old saying goes, there is strength in numbers. If that’s true, then Learn to Skate USA has been bulking up in the last year. U.S. Figure Skating has put some hustle in its revamped and rebranded basic skills program, registering over 100 new programs since June 2016 and resulting in over 1,000 programs across the country using Learn to Skate USA. “We are an organization that firmly believes that we’re only as strong as our programs,” said Kim Hines, director of membership development. “We are ecstatic with the growth we have seen—more programs are signing up and we are seeing an increase in membership.” Which doesn’t mean it’s time for the laurel-resting to begin. “It was a huge undertaking to get all of this going,” Hines said. “And for year two we are implementing many improvements and enhancements. We realize group programming is a living, breathing entity and we need to have the ability to change and adapt.” The progressions of the program include broadening instructor education. The last year saw over 600 instructors participating in one of 16 instructor workshops offered across the country. Now there will be two types of workshops: Learn to Teach, for new instructors and class assistants, and the Art of Teaching, for experienced group lesson coaches who need a refresher on their role as an instructor, developmental teaching techniques and on the program itself. There are also 12 new updates and enhancements in production for the
12
SEPTEMBER/ OCTOBER 2017
management system, with the goal of improving the ease of use and increasing efficiency for the directors. “We spent the last year listening to directors,” Hines said. “We get requests from programs regarding things they’d like to see. It gave us great feedback and great ideas.” As part of the launch, 10 business development specialists covered and canvassed rinks across the United States as part of the rebranding of the new Learn to Skate USA program. The benefits of their hard work is still being reaped. “We have been able to keep three business development specialists on,” Hines said. “The energy they put in prior to the launch really paid off and we have seen the benefits. And now that we have established relationships with these rinks and directors, there is still open communication and it’s obvious that the time that is being put in is worth it in the feedback we are getting. We are continuing to invest in these programs in every way we can to help them.” Creating a grassroots program that can be adapted and used at rinks that are as diverse as the big cities and small towns where they are found, is an ever-changing pattern that has no end. “We will never be done,” Hines said. “To provide a learn to skate program that is always superior is a dynamic task. Every day we keep climbing. We won’t ever get to the top of the mountain—and we don’t want to. We want to continue to grow and change to provide a program that meets the needs of our users; it’s
Ultimately, Learn to Skate USA is the pathway to the biggest goal of all: drawing people onto the ice and instilling a lifelong love of skating. “It all boils down to what our organization, as well as everyone involved in skating, wants to do and that is to continue to grow the sport,” Hines said. “We want membership growth so we can build lifelong skaters and lifelong skating families. We want to expose as many people as possible to a sport that gives them so much more than sport.” For more information, go to http://learntoskateusa.com
The story of your life can be a
FAIRY TALE Team up with world-class skaters in a show that warms hearts around the world!
Feld Entertainment ® is seeking male and female skaters for U.S. and International tours of Disney On Ice. It is your opportunity to truly shine.
©Disney, ©Disney/Pixar
Please send a skating resume, photos, a current video (3 – 6 min.) and all contact info to: Judy Thomas, Talent Director and Production Coordinator, Feld Entertainment 800 Feld Way Palmetto, FL 34221 USA Phone: (941) 721-1234 Email: jthomas@feldinc.com
Coach Gear
Have you seen our fun apparel? uPDATE YOUR COACHING GEAR TODAY WHILE SUPPLIES LAST!
Don't forget our signature PSA apparel!
ww w.s ka tep sa. co m
PS MAGAZINE
13
EDUCATION Carol Rossignol, MD, MS, MG, MPD, MFF
Coaching in Emotional Control B Y D R . WA D E G I L B E R T
R
are is the coach who at some point in a season hasn’t been on the verge of losing his or her cool. Those who succumb to their emotions are the subject of social media sites, fan chats, newspaper and magazine articles, and nightly sportscasts. One sideline episode that garnered national attention was University of Florida head football coach Jim McElwain yelling profanities in the face of one of his players. The bounds of acceptance of such outbursts have been tested over the years, be it by baseball’s Billy Martin, football’s Woody Hayes, or basketball’s Bob Knight. And yet so frequent is the tirade over a call or berating of an athlete that generations of sports fans and participants have almost come to expect coaches to demonstrate such behavior during a season, if not every game. When I ask my college coaching class students if they ever had a coach who “lost it,” inevitably every hand goes up. Sport and coaching are rife with emotions. Coaches are passionate about what they do, and highly competitive by nature, as they should be. So the aim is not to suppress coaches’ emotions or they will come across as phony and lose both the trust of their athletes and their edge. The goal instead is to coach with genuine emotion–an authentic display of the feelings experienced at the time–but in a controlled way that will best help the athletes learn and perform. Indeed, coaches should embrace the heightened emotions that naturally come with competing. For example, championship NFL coach Pete Carroll is renowned for coaching with emotion, but he focuses on using that emotion in a positive way. He has found that his teams achieve more when he models responsible behavior and creates a culture of positive emotion. Instead of yelling at an athlete when they make a mistake, coach Carroll suggests asking yourself ‘What can I tell that athlete that will help him or her do the right thing next?’ Although yelling and screaming in an athlete’s face when they do something inappropriate or perform a skill incorrectly may be an authentic display of coach emotions, it does nothing to help the athlete learn or go back out and achieve peak performance. Nor does it model poise and emotional control for the rest of the team and coaching staff.
14
SEPTEMBER/ OCTOBER 2017
Two important general rules of thumb for coaches to remember when emotions run high are: 1.) Do not embarrass yourself or another 2.) Never make it personal When coaches berate an athlete in front of their teammates or focus on who they are as a person instead of their immediate behavior, it significantly diminishes the chances of that athlete hearing or accepting the message or being able to return at a high level of performance. Coaches can improve their ability to coach with poise and improve athlete development and performance by following the 4 R’s approach to emotional control. • Reveal. When an athlete does something that gets you frustrated, show your genuine emotion in an appropriate way. This could be a stern glare or a shift in body language (arms crossed). • Reason. Next, tell the athlete why you are disappointed. Athletes aren’t mind-readers, never assume they know why you are frustrated. For example, if you noticed that an athlete was gloating over an opponent after a play, tell them that you saw that and remind them that type of behavior is not consistent with our core values as a team. • Reprimand. Issue a consequence for the athlete behavior if needed or deemed appropriate. This might include removing the athlete from the game or practice, or making a note about the incident and issuing a consequence after the event if it is severe enough or if you have a team policy that identifies repercussions for that type of behavior (e.g., athlete code of conduct). • Refocus. Unless it is at the end of a competition or practice, the athlete may be expected to return to play. Your role as a coach now shifts to helping the athlete refocus for re-entry into the game or practice, when you determine it is appropriate. After the reprimand, re-assure the athlete that you believe in them and their ability to move on from the poor decision and make a positive contribution to the team. By reflecting on typical situations that are personally frustrating, coaches can prepare themselves to respond
with poise. Make a list of high-emotion inducing events that can occur in practices and competition (athletes late to practice, athletes not listening, poor attitude or effort, taunting opponents, questionable officiating). Next, for each situation prepare a contingency plan for how you will respond with poise. A time-tested strategy that coaches can include in their contingency plan is ‘count and breathe’. It seems simple, but perhaps the most powerful emotional control strategy is to simply count to three and focus on deep breathing. When you find yourself ‘losing it’, take a deep breath by inhaling through your nose while focusing on raising your belly, then your chest, while counting to three. Hold the breath for one second, then forcefully exhale through your mouth. This strategy will quickly lower your stress level and put you in a better frame of mind for deciding how to respond to a frustrating situation. Legendary championship coaches such as Tom Osborne (football), Tony DiCicco (soccer) and Dan Gable (wrestling) all taught emotional control strategies such as this to their athletes. For example, Dan Gable used to require that his athletes count to 10 before they went to shake an opponent’s hand following a match. If it works for athletes, why not for coaches too? The best coaches coach with passion and genuine emotion. However, these coaches also learn how to govern their emotions and model emotional control for their athletes. Coaches succeed, and gain the trust and respect of their athletes, when they coach with poise and teach with positive emotion.
PSA Conference & Trade Show
orlando May 23 – May 26, 2018 Hilton Orlando Lake Buena Vista @ Walt Disney World Resort LAKE BUENA VISTA, FL
U.S. Open Professional Figure Skating Championships and on-ice presentations: RDV SPORTSPLEX ICE DEN | ORLANDO, FL
REFERENCES: Belson, K. (2015, September 6). No foul mouths on this field: Football with a new age twist. The New York Times. Retrieved from www.nytimes.com Burton, D., & Raedeke, T. D. (2008). Sport psychology for coaches. Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics. Diaz, H. (2015, September 13). Florida coach Jim McElwain in sideline rant to player after penalty: ‘F***ing be a man!’. SB Nation. Retrieved from www.sbnation.com/ DiCicco, T., & Hacker, C., with Salzberg, C. (2002). Catch them being good: Everything you need to know to successfully coach girls. New York: Viking Galli, N. (2015). Improved coaching through emotional intelligence. Association for Applied Sport Psychology. Retrieved from www.appliedsportpsych.org Ravizza, K., & Osborne, T. (1991). Nebraska’s 3 R’s: One-play-at-a-time pre-performance routine for collegiate football. The Sport Psychologist, 5, 256-265. Seahawks.com (n.d.). Another Pete Carroll video Q&A [#AskCoach No. 4 – Yelling at players]. Retrieved from http://blog.seahawks.com Sports coach UK. (2015). Emotional coaching [Sports coach UK research summary 7]. Retrieved from www.sportscoachuk.org Wade Gilbert, PhD, is an award-winning professor in the department of kinesiology at California State University at Fresno. Dr. Gilbert holds degrees in physical education, human kinetics, and education and has taught and studied coaching at the University of Ottawa (Canada), UCLA, and Fresno State. He has more than 20 years of experience in conducting applied research with coaches around the world spanning all competitive levels, from youth leagues to the FIFA World Cup and the Olympic Games. Gilbert is widely published and is frequently invited to speak at national and international events. He is a coach education advisor to USA Football and a regular contributor to coaching seminars for Olympic and national team coaches in the United States and Canada.
PS MAGAZINE
15
at the 2017 Tammy with Karen Chen ionships mp Cha ting Ska re U.S. Figu
PHO TOS BY VICK I LUY
Tammy with ska Zhou at their Rivers ter Vincent ide, CA, rink
ou know that feeling you get when you use your own skills to help someone achieve a goal? Tammy Gambill knows the feeling, and turned it into a career. As a pre-teen, Gambill, the 2017 Professional Skaters Association and U.S. Figure Skating Coach of the Year, was asked by a friend how to complete a jump spin, something Gambill was capable of. Gambill told her. “I think I knew since I was 12 years old that I wanted to be a coach,” Gambill said. “I was helping a friend of mine, we were out training and she was struggling with something, and I helped her with it. She could do it, she landed it, and I was so excited. “I started helping some other kids and had that feeling that someday I am going to be a coach, I am going to teach other kids how to skate,” she said. Don’t you love it when a plan comes together? After skating competitively and achieving an appearance at the U.S.
16
SEPTEMBER/ OCTOBER 2017
Championships, Gambill made it official, turning to coaching as a profession at the age of 19 and working at Icetown in Riverside, Calif., where she is one of the rink’s most valued coaches—even more now that she is the PSA/U.S. Figure Skating Coach of the Year. “I was very excited and very honored to find out I was selected,” Gambill said. “It is something I have been wanting to achieve.” Gambill, who has served on several U.S. Figure Skating committees as well as the Board of Governors for the PSA was rewarded with the Coach of the Year honor for her work with 2017 U.S. champion Karen Chen, and 2017 World Junior champion and 2017 U.S. silver medalist Vincent Zhou. From the start, Gambill approached her chosen path with a determination to be the best coach she could be. Every chance she had to be in the company of great coaches, like former Coaches of the Year Frank Carroll or John Nicks, she watched them interact with their skaters to see if their approach was
something she could apply. “I needed to know what I wanted to do and what I didn’t want to do,” Gambill said. “I needed to know how I wanted to act. My own coach, Barbara Rolles, I wanted to be just like her growing up. I had some great role models along the way, and I was very lucky to have them to work with, to watch, and to admire.” Gambill, who has won the PSA/U.S. Figure Skating Developmental Coach of the Year award three times, found an outlet for her search for coaching excellence in the PSA seminars and training in conferences. In much the same way she embraced coaching from an early experience, her encounters with the PSA caused her to become more involved with the organization to help it promote the idea of accredited coaches with valuable coaching skills. “I started going to PSA events quite early in my coaching career,” Gambill said. “I was doing every seminar I could and writing down everything. Even today, coming back from PSA conferences or seminars, I learn
LEFT: As the recipient of several PSA awards, Tammy has collected a fair share of Edi Awards. Here she accepts the Edi for 2013 Developmental Coach of the Year in Chicago, IL.
Tammy with her parents in 2015
ABOVE: An avid golfer, Tammy and team took second place at the 2014 PS Foundation Memorial Classic in conjunction with the PSA Conference in Palm Springs, CA. PICTURED: Todd Sand, Tammy, Cheryl Faust, and Denise Williamson. ABOVE RIGHT: Tammy brings together her two passions!
something new or something I want to come home and try once I get back in the rink again. (The education) has been instrumental in my development as a coach.” Gambill had many successes as a coach prior to 2017, but this year her work was rewarded with two major accomplishments—one by Chen and the other by Zhou. The 18-year-old Chen won the U.S. Championships this year, and Zhou is a 17-year-old who earned the silver medal at the U.S. Championships. “Karen came to me right after she was in her first year in juniors,” Gambill said. “Her coach called me and said he wasn’t able to travel anymore and asked if I would take over training with her, and of course I said yes. “She is a little tiny thing with a lot of energy and a lot of desire,” she said. “She works a lot on cleaning up her jumps, her triples, so she was a little more consistent. She gave me 100 percent every day. Every year she has gotten stronger.” Chen suffered a broken ankle
in 2014 but that injury seemed to strengthen her resolve to succeed, and the attitude culminated in her national championship. “I knew she was capable of doing it, but it was just getting her to put it all together at the right time,” Gambill said. “It was really exciting to watch her go out and believe ‘you can do this, believe in yourself and show everybody what you are capable of ’. “Afterwards, I was laughing,” she said. “I told her ‘It is always so much more fun when you skate well’.” Chen went on to finish fourth at Worlds, and combined with Ashley Wagner’s seventh place finish, the United States was granted three qualifying spots for the 2018 Olympics in South Korea. Zhou, 17, made a huge leap in progress in 2017, finishing second in the U.S. Championships and then taking the 2017 World Juniors title. “I have taught Vincent since he was a little boy,” Gambill said. “His coach in northern California sent him to me, and on his family vacations he would
Pictured with her son Matthew and daughter-in-law Nicole, Tammy is excited to soon add ‘Grandma’ to her list of accomplishments!
come down and work, then he made the switch over (to Icetown). He was always a very hard worker and very curious about what he was doing. He loved to jump.” Gambill noted Zhou’s swift ascent in skating, claiming intermediate, novice, and junior championships through 2013 when he suffered two injuries, including a torn lateral meniscus in his right knee. He returned to competitive skating in 2015 and, after working with several other coaches in Colorado Springs, returned to Gambill in 2016. “He is a very determined young man and will work very hard, to the point where I have to tell him he has done enough jumping in the session and tell him to cut back a little bit,” Gambill said. Gambill sees further growth for both Chen and Zhou going forward. “They are both in a great spot,” she said. “They can be great contenders for the Olympic team. They are both capable of making it and I am expecting them to give it a good shot.”
PS MAGAZINE
17
Skate to more fulfilling Saturdays. Skate to great. Ice skating is a fun way to bond with your children and make memories that last a lifetime. Get started today, visit LearnToSkateUSA.com
endorsed by
OBITUARY U.S. Hall of Famer Ricky Harris Passes Away at 95 U.S. Figure Skating Hall of Famer Ricky Harris died June 21 at her home in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico. She was 95. Often referred to as “the mother of choreography education in figure skating,” Harris revolutionized the sport in 1972 when she began integrating dance concepts into figure skating choreography. For more than 40 years, Harris choreographed for dozens of the world’s best skaters. Harris worked with Olympic champions Scott Hamilton, Brian Boitano, Evan Lysacek and World champions and medalists Michelle Kwan, Linda Fratianne, Christopher Bowman, Tai Babilonia and Randy Gardner, among others. In Hamilton’s 1984 Olympic season, Harris began sitting with Hamilton and coach Don Laws in the kiss and cry, making her the first choreographer to do so. Today, choreographers routinely join athletes and coaches as they await the judges’ scores. Harris, who in 2013 received the Professional Skaters Association Lifetime Achievement Award, was instrumental in establishing the PSA rating in choreography and was one of the first choreographers to become a master-rated coach. A prolific writer, Harris earned a master’s degree in dance and a Ph.D. in choreography. She published three books and was a frequent contributor to SKATING magazine, where she wrote a popular column that shared her insight and answered readers’ questions in the 1980s and 1990s. Always ahead of her time, Harris produced the first figure skating instructional videos and created a series of choreography workshops that are still being conducted by American Ice Theatre, which awarded her with a Lifetime Achievement Award in 2012. Harris is survived by her husband Paul Piazzese, daughter Hillary and son John. The family asks that in lieu of flowers, donations be made to the U.S. Figure Skating Memorial Fund. For those wishing to send letters of condolences, mail to: Paul Piazzese, PMB #313A, 220 N Zapapa Hwy #11, Laredo, TX 78043-4464 Reprinted with permission from U.S. Figure Skating | Photo courtesy of U.S. Figure Skating
Debbie Gordon Devoted mother, loving wife, treasured sister and steadfast friend, passed away June 25, 2017, surrounded by her loving husband Bob of 29 years, her two adored children Ali and Evan, her doting brother Bruce Goldberg and, of course, her emotional support animal and best friend, Cooper. She will be sorely missed by many. Born Debra Lee Goldberg in Newark, NJ on August 24, 1957, she graduated summa cum laude from the Fashion Institute of Technology. Debbie did everything to its fullest with impeccable skill and grace. She loved skating and the beauty of figure skating. A tireless supporter of skating as an art form, Deb contributed to the growth of both the Ice Theatre of New York and the Next Ice Age. She was honored as ITNY’s 2012 Ice Angel for her tireless dedication and outstanding contributions. In December 2014, Debbie co-founded Ice Dance International and served as IDI’s Executive Director and Chair of its Board of Directors until stepping down in March due to failing health. In lieu of flowers, or other tributes, please make a donation to Debbie’s beloved Ice Dance International in her memory, www.icedanceinternational.org.
Thomas McGinnis, MFF, MP, MDFD, MPD, MG, MS, MC, MM On July 24, 2017, PSA honorary member Thomas McGinnis passed away after a lifelong career dedicated to the figure skating community. Thomas was born on October 10, 1935. His skating career included competing, performing, and judging at professional competitions, as well as coaching at the national, world, and Olympic level. He coached for over 55 years at The Skating Club of Boston. Tom was a master rated coach and rating examiner in ten PSA disciplines: figures and free skate, pairs, dance and free dance, program director, group, synchronized team skating, choreography, and moves in the field. He is the only coach to have earned a master rating in each discipline. In addition, Tom was awarded a Level VII ranking, PSA’s Lifetime Achievement Award, and was a member of PSA’s Coaches Hall of Fame. Tom has certainly left a grand legacy and he will be sorely missed.
P ROF ESSIONAL SKATERS ASSOC I AT I ON
EXCELLENCE ON ICE REQ U I RE ME NTS To participate in the EOI program all coaches of the club or rink must be PSA members and carry liability insurance. Member coaches receive a variety of benefits which include: seminars, workshops and conferences, eligibility for ratings and accreditation, group health insurance, liability insurance, PS Magazine subscription, and job placement services. BE NE FI TS Register now and receive national and international recognition as a progressive training facility dedicated to excellence in coaching both on and off-ice. As a registered facility you will receive an ‘Excellence On Ice’ shield to be displayed in the arena, international recognition in PS Magazine, and access to a resource coordinator in the PSA office—all at no cost!
PS MAGAZINE
19
icture this: a theatrical performance where the stage is a sheet of ice and the actors are wearing skates. Theatre On Ice (TOI), long popular in Europe as Ballet on Ice, is a competitive discipline, where eight to 24 costumed skaters use props, backdrops and, through artistry and emotion, tell a story. But it’s way more than that. There’s often full-face makeup, extravagant costume changes and awesome props that fly around the ice as fast as the skaters do. It’s a discipline where, truly, whatever the creative mind can think up, the story can unfold in a four- to five-minute timeframe. It’s hard to conceptualize if it hasn’t been experienced. It’s even harder to jump in and do it if you don’t know what you’re getting into—but don’t let that be a deterent. “Theatre On Ice is growing uncontrollably,” said Jamie Lynn Santee, director, coach and co-choreographer of the Rochester Figure Skating Club’s Theatre On Ice team in
20
SEPTEMBER/ OCTOBER 2017
Minnesota. “In fact, I’m not sure you could stop it if you tried. It’s one of those forces that you should probably figure out soon and start building a program now.” Santee is practicing what she’s preaching. The Rochester FSC TOI team started humbly enough when a 45-minute slot of ice opened up for eight weeks. Santee jumped on the opportunity, drawing on her personal background and teaching from her own creative place. “In my teens, I was surrounded by crazy-talented and creative people in Canada—Ellen Burka, Toller Cranston, Gary Beacom, Ozzie Colson,” she said. “Mrs. B used to do this awesome theatre class and she’d play music and yell out a theme. I remember one of my favorites was ‘the storm’ where we had to skate down the ice, feeling and acting out strong winds pushing against us. I loved every minute!” In January 2014, Santee opened up her club’s first Theatre On Ice class to include skaters from Basic 8 through
senior moves with 44 skaters signing up. And by September that same year the Rochester FSC had a TOI team that eased into their first season performing in exhibitions and local shows. “We wanted to take our time to feel our way through the whole process in order to give us a better sense of how to manage a TOI team, as well as giving our club time to warm up to all that TOI had to offer,” said Santee, who co-choreographs with Kristina Orlova, a coach and choreographer from the Ukraine and also works with the Rochester FSC synchronized skating teams. “We watched everything we could on YouTube and gradually found our way with the help of the U.S. Figure Skating Theatrical Committee and so many people who had already been creatively involved with TOI. I am especially grateful to Kate McSwain and Jodi Porter for all of their guidance and inspiration our first year.”
Santee knew the next step for their second season was traveling to the 2016 National Theatre on Ice Competition in Alabama. TOI is divided into several levels: basic skills, preliminary, open, intermediate, novice, junior, senior, and adult. Wanting to give any club skater who qualified an opportunity to explore and display their artistic self, Rochester decided to compete at the open level. “We wanted to let anyone join who wanted to,” she said. “Our youngest skaters are on the same team as the highest level skaters in our club. It’s amazing to see how the gap closes when it comes to heart, soul, and creativity. It can be challenging, yet so rewarding, to be able to pull all ages, levels, and abilities together and make it all look fairly seamless.” It was an eye-opening experience. “When we went to (TOI) Nationals in 2016, we went into it
PS MAGAZINE
21
pretty darn blindly,” Santee said. “While the team skated well, we were certainly outflashed in the free skate program. We had no clue how big some of the productions could get.” But Santee learned and her team was inspired. Finishing third out of 22 teams in the choreographic exercise (CE) was a “huge, pleasant shock,” and a sixth in the free skate put them in fourth overall. “We were ecstatic,” Santee said. “It was our first ever TOI competition and so exciting to finally be able to sit and watch live events. We just soaked it all in.” Cut to the 2017 National Theatre On Ice Competition from June 21-25 hosted by the Greater Evansville FSC in Indiana, and a savvier Rochester team came to skate. The CE, TOI’s version of the short program, has a set theme each season and skaters are allowed to wear only black and use minimal makeup and basic hair styles. Very, very stripped down theatre. “This year’s theme was fantasy, which was fun, but quite the challenge when everyone is required to wear black and no props are allowed,” said Santee, who chose skeletons for the fantasy CE which earned them a third place. “But there is something magical about watching a large group move to music, in unison, in exactly the same outfits and hairstyles. It takes the flash factor out and it’s all about the beauty of movement across the ice.” Then it came to the free skate—and the evolution of the Rochester program showed. Literally. Their performance started with sounds of crackling and
22
SEPTEMBER/ OCTOBER 2017
popping as 20 caterpillars dressed in green unitards crawled out from under an extra-large piece of fabric, representing birth. The music then transitioned to “an awesome tribal piece, a celebration which we called the caterpillar party,” Santee said. Then, of course, the emergence. The giant, stitched-together piece of fabric floated down like a cocoon covering the skaters’ bodies. The fabric was lifted up again and the “caterpillars” came out, showing hints of a change occurring. On the second pass, the skaters emerged as butterflies from underneath. A costume change actually in front of the audience’s eyes, which led to the Rochester FSC TOI team earning its first gold medal for the free skate and a 1st place overall finish. “Personally, I love the unexpected so we really wanted to try to create that magic moment in front of everyone,” Santee said. “The music we finally found for the end of the program gave us a forum to use simple edging, beautiful lines, and floating spirals. I come from a very pure skating and ballet background. There’s something so beautiful and fetching in holding edges. I love that with Theatre On Ice anything goes and the only limits are how far your imagination can take you.” That might just be where TOI is truly going to find its niche. “There is often so much emphasis on the technical side of skating and, where I absolutely appreciate and believe there is a place for triples and quads, some areas of skating can exist without it,” Santee said. “I think Theatre
On Ice can help provide a different quality and feed the artistic side of our sport. I feel very strongly that there’s a place for everything that figure skating has to offer. I have coached all levels and have been very involved in IJS, but I believe that every discipline exists in skating for a reason. I have been fortunate to have competed in all of them at one point or another in my career. This is another dimension for kids to want to stay involved and perhaps a more universal way to keep the love of skating alive. Probably one of the most important things for me is creating situations where skaters can one day walk away with great memories of their time skating.” That passion can help far more teams than just the one at the Rochester FSC. Telling the story of how her program developed at the PSA conference in May, Santee was asked to join the U.S. Figure Skating Theatrical Skating Committee. “I really had no idea what path we might take when we started this journey a few years ago, but if you take your passion for something and march forward with it, you will find your way,” she said. “Come to find out a lot of coaches out there would like to start their own team, but weren’t quite sure how to begin. I would love to continue to share what I have experienced and help anyone interested in getting started and, in turn, hope to give them confidence to go for it.”
Like the pivotal moment in a musical production, Theatre On Ice is growing and building and gaining momentum. “Theatre On Ice has increased in both teams and individuals participating by 20 percent in the past two years alone,” said Lauren Whittaker, National Vice Chair, Theatre On Ice, Theatrical Skating Committee for U.S. Figure Skating. “We now have 100 teams in 27 states and we had 80 teams, with 1,326 skaters, competing this year at the National TOI Competition.” Drawing in skaters and coaches yearning to explore the places imagination can go, TOI has tapped into a certain something. “Theatre On Ice is a creative sandbox for skaters, choreographers and coaches to explore performance on ice in a new way,” Whittaker said. “Connection to music and storytelling through movement are of prime importance versus executing a particular technical element. This focus on the component side of performance means that character development, expression through movement and creation of universe become important goals. TOI is a wonderful addition to the other disciplines within U.S. Figure Skating as it can help build a movement vocabulary which can be drawn from when participating in all types of skating performances.” While TOI in the U.S. has been around for over a decade, it was recently given more of a spotlight when the Theatrical Skating Committee was formed a few years ago. This focus means changes are coming in TOI’s next act, one of which will be revamping the 6.0 judging system currently used at competitions. “We are developing a component-based judging system using five marks,” Whittaker said. “This will be an important tool in assessing and quantifying TOI programs, which will provide more detailed feedback to coaches on their team’s performances. It will also provide a structure for the training and evaluation of judges.” Another work-in-progress is the cultivation of more competitions. “The development of a series of TOI competitions is an important step in developing a competitive season,” she said. “Teams put incredible amounts of energy and resources into creating their programs and are looking for opportunities to compete.” As well, the Theatrical Skating Committee has an eye toward opportunities to get skaters together to focus on their unique discipline. “We are working on a Theatrical Skating Training Festival which will allow our skaters to come together for a weekend to learn new performance techniques, both on and off the ice,” Whittaker said. “The Synchronized Skating Training Festivals have been very successful and we think applying a similar concept focused on developing performance skills, music interpretation and storytelling on ice is a great idea.” With the curtain really only beginning to rise on TOI’s future, the opportunity to connect with their true artistic self is attracting skating artisans. “TOI is a fun way for skaters of various ages and ability levels to skate together in a team activity,” Whittaker said. “The age and test levels of the divisions include flexibility so that teams can be formed from a broad range of skaters. It is both a place for skaters to develop their creative and performance skills as well as an important membership retention tool for clubs and coaches.”
PS MAGAZINE
23
REAL LIFE COACHING Bob Mock, MDFD, SG
Rental Skates Can Make or Break a Program
I
received a letter from a coach who was frustrated with the issue of teaching skating classes and new students on poorly maintained rental skates. It is an issue he has faced in several facilities and wondered if other coaches were experiencing the same situation, and what should a coach do? We didn’t have to look very far to find evidence of similar situations. With a little searching we found two different levels of rental care: 1. Facilities that have a regular rental skate maintenance program with documentation to confirm the regular inspection. These are rinks who carefully regularly clean, sharpen, and check insoles, laces, and general condition. This ensures that our newest customers are going to have a positive experience with skating equipment. 2. Facilities that have little or no program of maintaining their rental skates. This of course results in a bad experience by our newest customers. Examples are numerous: • One facility refused to sharpen skates because someone might get hurt on sharp skates. The skates were so dull that tot class skaters were actually falling sideways because the blades were like curtain rods. • Numerous rinks carelessly use hockey laces in figure skates and figure skate laces in hockey rentals. Often the laces are either broken, tied together, too long, or too short. The result is a perplexed, unknowing customer. • Other problems include deteriorated insoles exposing sharp edges, broken down boots, or poorly fitting boots • Rental staff that are not educated in proper boot fitting resulting in the “I can’t skate because I have weak ankles” frustration • Figure skates that have been sharpened like hockey skates. • Lack of disinfecting skates resulting in, as one coach said, “the largest manufacture of athlete’s foot in the United States!” • Another common error at rental rooms is passing out two left or two right skates, or the parent puts the skates on opposite feet! This wreaks havoc during busy times when classes are large and someone rushes into a class late. The bottom line is that rental skates that are not maintained hurt the facility and the coaching staff. Additionally, it can
24
SEPTEMBER/ OCTOBER 2017
expose the facility and the coach from a liability standpoint. If you happen to be working in the second type of facility, here are some suggestions to improve the situation. 1. Talk to the arena manager about establishing a maintenance program for rentals. Explain how it will benefit the bottom line financially and the safety of the customer. 2. Talk to the rental room attendants about proper boot fitting for the class skaters and selecting the best rentals 3. Get involved as a coach by hand-selecting the best rental skates in advance. Check the boot, blade sharpness, and disinfect with your own supplies, if necessary. 4. Double check the fit of each student’s boots before they take the ice 5. Learn that in some situations a quick blade honing can make the world of difference if sharpening is not an option. 6. Teach the parents and skaters (and staff ) the proper technique for lacing. Taking a few minutes at the beginning of the initial skating class to teach everyone how to properly fit and lace a rental skate can go a long way in creating a positive, safe skating experience for the participants. Rental skate manufacturers have developed excellent, low maintenance boots and blades in recent years. It would be extremely helpful if rental skate manufacturers offered a sizing mat that skaters of all ages could step on in order to know their skate size. It is our responsibility as professionals to monitor what equipment our students are using on the ice and that it is done with care, resulting in a great skating experience for everyone. Comments are welcome at MBobMock@aol.com or 412.780.6637
“Turning off your phone and setting firm boundaries and not making exceptions must happen. And it needs to be understood that it’s OK to do that.”
Coaches Taking Care of Themselves
C
oaches: Time to look in the mirror.
In what is often a pressure-filled sport, the ability of a skater to calm themselves and refocus is the difference between a talented skater and an accomplished one. Good coaches know this and invest time working with their skaters on their mental state. The same philosophy should be applied to those charged with their skating care. “As coaches, we are always teaching students to be present in the moment,” said Choeleen Loundagin, a coach with an M.A. in sports psychology. “Yes, it’s counterintuitive because, as a coach, there’s always so much to do. I hear all of the time from coaches, ‘I can’t take time for myself.’” On both sides of the boards, performances can be greatly affected by mental strength. “If you don’t take care of yourself you can’t take care of or lead others,” said Loundagin, who’s also a performance enhancement consultant and wrote the book, The Inner Champion: A Mental Toughness Training Manual for Figure Skaters. “If your mind is scattered, you can’t take care of your students to your best ability.” Coaches need to be able to assess their own mental space and treat themselves in the same manner as their students.
“The same skills apply,” Loundagin said. “Continuously check in with yourself. If you’re stressed or over-the-top, just stop and do some breathing. Breathe out the feeling of being overwhelmed and breathe in calmness. Smile as you exhale. You can also use some positive imagery—just like the skaters. It sounds simple, but anything that can get you back to a centered place. Taking even just a few minutes can really go far in re-energizing. You still have to go 100 places and do 1,000 things, but if you take a little break to breathe and relax, it can make everything so much better.” In demanding, always “on” careers, burnout is real and it happens often. “The scientific proof is there,” Loundagin said. “When you feel overwhelmed, cortisol releases into the brain and begins to break down the mental side. If you’re under constant stress, that very quickly can also lead to breaking down the physical side as well. Mental breaks are so important for your health and for your ability to be able to enjoy longevity in what is a high-stress profession.” Physical manifestations include fatigue, difficulty focusing, being short on patience, insomnia, headaches, and illness. “There’s so much out there now with SafeSport training and CER’s that the sport is really focusing on the psychological treatment
By Terri Milner Tarquini
of skaters,” Loundagin said. “If you are not able to be encouraging and positive, or you’re sick and away from the rink, or you feel like you’re not getting anything accomplished, maybe it’s because you’re not being as effective as you can be as a coach.” Some suggestions for finding calm and mental strength could be yoga, meditation, massage, reading, gardening, walking, hiking, lunch with a friend, or even doing peaceful edges on the ice. “I hear often, ‘I can’t meditate, it’s too hard,’” Loundagin said. “Well, it is hard in the beginning, but quieting the chaos in your mind is not going to just easily happen. Accomplishing it is a challenge, but can really be worth it. When you wanted an Axel, it wasn’t easy either. It doesn’t have to be as dramatic as sitting cross-legged and making ‘ohmmm’ sounds, but finding some calm is so key.” And the real hurdle: unplugging. “There’s so much over stimuli that it taxes the brain,” she said. “Coaches are getting tugged on in all sorts of different ways—texting, emails, calls, social media—that it just always keeps the brain switched on. There’s less time away from work because we’re so connected and immediate responses are expected. It just creates a never-ending hectic cycle. Turning continued on page 27 PS MAGAZINE
25
BEST BUSINESS PRACTICES David Shulman, MFF, MP, SD
I.D. Theft W
hen you are a victim of identity and financial theft, you must determine specifically what has been stolen from you. Have your credit cards all been compromised? Is your Social Security number being used to gain access to other information? What about your passwords and bank account numbers? I will outline what you should be aware of, what you might be able to do to protect yourself in the future, and what you must do in order to return to a status of good standing to your financial identification. Here is how this works. The thieves, through a variety of activity, gather information held in private with information services. These services can be a credit union, a place of employment, a chiropractic, dentist, pharmacy or medical office, or the dumpster where you threw out the trash. Retail businesses require financial information from customers to open charge accounts and issue debit/credit cards. Creditors now go to great expense and are becoming ever sharper in protecting the information given to them by their customers. The damage lawsuits that occur as a result of loss by theft of financial information is huge. Retailers such as Target, Tiffany, Macy’s, as well as most other major department stores, now have the courts making them financially responsible for security of the information in their records. As the losses grow, so grows security. You can protect yourself and you can become very proactive. NEVER, ever give your Social Security number to someone over the telephone. This number has been used by the federal government, protection agencies, shopping clubs for consumers, credit card agencies, and employers. For almost everyone, this particular number serves as your PIN. Personal identification number. If you discover unknown charges to your credit card, you must immediately call the institution where the credit card was issued. Call the police. Make sure you file a special report indicating you are the victim of identity fraud. If this theft involves the use of the post office, contact your local postmaster at once. Next contact all your creditors. This call should be made by telephone and should also be followed up with a written note from you informing your creditor of the problem. The creditors want your business. They are motivated to help. Next get in touch with the Federal Trade Commission, which is the national clearinghouse for complaints made
26
SEPTEMBER/ OCTOBER 2017
by victims of identity theft. An excellent booklet to read is “When Bad Things Happen to Your Good Name”. An obvious item but one easily missed, when working with someone who claims to be helping you, make sure they are who they say they are. Be absolutely positive! Many are the reports of identity thieves posing as inspectors where they actually extract additional information from you.
Here’s what you can do to protect your identity: Do • Buy a paper shredder and use it any time you need to dispose of old financial records, tax returns, and employee statement of earnings. Place a lock on your mailbox. If you cannot do so, do not mail any of your financial records or applications by leaving them as “pick-up” mail in your box. Take it to a U.S. postal box or post office. • Obtain and check your credit report at least once a year. Any improper activity will show up on this credit report. You can request a copy of your report from the three major credit bureaus Experian, Equifax, and Trans Union. Don’t • Leave credit card or other personal information on a computer or website • Don’t discard old mail in a dumpster thinking no one will see or read it. NEVER believe that crumpling up a document is equal to shredding it. • Be smart, be alert, and immediately report any unusual activity regarding your financial or other personal information
Coaches Taking Care of Themselves continued from page 25 off your phone and setting firm boundaries and not making exceptions must happen. And it needs to be understood that it’s OK to do that.” As expectations increase and changes are levied on the sport, the pressures of coaching are not getting any easier, which might speak to the importance of dividing and conquering.
coaches stay up too late, get up too early, and they’re always grabbing a quick snack or some non-nutritious lunch,” Loundagin said. “They need to listen to what they’re saying and use it on themselves.” Much like coaches want their students to be organized and have a clear picture of what their day-to-day goals are, turnabout should be fair play.
“The requirements on coaches are more intense—what with needing to understand biomechanics and periodization and keeping up with all of the rule changes,” Loundagin said. “Establishing a good team of people that you trust, that you respect, that you have good communication with and that you can rely on will keep everything from being on your plate.”
“There’s so much to do as a coach; it’s constant all of the time,” Loundagin said. “If a skater thinks of needing to do a whole clean program, it can be overwhelming; but if they think of one thing at a time, it’s doable. Coaches are always thinking three steps ahead of themselves, but they need to have a clear picture of what they want to accomplish that day and go at it one step at a time.”
The old coaching simile, comparing an athlete’s body to a car that needs gas to run, cuts both ways.
Skating being a sport that tends to attract competitive high-achievers, it only stands to reason that those drawn to coaching are often made from that same mold.
“Coaches are always telling their skaters about rest and recovery and nutrition, but
“There’s always something more to
achieve in skating,” she said. “And, even though that’s the case, coaches want their skaters to emphasize the positive of what has been accomplished. Coaches need to do that too. Yes, they know they have more to do and they always want to get better, but it’s important for coaches to allow themselves to feel good that they helped someone—just a little moment of, ‘I did it.’” In the end, it’s less about what a coach is doing to give themselves a little TLC and more that they are doing something. “If you had a physical ailment, you would take the time to take care of it; this is the same thing,” Loundagin said. “But be proactive on this and don’t wait until you are already breaking down. The mind and soul need a little care, so just find what works for you. Whatever it is, the important thing is doing something. There’s a difference between thriving and surviving, and coaches need to carve out a little time so they can thrive.”
Professional Skaters Foundation
Be a part of a community that cares
“The Joy of Coaching is about you and who you are as a coach today. It is about your coaching heritage, your skating DNA and where you sit in the coaching family tree.” ~ Bob Mock, PSA President 1994-1999
Order your copy at www.skatepsa.com
The PS Foundation recently joined the Smile Amazon Program. Amazon donates 0.5% of all eligible purchases to a charity that you designate on the Smile.amazon.com website. AmazonSmile is a simple and automatic way for you to support the PS Foundation every time you shop, with no additional cost to you. Simply go to smile. amazon.com from your web browser, choose the PS Foundation as your designated charity, and use your existing amazon.com account with all the same settings! We all shop on Amazon today; please consider choosing the PS Foundation as your designated charity and start shopping on smile.amazon.com! Please spread the word to family and friends!
PS MAGAZINE
27
RINKBLAZER
Darin Hosier, MFS, RFF By Terri Milner Tarquini
It was Dorothy Hamill who inspired a 10-year-old Darin Hosier to start taking skating lessons. But it’s been Hosier himself who has inspired countless others through his work in figure skating; cancer; AIDS advocacy (he also helped with the AIDS quilt in 1992); and LGBTQ youth mentorship. Hosier is a study in heeding a call and then not giving up the pursuit. Passing his preliminary test at 13 and later competing as what was then “special juvenile” with a double Axel at 14, he was the national novice men’s bronze medalist at 17. “The jumps came quickly, but figures were tough,” he said. Following graduating from George Mason University, Hosier then toured as a professional skater for three years before deciding to coach. He’s been with his coaching partner and best friend, Corrie Martin, for 25 years; has worked with Grassroots to Champions and Audrey Weisiger for 15 years; and he and Martin coached the 2007 Junior Grand Prix champion, a 2011 U.S. novice ladies national medalist, and the 2012 U.S. senior ladies collegiate champion. But in the fall of 2012, Hosier was diagnosed with Stage 4 colon cancer—and that’s when all he had given started to come full circle. A benefit directed and choreographed by Martin was emceed by Kristi Yamaguchi with numbers performed by Rachael Flatt, Michael Weiss, and Ben Agosto, and the event raised close to $40,000 for his medical expenses. Hosier earned his master rating in free skate with a Level V ranking in 2014—one month after completing his 20th round of chemotherapy. “I was proud of forcing my ‘chemo brain’ to stay sharp and focused,” he said. Having just celebrated his tenth anniversary with his partner Dr. Sasha Starcevich, an accomplished musician and teacher, Hosier is at four years with “no evidence of disease,” and keeps his eye on the five-year mark when he can say the word “remission.” In the meantime, he works—and works it. Off ice it’s volunteering for the Colon Cancer Alliance, FIGHT CRC, and the Colon Club. On ice it’s going the extra mile for his skaters. “He is 120 percent dedicated and is always coming up with new ways to communicate ideas to our skaters,” Martin said. “One day I came into the rink
28
SEPTEMBER/ OCTOBER 2017
and all of the kids were juggling during their off-ice time. Another time I walked in and he had them all wrapped up in bungee cords with lights on their heads. He makes learning fun. He is passionate about everything. He is so hard to put into words…you just really have to experience him.”
Was there a moment when you first realized coaching was in your future? Coaching is a calling. I had graduated from George Mason University (with a bachelor’s degree in speech communication) so I had choices, but I loved being in a rink and the ice always felt like home.
Skating as a sport takes great passion. So does coaching. What are you passionate about? Bringing talent to fruition at whatever level that is. It can be adult, recreation, or competitive skater; I want them to reach and stretch beyond what they thought they could do. When you get lucky enough to have a true talent walk into your rink, it’s an awesome job to help them attain their goals, but so few kids make it to that upper echelon and they can still get so much out of the sport. Strong work ethic, stick-to-itiveness…we all know what skating has done for us.
Did skating help prepare you for your cancer battle? I am positive that skating helped me with my cancer struggles. I had a doctor who was so shocked at how much weight and muscle mass I had gained prior to surgery. I just said, “I’m a figure skater. I achieve goals.” It’s just inate in us. The idea of getting up might sound a little cliché, but that is what we do. We. Get. Up. I asked myself, ‘What is the option?’ The option wasn’t good so I kept getting up.
Conversely, did cancer help bring a unique perspective to your coaching? Everyone has their own journey and, whatever their problems are, those cannot and should not be diminished. I don’t lecture—that’s not my style, but a little cajoling to provide a reality check or put things in perspective can be a good reminder that there are people everywhere who are struggling with things we can’t even imagine.
What do you think has aided you on your path to finding more success and growth as a coach? Surround yourself with really talented and trustworthy people. I have been at the same
rink for 25 years with my coaching partner Corrie Martin. The rink is a family-run rink built in the 1960s—it’s a real ma and pa shop. We can’t have qualifying competitions there because it’s 15 feet shorter than an NHL rink, but there’s an Olympic-sized rink five miles up the road so we take field trips and it works out well. It is just so nice to be in an environment where the coaches really get along and help each other.
Growing a life outside the rink can sometimes be challenging for coaches. How do you navigate this terrain? What interests do you pursue off the ice? I have always been a huge advocate for volunteerism. When I moved to Washington in the early 90s, I did a lot with Lambert House that worked with gay, lesbian, and transgender youth. It was a pivotal time in the AIDS timeline. I also worked with groups that gave emotional support to people with lifethreatening illnesses. I had the privilege of holding a gentleman the very second that he succumbed to AIDS. I was his volunteer partner for two years prior to his death and for him to allow me to be present at his passing was an honor and a privilege. It instantly puts into perspective life outside the ice arena and prepared me for my impending journey with cancer. Even in his darkest moments, he had a sharp sense of humor and I found humor to help me in my darkest moments as well.
You had many, many people who got together for you… Oh my goodness, did I! It was such an amazing show! Corrie directed and choreographed it and Rachael Flatt and Ben Agosto and Michael Weiss skated. It was so surreal! Even Kristi Yamaguchi emceed. I walked in and thought, “Wow! Who is this for?” I could not believe it was all for me… it was so surreal. There were some very emotional performances. Words can’t really describe how magical it was. It went so far in helping to defray the medical costs and it made me feel even more compelled to help where I could. There are so many people out there with no support system and I have such an amazing one.
What would your advice be to coaches who are interested in growing their career? Learn everything you can. You can have a love of the sport and a passion for it—and that aspect is very important—but you have to know the technical part of how jumps
What are your goals for your career and your future? What are your next steps?
Darin with fellow coach Corrie Martin and skater
Darin was the 2013 recipient of the Betty Beren’s Award
and spins actually work. This sport is only progressing more in the technical aspect and we are asking a lot of little bodies. We have a duty to know what we’re doing so we can keep them healthy. We can’t just jump, jump, jump. We need to know what we’re doing and why we’re doing it. Ask questions and use your resources. The G2C team has done such a great job of creating drills upon drills that correlate to the sport. We can’t keep banging away at bodies for no reason. I have also found icoachskating.com and Tom Z’s websites to be very informative and I highly recommend both. That said, the basics, biomechanics and physics are still so important—how to skate and hold an edge.
Do you think the advances in your career have been by chance or have you opened those doors? I might not be the most talented skater or coach, but I am a very hard worker. I want to do what I can to help shape and navigate the skaters that come to me and trust me. I am big in empowerment, even early on, in a skater’s career. That doesn’t mean they run the show, but I like them to have a voice. We encourage them to speak up and we provide the proper guidance.
What is your favorite skating move to watch when it’s performed really, really well? Great question! I love the big tricks just as much as anyone, I have some favorite things I
watch for when I just know that a skater is really going to move me. The first thing is their first lap around the rink—how they take the ice just really says something. Then I always watch for their waltz jump and their camel spin. You can get a really clear idea of what a skater is going to be like from those things. I know as well as anyone that we have to roll with where the sport is heading, but in a show setting, a blurred scratch spin or a split spiral or spread eagle is better than any jump. I still teach falling leafs, hitch kicks, double bunny hops, inside Axels, and one-foot Axels to my kids. I want to keep those cool things alive.
Do you have a motto or philosophy? I came up with this motto for my skaters: bend, breathe, and believe. The very first thing a skater has to do is learn how to bend—how to press into their ankles and bend their knees. The breathing is important as it relaxes and gets you comfortable on the ice. And of course you have to believe in yourself; whatever the obstacle is, you have to have that belief. It’s really more of a mantra because it helps with life too. After several surgeries, one of my post-op goals was to walk one mile, which was 17 laps around the hospital floor. It took all day, but the mantra “bend, breathe, believe” kept playing in my head. I have a great deal of respect for skaters; it takes a lot of courage to do what they do. They put themselves out in the middle of a big sheet of ice and ask—ask—to be judged. It’s such a day-in day-out sport—it just never stops. Falls are more inherent than in any other sport—they don’t just happen, they are the norm. Every. Single. Day. You have to be able to bend, breathe, and believe.
I want to continue helping kids to achieve in all of their goals, whatever those may be. If that at some point takes the form of a World or Olympic berth, that would be wonderful, but there’s so many variables to that happening that are totally out of my control. I just had an adult skater pass her third figure test. She had worked very hard and that brought a great deal of satisfaction—I was happy I was able to help her get that. If Worlds or the Olympics are part of my journey, I would want that to be a positive experience for my skaters. I have a great deal of empathy for what goes on behind the scenes with kids and what they are dealing with inside themselves. In the end, it’s so much less about the sport and so much more about them as a person.
How would you describe your journey in the world of coaching so far? Ultimately rewarding, but also challenging. Skating helped me grow a great deal into who I am today. It opened my mind to many different perspectives. I can get focused on one way of doing things, but I can definitely credit skating with helping me understand the art of compromise. And on the other hand, I also learned the importance of sticking to my guns if I really believe in something. I’m a definite work-in-progress. (Laughing)
Down the road of life, what are some things you hope your skaters take with them that they learned from you? Winston Churchill said, “Never, never, never give up.” I have used that quote in my Relay for Life speeches. I hope my example of fighting through cancer is inspiring, but I never want to give the impression that I’m alive because I had a more positive attitude or I fought harder than anyone else. There are so many who have had just as much positivity and fight and it has gone the other way. In whatever challenge you’re facing—a competition, a test, a disease, a life choice—you have to never, never, NEVER give up! ***Hosier would like to extend further thanks to the choreographers and local clubs who all came together for his benefit: Becci Safai, Tina McPherson, Heidi Green, Stephanie Burgess, Arlene McSorley, Alicia Elliott, and Meegan McDonald, as well as the Highland Skating Club, Castle Skating Club, Lakewood Figure Skating Club, Seattle Figure Skating Club, and Kingsgate Figure Skating Club. “The whole thing was just so touching,” he said.
PS MAGAZINE
29
Welcome coaches!
New
MEMBERS NEW MEMBER SPONSOR Michelle Bafford Karen Barber Remington Bennett Stephanie Bigelow Madeline Bleil Oleg Bliakhman Sandra Brust Jamie-Lynn Choquette Gabriela Cicala Bj Conrad Zoe Cylkowski Peyton Delgorio Paige Ditoppa Amanda Dobbs Christopher Elder Sharon Ellman Kendall Endres Megan Epperson Rebecca Erb Ally Fachler Sheena Fernandez Renata Findling Brittany Fitzhugh Morgan Flood Jade Fulton Brittany Gill Morgan Glose Lindsey Glova Michelle Graulty Jessica Guo Amy Guzelf Grace Hancock Mable Harper Malia Harwood Heather Hess Alexa-Jane Hoidahl Taylor Hoover Gabriella Horn Erin Hoy Cassidy Isaacson Franz-Peter Jerosch Nina Jiang Taylor Johnson Sara Jones Anissa Jones Madeleine Juliano Angela Kaplan Nicole Keeley
30
Jacqueline Brenner Patti Gottwein Patrick O’Neil Terri Hamre-Anderson Audrey Clapper Tatiana Mikhailova Paul Spruell Andrea Newsham Jessica Anastasio Kitty Carruthers Conrad Brittany Marshall Nancy Leamy Robert Mock Candace Kuk-Laferle Rebecca Hatch-Purnell Rosanna Tovi Karen Pool Jacqueline Brenner Susan Blaisdell Deborah Leitner Jones Kelly Belin Ritsa Gariti Brad Vigorito Todd Eldredge Kelly Belin Shannon Patton Huffman Morgan Glose Catherine Laflamme Erica Campbell Cathryn Schwab Julianne Pondelli Michelle L Hocknell Becca Purnell Chip Rossbach Shannon Patton Huffman Brenda Walker Rashid Kadyrkaev Carrie Greene Beth Jasinski Erin Banner Kristin Andrews Shanyn Vallon Rodrigo Menendez Janel Wamboldt Heather Seyfer Keri Lee-Clancy Trisha Scaglion Suna Murray
SEPTEMBER/ OCTOBER 2017
NEW MEMBER SPONSOR Lauren Kendrick Sarah King Emily Kirillov Allyson Klovekorn Renee Kono Cassady Konu Claire Koukol Alicia Kramer Jenny Laraio Victoria Lebryk Samantha Lee Jessica Lemchuk Lauryn Lesovsky Michelle Li Kristina Likhanskaya Ashley Lombardi Larry Loupolover Lucas Marquardt Jacqueline Matson Chantal McCabe Kristen McCutcheon Megan McEvoy Erin McMullen Brenda Mendozza Lisa Mihelich Sharon Mitchell Victoria Mueller Carly Munoz Dmitri Murphy Jenna Murray Liudmila Nelidina Julianna Nicolaus Maria Nikol Allison Okita Lisa Olson Annie Orchard Dee Pascoe Kyra Phelps Karen Pita Autumn Preston Alisha Raabe Brianna Racamoto Carly Rieger Caitlin Ross Alicia Ruggiero Melanie Ruth Emily Ryder Kylie Saloma
Kristin Conroy Patricia Hagen Josh Babb Cassandra MacDonald Val Prudsky Stacy Petri Andrea Kunz Williamson Rose Esteb Shannon Patton Huffman Holly Malewski Jerry Santoferrara Geri Tomich Terry Tonius Moe Okuda Oksana Senitskaya Melinda Maidel Kristen Fraser-Lukanin Marina Guterres Phillip Mills Chantal McCabe Susan Schwaegler Stephanie Roth Jeffrey Nolt Balam Labarrios Brent Mercado Christy Malacrea Kay Barsdell-Alswang Eve Chalom Shannon Damiano Susan Hamilton Mark Cockerell Heidi Krueger Jeff Nolt Carla Villavicencio Kelly White Alyssa Orchard Kirsten Miller-Zischolz Jenna Thune McKenzie Jennifer Houghton Morris Jolyn Hecht Emily Dehmer Barbara Pinch Dorie Cascio Shannon Patton Huffman Cathryn Schwab Chad Goodwin Kati Churchill Kris Shakarjian
NEW MEMBER SPONSOR Daniel Samohin Katherine Schaefer Chalcee Schuck Alissa Serra Gabriella Shanahan Elizabeth Shaughnessy Will Shawver Heather Simmons Skyeler Smith Neale Smull Tamara Smulson Sloane Stover Brendon Sword Carolyn Thompson Sarah Tirro Evgenia Todenhagen Diana Tristani Gaztambide Graham Turner Alper Ucar Maksym Varenyk Lindsey Vincent Victoria Wahlquist Ga Wai Philip Warren Amy Waryan Julia Watson Kathleen Watt Emmeline Weinert Sabine Westermeyer Courtney Wetterich Mary Williams Tawney Wiltsie Andrea Witt Christina Wolff Shannon Wourms Brianna Younes Agnes Zawadzki Mia Zhang Nacke
Igor Samohin Michelle Hardin Laura Jacobson Sabrina Serra Anna Kaverzina-Eppers Melinda Sweezey Rebecca Hatch-Purnell Roberta Harger-Quigley Carla Villavicencio Phillip Mills Amanda Johnson Kathy Bird Ursula Wolfer-Horowitz Shannon Patton Huffman Danielle Eakins Bianka Szijgyarto Elaine Jurun Jacqueline Brenner Pasquale Camerlengo Michael Sasaki Darl Deneweth Michelle Daichman Nina Petrenko Anna Malkova Karen Meck Elena Prudsky Cindy Sullivan Erin Donovan Amy Treuter Rodrigo Menendez Kristen West Luke Kirchgessner Jenny Gwyn Mary Summers Stacie Kuglin Jaime Kalnicky David Santee Heidi Munger
PSA has the resources you need • Books • Manuals • Study guides • DVDs • Business cards >> www.skatepsa.com
PS MAGAZINE
31
CALENDAR
OF
EVENTS
SEPTEMBER Date: Event: Location: Credits: Contact:
September 9 Area 10 PSA Oral Rating Site [8:00am to 5:00pm] Doug Woog Arena, South St Paul, MN 1 PSA credit per oral exam taken PSA Office
Deadline:
August 15
Date: Event: Location: Credits: Contact:
September 10 Area 10 PSA Seminar [1:00pm to 6:00 pm] Doug Woog Arena, South St Paul, MN 6 PSA credits PSA Office
Deadline:
August 28
Date: September 16, 2017 Area 9 Event: Learn to Skate USA Instructor Workshop [2:15-8:00pm] Location: Skokie Skatium, Skokie, IL 60077 Contact: Kerry Murphy kmmurphy@skokieparks.org Presenters: Susi Wehrli McLaughlin and Kimberly Hines Credits: 6 pre-approved credits Date: September 17, 2017 Area 9 Event: Learn to Skate USA Instructor Workshop [8:15-2:00pm] Location: Skokie Skatium, Skokie, IL 60077 Contact: Kerry Murphy kmmurphy@skokieparks.org Presenters: Susi Wehrli McLaughlin and Kimberly Hines Credits: 6 pre-approved credits Date: September 17, 2017 Area 9 Event: Learn to Skate USA Instructor Workshop [2:15-8:00pm] Location: Fox Valley Ice Arena, Geneva, IL 60134 Contact: Kerry Murphy kmmurphy@skokieparks.org Presenters: Susi Wehrli McLaughlin and Kimberly Hines Credits: 6 pre-approved credits
32
Date: Event: Location: Credits: Host:
September 24 Area 11 PSA Seminar [1:00pm to 6:00 pm] Niles Iceland, Niles, IL 6 PSA credits Amy Forbes aforbes@niles-parks.org
Deadline:
September 10
Date: Event: Location: Credits: Host:
September 24 Area 9 Foundations of Coaching Course [8:00am to 5:00pm] Iceland Sports Complex, Louisville, KY 40223 12 PSA credits Sarah Neal sbnkysk8@gmail.com
Deadline:
September 1
SEPTEMBER/ OCTOBER 2017
Please visit www.skatepsa.com for the complete Calendar of Events
SEPTEMBER Date: Event: Location: Credits: Contact:
September 30 Area 2 PSA Oral Rating Site [8:00am to 5:00pm] The Skating Club of Boston, Brighton, MA 1 PSA credit per oral exam taken PSA Office
Deadline:
July 30
Helping coaches in need. Please send a contribution today!
The
Skaters'Fund
O C TO B E R Date: October 1 Area 2 Event: PSA Seminar [8:00pm to 5:00 pm] Location: The Skating Club of Boston, Brighton, MA Credits: 12 PSA credits Hosts: Rebecca Stump rlssk8@gmail.com and Linda Blount boston.weekend@skatingacademy.org
Deadline:
September 11
Date: Event: Location: Contact: Credits:
October 27 – 29 Area 11 PSA Master Oral Rating Site [Friday 2:00pm to Sunday 12:00pm] Hilton Chicago O’Hare Airport, Chicago, IL PSA Office 1 PSA credit per oral exam taken
Deadline:
August 30
CLASSIFIEDS 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.".
100% supported through contributions from the general public. All contributions are tax-deductible
IMPORTANT MEMBERSHIP NOTICE
Notice of Refund Policy Change Due to the increasing volume of refunds and the time/costs incurred to process the refunds, the Professional Skaters Association has made a change to the refund policy. As of September 1, 2016, any refund requested on membership purchases due to non-system related issues (i.e. duplicate purchase, incorrect membership selected, etc.) will no longer be issued a refund check. The refund will be granted, however the amount refunded will be in the form of a credit to the user account where it will be available for future purchases of membership, items from the PSA store, or PSA educational events. Each membership year, a late fee of $35 will be charged to renewals after September 30 for all membership categories. If you have any questions regarding your membership, please contact Elizabeth Thornton, PSA Membership Services, at ethornton@skatepsa.com or 507-281-5122.
PS MAGAZINE
33
3006 Allegro Park SW Rochester, MN 55902
Happening Now
Clinics Seminars Super Sites Find an event near you at www.skatepsa.com