When did you start MITF testing?

[RosiePosie.iskates]

My first MITF test is tomorrow, and I've seen kids who are just learning waltz jumps pass the Pre-Pre moves test.  I have a pretty consistent Axel and I'm just now starting to test, so, I was just wondering when all of you started testing!  

Have fun!

Rosie

[davincisop]

I did my PB MITF and free three months after I started back up. I'd been out of practice for several years and passed and then tested bronze MITF three months after that. It's been two years and I still haven't started axel because I'm working to get consistent jumps.

I am testing Bronze Free tomorrow morning with a sinus infection and shaky elements (mainly backspin and sit spin) and will only pass by the grace of god. I'm probably on the path to failing it but I'm going to do the best I can.

[RosiePosie.iskates]

I did my PB MITF and free three months after I started back up. I'd been out of practice for several years and passed and then tested bronze MITF three months after that. It's been two years and I still haven't started axel because I'm working to get consistent jumps.

I am testing Bronze Free tomorrow morning with a sinus infection and shaky elements (mainly backspin and sit spin) and will only pass by the grace of god. I'm probably on the path to failing it but I'm going to do the best I can.

Ahh, hope you feel better and Good Luck on the test!

[jjane45]

Depends on each skaters priority and resources. An ISI skater does not need to test moves until he or she decides to compete USFS at pre-pre, and that's about Axel if the area is competitive.

I skate at ISI rink, took my first MITF tests three weeks ago and am about FS 4/5 ish with spins and jumps.

Good luck to you both and ((davinci)). You'll be great, just attack it

[hopskipjump]

She didn't take the prepre mitf until she decided to compete USFS.  She was at ISI fs3 or 4 I believe.

[RosiePosie.iskates]

Depends on each skaters priority and resources. An ISI skater does not need to test moves until he or she decides to compete USFS at pre-pre, and that's about Axel if the area is competitive.

I skate at ISI rink, took my first MITF tests three weeks ago and am about FS 4/5 ish with spins and jumps.

Good luck to you both and ((davinci)). You'll be great, just attack it

Thank you!

[VAsk8r]

Good luck to both of you!

I took and passed my pre-bronze MITF and FS tests when I was learning toe loops and one-foot spins. I don't think I'd started loops yet. I began working on them in July 2009. My coach suggested we test in September, then she later tactfully suggested November, and I ended up testing in February 2010  .

I decided to pursue testing the day of my first private lesson, which was the day after my boyfriend of 14 months suddenly broke up with me. I was a wreck and didn't know if going to the lesson was even a good idea, but I completely forgot about it when I got on the ice. That day, I decided I would take skating seriously and work towards passing those tests.

[sarahspins]

When I was 15 and took pre-pre, I had a solid axel, and mostly consistent 2sal and 2loop. I was an ISI skater and had tested through FS5 at that point, which is when most skaters at my rink tended to transition over to USFSA.  I was in the process of getting ready to test preliminary moves and FS when I tore my ACL just one month after passing pre-pre and about three or four weeks before the next test session.. it was a goal of my coach to get my tests through Juvenile over spring and summer before the fall season started so I could compete in Open Juvenile (this was before test track).  I never ended up taking any more tests after that because I never renewed my USFSA membership after my injury.  I did keep skating for a few more years, and was still working on all my moves before I stopped skating for 10 years (I had kids, was in college full time, etc.. just didn't have time for it).

I got back on the ice 2 1/2 years ago, and skated very part time for the first year or so, and have only really been taking lessons for the last year and a half. I finally renewed my USFSA membership a couple of months ago and took my first tests in over 16 years.  I could have taken them MUCH sooner, but I didn't want to join the club close to the end of the year when I got serious about skating again, and then last year I didn't skate at all over the summer and just never got organized enough to take care of it until too late into the membership year, and again, I wasn't going to join close to the end of the year, but this year I wasn't going to let that timeline slip by again.  My coach has goals of me passing both silver and gold moves this membership year (so before July of next year) and maybe intermediate moves too, along with bronze and silver FS.. gold depends on me getting gutsy enough to work on my axel and doubles off the harness, and I don't think I'm there yet.  

[icedancer]

For me learning the MITF had nothing to do with me do with me doing freestyle.  I was an ice-dancer (Silver level) and starting to trial judge when I realized that I had to learn how to do the Moves before I could judge them.  I did freestyle as a kid but eventually quit doing that as an adult skater as I got more and more into dance (plus once I got the MK Dance blades I could no longer do freestyle but that is a subject for another discussion).

I took Pre-Bronze I believe in 2002 and it took a long time to get the Bronze Moves ready (I had had several bad injuries plus new skates, etc. and took Bronze in 2007.  

At this point I have no intention of testing Moves any higher but I do have a much better understanding of all of the Moves and find that I can "walk through" the rest of the Moves and have a good basic understanding of their difficulties, etc., but it had everything to do with judging and not so much to do with the rest of my skating.

[RosiePosie.iskates]

When I was 15 and took pre-pre, I had a solid axel, and mostly consistent 2sal and 2loop. I was an ISI skater and had tested through FS5 at that point, which is when most skaters at my rink tended to transition over to USFSA.  I was in the process of getting ready to test preliminary moves and FS when I tore my ACL just one month after passing pre-pre and about three or four weeks before the next test session.. it was a goal of my coach to get my tests through Juvenile over spring and summer before the fall season started so I could compete in Open Juvenile (this was before test track).  I never ended up taking any more tests after that because I never renewed my USFSA membership after my injury.  I did keep skating for a few more years, and was still working on all my moves before I stopped skating for 10 years (I had kids, was in college full time, etc.. just didn't have time for it).

I got back on the ice 2 1/2 years ago, and skated very part time for the first year or so, and have only really been taking lessons for the last year and a half. I finally renewed my USFSA membership a couple of months ago and took my first tests in over 16 years.  I could have taken them MUCH sooner, but I didn't want to join the club close to the end of the year when I got serious about skating again, and then last year I didn't skate at all over the summer and just never got organized enough to take care of it until too late into the membership year, and again, I wasn't going to join close to the end of the year, but this year I wasn't going to let that timeline slip by again.  My coach has goals of me passing both silver and gold moves this membership year (so before July of next year) and maybe intermediate moves too, along with bronze and silver FS.. gold depends on me getting gutsy enough to work on my axel and doubles off the harness, and I don't think I'm there yet.  

Very inspiring, good luck on your axel! I was scared to death to try my axel even after I'd landed it. I don't know why, but I just got scared one day and hit a, "Mental Block" that lasted 3 days. I got so tired of skating around doing waltz-loops and popping my axel I told myself I would try it "for real" or die trying. Haha.

[Skittl1321]

I had started the first 3 jumps, waltz, toe, sal, but they were teeny tiny.  It was more of a factor that we learned those in lts, before I got a private coach. You need a coach to do mitf.  

But the decision to take moves was not based in any way on freestyle level, but moves ability.

[jjane45]

MITF is a big commitment. In addition to private lessons, one also needs to attend relatively empty practice sessions to be able to make progress.

I did get lucky in a way that group lessons covered most of my MITF learning, also received excellent tips from our awesome forum members!!! I do expect to take much more private lessons for the silver moves.

[Sierra]

I had singles up to lutz and was working on, not landing, axel and some doubles when I tested pre-pre mitf. I was behind though.. I could've passed them many months before. I passed Preliminary a month or two after that, but I didn't test Pre-juvenile until after I had landed axels/doubles. Juvenile is coming up really soon (3 weeks ) for me now and I'm landing all doubles excluding double axel.

[Janie]

Good luck Rosie and davincisoprano1!

It was more of a factor that we learned those in lts, before I got a private coach. You need a coach to do mitf. 

Same here. I haven't taken any MITF yet, but plan on taking the pre-bronze around October if there's a test session. I can do waltz, toe-loop, Salchow, loop, flip and working on Lutz. I learned all of these in group lessons. I only started having private lessons a month ago, and so started working on the moves.

MITF is a big commitment. In addition to private lessons, one also needs to attend relatively empty practice sessions to be able to make progress.

So true! I'm finding it really hard to practice moves, especially the ones that need more space, like the crossovers on pre-bronze (and waltz-eight when I eventually practice them).

[davincisop]

Well... I didn't pass. Overall I actually felt good about my free skate minus the sit spin but I didn't pass by .3 points bc coach didn't catch a technicality. I had three single jumps in my program but we didn't realize they had to be three completely different ones. Which meant doing a loop on a retry. Which I actually landed. Which still didn't allow me to pass.

I'm retesting in about a month.

[jjane45]

((Davinci)), what will be your new program layout?

[slcbelle]

I just took my first MITF and FS test (Pre-Bronze) last week.  I started skating 6 months ago.  For me, I took it as soon as I was ready.

[VAsk8r]

Well... I didn't pass. Overall I actually felt good about my free skate minus the sit spin but I didn't pass by .3 points bc coach didn't catch a technicality. I had three single jumps in my program but we didn't realize they had to be three completely different ones. Which meant doing a loop on a retry. Which I actually landed. Which still didn't allow me to pass.

Sorry to hear you didn't pass. I'm assuming you did a loop on your retry because it was a different jump from the ones in your program. How is it that landing it still didn't allow you to pass?

[sarahspins]

Well... I didn't pass. Overall I actually felt good about my free skate minus the sit spin but I didn't pass by .3 points bc coach didn't catch a technicality. I had three single jumps in my program but we didn't realize they had to be three completely different ones. Which meant doing a loop on a retry. Which I actually landed. Which still didn't allow me to pass.

I'm sorry you didn't pass, but I am also wondering how was it possible for your coach to overlook this?  I would be beyond upset about that more than not passing the test.  It's one thing when you don't pass because you just didn't pass, but another thing when your coach doesn't include the elements required to pass. What a bummer  

[jjane45]

I think it would be nice to have a thread for pre-test element check, just to make sure all is legit.

We had to double check the rule book too because 1) not many adult USFS tests here and 2) rules change very often.

[davincisop]

I'm not really sure how it was all overlooked. I can only be so upset before I say it's just a test. I won't say I'm not disappointed bc it's something beyond my own control but shiz happens. I'm not sure why landing the jump didn't count but my sit spin wasnt counted either bc it wasn't low enough. My coach feels awful because she's normally on top of that stuff but there's only so much you can do. I sort of knew going in that passing was a long shot because work got in the way and I couldn't practice as much as I needed to. But today everything minus the sit spin clicked. I even managed to get the backspin and come out of it without putting my foot down.

So ce la vie. I'll retest in a month and pass when I take it. Everyone at the rink was shocked that I didn't pass. Like I said I was disappointed but there was nothing else I could do. The judge I had is one of our more picky ones.

[davincisop]

I think it would be nice to have a thread for pre-test element check, just to make sure all is legit.

We had to double check the rule book too because 1) not many adult USFS tests here and 2) rules change very often.

I second this.


Also I wish tests were less expensive. I am more miffed I'm
Out $45. I work hard to pay for my tests and skating and while i can chalk it up to a learning experience and know I did my absolute best, it still sucks I'm out that money.

[Skittl1321]

I'm sorry you didn't pass, but I am also wondering how was it possible for your coach to overlook this?  I would be beyond upset about that more than not passing the test.  It's one thing when you don't pass because you just didn't pass, but another thing when your coach doesn't include the elements required to pass. What a bummer  

I'm really surprised by this too- but when I did my first bronze test, the judge told me my loop was underrotated and they just needed to see a single jump- could be anything I didn't do (so not toe loop or salchow): she suggested a waltz jump.  I skated over to my coach (wish I hadn't!) because he told me to regardless of what they said.  By the time I skated back to do the jump, the judge had realized a waltz jump doesn't fit the requirements- and I needed a full revolution jump.  I think if I had done it right away I would have passed the test (but that would have been cheating, because I knew it didn't meet the requirements), so mistakes are made.   We've had a coach teach the wrong moves patterns multiple times- and the other coaches never know if they should say something because of rink politics.  It is painful to watch a skater doing the steps wrong... and then fail tests

If it was really the coaches mistake though, I would probably ask for compensation- a free lesson or something.  That is a BIG mistake for a coach to make, you lost not only the expense of the test, but a lot of lesson time preparing a wrong test.  The rulebook is pretty clear. It says different single jumps.


Davincisoprano1- sorry you didn't pass your test.

[icedancer]

I'm sorry you didn't pass your test.

Did they have you re-skate the sit spin too?

[slcbelle]

Davincisoprano1, sorry to hear of your recent testing troubles.