ISI district seminar - skater track?

[jjane45]

ISI District 8 Seminar

When:     Sunday, October 2, 2011  8 am - 2:45 pm
Where:    Robert Crown Ice Center (Chicago, IL)
What:    The ISI District 8 Seminar will take place on October 2. This year in addition to an educational program for instructors we have added a track for skaters! A flyer for each track is available below.

RSVP's accepted no later than September 26!

Member instructors must RSVP to ISIDistrict8@gmail.com. Students must send the registration form with payment to Amy Forbes at the address below.

Contact:    Amy Forbes
8435 W. Ballard Rd., Niles 60714
ISIDistrict8@gmail.com

Reg. forms available for download from link above

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Agenda for instructors track

8am—8:15am Registration

8:15am-9am Welcome and ISI Updates—Sue D'Aquila and Margy Bennette

9am-9:50am Studio Rink—Innovative Spins

9:50am-10am Skates on

10am-10:40am Edge Class—Mary Spencer

10:40am-11:30am Toe loops, double toe loops, toe walleys and double toe combos

11:30am-11:40am Skates off. Lunch

11:40am-12:40pm Video Judging and Referee Panel update—Margy Bennett and Lauren Krepsik

12:40pm-2:40pm  "Teaching in the 21st Century" - Interactive class management techniques.—Rebecca Leafman, Assistant Principal at Deer Path Middle School & Director of Emotional Wellness for Lake County School District 67.

2:40pm-2:45pm Wrap-up.

[jjane45]

My rink will be hosting an ISI seminar and the ISI district website says

This year in addition to an educational program for instructors we have added a track for skaters!

This makes me think their emphasis is educating coaches, and participating skaters may become an afterthought? Especially the forms only list the agenda for coaches, while the skater flyer had "toe jumps, dance, upbeat edge class, creative spins" randomly as decoration. Apparently off-ice is included since gym shoes / ballet slippers / jazz shoes are required for skaters.

So, what are your experiences with "skater track" in ISI seminars?

I sent an email to request the skater agenda. $25 member rate including lunch is hard to beat, even if you are just a guinea pig for 4 hours! LOL

[jjane45]

OK I finally figured it out today! (and realized the agenda is posted too)

I was kind of surprised about 2 hours being slotted for "Interactive Character education". When asked whether it's a 2-hour long lecture, I was told groups of skaters will rotate among different activities. Not sure how adult-friendly this portion is LOL, really hoping it's not inspired by Champion Camp's "team building activities"

I will be doomed at Hip Hop class, ouch.

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OK per the current agenda skaters will be divided into 2 groups.

7:30am – 7:45am Check in

7:45am- 8am Welcome and skates on. – Sue D'Aquila, ISI District 8 President

8am-8:30am Edge Class – Main Arena (group A)
Mary Spencer, Ice dance coach and Co-Author of Artistry On Ice Figure
Skating Skills and Style

8:35am-9:05am Creative and Innovative spins – Studio Arena (group A)
Agata Czyzewski, PSA Level III Ranking and PSA rated

(Group B has spins first then edges)

9:05am-9:55am – Main Arena
Toe Loops, Toe Walleys, Double Toes and Toe combos – Kristen Jamison,
PSA Master Rated Freestyle and Moves in the Field, Dana Hult, USFS
National Competitor and coach of both ISI and USFS skaters, and Alex
Vedenin, PSA Level VII Ranking

9:55am-10:05am skates off
Snack(skater must provide)

10:10am-12:10pm
Interactive Character education –"Training for a positive result in life and
sport." Rebecca Leafman, Assistant Principal at Deer Path Middle School
& Director of Emotional Wellness for Lake County School District 67.
Rebecca is also a certified yoga instructor, has been a competitive skater,
dancer and softball player.

12:10pm-12:40pm
Lunch – Provided at seminar

12:40pm-1:40pm Hip Hop Class – Off Ice - Please bring athletic shoes or
dance shoes
Ginger Jensen, Artistic Director of Renegade Dance Architects

1:45pm-2pm – Wrap Up
Sue D'Aquila

[jjane45]

OK here is the review, mixed feelings about the effectiveness from a skater's point of view.

Skaters FS4+ were in group A and everyone else group B. Approximately 25 skaters in each group IIRC.

Edge class: on main rink. stroking forward and back (two foot, two-to-one, one foot) fast-medium-slow to beats, cross rolls forward and back at different tempo, alternating FO three turn with cross in between... I may have left some drills out. Not moving as much as I wished, okay overall. Could have used the assistants better for demonstration or coordination.

Spin class: on studio rink, scratch spin to warm up. Mostly introduction to sit spin positions. Cannonball, tuck under, pancake, broken leg, backsit. Little bit of layback to end. Coach came in non-stretchy jeans and there were no assistants, she managed to demonstrate nice sits though. Let me say having 25 skaters all spin on studio ice was hectic.

Toe loop class: each group has half of the ice.Interesting drills on the circle building up to toe loop. RFI mohawk step on RBO with left leg behind and hop. Replace hop with left toe picking and jump straight up with no rotation. Then full toe loop. The coach did not separate the lefty skaters initially, but the assistants figured it out 10 minutes into the session. We then had a jumping pattern: CCW back cross over, glide on RBO, step forward on LFI with right leg behind, 2 forward swizzles, RFI3 then toe loop. Later it was toe loop - toe loop - loop - scratch. The coach emphasized strong arms (left arm in front as if holding a ball, right arm straight behind), jumping as left leg picks in, and swing around the right leg HEEL FIRST (never managed that grrr). Overall good I think. Wish the ice was better utilized (all righty skaters jumped on a single pattern one by one).

Snack!!!

"Interactive character education": seriously, it should not be whole 2 hours. Everyone looked bored for half of the time. Not adult skater friendly as the average age was probably 10 discounting the 2 adults present. The theme is to build better teams (guess majority was in synchro?) and be considerate to others on ice. I'd skip it next time, lol.

Lunch!!! (Sub, chips, water)

Hip hop class: highlight of the seminar, very cool. I had problems to keep up at the quicker steps lol.

In conclusion, I truly wish the "team building activities" are kept under 1 hour (it was really dragging for the kids too) and hopefully more ice time can be added. For $25 it's a deal though.