Anyone else's coach go to a seminar recently..

[Sierra]

So the group coach went to a seminar and came back with an evil exercise. We have to push once, then glide on one foot straight down the blue line, then without moving our shoulders or feet, go into a figure-type circle, then when circling back to the blue line, go straight again, down the blue line. We're supposed to use ankle lean to accomplish this. The tracing looks like this
__O__

Forward ones were pretty easy. Backward ones were impossible, and we spent about half an hour on them.

Did anyone else get this sprung upon them recently?

I can just imagine these seminars. The speaker must start with "I know all of you have been getting bored lately, so we thought up a new torturous 'exercise' for your students to do. Guaranteed to brighten up your day.."

[phoenix]

Oooo, that's a good one!! Think I'll try it on my victims students this week!  >

[FigureSpins]

We did it during a New Moves in the Field seminar.  

The skaters didn't have too much trouble with it - it's a lead-in to teaching loop figures, which are on the new moves' tests.  It isolates the use of the foot and edging - your power pulls should become stronger from this exercise.

Sounds like your group coach is on the ball - congrats.

(Torture?  Really?  Not likely.)

[icedancer]

Ooh that sounds like a good one - I will have to try it!!

I imagine that backwards one was harder because it is harder to go on a straight line while you are going backwards? At least it would for me.

I suppose you could do some outside-edge circles and some inside-edge circles... just to keep it interesting and also to learn new skills.

My goal for this year is to learn how to do loops... and twizzles...

HAHAHHAHAHAHAHA

[FigureSpins]

One person's "torture" is another person's "challenge."  Love it - what a great attitude!

[Sierra]

They were a challenge. At first. After the 200th try, I might have soured a bit. I don't get why we will spend the entire lesson on one exercise, but we never spend the entire lesson on one jump or spin or turn. Makes no sense 

I can't get enough power from just one push going backwards, and could get most of the circle but couldn't go straight again- and the slow speed wasn't helping. I've never needed to have a lot of power from one c push, because the only thing I use them for is backward edges. Something to practice, maybe. And yes, it is hard to go on a straight line backwards, though mainly because the push used tries to put you on a curve, unlike the T push used for forwards.

At least the instructor enjoyed it. As soon as I heard the words "I just came back from a seminar.."   

[techskater]

My coaches have been to the new moves seminar, but had already begun drilling a loop exercise (which sucks as much)

[jjane45]

Is this exersice reminiscent of some figure moves?

I think many felt *relieved* when figures were eliminated from competitions. The benefits of figures are obvious, but the evil part is they require PERFECT edge control and minimal wiggle room.

[techskater]

And the new MIF do NOT require that level of control and concentration as figures did.

[Sierra]

Yep, it's very similar to that figure, think it's called a serpentine? I learned it a long time ago. The circle made is a similar size to a simple outside or inside figure, though in a serpentine you are allowed to use your arms and free foot to change edge, but in the exercise you had to hold still and go from outside/inside to flats.

I took a figures class for sixteen weeks and I think it probably helped me nail the forward portion of this exercise. Coincidentally, I never could get a backwards figure. Probably why I can't do the exercise backwards. I liked doing figures, but my schedule doesn't match up to when they have the figures class.

The instructor was saying the exercise was to learn balance. Strange, how my scratch spin disappeared after doing that exercise. Wouldn't call that balance, traveling across half the rink with spin circles the size of wheel rims. :angel