The Six Stages of Adult Skating

[AgnesNitt]

1. Disbelief
"you want me to do what with my foot and put it where while I'm doing what?"
2. Disorganization
"Okay, I got my foot *there*, now why can't I do *that* at the same time?"
3. Denial
"I don't care what coach says, nobody over the age of 9 can learn this."
4. Deliberation
"Well, maybe if I alter my hip position, thus, and add a little upper body swing...."
5. Dominate the Move!
"Ta-Da!"
6. Disbelief
"What does coach mean it's not perfect? Coaches, they're never happy."

[Sierra]

My mom's right in between 3 and 4. She keeps reminding me that I'm thirty years younger than her. She also analyzes her position a lot, and is always telling me that her weight's not positioned correctly or it's hard for her to skate on her right leg, etc. My response? "Well, I'm going to fix it. "
I'm her coach. She's never taken any lessons from a professional coach.

[sk8lady]

My Personal Six Stages of Adult Skating:

1. 1996: Disbelief: I will NEVER be able to do a decent scratch spin.
2. 1999: Disorganization: I will NEVER manage more than six revolutions of a spin.
3. 2005: Denial: I will NEVER have a camel spin.
4. 2008: Deliberation: Okay, I got the spins. But I'll NEVER have any jumps beyond a salchow because I HATE jumping.
5. 2010: Domination: Three major spins, four single jumps, I don't care HOW teeny they are, I'm perfectly happy!
6. 2011: Disbelief: No, I am NOT working on axel prep. I am too frigging old. I have arthritis in my toes. Well, maybe just a little bit to keep you company...

[kiwiskater]

1. Disbelief
"you want me to do what with my foot and put it where while I'm doing what?"
2. Disorganization
"Okay, I got my foot *there*, now why can't I do *that* at the same time?"
3. Denial
"I don't care what coach says, nobody over the age of 9 can learn this."
4. Deliberation
"Well, maybe if I alter my hip position, thus, and add a little upper body swing, ."
5. Dominate the Move!
"Ta-Da!"
6. Disbelief
"What does coach mean it's not perfect? Coaches, they're never happy."

Hehe - oh yeah sounds so true! You forgot to add the 'splat' somewhere in the middle (maybe between 4&5)

[AgnesNitt]

you mean,

4.5 DAMN! That hurts!

[aussieskater]

you mean,

4.5 DAMN! That hurts!

or maybe,

1.5  DAMN!  That hurts!
2.5  That hurts too.
3.5  Ouch!
4.5  Is this supposed to hurt?
5.5  (pained groan)

[FigureSpins]

My version is from the former-skater-turned-coach perspective:

1. Disbelief : "It must be the ice/my skates/the session/etc.  I used to be able to do ().  I'm so out of shape!"
2. Disorganization : "I know how to do () and I can fake it enough to teach."
3. Denial : "I KNOW how to do this already; it's more important for YOU to learn and practice ()"
4. Deliberation : "I have a few minutes and no one's watching, so I'll work on ()." *starts practicing*
5. Dominate the Move! : "Hey - not bad for a fat broad pushing 50!"
6. Disbelief : "You want to learn how to do WHAT?"  *groans*

[sk8Joyful]

My version is from a perspective (& actual conversations) as student always wanting to Copy, moves . . . claimed as FAR above, me yet:

BELIEF : "Since I can command a one-foot Glide, over 30 feet - skating an OSE, a Biehlman-spiral, a Waltz-jump, a Loop, & anything else for that matter, I should be able to also do starting now. So WATCH - lol"

Disorganization : "only problem is, I have too many body parts, each moving, & no less ALL at the same time. Now,
which foot? goes where?? - And oh, forgot: I have arms  

Denial : "Yes, I know that floods every year, & why their crops get remineralized   Now back to this here move"

Deliberation : "Since quitters never win, & Winners never quit, I will continue skating, until - I am perfect, or satisfied; whichever comes 1st".

Dominate the Move! : "Domination is bad! - Let's just ALL live peaceful . . . both inside ourselves, & with each other"

Disbelief (from like 6 coaches): "You want to learn next how to do WHAT? - How long? before you figger-out how HARD skating really is"

BELIEF : "Since I currently can (    ) skating an OSE, a Biehlman-spiral, a Waltz-jump, a Loop, & anything else for that matter, I should be able to do  starting now. So watch - lol"

[kiwiskater]

My version is from the former-skater-turned-coach perspective:
6. Disbelief : "You want to learn how to do WHAT?"  *groans*

Wouldn't kids be worse at that than adults? or are they generally so much faster at learning that its not so much of a stretch?

[sk8Joyful]

sorry for being OT, but Kiwiskater: How were you able to Copy the FONT & Font-SIZE *exactly* as is ? - I tried that several times to no avail. Also,
can we change the FONT & Font-SIZE, ourselves?

[FigureSpins]

Wouldn't kids be worse at that than adults? or are they generally so much faster at learning that its not so much of a stretch?

It's more the random choices they make for what they WANT to learn, vs. what they SHOULD learn.  Ex: I have a skater who SHOULD be working on her Moves, but focuses on outside (closed hipped) spreadeagles whenever I look her way.

[sk8Joyful]

It's more the random choices they make for what they WANT to learn, vs. what they SHOULD learn. 
Ex: I have a skater who SHOULD be working on her Moves, but focuses on outside (closed hipped) spreadeagles whenever I look her way.

Isn't an "Outside spreadeagle" skated with hips Open? - at least mine are, & practice these when I can.

And more foundationally: Aren't we learning (whatever) for increasing our FUN-choices for example, when my daughter was 3, she didn't know how to spell, Correctly yet; but also wanted to write Cards & Letters. - I said Great! and helped her sound words out, she then did her best to guess while writing phonetically. - And the Receivers thought each of these *precious*. Apparently that didn't hurt her, as homeschooled she wrote an advanced wonderful Poetry book; plus graduated college with honors at age 17

Fast forward to Figure skating: They said "You should be in Group-lessons, & then get a Coach." - so naturally I offered to pay for these, but DD was also concerned about our finances, so instead she payed close attention to skaters, passing their tests HOW they skated elements, and on less than 4 private-lessons, she passed, thru Delta. Learning elements When she wanted, , and to what skill-level, DD enjoyed lots of Fun; and also helped me unto the ice.

Should every skater learn how this way? - No.  And there are many variations, inbetween. DD was happy doing it her way. Now she's happy being a Mommy, and her Fun . . . continues.

[FigureSpins]

"What does coach mean it's not perfect? Coaches, they're never happy."

There is no such thing as "perfect." There is only "good enough, for now."