Can any coach test a skater in ISI?

[ccahalan]

Can any coach test a skater in ISI? I was just wondering cause my coach dropped me since she had no time and i had a program FS6 ready.  Thx  -Clare

Mod note: thread moved

[FigureSpins]

The test judge/coach has to be a current Professional Member of the ISI.

[sampaguita]

It also depends on the judging certification level of the coach (Gold, Silver, Bronze). As far as I know, you need to have a certain level of certification before you can judge a certain level of performance.

[FigureSpins]

ISI competitions require coaches with specific judging levels, not tests.

Tests above Freestyle 6 have other specific requirements, like a three-judge panel, recordings or national-event test sessions.

That does not apply here.

[fsk8r]

ISI competitions require coaches with specific judging levels, not tests.

Tests above Freestyle 6 have other specific requirements, like a three-judge panel, recordings or national-event test sessions.

That does not apply here.

As a little divergence from the thread, when you say recordings do you mean that the test is sent off for external moderation to ensure than standards are consistent? Or are the recordings used when say you can't get a three judge panel in the same place at the same time? I've just not heard of tests being recorded. It's specifically not allowed by NISA.

[FigureSpins]

Th ISI FS7 tests require three Examiners; the handbook doesn't specify Bronze-, Silver- or Gold-level.  Thats really for competition judging.  The ISI FS8 and FS9 program and elements are recorded using one camera, with no footage cuts allowed, then submitted to HQ for judging.  FS 10 tests can be taken at a national event.  (Although the rulebook says five examiners "selected by the ISI" is also an option.  It's a cause for celebration, so they want to enforce consistency.)

[fsk8r]

Th ISI FS7 tests require three Examiners; the handbook doesn't specify Bronze-, Silver- or Gold-level.  Thats really for competition judging.  The ISI FS8 and FS9 program and elements are recorded using one camera, with no footage cuts allowed, then submitted to HQ for judging.  FS 10 tests can be taken at a national event.  (Although the rulebook says five examiners "selected by the ISI" is also an option.  It's a cause for celebration, so they want to enforce consistency.)

That's a great idea for pushing for consistency. I'm assuming they can only manage the videoing (and the 5 judges) because there's so few tests at those levels?

[FigureSpins]

I think FS9 and FS10 has always been evaluated differently, but FS7&8 test requirements came about because of inconsistencies and because of the international reach of the ISI.  There aren't many FS10 test-takers because of the difficulty of those levels, so I would think it would be manageable. 

I've seen a few FS6 & FS7 videos on YouTube, but I'm not sure if that's how they are submitted.  Maybe the video is emailed to HQ and the skaters use YouTube to share with coaches and friends.

[fsk8r]

I think FS9 and FS10 has always been evaluated differently, but FS7&8 test requirements came about because of inconsistencies and because of the international reach of the ISI.  There aren't many FS10 test-takers because of the difficulty of those levels, so I would think it would be manageable. 

I've seen a few FS6 & FS7 videos on YouTube, but I'm not sure if that's how they are submitted.  Maybe the video is emailed to HQ and the skaters use YouTube to share with coaches and friends.

I'm assuming other organisations (USFS, NISA, etc.) don't do this because of the logistics involved with the relatively higher volume of tests (and also possibly because they're more old fashioned and stuck in the past).
(I'm only curious as I was talking about judging consistency the other day and the fact that an inconsistent result doesn't allow the coach or the skater much come back other than to retry). 

[FigureSpins]

I think the volume of tests is the reason other organizations don't use video review.  There aren't many high-level ISI tests. FS 8-10 are far more difficult than the USFSA test structure because the ISI requires opposite-direction spins and jumps.  The USFSA's structure is such that competition programs are more difficult than the test requirements, a bone of contention with many people.

The other difference is that the ISI uses trained professionals for testing and competition judging - they're actually professional coaching members.  The USFSA judging volunteers cannot be coaches and I don't think there's a first-hand skating requirement.  It's a different scenario.

I've often wondered if there's any auditing done of the USFSA test results.  I don't think there is because they're volunteers - you don't want to make them feel threatened and have them quit.  It's a catch-22 situation.

[PinkLaces]

My daughter wanted to take her ISI Dance 7 tests before ISI Worlds in 2011.  The summer of 2010 we started looking into how she could take the tests.  I had had some communications with Randy (when he was still there) about sending in a video for those tests. There was a whole procedure to follow at the time. She was attending a skate camp and camp director agreed to video her skating the dances with the partner coach. However, the morning of the taping the rink had so much fog that the video was not able to be seen clearly.  So we didn't end up submitting it.

She ended up taking the test with 3 judges at a District test session that fall.  As of 2 years ago, our district was testing FS 7 & 8 a couple times a year.  It may have changed now.  I am not as involved at the rink as I once was.