Freestyle 1

Sorry for the disappearing act, my laptop died and I was too lazy to go into the office and use the desktop!

 

So I am officially a freestyle skater now! 

ISI freestyle 1 curriculum includes;

Pivots

Backward Consecutive Edges

Two Foot Spin

Forward Arabesque (Spiral)

Waltz Jump 

Half-Flip Jump

I am an USFS Basic Skills Member

Today at Home Rink, I received my official USFS membership packet and my membership card should be there next week.   

The packet included a record book, with all the USFS levels and elements listed in order, a sheet of gold star stickers, that can be placed in the book as each element is learned, a basic skills program patch and year patch. 

I am trying to decide where to put my patches; on my skating sweater, or on my skate bag, or somewhere else entirely? Any suggestions?

It was also our first day of Basic Skills lessons. It is just myself and one other skater in the Adult 4 class. Coach M is coaching Adult 4. I was sort of disappointed, the lesson plan didn't seem much different than it had been. I was expecting to work specifically on the list of Adult 4 elements, but we didn't. We spent more than three quarters of the lesson doing crossovers, then rushed through some forward outside 3-turns. Which actually brings up another frustration I have, Coach M teaches the arm position for 3-turns opposite of all my other coaches, I don't want to blatantly say he teaches "wrong", but it seems that way!

Private coach and I worked on spirals today. It was fun.... kinda. I am much more flexible on my right side, but more stable on my left, it is weird.  

I passed Gamma!

ISI to USFS Basic Skills

Home Rink is under new ownership and they are making some BIG changes!
They are adding a Pro shop and training the staff to sharpen figure skates (yay, no more drives to Anaheim for sharpening!)
They are renovating the Ice Cafe. 
There are rumors about replacing the ice surface.





But, the biggest change is the skating school. We are transitioning from ISI Learn to Skate to USFS Basic Skills.




Even as a kid I only skated ISI, so this is going to be an entirely new experience for me, but I am excited.  
USFS has a specialized adult curriculum, which feeds into the Adult Moves in the Field (MIF) testing structure. 


Last weekend the group lesson coaches began evaluating skaters, for placement into the USFS Basic Skills program. Coach M did my evaluation and placed me in Adult 4, which is the highest adult level. 

The Adult 4 curriculum covers;
A Forward three turns, outside and inside, R & L (I can do these!)

B Perimeter stroking with crossover end patterns

C Forward Outside to Inside Change of Edge Sequence

D Alternate backward crossovers with two foot transition

E Footwork sequence: 3–5 forward crossovers to an inside

Mohawk, 3–5 backward crossovers, step forward inside

the circle and repeat

F Power three turns, one direction only

G Backward Chasses on a circle, clockwise and counter

clockwise

But after discussing it with Private Coach we decided it would be best for me to use the standard basic skills curriculum, instead of the adult. So Private Coach evaluated me and placed me in Basic 6. Which covers;

A Forward inside three-turn—right and left—from a standstill

position. ( I can do these)

B Moving backward to forward two foot turn on a circle,

both directions ( I can do this)

C T-stop — right or left ( I can do these)

D Bunny hop ( I am working on this)

E Forward arabesque/spiral on a straight line, right or left 

F Forward lunge, right or left ( I can do these)

And USFS has the cutest mascot, Snowplow Sam.

Frabjous Day!

Lessons last weekend consisted mostly of evaluating students for placement into the USFS Basic Skills program. In the adult group lesson, I was first to be evaluated.

Things went really well at first. Until Coach M, asked me to do an forward inside three turn. I had been working on these, but had not been able to get them yet. I didn't want to give up and just not try, so I decided to just go for it.

And..... it was perfect! I have no idea how I did it, but I did!

So while I was warming up for my private lesson, I tried to do it again and couldn't. It was very frustrating.
I told Private Coach, about my miracle and the subsequent defeat, she suggested I try it again. I went for it and ..... It was perfect!

Right now about 3 out of every 5 of my inside 3 turns is good, they will only get better.

Since I was high on confidence, Private coach suggested trying bunny hops again. I've been struggling with a mental block on bunny hops for a while now. Magically, I did it! It didn't have much height, nor was it graceful, but both feet did leave the ice!

I am so happy! To celebrate this I blinged out my blades.

Movin' on up

I am ready to test ISI Gamma!

It was like one day my left forward outside three turn, just happened. One minute I couldn't do it, then I could! That was the only element holding me back in Gamma.

Private coach and I have been working on Delta elements. I've had a good (passable) lunge since January, we'e worked on consecutive forward edges. My inside edges are really good, outside are wobbly, but passable. That leaves bunny hops and forward inside three turns to work on before I can test Delta. 

Unfortunately, I will not be able to take weeknight lessons at The Other Rink for the next 8 weeks, because of school. I have classes every night. So my hope is that I can continue to work with Private Coach on the Delta elements, that way when I do go back to lessons at The Other Rink in June, I will be able to sign up for Freestyle 1. 

I am so excited! 

Withholding Information

I talk quite openly about my type 1 diabetes on my other blog, but here at Blade Bunnies it rarely gets mentioned. Maybe that is because I haven't mentioned it to my coaches the rinks either.

I had a near emergency last week at Home Rink. I had to leave in the middle of the lesson to test and treat a severe low blood sugar which forced me to tell Coach M (who teaches my Saturday Adult Group lesson) about my diabetes. 

I carry emergency diabetes supplies in my skate bag, but if no one knows they're in there, it's not going to do much good. This week I will make a point of telling Private Coach and Coach Mel at The Other Rink about my diabetes. Because I know that one piece of information could someday save my life.