5/26 Another View

Steam Punk Sample 5/29

4/3 Fitness

Types of Figure Skating 1/21

Competitive Skating

• Skaters often take more private lessons than those who aren't competing.
• Ballet, Jazz, balroom dancing and gymnastics are all aspects of competitive skating to contribute to skills, grace and the routines.
• Learning choreography is essential, so being involved in dance is good because it's easier to catch onto new routines. For some skaters they're competing a few times a month and they may be learning a new routine each time, so it's important to be able to pick up on routines quickly.
• You must be a member of the figure skating Association
• Must "test" to reach higher level

Pairs Skating

• There needs to be compatibility
• Must both be strong, the male often must lift his female partner and the female must have impeccable core strength as well as arm and leg strength
• There must be trust within the pairs, if the female constantly fears being dropped by her partner, there will be little progress
• Precision and timing are key in working together and moving almost as if one skater
• Lots off off-ice time together is important for bonding and practicing

Singles/ freestyle

• shows off individuality
• self-motivates
• confidence
• Challenging
• Jumps and spins focused- less on the dancing and art, more on the skills

Ice Dancing

• Edges of skates extremely important
• Not so much jumping and spinning so much as art and grace, dancing
• Rhythm and theatrical skills are apparent

Disciplines 1/20

This information I found from The Complete Book of Figure Skating

• Must be independent to be a skater, you must think "what do I need?" I can't depend on someone to always be there to help me out. This is interesting because in hockey, you do drills and are told what to practice, in figure skating you're given ice time and are on your own except during lesson time. 
• Find a coach. Contacting The Rink in Lansing to see about coaches.
• Building off other student: try to work with them to help one another out, ask them for tips and for help. Try to copy what they're doing?

1/18 Complete Book of Figure Skating

Carole Shulman wrote the book, The Complete Book of Figure Skating
In December of 1984 Shulman became the executive director of the Professional Skaters Association in the Professional Skating Guild of America. The PS Guild has been around for 72 years.
Summary from Books.google.com
Link:
http://books.google.com/books/about/The_Complete_Book_of_Figure_Skating.html?id=jPSNCdIZkJ4C

Published by Human Kinetics, 2002 - 225 pages

Many instructional books have been written about figure skating. Some are very good. Others are outdated. None, however, has been complete. The Complete Book of Figure Skating finally fills that void. Author Carole Shulman is a former elite competitive skater, a Master PSA instructor, a professional figure skating judge, and the current executive director of the Professional Skaters Association. She provides most comprehensive, up-to-date book available on skating covering proven techniques and training methods for skills performed at all levels and in all disciplines including singles, pairs, ice dancing, and synchronized team skating. The Complete Book of Figure Skating starts at the beginningsitting on the ice and then learning to move across the frozen surface with increasing speed, style, and grace. The chapters build in difficulty, covering steps, spins, jumps, and lifts. From stopping to spinning to quad jumps, each skill builds on the previous skills as this complete manual guides you through the skill levels of figure skating. Providing straightforward advice on how to select a specialty, choose proper equipment, condition off the ice, and manage nutrition the book also describes the proper technique for more than 100 skills, presented progressively from beginning to advanced levels of expertise: - Stops and stroking skills - Freestyle moves - Turns and footwork (including ice-dancing techniques) - Spins - Jumps - Pairs For each skill you'll find a clear description with introductory or preparatory steps, followed by a detailed technical explanation to enhance your understanding and training. Special teaching exercises and tips will also help you master the most difficult components of each skill. As added bonus you'll find helpful information in The Complete Book of Figure Skating about competitions. You'll learn the ins and outs of creating and refining a programincluding music, choreography, and costumes and discover inside tips on how to perfect your skills and score high marks from the judges. The Complete Book of Figure Skating gives you an essential resource on how to perform the all the techniques and programs of the sport. Whether you're a skater looking to improve your technique or an instructor looking for innovative coaching methods, this book will help you achieve your goal.

Of all the books I researched, this seemed to be a very valuable asset that I plan to read and study. It is available at the IHS Library, so I'll take it out and just try and get through the entire thing in time!

5/20 Progress

After being frustrated for the past couple weeks, which I talked over with Ms. Affronti and she says isn't worth it because I just started, my jumps are finally making some progress.
My Waltz is better especially when I just go for it, Anna also has me practice doing a Waltz Jump then a little side hop into another Waltz Jump, which gives me some spring.
My Half- Flip is my favorite jump, I feel like it's made the most progress and I'm excited to ass a turn and make it a full flip.
Also my Half Lutz Jump is doing pretty well, I just need to get more spring into it and stop dropping my arm while I jump, because doing that is pulling me down.

I'm not going to reach my original goals I'd set for myself by the end of WISE, but before I had started they seemed reasonable..I didn't know it'd be so hard to get all my jumps! With that said, I will continue to work towards those goals and there's still more time for me to learn.

My Scratch Spin, a one footed spin from backwards crossovers, is going well, I just need to pull my right foot in across my left leg (the one I spin on) and move it down. I get somewhat freaked out by the speed and step out, but I think I'll get more comfortable with it in time.

When I think about the past few months, I definitely think I'm more of a spinner than a jumper, I guess I just love the ice too much to part with it.

5/14 Falling Down

Today I was getting really angry at practice, I fell at least six times during the ice time, which is more than I've ever fallen in one day. I know i shouldn't be getting upset, ut I can' help it, I'm not used to having so much trouble picking up on athletic activities. I'e been trying to get my one-footed spin, so that I can do bigger jumps, like my Lutz, but I can't seem to keep my balance. I have no issue with a two- footed spin anymore, which I guess I should think about in prospective to how long it's taking me to get the one-footed spin, but it's a lot harder for me.
I've never had great balance, and it's making it especially hard for what I'm doing.
I know that figure skaters, are any athlete for that matter, aren't made overnight, but sometimes I sure wish that was how it worked.
I am really happy that I have such a great support group at the rink, Marisa wouldn't let me get off the ice until I had practiced my spins more. It's great to have so many people there who are so supportive of my learning to skate. Annabelle, a great skater at the Rink from Horseheads, even offered me her butt-pads today! Cole tried to help me by showing me step by step how to do a spin, as did Marisa, it was so kind of them and they explained it to me in different ways than Anna did, which helped me to look at things in a different way.
It's so important that I have all these people showing so much support for me and who are quickly becoming great friends of mine, it's like a hockey team in that way, we work to make each other better.
I finally got my Waltz Jump higher, by pretending to jump over something on the ice, as a girl named Olivia suggested, but I fell and smashed my knee into the ice, very painful, it hurts to walk still.

I'm just trying to keep my spirits high and think about how everything takes time, I just need to be patient, which I knew from the beginning, I have trouble with. This will be a test of my own willpower.

5/6 Frustration

I'm getting kind of down because I'm trying to learn new jumps, but I'm having a lot of trouble getting any air..and when I do my ankle seems to give out. I think I need new skates, with more support, but I really don't want to ask that of my parents, they're already paying for my ice time and practice. I think I will save up for a new pair and hopefully then my jumps will start progressing again without my ankle rolling every time.
My spins are getting a lot better, I've learned how to center myself, I used to get super frustrated because I was all wobbly, but sucking in my stomach makes me steadier.
Today I also worked on my "scratch spin" which is going into a spin from backwards cross overs. I'm learning to do a one footed spin too, so I can have more interesting spins instead of the same two- footed spin every single time.

I know I shouldn't get frustrated, but it's hard not to when, I'm not used to learning something totally new at the age of 18, plus I'm usually pretty good at following direction, but for whatever reason there seems to be something in my subconscious blocking me from taking the risks that I know I want to take.

5/3 moving forward

Wow! I cannot believe it's already the five week making us that much closer to graduation!
At practice last night I worked on my inner and outer edge forward lobes, these are something I must get tested I I want o moe up in he figure skating world. At first I had a hard time because I was being impatient and just wanted to do them, but once I slowed Down and took them step by step they went really well.
Last night I also learned how to 'scratch' which is going into a spin from backwards crossovers which looks super pretty, I just need to work on maintaining my balance.
I also learned a half lutz jump, it reminds me of a backwards half flip jump, it doesn't look too great yet, but nothing a little practice can't fix.

Today I had my mentor meeting with ms Affronti because she had a track meet yesterday and couldn't meet at our usual time. We worked on our check in together and she helped me brainstorm some ideas for my final presentation... An iMovie seems like my best bet this far, which I can definitely work with.