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[What
to Expect] [Types
of Comps] [Typical
Events] [Checklist]
[Gold
Medal] [How
to Interp Scores] [Sample
Scores] [Combining
SP/FS] [Judges]
Competitions - What to expect as a skater
Excited ??? -- You Bet !!
No question about it, your first competition will be one of the most exciting,
most confusing, and most stomach-churning days you will ever experience in
skating! Just remember, you're
doing this for fun, so go out there, show off a little, and enjoy the
experience. Do your best job, but
always remember to keep an even perspective on the day...
Parents, too, remember how much courage it takes to get out there all
alone on that huge sheet of ice in front of all those people.
Make sure your child knows about that fluttery feeling of pride you feel
in your chest when you see them out there.
First, Just a Little Bit of Philosophy
An important thing to remember as you go into a competition is to skate against yourself
-- not the other skaters. It's great to "win" or to earn a medal,
and we all want to strive for that as a goal, but if that is your only goal,
you're bound to come away disappointed very often. It's important to remember that you can control how well you
skate, but you have no control over who you are competing against.
At any given competition you might face competitors who are more
advanced, equally advanced, or less experienced than yourself.
Your final position will be greatly affected by the level of that field.
You could skate exactly the same performance in 2 different
competitions and end up in first place one day and last place the next,
depending on the abilities of the other skaters.
Strive instead to always "better" your last performance. Every time you go out on that competition ice, try to do just
a little bit better than you did the last time. If you do that, the medals will take care of
themselves. If you can come off the
ice feeling good about your performance, knowing that you've done your best job,
then you should be happy.
How to Find Competitions Near You
Most likely, your pro will know about the competitions in your area, and will
advise you as to which ones you should enter. Your pro knows your abilities, and
knows the general range of abilities expected at the various competitions held
in your area. If you're searching,
one of the best places to look is Skating magazine (sent to all USFSA
members). Skating lists coming competitions in the "Calendar of
Events" section which appears monthly. Your pro or club may get the competition "announcement packet"
in the mail about 2-3 months before the competition.
If not, you should call the host club and ask for one.
Usually, entry deadlines are about 6-8 weeks before the competition, so
don't wait too long to look for it.
Sending in Your Application
Application forms are usually included in the Announcement Packet.
This packet will list all events, the eligibility requirements, and the
required elements for programs. You
may enter more than one event if you wish, and in general,
"additional" events are cheaper than the "first" event.
In our area, local competitions usually cost around $50 for the first
event and $15 for additional events. This
may differ in your area. There will be an entry deadline listed in the packet --
make sure you get your form in on time!
Usually the form will require a signature by a club officer or your test
chairman to attest to your eligibility. Don't
wait til the last minute to get this signature -- sometimes people go out of
town, or don't show up at the rink on that one day you left to try to find them.
Sometimes they require a signature from your pro to attest to your
readiness.
With
help from your pro, decide what events you will enter, fill in the form, get the
necessary signatures, make a copy (I
never mail anything without keeping a copy), write a check, and mail it all
away. Often, clubs will
suggest that you include a self-addressed, stamped envelope (SASE) which they
may use to return your event
schedule.
When do I find out my event schedule?
Usually, you will get a mailing from the host club about 10-14 days before the
competition. This mailing will list
your event day and times, and will provide a map to the rink, parking
instructions, and other necessary information.
In general, it won't help to call earlier than that, since they can't
make up a firm schedule until they have all the entries and go through a huge
scheduling effort to make it all work. They'll
mail it as soon as they know it's a solid schedule.
Will I have to miss any school?
Probably. Most competitions run
over a weekend. But because of the
number of entries that most get, many have to start before Saturday.
Sometimes Friday, once in a while Thursday too.
In general, they start with the lowest level skaters on the earliest days
and save the weekend for the high level skaters and the "final
rounds". So if this is an
early competition for you the chances are pretty good you'll miss a little bit
of school...
Who will you compete against?
You will compete against other skaters of approximately similar experience.
You may or may not be competing against skaters of similar age.
The basic separation is by test level.
This means you will be competing against other skaters who have tested
"no further" than you have. Many
competitions allow skaters to "skate up" one level (skate in a level
that is one test more difficult than they have actually passed), but no
competition will let skaters skate in a level below where they have passed.
Of
course, even within a test level, you will find people of widely varying
experience and ability.
Generally,
you will skate in a group of no more than 8 - 10 skaters. Most clubs try to
schedule so that this can happen. If
there are substantially more than 10 people entered in a single event, they will
break up the group into separate "flights", which will then be
considered completely separate events. Usually if this is done, the flights are
grouped according to the skater's ages.
When should you arrive at the Rink?
The club mailing that has your schedule on it will tell you what they expect of
entrants. In general though, you
should expect to check in at least an hour before your scheduled event time.
When you get to the rink, they will usually have a "check-in"
table near the doors. You need to go to that table and say your name and event (if
there is an "event number" associated with your event you should be
prepared to tell them that also). They
will find your name on their list and "log you in".
If your event requires music, you should give them your tape at this time
(see elsewhere in this document for more information on music).
They will probably have "Program Booklets" available at this
table for a nominal charge. You'll
probably want one for your scrapbook. Once
you're checked in, you can watch other events until it's time for you to get
dressed. The club will provide
locker rooms for you to change in, and you can usually leave your clothes and
skating bags in that room while you're competing.
When should you get dressed? When should you get on the ice?
Again, your host club or your pro may tell you their own special expectations.
However, the general rule is that you should be fully dressed and ready
to check in when the flight before yours actually "takes the
ice". Usually there will be an
Ice Monitor standing somewhere near the skater's "entry door" (usually
with a clipboard in her hand). You
should find the Ice Monitor at this time and tell them who you are and that you
are present and ready. Then don't
go too far away, but don't hover too close and bother everybody either...
The Ice Monitor will tell you when it's time for your flight's warmup.
Generally,
you should say your "good-byes" to your parents up in the bleachers,
then report to the Ice Monitor along with your pro. The pro can usually stay with you up to and during your
event. Your parents should not.
What's a Warmup?
The "Warmup" is a short opportunity (usually about 3-4 minutes) for
you to get out on the ice and warm up your muscles before you compete.
Your pro may have a few specific somethings for you to work on during
this time, but in general you should use it to stroke around and loosen your
muscles. Do a couple jumps to get a
feel for the ice quality. Try to familiarize yourself with the size and
"look" of the rink so that you don't get surprised during the
competition if the rink is smaller or larger than your home rink.
Visualize where you will start, and where key elements of your program
will occur. You should probably not
run through your entire program, but you might want to try out a few of it's key
elements. The judges will not
be judging your activities during this period, although some will watch to help
them get a general feel for the "level" of skating that they will see
in the group.
They
will generally sound a horn or make an announcement when you have 1 minute left
in the warmup, then tell you to leave the ice when it's over.
Don't go too far, and try to keep your muscles warm and loose. If you
choose to watch the other competitors you may do so.
Skating Order
Usually this will be posted on a convenient wall somewhere around the
"concourse" of the rink. When
you first arrive at the rink, you can ask the people at the registration desk
where the skating orders are posted. You
will find a sheet for each of your events that will list all the competitors in
the order in which they will skate. It will probably NOT be the same as the order printed in the
program booklet (which is usually just alphabetic).
Warmup Groups
Sometimes when your flight is large, it will be divided into 2 or 3
“sub-groups," each of which gets to warm up separately.
For instance, if you are in a flight of 12 skaters, it might be broken up
into 2 groups of 6. The first 6
would warm up at the time listed on the ice schedule, then they would skate
their programs. Then the next 6
would warm up, then skate their programs. All
are judged as if they were one group, it just ensures that the final skaters
don’t get too “cool” waiting for their turn to skate. It is generally done when the flight size is greater than 9,
and generally only at levels of about Intermediate or higher (when the programs
start to get long).
Your "Skate"
When it’s your turn, the Ice Monitor will give you instructions to go on the
ice. Skate out to wherever you will
strike your initial pose, and indicate your readiness to the judges and the
music person. If this is a
competition with music, then they will start it as soon as they know that both
you and the judges are ready. If
your program is not done to music, you should wait until they announce something
like "skater, you may begin".
Take
a deep breath, relax, and skate your best...
When
you are done, take your bows then skate off the ice. If you are in a "half-ice" competition and someone
else is skating on the other half, it would be courteous to wait until they are
finished before you skate off the ice.
Results
Usually it will take about a half-hour or so for results to be posted.
You will generally find them posted in the same place where the skating
orders were. The results sheet
shows your final position, and shows the ordinal (position) marking that each of
the judges gave you. Usually, you can purchase copies of the results sheet for
about 25˘ from the host club.
Medals, Ribbons
Different clubs do this differently, but usually if you are in the top 3
positions you will receive a medal of some sort.
They will usually have award ceremonies scheduled periodically during the
competition to award these medals. They
often take "official pictures" at this time as well.
If you have earned a medal, you should check to see when the award
ceremony is, and whether or not pictures will be taken. If they do take
pictures, you will probably be expected to be in your skating outfit and skates.
At many competitions, those skaters who placed below the "medal
positions" will be eligible to receive a ribbon.
Check at the registration table to find out where you go to get these.
Before you leave the arena
Don't forget to pick up your tapes (audio, and video)!!
Music Tapes
Most
clubs expect you to bring your music on standard audio cassette tapes.
The competition announcement will give you specific instructions.
Usually, you should bring 2 copies of your tape. Give one to the
registration desk when you arrive, give the other to your pro or someone else
close to the ice for emergencies. Your
tape should be well labeled with your name and your event.
Your music should be the first and only song on the tape, and it
should be rewound when you turn it in. If
you can find the real short 5- or 10-minute cassettes, use those.
They generally have a "thicker" tape which works better in the
cold, damp environment of the ice rink. If
at all possible, make a "Brand New" copy of your music for the
competition -- do not use the same tape which you have played over and over
again during your practice sessions. Tapes
do wear out and get scratchy sounding, and you'd like to have the best possible
sound for your competition. If you
do make a new tape though, make sure you listen to it at least once, just to
make sure it recorded properly!
Dress
Appropriate dress for skaters varies according to their age and level.
At
higher levels, competitors will often have special custom skating outfits for
each event.
At
beginning levels, boys may be very appropriately dressed in dark pants, shirt,
and turtleneck or sweater. Girls
may be in a simple skating dress or skirt and sweater. Warmup suits, windsuits should not be worn during a
competition program. Gloves or mittens may be worn during warmups, but usually
are not worn during a competition. Warmup
jackets or sweaters are appropriate during the warmup, but should be removed for
competition (remember that pullover sweaters or sweatshirts may muss the hair
when removed).
Skates
should be cleaned and polished for every competition. Make sure your laces are in good shape before you get to the
rink -- old laces tend to break at the most inconvenient times!
Hair
should be done tidily and securely. Bobby
pins, scrunchies, rubber bands, etc, if used should be very securely placed.
These items present a hazard to skaters if they should fall off and lay
on the ice.
Competition
outfits at all levels are required by USFSA rules to be modest, and appropriate
to athletic competition. Except for
"Artistic Showcase" type events, they should not be theatrical in
nature.
Many
experienced skaters bring a "backup" outfit to every competition.
Emergencies do happen and it's pretty nice to have an option available.
If you don't bring a spare outfit, girls should at least bring a few spare pairs
of tights, and all skaters should have spare laces available.
Competition Conduct
Remember, every child competing is special to someone. Skaters and families
should be respectful of all competitors.
In
the audience, refrain from entering, exiting, or wandering the bleacher area
while skaters are performing. There's
plenty of time in between skaters to move around. Be supportive of your skaters, but refrain from obnoxious
calling and activities. Never
"Boo" or otherwise harass other skaters.
Be attentive to and appreciative of the efforts of all skaters.
Skaters,
refrain from displays of temper or displeasure. Nobody wants to watch them.
Photography/Videography
For the safety of the skaters, NO FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY is permitted during
competition events at any Figure Skating Competition.
Still photos may be taken with available light (use a "fast"
film). Video taping is
usually permitted as long as courtesy is observed.
At
most competitions a professional videographer is available to take videos on
your tape for a nominal charge. Their professional equipment and operators get
better pictures than you can, and you can spend the time watching your skater
perform. Many skaters keep an on-going tape that has their entire competitive
history on it. They take it to
every competition (pre-positioned to the end of the last prior event), and have
their new events appended to the tape.
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