tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5983578957374273532024-03-12T17:53:42.078-05:00Ice Mom's Adventures in Figure SkatingWelcome to Ice Mom's blog! You'll find lots of resources for figure skating parents here: reviews, how-tos, info. about competitions, and sewing ideas.
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Read post comments, too. Readers here are SMART.
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If you have an idea for a post or a question for me, send me an e-mail! <a href="mailto:icemom.diane@gmail.com">icemom.diane@gmail.com</a>
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Ice Mom receives no payments for product reviews. Any advertising content is independent from editorial content.Ice Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05639175462486739483noreply@blogger.comBlogger165125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-598357895737427353.post-24650998298302657442010-04-04T23:57:00.004-05:002010-04-07T11:00:10.289-05:00Looking for the latest Ice Mom Post?<div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://icemom.net" target="_blank"><imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" title="IceMom.net" src="http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b39/thistlemedia/fblogo-1.jpg" alt="IceMom.net"/></a></div><span style="font-size: x-large;">Go to <a href="http://icemom.net/">IceMom.net</a>!</span></div>Ice Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05639175462486739483noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-598357895737427353.post-30977111648678274272010-04-02T00:01:00.003-05:002010-04-02T11:03:41.487-05:00Ask the Ice Moms: How Do You Put on a Club Ice Show?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://mrg.bz/3t36b7" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="http://mrg.bz/3t36b7" width="200" /></a></div>A funny thing happens when you mention <i>ice show</i>. People begin to look uncomfortable, shuffle their feet, and remember an urgent appointment. See ya! Bye! Mention <i>ice show</i> and you'll be standing alone within minutes.<br />
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Reader V. e-mailed me<i> ages ago</i> asking this simple question:<br />
<blockquote><i>I have been selected to be the Committee Chair to plan our year-end show. We have a small figure skating club - approx 40 skaters (all levels). Do you have any ideas for theme, planning, organizing a show? </i></blockquote><br />
I have no experience with ice shows beyond cleaning out the locker room toilets and manning the ticket sales table. Here's what the board had to say:<br />
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From Xan, figure skating coach, parent of a professional ice show skater, and blogger at <a href="http://xan-boni.blogspot.com/">Xanboni!</a><br />
<blockquote>They need a policy on solos (everyone gets one, or only above a certain test level) and they need to figure out levels for groups. They need to make sure that their rink or municipality has an ASCAP and a BMI license for music rights (most do). Choosing the music is the easy part, but they need someone to cut it, and they need to determine a standard length for all solos and group numbers, so no one feels slighted.<br />
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A nice thing to do with an ice show is to donate part of the proceeds to a local charity, like the Breast Cancer Walk, or book drive. That organization will help get audience, and local newspapers are more likely to pay attention to it.<br />
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If they're a US figure skating club, or in an area that has Basic Skills programs, they should call Susi Wehrli, member director for U.S. Figure Skating and ask her for resources. The phone number I found by Googling her is 719.635.5200, but I'm not vouching for it. Susi's counterpart at the Ice Skating Institute, in case they're an independent club or ISI program, is <a href="http://www.skateisi.com/site/sub.cfm?content=contact_us">Randy Winslip</a>. Both Susi and Randy are very approachable and know everything there is to know about clubs. Hope that helps!</blockquote>From figure skating parent S.F.:<br />
<blockquote>We used to do group numbers and divide the skaters up based on ability. The past several years we changed the format and the skaters perform the competition programs in front of an audience and the audience votes for their favorite skater. We found this format worked well for our club because we were able to put it together with less ice time/coaching fees then when we did group numbers.</blockquote>From figure skating parent PairsMom, whose son and his partner won a gold medal for Intermediate Pairs skating at the December 2009 Junior Nationals competiton:<br />
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<span style="color: black; font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Here is my advice:</span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></span> </span></span></span></span><br />
<ul><span style="color: black; font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: black; font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">
<li style="margin-left: 40px;">First and foremost, make sure that rink management, staff, and coaches are all "on board" and enthusiastic about the show and willing to lend their support.<span style="color: black; font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: black; font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"> </span></span></span></span><span style="color: black; font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: black; font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"> </span></span></span></span><span style="color: black; font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: black; font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"> </span></span></span></span></li>
<li style="margin-left: 40px;"><span style="color: black; font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: black; font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Form a committee and pick a theme - check other club websites for ideas of show titles </span></span></span></span></li>
<li style="margin-left: 40px;"><span style="color: black; font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: black; font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Committee could consist of the following titles (this is a minimum and there could be more)</span></span></span></span></li>
<li style="margin-left: 80px;"><span style="color: black; font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: black; font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Show Director (probably a coach) </span></span></span></span></li>
<li style="margin-left: 80px;"><span style="color: black; font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: black; font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Music Director - someone to select music, cut music, make copies for skaters, play music, announce, etc.</span></span></span></span></li>
<li style="margin-left: 80px;"><span style="color: black; font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: black; font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">BackStage Director - a parent that can literally run things backstage, on or off ice behind the curtain lining up groups, solos, etc.</span></span></span></span></li>
<li style="margin-left: 80px;"><span style="color: black; font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: black; font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Costumes - someone to oversee and approve costume selections, make suggestions, etc.</span></span></span></span></li>
<li style="margin-left: 80px;"><span style="color: black; font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: black; font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Publicity/Tickets</span></span></span></span></li>
<li style="margin-left: 80px;"><span style="color: black; font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: black; font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Rehearsal Asst./Runner - older skater (HS or College) or parent</span></span></span></span></li>
<li style="margin-left: 80px;"><span style="color: black; font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: black; font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Props/Set decorations on ice and/or in the lobby</span></span></span></span></li>
</span></span></span></span><span style="color: black; font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: black; font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">
<li style="margin-left: 40px;"><span style="color: black; font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: black; font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Plan to have an all cast combined number for opening and/or closing of the show to include all skaters of all levels. This will be the highlight of your show and the most memorable for all involved - I PROMISE!</span></span></span></span></li>
<li style="margin-left: 40px;"><span style="color: black; font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: black; font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Delegate, delegate, delegate</span></span></span></span></li>
</span></span></span></span></ul><br />
From board member S.L., who gets roped into running her club's show every year:<br />
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<ol><li>Pick a date - This can be hard because of vacations, school breaks, and hockey conflicts. Find the most practice ice available and work your date around that.</li>
<li>Pick a theme - Get ideas from kids, such as: Saturday at the 70's, traveling (very flexible), newspaper (very flexible), jungle, Disney, beach, music genres. Avoid religion. People will always be unhappy with the theme, but these are usually the people who complain anyway. When considering the theme, think about how hard it will be to get costumes and music.</li>
<li>Sets - Sets are always last. Ask one person from each group to facilitate props. The coach decides what props and sets they'll need. Less is better, especially with little kids.</li>
<li>Costumes - use dance books to help with ordering, but costumes can be expensive. You can go to costumes.com or some place similar for good deals.</li>
<li>Budget - Decide what's realistic. Charge skaters their registration fees based on what you'll need to cover the ice costs. The goal is for the show to pay for itself. For us, it's rarely a fundraiser. Sometimes you can get a portion of the ice fees donated and maybe some of the pros will donate their time, too. Ticket sales usually pay for the pros and cover the cost difference between registration fees and the cost of ice and costumes.</li>
<li>Printing - We get our posters and flyers 100% donated. Our figure skater memory book printing is donated, too. So any money we collect from the memory book is profit.</li>
<li>Celebrations - the rehearsal dinner, cast party, pictures, DVDs, and T-shirts pay for themselves.</li>
<li>Jobs - co-chairs, back-stage lead, costumes, dressing room monitor, lights, Learn to Skate liaison, memory book creator, music man, cast party planner, program creator, props master, concessions, set-up and clean-up crews, ticket sellers, t-shirt coordinator, videographer, and photographer.</li>
</ol><blockquote>It's a lot of work, but very rewarding. Go in knowing that not everyone will be happy, but those people are the ones who don't help, so you don't feel as bad. It's a lot of work; don't let it scare you. It comes together nicely in the end.</blockquote><br />
<i><b>Do you have any experience with club ice shows? Don't be afraid - I'm not asking you to volunteer! If you know anything that would help someone with an ice show, please put it in the comments!</b></i><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i><b>As always, if you have any questions for the Ice Moms, just e-mail me! You can also send me any post ideas you have. If you're an expert, please contact me! I'm always looking for experts for Wednesday's Ask the Expert feature. My e-mail is: <a href="mailto:icemom.diane@gmail.com">icemom.diane@gmail.com</a></b></i></span><br />
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You know this blog is moving, right? Tomorrow (and thereafter) you'll find it at <a href="http://icemom.net/">IceMom.net</a>.Ice Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05639175462486739483noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-598357895737427353.post-8867128946460781232010-04-01T00:01:00.005-05:002010-04-01T00:01:00.414-05:00How-to: Counsel a Kid out of Figure Skating<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://mrg.bz/29TWDn" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="136" src="http://mrg.bz/29TWDn" width="200" /></a></div>We've all seen this kid: she drags herself into the rink, slooooowly puts on her figure skates, gets on the ice like she's going to prison, and skates around aimlessly. She exits the rink to retie her skates, to adjust her ponytail, to get a drink of water, to hide and read a book. When she does skate, she practices moves, jumps, and spins that she learned three years ago in Basic 8.<br />
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Mom, I'm going to tell it to you straight: you need to counsel your kid out of figure skating. The other parents aren't saying anything when your skater whines in the lobby and complains in the parking lot. They're too polite and they've known you for years. They're your friends and they think you'll be offended if they have the awkward conversation with you.<br />
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I'm going to do it: save your money and find your figure skater something to do outside of the rink.<br />
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Mom, I'm not trying to be mean. Really. I like you. I even like your whiny kid, when she's away from the rink and having fun. It's just painful to watch the scene your skater makes every week and it's painful, too, to know how you're scraping together the money to put her on the ice.<br />
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Here's how you do it, Mom:<br />
<ol><li><b>Cold turkey. </b>Just take a break. Maybe a month. Maybe the summer. When the time for the next ice contract comes around, ask your figure skater if she misses it. She probably won't.</li>
<li><b>Maintain friendships.</b> Arrange for times to spend with her (former) figure skating friends. Keep those friendship ties, but do it away from the rink.</li>
<li> <b>Bandwagon.</b> Ask your skater what her school friends enjoy. I don't care if it's knitting, find a way for your kid to join in.</li>
<li><b>Replace.</b> At the very same time that your skater would be on the ice, find something wonderful, marvelous, adventurous for her to try. Normally I would <i>never</i> recommend horse back riding (the only thing more expensive than figure skating), but if it gets your kid off the ice, it's worth the money. </li>
<li><b>Bait-n-switch.</b> Does your skater love the musicality of figure skating? Try dance. Does she like the performance aspect? Try theater. Does she like the movement? Get her roller blades and crown her queen of the roller rink. </li>
<li><b>The long goodbye.</b> Reduce her ice time so gradually that she doesn't even notice it happening. Pretty soon she'll be weaned off of the ice.</li>
<li><b>Reward behaviors you want to see.</b> When she's trying the new activity, gush appropriately. Watch her and be amazed. Encourage her to talk about her new activity and how very, very cool it is.</li>
</ol>Mom, don't listen to your kid when she says in that whiny voice that she loves figure skating and doesn't want to quit. Instead, listen to her behavior. Her attitude, her actions, and her level of activity should all be good indicators that this sport isn't for her. Be strong, Mom. You can do it.<br />
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Tell her that just because she doesn't like figure skating as much as she had thought, she isn't a failure and she isn't a bad person. She just needs to find that passion, that spark, that special interest that will take her from whiny to wonderful.<br />
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Give your kid permission to quit. Please. I promise I'll call you. We'll have coffee. We'll take the kids to the movies. We'll catch up and laugh. You'll show me photos of your kid on her horse, on stage, or at the gymnasium. The kid will beam with pride. We'll both gush appropriately.<br />
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I can't wait.<br />
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<i><b>Alright, parents. Do you have any ideas for this mom? How would you recommend that she counsel her kid off the ice?</b></i><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i><b>Do you have a question for Ice Mom? Ice Coach? Ice Girl? Synchro Mom? Are you an expert and you want to contribute to the Wednesday Ask the Expert Feature? Do you have a suggestion for a post you'd like to see? Wonderful. E-mail me at <a href="mailto:icemom.diane@gmail.com">icemom.diane@gmail.com</a>.</b></i></span><i><b><br />
</b></i>Ice Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05639175462486739483noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-598357895737427353.post-72906072338785354462010-03-31T00:01:00.001-05:002010-03-31T00:01:00.818-05:00Ask the Expert: Jenny Hall, Former Ice Show Figure Skater<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b39/thistlemedia/3-31-10JennyHall.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b39/thistlemedia/3-31-10JennyHall.png" width="177" /></a></div><i><b>This <span style="font-size: large;">guest post</span> comes from Jenny Hall, former show skater and author of<span style="font-size: small;"><span id="btAsinTitle"> </span></span></b></i><b><span style="font-size: small;"><span id="btAsinTitle"><a href="https://www.createspace.com/Customer/EStore.do?id=3388603">Ice Charades: Penguins Behaving Badly and Other Follies From the Road</a> </span></span></b><i><b><span style="font-size: small;"><span id="btAsinTitle">(use discount code </span></span><span class="caption">CLFZ9MCH to save 10%)</span><span style="font-size: small;"><span id="btAsinTitle">.</span></span> You can also visit her popular blog, <a href="http://icecharades.blogspot.com/">Ice Charades</a>. If you'd like to read reviews of her book you can visit Ice <a href="http://icemom.blogspot.com/2009/11/book-review-ice-charades.html">Mom's review of </a></b></i><b><a href="http://icemom.blogspot.com/2009/11/book-review-ice-charades.html">Ice Charades</a></b><i><b> or <a href="http://www.blogger.com/goog_2058082786">About.com's</a></b></i><span style="font-size: small;"><i><b><a href="http://figureskating.about.com/od/figureskatingbooks/gr/icecharades.htm"> Jo Ann Schneider Farris and her review</a>.</b></i></span><br />
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So your son or daughter wants to join an ice show. They are turning 18 pretty soon and you’re wondering if you’re crazy to let them do it.<br />
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I don’t think so.<br />
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Perhaps you’re thinking that your kid needs to go to college first because they will never get ahead in life without a college degree. That’s probably true. But the cool thing is you don’t have to pick one at the expense of the other – your son or daughter can do both. Although usually not at the same time.<br />
The most important concept I thought of when writing this post for Ice Mom is that parents may feel by joining an ice show their son or daughter will be exposed to all things evil: weigh-ins, promiscuity, drinking and/or drugs, lack of safety, backstage cattiness, insufficient funds, injuries, or insecurity in themselves. Yes, they’ll probably face all of that and worse.<br />
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But it won’t be because they joined an ice show as much as a result of turning 18. It’s part of what happens when they leave home. They can face the same challenges in college, the office, or if they become a coach at a rink. Granted, dealing with all of those evils at one time in a far-flung location can be overwhelming, but in my case, it forced me to mature on my own and later I was glad for the challenge.<br />
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So, let them give it a try, tell them they can always return if they don’t like it, and tell yourself that you may get to visit them in an exciting, exotic spot of the world. One mother I spoke with spent two weeks on a beautiful Scandinavian cruise for <i>free</i>.<br />
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Another plus is your kid will be earning money for skating instead of you paying for it. Not bad.<br />
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So, let’s walk through some of the basics for your son or daughter:<br />
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<ul><li>For their best success in ice shows, they may want to join right out of high school at their physical peak. But they don’t have to. I had two years of college before I joined a show at 20. While it was true, I lost the conditioning of my senior freestyle program in my legs and in my lungs that I had at 18, I was still okay for the show. I rose to the occasion, skated on a lot of practice ice and improved my skating in other ways. And I was more mature than I would have been right out of high school. I continued to go in and out of ice shows and college for the next thirteen years and stayed in good shape until I was 35. I also think I was a better performer because I mixed office work with the skating world and tried to enjoy the best of what each environment had to offer. So it is not too late to start somewhere in their 20s.</li>
<li>Do your homework – talk to show skaters if you can. No two ice shows are the same but certain shows will have certain set environments. Let’s just say that Holiday On Ice gives the skaters more independence – which also means less supervision. Disney On Ice has more hand-holding. Touring shows will have more variety than a park show, but also more uncertainty. I was drawn to traveling, so starting with a big touring show was the right choice for me, but someone who is more interested in their skating should look at the show’s caliber of skating first. That may be the Royal Caribbean cruise ship show or Disney. If a skater plans on making this their career for a while, a long-term show is best for steady income. Stick with a touring show or a cruise ship show that’s going to be around for a while. If it is more about having fun, try a summer amusement park show. They are several of them in countries besides the U.S. </li>
</ul><div style="padding-left: 40px;">The nice thing is ice shows are still a small world and once a skater finds work in one, they will find it pretty easy to get the scoop on others. The Professional Figure Skaters Cooperative (PFSC) has made it even easier to get all the casting notices in one place and they even have a seminar in beautiful Sun Valley, Idaho open to younger skaters to hear first-hand what ice shows can be like.</div><ul><li>Don’t play down the physical attributes of skating in ice shows. I took it for granted until I was retired how beneficial it was to have a job that required movement rather than sitting at a desk or standing by the boards. If a skater can stay away from injuries and eating disorders and stay healthy, their skating will pay dividends long after they put away the false eyelashes. There will be plenty of time for more sedentary jobs, but move when and while you can. I firmly believe having skated in my twenties and thirties will keep me healthier when I face my fifties.</li>
<li>While college is largely about planning (as in planning to graduate and cash in on that expensive degree), ice shows are more about living in the moment. When you are performing, that is the only thing going at that very moment. You’re not stopping during the pinwheel to check your Blackberry. You don’t leave during intermission to pick up your sick child at daycare (well, if you did, you probably wouldn’t be allowed back). From the time you walk into the dressing room at half-hour to the time the curtain goes down in Finale, you have one purpose – to skate the show. Maybe you have the goal to skate it well. (But maybe it’s a Saturday matinee and you’re only putting in a C performance – ask someone from Ice Capades). The flipside is when the show’s done, you’re done for the day. It is not to say skaters don’t have goals in ice shows, but they can have the freedom not to.</li>
<li>Realize that ice shows won’t be in their life forever. The reality is few in the chorus in Capades, Holiday or Disney went on to have careers in ice shows. There are jobs in production, choreography, costumes or sets to move into once your legs stop moving, but they are few and far between. Luckily, I think most chorus skaters want to move on from ice shows and into permanent housing, relationships, and jobs anyway. Hopefully the skater will enjoy the traveling, the costumes and the performing while they can.</li>
</ul>So if you’re still nervous about your son or daughter running away to join <strike style="color: red;">the circus</strike> an ice show or have any questions, please send me a comment.Ice Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05639175462486739483noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-598357895737427353.post-20683667197398024082010-03-30T00:01:00.010-05:002010-03-30T00:01:01.503-05:00Synchro: No Way. We Need Ice Dance, Too?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b39/thistlemedia/squarelogo.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b39/thistlemedia/squarelogo.png" width="200" /></a></div><i><b>This </b></i><span style="font-size: large;"><b>guest post </b></span><i><b>comes courtesy of Synchro Mom, who will be blogging at <a href="http://synchromom.net/">SynchroMom.net</a> starting this Saturday, April 3.</b></i><br />
<i><b> </b></i> <br />
Mom decided one day her daughter needed to try a sport! Not having any sports ability, we just decided to put it out there. First we tried softball, no good: Mom took a ball to the face.<br />
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O.K. let’s try volleyball, no good: Daughter took a ball to her face. <br />
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Much dental work and many oral surgeon visits later, Mom with her swollen face decided that Daughter would try ice skating. Off to the rink, which, lucky for us, is almost in our backyard, to begin our journey. At our rink, Daughter loved the ice and the sport! YAY!<br />
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At our rink, synchronized skating is HUGE and I mean HUGE! We have several teams at different levels and skaters with competitive spirits that skate daily to win! Synchro Girl watched in awe as the skaters linked together and covered all areas of the ice.<br />
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She wanted to join immediately; that was not to be the case. First, she had to participate in a three-week synchronized training session in the spring and then tryout. She was placed on a preliminary team and we were off and skating sync. <br />
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Through the years, she has skated her way up to different team levels and is having fun and working hard. Please join us in our journey to see what the synchro world has to offer. It will be fun-filled and I hope useful. I’ll also explain the use of white bobby pins for competitions! (Please Ice Mom: let me keep blogging, I promise to be good!)<br />
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Many of us Synchro Moms sit in the stands at the end of each night, frozen, yet smiling merrily as our skaters glide by. We’re just waiting for the Zamboni buzzer to go off and our skaters to exit the rink until tomorrow. Isn’t it funny, how even frozen to the core, you still have some of your senses? I can pick up a conversation, down three rows, from one end of the bleachers to the other.<br />
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I’m sitting all alone, trying to read, when I hear something I haven’t heard in the four years I’ve been warming that stupid bench.<br />
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I looked up from my book and shouted, “What? You need ice dance, too?”<br />
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After four years of synchro-skating where did that come from? <br />
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I moved down the bleachers. O.K., I ran down the bleachers so I could listen to the other Synchro Moms discuss the benefits of synchro-scholarships and how ice dancing is a requirement for many of the college teams. <br />
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So we will now add ice dance to Synchro Girl’s lessons and I will explore the requirements a synchronized skater would need to be eligible for college synchro-scholarship. (Should we just say watch for this blog posting as I want to list all or many of the colleges that offer scholarships?) Thoughts?<br />
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<i><b>What do you think, Synchro Moms? Should Synchro Skaters take Ice Dance? Do you recommend anything else? Heard any rumors about Synchro-Scholarships? Let's share our knowledge!</b></i><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i><b>As always, if you have some brilliant idea for a post, please let me know! If you have any questions for me, the Ice Moms, Ice Coach, Ice Girl, Synchro Mom, or anyone else, I'll try to lend you a hand. If you're an expert, you can be my new best friend if you consider posting for the Wednesday Ask the Expert feature. Just send me an e-mail! <a href="mailto:icemom.diane@gmail.com">icemom.diane@gmail.com</a> </b></i></span><br />
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<a href="http://qtrial.qualtrics.com/SE?SID=SV_4OsBdalwVUO2yR6&SVID=Prod" target="_blank"><img alt="Ice Mom's Summer Camp Survey" border="0" src="http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b39/thistlemedia/postsummercampsurvey.gif" /></a>Ice Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05639175462486739483noreply@blogger.com20tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-598357895737427353.post-65618276583027463132010-03-29T00:01:00.003-05:002010-03-30T09:12:04.681-05:00How-to: Make Your Own Figure Skate Deodorizer<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b39/thistlemedia/socks.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b39/thistlemedia/socks.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>I’ve spent $25 in the past on cute <a href="http://store.stink-eez.com/index.html">Stinkeez </a>odor absorbing thingies. They’re made of colorful fleece and come in fun shapes like sharks and lizards. The idea is to stuff the Stinkeez in the figure skating boot to absorb foot odors and moisture.<br />
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The Stinkeez is filled with silica gel, which is a desiccant. You know those little paper packets that come in purses or shoe boxes? Those are filled with silica gel. You can find silica gel in bulk at craft stores. Crafters use it to dry flowers.<br />
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You can make a home-made Stinkeez very cheaply using single socks and cheap ingredients. <br />
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<b>Materials:</b><br />
<ul><li>Two clean, mismatched socks - with tops (not little ankle socks)</li>
<li>A desiccant: baking soda <i><b>or</b> </i>white rice <i><b>or</b> </i>cornmeal and borax <i><b>or</b> </i>silica gel (You just need <b>one of these</b>, not all of them. So, if you choose baking soda, you don't need rice, etc. You'll get the best results with silica gel.)</li>
<li>Wide-mouthed funnel <i>or</i> a rolled-up piece of paper <i>or </i>a narrow drinking glass</li>
<li>Optional: scented oil (peppermint, etc.)</li>
</ul>I'm sure you see where this is going. Using the funnel or a piece of paper that's been rolled up into a funnel shape, fill each sock with the desiccant, stopping about three inches from the top. You can also use a narrow drinking glass for this purpose. Put the sock inside the glass and fold the sock's top over the edge to hold the sock open. Spoon in the desiccant.<br />
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Add a couple of drops of scented oil and tie off the sock's top with an overhand knot.<br />
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See? Cheap and simple. If you want to go fancy, buy some funky toe socks or holiday socks.<br />
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<b>Update:</b> <i>From Advisory Board member S.F.: One of the best ways to combat stinky skates is to remove them from the skate bag so they can dry out. It also prevents them from rotting. My daughter had a pair of skates rot last year because we never took them out of the bag when we got home. We have been removing them religiously every day and they no longer are smelly.</i><br />
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</i></div><div><i>I also would like to comment about laces. I change laces frequently because white laces get dirty pretty fast. My daughter's ice coach likes clean skates and laces on test days and competition days.</i></div><br />
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<i><b>Do you have a good idea for keeping boots dry and socially acceptable? Let us all know!</b></i><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i><b>Have a question for Ice Mom or the Advisory Board? Do you have an idea for a post? Would you like to write a guest post? Awesome! E-mail me at <a href="mailto:icemom.diane@gmail.com">icemom.diane@gmail.com</a>. </b></i></span><br />
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<a href="http://qtrial.qualtrics.com/SE?SID=SV_4OsBdalwVUO2yR6&SVID=Prod" target="_blank"><img alt="Ice Mom's Summer Camp Survey" border="0" src="http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b39/thistlemedia/postsummercampsurvey.gif" /></a>Ice Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05639175462486739483noreply@blogger.com23tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-598357895737427353.post-53127625704068297352010-03-26T00:01:00.007-05:002010-03-26T00:01:02.057-05:00Ask the Ice Moms: Where Can I Find an Adult-Friendly Figure Skating Club?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://mrg.bz/WOJPtI" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://mrg.bz/WOJPtI" width="133" /></a></div>Today's question comes from a frustrated adult figure skater. Here's what she wrote:<br />
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<blockquote><i>I am an adult skater who started skating about a year ago. However, I am really into it and want to compete eventually. I am finding it hard to find a coach who takes me seriously! It seems to be all about the younger skaters. I mean, I understand that they are the ones with "potential," but I am giving them money too. And I want to give MORE money. Every time I try to join a class or get an extra lesson in, the younger skaters come first. Three times the adult classes have been canceled because "not enough signed up." I don't understand why I cannot just skate around with the 13 year olds. Are there any rinks that are more adult friendly? I just graduated college and I'm willing to try to find a job near better rinks (as long as I like the area, etc). Or is there some way I can be taken more seriously?</i></blockquote><div style="font-family: inherit;"><b>From PairsMom, the mother of a pairs skater. She lives in USFSA's Southwestern Region.</b></div><blockquote style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: black; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Maybe get on the USFSA website and contact the Adult Skating rep. for her region (area) and they can put her in touch with a coach that is teaching adults or at least be able to tell her which rinks offer adult classes. This would be a relatively simple thing to do and probably a good starting place. </span></span><b> </b></blockquote><div style="font-family: inherit;"><b>From Ice Coach, who is in the Upper Great Lakes Region. </b></div><blockquote><span style="font-size: small;">This tends to be the case with a lot of rinks/coaches. I know specific coaches that will only take younger kids because they feel older ones are not going anywhere. As in a lot of cases you have to find a coach who will work with your goals. There are some coaches out there that have their own goals & agendas (getting kids to Re</span><span style="font-size: small;">gionals/Sectionals or higher) that they don’t really bother with adults or people that don’t fit with that goal.</span> <br />
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</div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;"> I think our rink is the most adult friendly I have seen. It seems like if you get a couple of adult skaters and then more will gravitate towards that rink. J.C.U had the adult only session Thursday nights last year and that was very nice. The only problem was filling the ice, but I know the adults really appreciated it. As far as Learn to Skate, I never have a full adult class, but I also will never cancel a class if one person signs up. What usually happens is the one adult will tell another and then next session I will have 4 or 5 adults in class. Plus many of them like to learn along w/ their kid. I hope that helps.</span></blockquote><b>From Xan, a figure skating coach who started as an adult. She blogs at <a href="http://xan-boni.blogspot.com/">Xanboni! </a>and lives in the Upper Great Lakes Region.</b><br />
<blockquote>Absolutely a rink should be friendly to adults, and if an adult class gets canceled, most rinks will let you skate around with the kids. I have never heard of a rink that cancels an adult class and then just tells the adults they can't skate. Every day I hear some new insanity. Some rinks manage to develop better adult programs than others, usually because there's a coach that's into them. This skater should just start skating at every rink she can reach, during any adult skate time (often noon public skates) and just start talking up the adult skaters she sees. She'll soon find the rink with the great program. As far as relocating, the Chicago area has lots and lots of adult skaters. Come join us! :)<b> </b></blockquote><b>From S.F., who also lives in the Upper Great Lakes Region.</b><br />
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<div><span style="font-size: small;">I forwarded this to my ice coach. This was her advice: </span></div><span style="font-size: small;"></span></div></blockquote><blockquote><div style="font-family: inherit;"><i><span style="font-size: small;">LTS classes may be canceled due to low attendance at any level. Interview coaches and talk to them about your goals. Choose one that wants to help you. </span></i></div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">I personally see quite a few adults on ice at our rink. They work on MIF/Freestyle and dance. They usually aren't on the ice after school gets out but usually skate in the early afternoon or during the adult freestyle that we have at our rink. Adult freestyle ice is Sat am 7 to 8 and Sun pm 5:30 to 6:30pm.</span> </div></blockquote><blockquote><div style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"> We recently had a test session where a club member took her adult pre-bronze MIF test and she is in her late 70's early 80's. We also have an ice dancer in her late 40's that has been skating about 4-5 years and is working on Pre-gold dances and just tested her prepre and prelim MIF. So I believe that ice coach is right. Interview coaches and talk to them about what the skater wants to accomplish and see if they are willing to help the adult skater achieve their goals.</span></div></blockquote><b>From Kel, who lives in the Upper Great Lakes Region.</b><br />
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<blockquote><span style="font-size: small;">I really feel for this skater. It is difficult to "break in" as a new skater as an adult. I would strongly ask around and find a coach that is interested in taking on an adult student. This will allow her to advance more quickly, as I'm sure she's willing and interested in making the extra effort to practice the skills she's learned. Finding the right coach is key -- I'd suggest she ask around. Once she finds the right coach, she'll fly.<b> </b></span></blockquote><b>From J.C.U., a competitive adult figure skater who won a silver medal at last year's Adult Championships. She is also a figure skating coach who lives in the Upper Great Lakes Region.</b><br />
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<blockquote>Certain clubs and rinks have more opportunities for adults than others. A few that come to mind are Cincinnati OH, Grand Rapids, MI, Minneapolis/St Paul MN and most of the clubs in the Skating Council of Illinois. The adult figure skating population is the second fastest growing group, second only to synchro. I think adults are often not taken as seriously as the youngsters because of the demand careers and families make. Adults tend to take breaks from skating more often than the kids. Instead of looking for group lessons, I'd encourage you to find a private coach who is coaching or who has coached other adults. Ask the potential coach if they've had any students compete at Adult Championships. Your money will be well spent in one-on-one lessons with the right person. Be sure to have "trial lessons" with any coach before you commit. Good Luck! </blockquote><div style="color: black; font-family: inherit;"></div><br />
These responses are heavily weighted to the Upper Great Lakes Region, but only three are from the same rink area.<br />
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<i><b>Readers? Can you help this skater? Do you have a vibrant adult program at your rink? Please share the knowledge in the comments. Naming rinks or clubs is a very nice thing to do.</b></i><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i><b>Do you have a question for the Ice Moms? Do you have an idea for a post you'd like to see? Are you an expert and want to share your knowledge? That's terrific! E-mail me at <a href="mailto:icemom.diane@gmail.com">icemom.diane@gmail.com</a></b></i>!</span><br />
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<a href="http://qtrial.qualtrics.com/SE?SID=SV_4OsBdalwVUO2yR6&SVID=Prod" target="_blank"><img alt="Ice Mom's Summer Camp Survey" border="0" src="http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b39/thistlemedia/postsummercampsurvey.gif" /></a>Ice Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05639175462486739483noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-598357895737427353.post-48729802574576437842010-03-25T22:44:00.000-05:002010-03-25T22:44:56.321-05:00Announcement: MySkatingMall.com's Grand Opening on Friday<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b39/thistlemedia/MSM_Logo_Web_Small.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b39/thistlemedia/MSM_Logo_Web_Small.jpg" width="181" /></a></div><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b><i>Please note: Ice Mom does not accept funding for posts like these. All advertising is separate from editorial content. I'm posting this because I think that Ryan Jahnke's MySkatingMall.com is a great idea that benefits buyers, sellers, and clubs. </i></b></span><br />
<b><i> </i></b> <br />
I’ve written it countless times: figure skating is expensive. I’ve also written that Learn to Skate is the only bargain in figure skating.<br />
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Turns out, I’m wrong.<br />
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U.S. World Team Member (2008) and PSA Master Rated Coach Ryan Jahnke launches <a href="http://myskatingmall.com/">MySkatingMall.com</a> on Friday, April 26. It’s an online figure skating bargain hunter’s paradise. You’ll be able to shop for used figure skating items and see listings from all over the world. Jahnke has also partnered with some vendors who will sell new skating items.<br />
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You benefit because you save money on figure skating purchases. Your figure skating club can benefit, too. If your club registers with MySkatingMall.com, a percentage of every purchase you make will go to your club. <a href="http://icemom.blogspot.com/2010/03/review-myskatingmallcom.html">Click here</a> to read my complete review of MySkatingMall.com.<br />
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<b>Save even more. </b>As an Ice Mom reader, you can receive a 50% off of all listing upgrades if you list items for sale on MySkatingMall.com in the next week. Basic listings are completely free, but listings can be upgraded to show on the front page and at the top of the item's category for enhanced visibility.<br />
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Just type this code in the discount box provided at the end of the selling listing form: <b>MSM</b><br />
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<b>Ask your figure skating club to register. </b>Clubs can benefit from sales at <a href="http://myskatingmall.com/">MySkatingMall.com</a>. It’s an easy process and a painless fundraiser. Five to 90 percent of every purchase raises money for the skating club or team of the buyer and seller. Skating groups can benefit from every purchase and sale their members make! It is completely free for skating clubs and teams to register at <a href="http://www.myskatingmall.com/clubs">http://www.myskatingmall.com/clubs</a>!<br />
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Good luck with your site, Ryan!<br />
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<i><b>Have any of you tried <a href="http://myskatingmall.com/">MySkatingMall.com</a>? What did you think? Did you stop over there to browse? What was your impression? Share your thoughts and suggestions about how to make that site better in the comments. (I'll forward them to Ryan.)</b></i> <br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i><b>Do you have a question for the Ice Moms? Are you a figure skating expert who would like to appear on the Wednesday Ask the Expert feature? Do you have a marvelous idea for a post? Excellent. Please e-mail me at <a href="mailto:icemom.diane@gmail.com">icemom.diane@gmail.com</a>.</b></i></span><br />
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<a href="http://qtrial.qualtrics.com/SE?SID=SV_4OsBdalwVUO2yR6&SVID=Prod" target="_blank"><img alt="Ice Mom's Summer Camp Survey" border="0" src="http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b39/thistlemedia/postsummercampsurvey.gif" /></a>Ice Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05639175462486739483noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-598357895737427353.post-35367737679654986942010-03-25T00:01:00.000-05:002010-03-25T00:01:01.367-05:00Ice Mom’s Guide to Sewing: All about Cutting<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://mrg.bz/rgzQKz" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="160" src="http://mrg.bz/rgzQKz" width="200" /></a></div><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>This post is part of <a href="http://icemom.blogspot.com/search/label/Sewing%20Guide">Ice Mom's Sewing Guide.</a> </i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Other posts in this series: <a href="http://icemom.blogspot.com/2010/01/ice-moms-sewing-guide-all-about.html">All about Patterns</a>, <a href="http://icemom.blogspot.com/2010/01/ice-moms-sewing-guide-all-about-fabrics.html">All about Fabrics</a>, <a href="http://icemom.blogspot.com/2010/02/ice-moms-sewing-guide-how-to-dye-silk.html">How to Dye Silk for Fabric Skating Skirts</a>, <a href="http://icemom.blogspot.com/2010/02/ice-moms-sewing-guide-altering-your.html">Altering Your Growing Skater's Figure Skating Dress</a>, <a href="http://icemom.blogspot.com/2010/03/ice-moms-sewing-guide-laying-out.html">Laying out the Pattern.</a></i></span><br />
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Like adjusting the pattern and laying it out, cutting is one of those unglamorous steps that you shouldn’t rush. I have my cutting table in the center of my front room, a movie in the DVD player, two stools, one on either side of the table, and plenty of good light.<br />
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If you haven’t <a href="http://icemom.blogspot.com/2010/01/ice-moms-sewing-guide-all-about.html">copied, adjusted</a> and <a href="http://icemom.blogspot.com/2010/03/ice-moms-sewing-guide-laying-out.html">laid out your pattern yet</a>, you need to do that first. Instructions assume that you’ve done that.<br />
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Make sure your shears or rotary cutter is sharp. Never let your kids or husband run off with your sewing scissors to cut paper, plastic, or sheet metal. I buy a ton of cheap scissors and plant them in every room of the house, sometimes two pair. This prevents anyone getting the ridiculous idea of using my <i>good Ginghers</i> for anything. I even keep those cheap scissors in my sewing room's scissor drawer, just in case anyone gets the very dumb idea of grabbing my Ginghers for something. I buy the scissors at the back-to-school sales in August, when they're at a deep discount. Ginghers, however, are never cheap.<br />
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If you don't remember the last time you've had your scissors sharpened, it's time to take them in. Call your sewing store to find out who does them and how long you'll have to be parted from your scissors.<br />
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<b>Materials:</b><br />
<ul><li>Sharp shears</li>
<li>Rotary cutter and cutting mat (optional)</li>
<li>Sharp snips</li>
<li>Tailor’s chalk or disappearing fabric marker</li>
</ul><br />
<b>Method:</b><br />
<ol><li><b>Make sure everything's flat.</b> Fabric and pattern pieces need to be as flat as possible against the table. If they’re not, unpin, re-adjust, and re-pin. You’ll be wasting your time if the fabric is lumpy. It won’t fit right.</li>
<li><b>Cut along the pattern cut lines</b>. If you’re using shears, keep the bottom blade as flat against the table as practical. Try to cut very smoothly and do not lift up the fabric as you cut. If you’re using a rotary cutter, make sure your mat is under your pattern pieces. Roll the blade like a pizza cutter along the pattern’s cut lines.</li>
<li><b>Cut notches.</b> When you arrive at a notch, stop. Using your snips, snip along the triangle and up past the triangle’s point. The idea here is that you’ll extend the triangle’s side to about double its size. Come from the other direction to cut the other side of the triangle. You’ll be making a big X in the fabric. The reason you’re doing this is so that you won’t have to lift the fabric. If you need room for your shears to cut along the rest of the cutting line, use your snips to cut a few inches. Those inches will give you room to use your shears. (Note: sometimes seamstresses will cut through the notch and make a little snip into the seamline at the center of the notch. I do this in regular garment sewing where I have a more generous 5/8-inch seam allowance. With skating dresses, I rarely have that much of a seam allowance, so I just cut the triangles instead of risking cutting past the seam allowance.)</li>
<li><b>Leave it on the table.</b> When you have your piece cut, don't move it yet. Remember those marking holes you reinforced with paper tape when you adjusted and traced your pattern? This is a great time to use your tailor’s chalk or disappearing fabric marker to mark the spot. If you’re using the marker, remember that you can’t iron over the mark because it will become permanent.</li>
<li><b>Unpin the pattern piece.</b> I usually fold the piece and the fabric in half and stack them in order according to the pattern piece’s number or letter. That way, they’ll be in order when I want to sew them and I can refer to the pattern piece if I have questions.</li>
<li><b>F</b><b>inish cutting all pieces</b>. Mark, unpin, fold, and stack.</li>
<li><b>Keep some of your scraps. </b>You’ll want them to practice on when it comes to sewing seams. If you have a serger, they’re great for running through the machine to make sure that your loops aren’t too loopy. I keep just a few scraps and throw the rest away - unless I so much fabric that I might be able to cut out a skirt panty, skirt, or extra pattern piece if I mess something up.</li>
</ol>It’s pretty straightforward, but I want to encourage you to take your time. Rushing this or the other preparation steps will make for a poorly fitting garment.<br />
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<b>Next time: </b>sewing seams.<br />
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<i><b>I have many talented seamstresses among my readers. Double-check me, please! Did I miss something? Do you do it better? Please comment so we can all benefit!</b></i><br />
<i><b>New seamstresses: leave your questions in the comments, too!</b></i><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i><b>Do you have a question for Ice Mom or the Advisory Board? Terrific! Send me your questions! </b></i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i><b>Are you a better seamstress than I am? Wonderful! Please e-mail me about writing a guest post.</b></i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i><b>Do you have some other question or concern? Great!</b></i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i><b>E-mail me at <a href="mailto:icemom.diane@gmail.com">icemom.diane@gmail.com</a></b></i></span><br />
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<a href="http://qtrial.qualtrics.com/SE?SID=SV_4OsBdalwVUO2yR6&SVID=Prod" target="_blank"><img alt="Ice Mom's Summer Camp Survey" border="0" src="http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b39/thistlemedia/postsummercampsurvey.gif" /></a>Ice Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05639175462486739483noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-598357895737427353.post-11334488370900000362010-03-24T00:01:00.001-05:002010-03-29T10:13:42.047-05:00Ask the Expert, Annette Thomas: Is Ballet for Figure Skaters Worth It?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b39/thistlemedia/3-22-10AnnetteThomas.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b39/thistlemedia/3-22-10AnnetteThomas.png" width="177" /></a></div><b><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>This guest post comes from Annette Thomas, classically trained dance teacher and choreographer. Thomas is also author of the book </i>Fundamentals of Alignment & Classical Movement for Figure Skaters.</span><i> You can also visit her Web site at <span style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="http://balletforfigureskaters.com/">BalletForFigureSkaters.com</a>. Readers who would like to purchase her beautiful, thorough, well illustrated manual can buy it at <a href="http://myskatingmall.com/">MySkatingMall.com</a>. Five percent of every purchase through My Skating Mall will be donated to the purchaser's figure skating club</span>.</i></b><br />
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<b>Ice Mom:</b> Why should figure skaters take ballet?<br />
<b>Annette Thomas: </b>There is no other single off-ice conditioning class that has as much to offer the figure skater as classical ballet lessons. Classical ballet lessons provide strength & flexibility training, body awareness, balance techniques, mental focus, discipline, musicality and aesthetics all wrapped into one lesson.<br />
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<b>Ice Mom: </b>Is it worthwhile for recreational skaters to take ballet? <br />
<b>Annette Thomas: </b>It is always worth taking classical ballet no matter what level of commitment a skater has or what their ultimate goals may be as classical ballet enhances the quality of the experience of movement itself.<br />
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<b>Ice Mom: </b>If I have a skater who is a Regional competitor, how many hours of ballet should she take each week?<br />
<b>Annette Thomas: </b>Normally Regional competitors take 2 to 3 ballet lessons per week (meaning technique lesson which are 1/ ½ hours long and not in conjunction with practicing dance recital pieces.)<br />
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<b>Ice Mom: </b>If a parent is watching the family budget carefully, would you recommend that she spend her figure skating money on ice and coaching or cut back on those two and include ballet?<br />
<b>Annette Thomas: </b>It depends on the skater and the coach. If a skater has an aversion (or thinks they do!) to ballet obviously this will be a waste of money to try and force a skater into “doing ballet”. Many coaches are skilled at much more than just teaching skating technique and I believe that a lot of skaters miss the complete picture of what their own coach has to offer them aesthetically. Having said that, taking a regular classical ballet lesson can only help to improve the value of all that the skater does on-ice.<br />
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<b>Ice Mom: </b>How should figure skating parents choose a ballet instructor, or will any ballet instructor be a good fit for a figure skater? <br />
<b>Annette Thomas: </b>Choosing a ballet instructor is just like choosing a coach. As a parent you should try to observe a class with your skater, discuss the lesson with the instructor afterwards and then privately discuss with your skater what you and she/he felt about the lesson and the teacher. Very importantly there should be a true curriculum based on a syllabus and no practicing of recital pieces during the lesson time.<br />
Please see my web page for further answers to this question:<br />
<a href="http://www.blogger.com/%20http://www.balletforfigureskaters.com/book/exerpts/ch5.pdf"> http://www.balletforfigureskaters.com/book/exerpts/ch5.pdf</a><br />
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<b>Ice Mom: </b>Is there a question I should have asked, but didn't?<br />
<b>Annette Thomas: </b>Yes: “Is all ballet created equal?” Note that I have used the phrase “Classical Ballet” throughout my answers. This is because all ballet is not created equal. Taking lessons at recreational studios which are geared toward recitals more often than not teach ballet as choreography not as a method of technique. Teachers who teach ballet by observation (meaning just as they were taught in class as opposed to having had lessons in pedagogy) will only have a minimum of positive effect. Lyrical ballet will not help the skater at all because there is very little if any refined technique to it and there is no emphasis on strength training. Classical ballet has a true methodology which takes into account the training of the entire body, head, eyes, hands, torso, etc. in incremental portions which ingrain movement and musicality into the muscle memory. It takes into account the importance of the lower back and core muscles as the “fulcrum” of the body which needs to be trained slowly and carefully for maximum potential in both strength and flexibility. Classical ballet technique forms the body from the inside out so that the technique is safe and the dancer/athlete can be secure and confident in their actual abilities.<br />
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</i></b><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Questions for Annette Thomas:</b></span><br />
<i><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">Readers are invited to write questions for Annette to answer in the Comments section of this post. Annette has agreed to reply to them there. Some readers have sent in questions in advance. Those questions appear here.</span></b></span></i><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Reader: </b>When a mid-level skater has limited funds, how should it be distributed between on-ice, off-ice, and dance?<br />
<b>Annette Thomas: </b>Distribution is a very individual consideration which you and your primary coach would have the priority in deciding as you discuss your skater's particular needs and what is available in your area. Also the distribution should take into account the temperament and age of the individual skater. On-ice practice is obviously the main priority for a figure skater, but people categorize off-ice in many different ways; most often it boils down to “sports oriented” (strength training, plyometics etc.) and “artistry oriented” (ballet and other dance forms). If you have an excellent classical ballet school in your area and the teacher is willing to work carefully with the skaters’ needs, I think this is the best off-ice training available in one package. If not, you may have to distribute your off-ice time and funds between something such as Pilates and a ballet or modern dance class at a local studio (just opt out of the recitals if at all possible, because that can get very expensive!)</span></span><br />
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<b>Reader: </b>Why is it that some ballet teachers dislike it when their students start skating? I see that a lot in my rink and often the teachers will ask the skater to stop skating or ballet. They are serious about ballet, but not to the extent of making it a career. What do you tell the ballet teacher?<br />
<b>Annette Thomas: </b>Like most teachers and coaches, ballet instructors want students whose main interest is their “subject.” Children today are often involved in so many activities that long-term focus and commitment are hard to find. Skaters usually take ballet lessons for their own agenda (to improve their skating), which can cause the ballet instructor to feel as though they are not in control of the learning process. Plus, skaters often have a very different sensibility when it comes to timing and movement in general, so it can be difficult for the average ballet instructor to work with skaters in the same class as non-skaters (this is why it is so important to have a ballet program at the rink). And finally, since both ballet and figure skating require tremendous amounts of commitment, energy and hard work, a ballet instructor may feel that they do not want to invest all of the mental and emotional energy required if they know that the student is more devoted to skating. It may sound selfish, but it is just human nature. I know coaches who feel the same way; when one of their skaters’ decides she likes gymnastics and wants to take it more often…it can be frustrating to the coach as they now not only feel like “second fiddle” they also know that their skaters energies and time will be divided making it much harder for them to teach. It is a difficult situation on both sides as the teacher wants to teach in what they feel is the most productive manner possible and yet the student should never be felt to be rejected or “wrong” for choosing other things. I always tell my students “pick one or two things in your life and try to achieve excellence in them.”</span></span><br />
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As to what to tell your ballet instructor, you might try to interest him/her into working more “one on one” with your skater (via choreography, working at the rink etc.) so that they feel as though they are more a part of the process. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Reader: </b>My daughter is a young skater, just starting out, but has been taking ballet/dance since she was two. What should, if anything, we do differently now that she's skating? Should we be paying more attention to certain parts of dance? Will certain moves help more than others? Also, between ballet and gymnastics, which do you think helps with skating most?</span></span><br />
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<b>Annette Thomas: </b>If you, your daughter and your primary coach are satisfied with your daughter’s progress, I’d say to just continue with what you are doing. Gymnastics can be extremely hard on the body and I never recommend it (to dancers or skaters). It loosens the lower back and can permanently damage joints. Classical ballet will help your daughter strengthen her body as well help her to progress more quickly in her skating endeavors. If you can find a classical ballet studio that also teaches Character Dance, this would really be ideal to include in her studies.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;">© 2010 by Annette T. Thomas all rights reserved</span><span style="font-size: xx-small;">. Annette T. Thomas's answers are used with permission. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;"> <b><i><span style="font-size: small;">Want to take ballet or movement classes with Annette Thomas? She'll be teaching at the Pettit National Ice Center in Milwaukee this summer. (Artistry & Movement classes are for learning character dance/music appreciation and style.)</span></i></b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><b><i><span style="font-size: small;"> Her schedule: </span></i></b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><b><i><span style="font-size: small;">Tuesdays: </span></i></b><i><span style="font-size: small;">9-10 am medium/high ballet JUNE/JULY only, 10:15-11:15 am medium/high movement June/July only, 9-10 am low ballet AUGUST only, 10:15-11:15 am medium/high ballet AUGUST only, 11:30-12:30 medium/high artistry and movement AUGUST only, 3-4 pm medium/high artistry and movement, 4:15-5:15 pm low artistry and movement</span></i><b><i><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
Wednesdays: </span></i></b><i><span style="font-size: small;">3-4 pm medium/high ballet, 4:15-5:15 low ballet</span></i><b><i><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
Thursdays: </span></i></b><i><span style="font-size: small;">9-10 am low artistry, 10:15-11:15 am medium/high ballet</span></i></span><br />
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<b><i>Do you have a question for Annette Thomas? Take this opportunity to Ask the Expert! You'll find her replies in the comments.</i></b><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><b><i>Do you have a question for the Ice Moms? Have you been thinking of a post you'd really like to see? Are you an expert and would like to contribute to the Ask the Expert feature? That's great. I love e-mail, so please contact me at <a href="mailto:icemom.diane@gmail.com">icemom.diane@gmail.com</a>. </i></b></span><br />
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<a href="http://qtrial.qualtrics.com/SE?SID=SV_4OsBdalwVUO2yR6&SVID=Prod" target="_blank"><img alt="Ice Mom's Summer Camp Survey" border="0" src="http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b39/thistlemedia/postsummercampsurvey.gif" /></a>Ice Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05639175462486739483noreply@blogger.com21tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-598357895737427353.post-70524491941342931782010-03-23T00:01:00.015-05:002010-03-23T07:07:00.472-05:00It’s Magic Glove Season. Stock up for the Summer<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b39/thistlemedia/Magicgloves.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b39/thistlemedia/Magicgloves.jpg" width="172" /></a></div>Happy spring! It’s time to walk Ice Dog outside again without worrying about slipping on the ice. It’s time to do yard work, Ice Dad. And it’s time to shop for magic gloves. At our local discount retail chain, those cheap, one-size-fits-all stretchy gloves – magic gloves – are 25 cents a pair. I bought 20 pair for $5.<br />
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If you’re new to figure skating, you’re thinking I’ve once again lost my mind. After all, that’s one big pile of gloves, Ice Mom. Well, kids lose gloves all the time. The gloves get holes. Figure skaters lend them to other figure skaters and they leave forever.<br />
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If you’ve been through a summer at the rink, you know that the only places that sell gloves in July are figure skating stores, and they’ll sell ‘em to you for $4 – 8 a pair. Let's do the math. 20 pair at $4 each is $80 worth of gloves. For my money, I'll take the ones on clearance, thanks.<br />
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When you find the gloves on sale, buy black ones. Resist the temptation to buy pink, purple, or patterned gloves. Yes, they’re cute, but when your skater loses one pink glove, she won’t have another one to match. Buy all black gloves and then losing one isn’t a big deal. Just match it up with some other black glove.<br />
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Black gloves are good, too, because they don’t show dirt like white gloves and your figure skater can wear them on warm-up ice at competitions.<br />
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So, happy spring, everyone! Don’t forget that this is your last time to buy gloves at a reasonable price for the next six months. Well, that is if you don’t live near me. I'm pretty sure I cleaned out the shops around here.<br />
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<b>Update</b>: <i>From reader Jillybean, who offers a caution: You really shouldn't be borrowing other skaters' gloves because they might be wiping their noses on them.</i> <br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><b><i>Do you have a question for the Ice Moms? Do you have a great idea for a post you'd like to read? Are you an expert and want to write something for everyone's benefit? Wonderful! Please contact me at <a href="mailto:icemom.diane@gmail.com">icemom.diane@gmail.com.</a></i></b></span><br />
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<a href="http://qtrial.qualtrics.com/SE?SID=SV_4OsBdalwVUO2yR6&SVID=Prod" target="_blank"><img alt="Ice Mom's Summer Camp Survey" border="0" src="http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b39/thistlemedia/postsummercampsurvey.gif" /></a>Ice Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05639175462486739483noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-598357895737427353.post-51087026351535609772010-03-22T00:40:00.001-05:002010-03-22T00:44:40.972-05:00How-to: Tie Figure Skates<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b39/thistlemedia/fblogo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b39/thistlemedia/fblogo.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><i>This <span style="font-size: large;"><b>guest post </b></span>comes to you from Ice Coach. My blog, Ice Mom's Adventures in Figure Skating will move to <a href="http://icemom.net/">IceMom.net</a> on Saturday, April 3. Joining me in blogging will be <a href="http://icecoach.net/">Ice Coach</a>, <a href="http://icegirlblog.net/">Ice Girl</a>, and <a href="http://synchromom.net/">Synchro Mom</a>. Together, we'll try to give you honest answers and occasional laughs as we look at figure skating from different perspectives. This guest post will give you a little introduction to what you might find on Ice Coach's blog.</i><br />
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Tying figure skates correctly is important because improperly tying skates could lead to injury and bad habits. The biggest issue of tying skates is making them tight. I have repeatedly seen new skating parents not tie skates tight enough. Their child gets on the ice; his or her ankles are falling inward and not supported at all. I also know of parents who thought they needed new skates or blades remounted because their child was having difficulty skating. When it came down to it, the solution was simply tying the skates tighter.<br />
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<b>No socks. </b>If you’re a competitive skater you should not be wearing socks in your skates. Socks can lead to blisters, which are no fun. What’s worse than socks? Bare feet. Bare feet lead to blisters and smelly skates. Skates should fit as snug to your foot as possible leaving little room for your foot to slide around. I recommend trouser socks; they are form- fitting and thick enough to wear multiple times without getting numerous holes. You can even get moisture wicking trouser socks. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b39/thistlemedia/DSCN0809.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b39/thistlemedia/DSCN0809.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br />
<b>Untie your skate all the way.</b> (See photo above.) I have seen many people untie the first couple holes only. Make sure the laces are loose enough to easily slip your foot inside the boot. Start tightening the laces at the toe and work your way up the boot. Tie the skates tight, but not so tight they cut off your circulation. I always tie my skates as tight as I can pull and never have an issue with numb feet, and I always have enough bending room. New skates are a different story. You might want to only lace the top three hooks on new skates so you have room to bend.<br />
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<b>No skate lace tighteners. </b>Does anyone like these things? They seem like more of a hassle. You can tie your skates faster and tighter by using your fingers.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b39/thistlemedia/DSCN0810.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b39/thistlemedia/DSCN0810.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br />
<b>Cris-cross the laces</b> and wrap them around the fourth hook, the one closest to the lace holes. (See photo above.) I prefer wrapping them over the hook rather than under it, but you can go under to over, too.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b39/thistlemedia/DSCN0811.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b39/thistlemedia/DSCN0811.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<b>Wrap the laces. </b>(See photo above.) On the third hook, when you cross your laces, wrap them around each other a couple of times to keep them from slipping. Do this on the first hook as well.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b39/thistlemedia/DSCN0812.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b39/thistlemedia/DSCN0812.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br />
<b>Bunny ears. </b>(See photo above) On the first hook, tie a bow. Take the bow’s right “bunny ear” and hook it around the first hook again and tighten it; do the same with the left “bunny ear.” Your skates should not slip.<br />
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<b>Never wrap extra laces around your ankle or boot.</b> If your laces are long enough to do this, they are too long. Buy a shorter pair. Skates should bend at the ankle; if you wrap laces around the top part of the boot it will prevent this.<br />
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<b>Lace materials. </b>If your laces still slip and you’re using 100% cotton blends, try a nylon/cotton blend. I personally prefer them and think they slip less. But I have others tell me that the cotton ones slip less. It just depends on what you like.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b39/thistlemedia/DSCN0815.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b39/thistlemedia/DSCN0815.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br />
Tying your skates well will help prevent injury and is the first step to proper skating technique.<br />
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<i><b>Do you have a suggestion about tying skates? Do you have problems with it? Let Ice Coach know what you're thinking in the comments! If you have other questions for Ice Coach, you can put them in the comments or e-mail her at <a href="mailto:IceCoach@IceCoach.net">IceCoach@IceCoach.net</a></b></i><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i><b>As always, if you have a question for Ice Mom or the Advisory Board, please send it to me. If you have an idea for a post you'd like to see, let me know that, too. Are you an expert? Wonderful. I'm looking for figure skating experts. E-mail me if you'd like to write a guest post. <a href="mailto:icemom.diane@gmail.com">icemom.diane@gmail.com</a> </b></i></span> <br />
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<a href="http://qtrial.qualtrics.com/SE?SID=SV_4OsBdalwVUO2yR6&SVID=Prod" target="_blank"><img alt="Ice Mom's Summer Camp Survey" border="0" src="http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b39/thistlemedia/postsummercampsurvey.gif" /></a>Ice Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05639175462486739483noreply@blogger.com42tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-598357895737427353.post-7100134684779903522010-03-19T00:01:00.000-05:002010-03-19T00:01:00.888-05:00Ask the Ice Moms: Dealing with Figure Skating Burnout<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b39/thistlemedia/extinguisher.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b39/thistlemedia/extinguisher.png" vt="true" width="200" /></a></div>I’ve written about figure skating burnout before, but I think it’s a big topic that deserves a lot of text.<br />
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Here’s the reader’s question:<br />
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<blockquote>Just wondering if you have any advice for a little girl who still love skating and wants to skate every day, but is not her usual self on the ice (tired with some tears, missing her usual enthusiasm, no more smiles). I’m thinking of removing her from the ice for a week or so despite her coach’s unhappiness about it. Any help would be most appreciated!</blockquote><br />
<b>From Pairs Mom, the mom to one-half of December’s Junior National Intermediate Pairs gold medal winners:</b><br />
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<blockquote>I have seen this happen among many skaters of all ages and levels. Does you have access to any type of club ice events or "team skating" such as Theater On Ice or Synchro at your rink? Sometimes when they are put in a group situation it changes the whole dynamic of a normally "individualized" sport. I have seen the enthusiasm come back in the singles skating because of the "group" skating. </blockquote><blockquote>Is your skater having to give up being involved in some other activity in order to be at the rink training? Girl Scouts, church activities for youth, school sports or clubs, choir, etc.? If so, then try to work out a compromise so she can be involved in both for awhile even if it means cutting back a little bit on the skating. On the other hand, it could be over-stimulation of being involved in too many activities that makes her too tired or stretched to enjoy her skating. <br />
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Get her to talk about it with you and just listen.</blockquote><b>From Xan, figure skating coach, mom to a show skater, and blogger at <a href="http://xan-boni.blogspot.com/">Xanboni!</a></b><br />
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<blockquote>There are lots of reasons a child might lose enthusiasm for skating that aren't related to burn out. She might have had a bad fall and gotten scared; the coach might have said something coach-y to her that she took too much too heart and is now afraid of displeasing the coach. There might be issues with other skaters on the ice, or it might be entirely non-ice related. Talk to her classroom teacher at school and see if there are any issues there.<br />
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The coach is unhappy? Who cares? Has the coach expressed concern about the child's well being (I certainly hope so.) Maybe this family could exchange one or two practice sessions a week for one or two on-ice play dates with friends for a couple of weeks or a month, no practice or lesson required, so the little girl can find the joy in her skating again. Nationals are over, lol. We call this "early off season" and it's exactly the time to get back to the why and forget about the what and the how for a while.</blockquote><b>From Kel, mom to a 9-year-old skater:</b><br />
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<blockquote>Instead of removing her from the ice for a week or so, I would decrease her weekly hours for a month or so. Hopefully she would be more anxious to get on the ice when she is there. Depending on the age, I would include the skater in filling out the next month's contract. I'd ask the skater what she wanted to do -- give her some control of her skating. Too bad the coach is unhappy -- I would hope that all coaches would want happy skaters.</blockquote><br />
<b>From me, Ice Mom</b><br />
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<blockquote>As an education writer, I talk to all kinds of education experts about teaching and learning. In February Nathan Eklund, M. Ed., visited my office to record a series on teacher burnout. He used the clinical definition of it to explain that people can recognize the symptoms, treat them, and avoid burnout.</blockquote><blockquote>Eklund sited Herbert Freudenberger, who wrote in 1974:</blockquote><blockquote><i> “Burnout is a state of exhaustion that results from working too intensely and without concern for one’s own needs”</i></blockquote><blockquote>What can I add? Freudenberger says it’s a clinical condition. I say take the time off that you've been considering and make sure she has a life outside the rink</blockquote><b><i>What about you? Do you have advice for this mom? Should she give her skater some time away from the rink? How do you deal with figure skater burnout?</i></b><br />
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<b><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Hey! Do you have a question for the Ice Moms? Are you an expert and would like to guest post on the Wednesday Ask the Expert feature? Terrific! E-mail me at </span><a href="mailto:icemom.diane@gmail.com"><span style="font-size: x-small;">icemom.diane@gmail.com</span></a></i></b><br />
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<a href="http://qtrial.qualtrics.com/SE?SID=SV_4OsBdalwVUO2yR6&SVID=Prod" target="_blank"><img alt="Ice Mom's Summer Camp Survey" border="0" src="http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b39/thistlemedia/postsummercampsurvey.gif" /></a>Ice Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05639175462486739483noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-598357895737427353.post-64397169865852739452010-03-18T00:01:00.005-05:002010-03-18T00:01:01.942-05:0010 Ways to Become Unpopular at the Rink<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b39/thistlemedia/mask3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b39/thistlemedia/mask3.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>Friend and advisory board member R.H. once told me something like this:<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><i>The only people who are popular at the rink are those with no money and no talent.</i></div><br />
Ouch. That seems harsh, R.H. However, I know people who have no money and kids with marginal skills who have made themselves wildly unpopular at the rink. I’m sure you know them, too. <br />
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<ol><li><b>The future Olympic parent.</b> My basic skills figure skater is going to the Olympics. I can tell. My skater is amazingly talented and dedicated. Athletic ability runs in our family – we’re all gifted and we have our own trophy room. Well, yes, my figure skater’s been in Basic Skills for five years, but she’s pacing herself. Level Four is very, very challenging.</li>
<li><b>The solicitor. </b>I hate to be the one to tell you, but as your friend, you should know that your skater’s figure skating coach doesn’t have good skills. She’s a low-level coach. If you’re serious, if your skater is ambitious, if you have a brain, you’ll switch to my daughter’s coach. You know, my skater’s figure skating coach passed her senior level whatevers and is rated a master fabuloso coach. All of her skaters go to nationals, at least twice. If you switched coaches, I’m sure your skater would have that jump by now. But, if you want to throw your money away, go ahead.</li>
<li><b>The golden ager. </b>Back in the day, things were just great here. The sun was always shining outside, the ice was perfect, our figure skating club had so much money, everyone loved one another, and skating was practically cost-free. Ah, yes. Those were the days.</li>
<li><b>The expert. </b>Judges, coaches, figure skating competition organizers don’t know what they’re doing. My skater is truly amazing, but the judges are against him. I tell you, judging is corrupt here. They’ll take just about anyone and give them a score sheet. Our figure skating coach is nice, but I don’t think that my skater has a tough enough program. I mean, he’s an advanced reader at school and in with students two grade levels above his. The coach should put my skater two levels up, too. He’s smart; he can handle it. And these figure skating competition organizers. Why would they set up the groups this way? Don’t they know that all of these kids are skating down? Didn’t they notice that kid at the last competition? I know he skated at a higher level. They’re stacking the deck on purpose so kids from their club win everything.</li>
<li><b>The club critic. </b>If I were on the figure skating club’s board, things would be different. I can’t believe that the board wants us to pay more, volunteer more, and attend mandatory meetings. Isn’t that why we pay club dues? I pay for this, so I shouldn’t be expected to do anything further. That’s for the little people to do. I don’t have time for this. I need to get my nails done.</li>
<li><b>The parent of a gifted child.</b> It took my figure skater just one lesson to land an Axel. Isn’t my skater fabulous? She’s only been skating three months and look! She already has her Axel. She’s working on her double Salchow, but, sadly, she only landed six last practice session. Your skater’s been working on her Axel, what? Eight months? Hmm. Yeah. Well, everyone at their own pace, you know. Not all kids are as talented as my skater. But, you know, she comes from a gymnastics and dance background. She was born at the barre, did I tell you? Funny story…</li>
<li><b>The agent.</b> These low level figure skaters keep getting in my skater’s way. She can’t land her triple-twisty thing because of all these little kids. You know, she’s the only one who has ever landed that jump in the history of this club/this rink/this region/the world. We should have ice just for her because she’s so amazing. She’s the reason that all these little kids are joining the club, you know. They want to be just like her. The figure skating club should subsidize her skating because she brings so many of these annoying low-level skaters to the rink. She’s put this club on the map.</li>
<li><b>The rink stalker.</b> So, who is your figure skater? Let me check my spreadsheet of all the skaters my daughter has ever competed against. Was she at this figure skating competition? Oh, yes, I see. It was last fall, No Test, and your skater placed third. Her scores were: 3, 3, 4, 3, 2. My daughter placed second out of eight skaters in that group. Want to see the photo? And two years ago, at that same competition, your daughter placed fifth in Basic 5. That time there were only five kids in the event. Oh, and here’s the photo. See? There’s my kid on the stand…</li>
<li><b>The sidelines parent/coach. </b>Get your arms up, skater! Pull your legs in. That’s it. Now drop and give me five sit spins. Alright. Do your program. Quit wasting time! That program was terrible. Do it again. Watch me. This is how you should move your legs. I don’t care if your coach said something else. This is my money we’re talking about. Don’t whine to me about your pain. Wipe your nose, toughen up, and get moving.</li>
<li><b>The dream-on parent. </b>Look, coach, I want my figure skater to place first at the figure skating competition next month. My skater should have new music and move up a level, too. No, no. I don’t have time to bring my skater to the rink for more lessons and practice. We can only get here every other Thursday, but this Thursday won’t work and neither will the next two. </li>
</ol><b>Wait! I forgot one!</b><br />
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<b>The blogger.</b> My husband has zero taste in music. Can you believe he wants our kid to figure skate to horror movie soundtracks? I should blog about him. My kid won't wake up. She's passed out in the van and people in the rink are waiting for her. I should blog about my kid, too. And you? Yeah, you in the blue. Don't tick me off, lady, 'cause I'll blog about you, too!<br />
<ol></ol><i><b>This isn't the definitive field guide to unpopular rink parents, but it's a start. If you can identify others, let's start a taxonomy in the comments!</b></i><br />
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<i><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>Would you like to submit a question to Ask the Ice Moms? Do you have a question for Ice Mom, Ice Coach, or Ice Girl? Are you an expert and would like to share your knowledge? </b></span></i><i><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>Want me to blog about you?</b></span></i><i><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b> E-mail me at icemom.diane@gmail.com.</b></span></i><br />
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<a href="http://qtrial.qualtrics.com/SE?SID=SV_4OsBdalwVUO2yR6&SVID=Prod" target="_blank"><img alt="Ice Mom's Summer Camp Survey" border="0" src="http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b39/thistlemedia/postsummercampsurvey.gif" /></a>Ice Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05639175462486739483noreply@blogger.com65tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-598357895737427353.post-32077308503730321362010-03-17T00:01:00.001-05:002010-03-17T07:28:45.356-05:00Ice Mom's Sewing Guide: How to Airbrush a Figure Skating Dress<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b39/thistlemedia/airbrushwiki.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="165" src="http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b39/thistlemedia/airbrushwiki.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><span style="font-size: small;"><i><b><span style="font-size: x-small;">It is my great pleasure to introduce this</span> </b></i><span style="font-size: small;"><b>guest post </b></span><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i><b>from reader C.R.H., who responded to my request to explain how to airbrush a figure skating dress. Thank you very much, C.R.H.! Technically, it's also the first Ask the Expert post, too.</b></i></span></span> <br />
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I’ve sewn for my kids for years and in the past six years, most of the local skating club. Everyone wanted the dip-dyed skirts that one of the fancy dressmakers did. However we heard of the $400 or more price tags, whispered through the stands, and most of the parents felt it was an expense that wasn’t worth it. The skirts were silk, another cost. They’re really nice dresses. I would have liked one, but I made my own dress and bought freeskate lessons instead.<br />
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I had a chance to talk to that dressmaker about dip dye. Of course she wouldn’t tell any of the process involved, but did say that she made a lot of garbage before she got the technique down. I left it at that, and besides, I had boys in skating, so I wasn’t personally driven to figure it out.<br />
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A few years later, a dressmaker at another rink that I was at experimented with dying. I again heard of the rumors of disaster and messes, and she had some limited success, mostly with painting on the dye.<br />
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Then I met a parent, whose husband had a workshop. She made her kids’ dresses because she wanted to and they had airbrushing on them. I asked her how. She said, very directly, “I went out to the shop and put paint in the gun and sprayed the pieces.” Like we would all naturally go out to the shop and put paint in the spray gun but, that’s exactly what you do! <br />
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Quickly, difference between dip dye and airbrushing:<b> </b><br />
<ul><li><b>Dying: </b>The fabric is immersed in the dye, and depending on the fabric (synthetic vs. natural cotton/silk) there is complete color change on both sides of the fabric. Some dyes make a very solid band, mostly with synthetics, others make the gradient effect, most noteably on silk. Chemicals are required with synthetics to set the dye and dye is very good for entire color changes or the edge of a skirt. There is not much of any change of hand of the fabric. (Note from Ice Mom: a fabric’s hand is how it feels.) </li>
<li><b>Airbrushing: </b>The dye or paint is blown onto the surface of the fabric and doesn’t entirely soak through the fabric, so the original color remains on the underside. It can be applied in different areas of the garment easily and can be over sprayed or painted. Heavily applied paint can make for a stiff fabric. And lastly, airbrushing is LOUD.</li>
</ul>So I’ll quit talking about dye because I don’t really do that.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Part 1: Materials</b></span><br />
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What you need for airbrushing, in order of expense:<br />
<ul><li>Air</li>
<li>Brush</li>
<li>Paint</li>
<li>Something to spray it on.</li>
</ul><b>Air: </b>The thing that took me the longest to figure out was air. My friend with the body shop? She used the huge compressor in the shop. Lotsa Air. Big Air is Good.<br />
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Textile paint is thick and has big particles (they’re really tiny, but in paint terms they are big). Imagine trying to blow a large pea through a little straw, it takes a lot of force. So it takes a high consistent pressure to blow textile paint. The amount of pressure that works for me is about 40-45PSI.<br />
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Don’t even consider buying the cans of air. Not enough ooomph and they freeze up in a minute.<br />
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When you look at airbrushes, and there are tons of sites on the internet, they show airbrush compressors that are these little small things. They are great for artists and thin art paint. Their PSI is not so big, but they are quiet. There is big air that is quiet, but it’s expensive. I am cheap, er, thrifty.<br />
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Chain stores sell compressors for the shop that blow up to 100 PSI for about $70. Or less. They have tanks on them. Big tank is good but takes up too much space. I have something like this with a 3-gallon tank:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b39/thistlemedia/compressor.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b39/thistlemedia/compressor.jpg" width="166" /></a></div><br />
It’s bigger than a breadbox and smaller than a Zuca bag. It was also on sale for $65. Remember I said LOUD? The drawback is when this thing runs to fill the tank, it is like a JACKHAMMER. I wear earplugs. Once you start airbrushing, after about five minutes the tank has run out of pressure so the motor runs to fill it up and you jump when it kicks on. Basically, the motor runs a lot. If I had a big 25-gallon tank model out in the shop, this would not be a problem, but I don’t have a shop nor the space for something the size of a horse. So, I wear earplugs.<br />
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Bonus point: Men don’t seem to complain when you buy a compressor.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><b>Brush:</b> I use a Paasche H series. Airbrushes come in three sizes, 1, 2, and 3, meaning the size of the swath they spray, and most importantly it has a single-action siphon feed with a cup. The major airbrush makers are Paasche, Iwata and Badger. Badger also has a single-action siphon, and so does Iwata, but the surplus store had a Paasche on clearance, so that’s what I have. They also had no-name airbrushes for $12.95, so I have one of those, too. It sprays like a $12.95 airbrush. Buy a name brand brush, and make sure it has a siphon feed.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b39/thistlemedia/airbrush.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b39/thistlemedia/airbrush.jpg" width="133" /></a></div>You could read lots about airbrushes and I recommend you do; in particular, search out T-shirt airbrush painters. Here’s the difference: there are single-action and double-action airbrushes. Single action sprays a defined width of spray that is adjusted by twisting a ring on the tip. Double action can adjust the spray by toggling the spray button. Double action mixes the paint with air in the brush; single action does it at the tip. Single action can also handle bigger paint. Since for dress hems, we’ll mostly be cranking up the air and spraying a swath, single action is perfectly fine, and quite inexpensive, but the cheapest starting price is around $50.<br />
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<b>Paint:</b> I recommend using specialized fabric paint. Createx and Jacquard are the two name brands that will work perfectly fine. There is also Setacolor, but it is more expensive.<br />
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Createx<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b39/thistlemedia/createx.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="88" src="http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b39/thistlemedia/createx.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><br />
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Jacquard<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b39/thistlemedia/Jacquard.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="165" src="http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b39/thistlemedia/Jacquard.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><br />
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Jacquard makes a few lines of paint. I use the Textile Colors because I can water them down for airbrushing or use them directly for painting. They are sprayed on, let dry, then iron to heat set it into the fabric. There is an additive that you can put into the paint instead of heat setting. I’ve never tried it, and would be curious to hear if anyone out there uses it. These paints feel like they’re part of the fabric and not sitting on top of it. They will soak into the fabric, so use that as an effect; it's difficult to get a hard edge, unless you use a stencil or a shaper to cover or redirect the spray off the fabric. (Google: airbrush Frisket) These paints and colors are acrylic paints, so they’re thinned with water and clean up with water. There is an extender that can be used to thin the paint, but I use water. Createx paint can be used right out of the bottle. Jacquard makes an airbrush paint, but I use Textile Colors and thin it down, almost 50% (20% is the recommendation) and spray more layers. I like using the textile paint instead of the airbrush colors because I use the same paint for silkscreening onto fabric and/or handpainting and stamping. (another topic for another day)<br />
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I’ll throw this in here: These paints are acrylic. You can spray any acrylic paint onto fabric and it will stay because it stays on my clothes when I accidentally spray paint myself. I’m not convinced that heat setting is necessary; sometimes just letting the pieces sit for a few days works. I’ve tried the craft paint from the dollar store and it sprays just fine, but it sits on top of the fabric and doesn’t sink in, so it's stiff. It might work for the bodysuit, but not a skirt if it's sprayed heavy for a deep color. Depending on what you are spraying and the budget, consider this a thrifty option for cases where you need 30 carnival pumpkin face costumes. The airbrush manual will warn not to do it, it’s up to you, thin it down and try some samples. It’s all about the particles of the paint fitting through the needle of the brush. If you jam the brush, there are a lot of YouTube tutorials of how to disassemble and clean the airbrush.<br />
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Anyway, a big set of Createx colors is around $30.<br />
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You could spray with dye. I haven’t tried it, but if anyone has, I’d like to hear from them. I imagine that spraying with dye on silk would be amazing…or not? It would have a huge soaking in factor. One day...<br />
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To summarize this section, if you’re my friend with the workshop husband, she had all the tools; she just had to buy some fabric paint to put in the gun. (She has since bought a real airbrush.)For the rest of us, after buying a compressor and a brush, and a couple of bottles of paint, it’s about $125 or more. Add in the ear plugs remember. And fabric for the dress, too.<br />
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Now go buy a roll of paper towels, find a big cardboard box, and 2-3 yards of white Lycra, and maybe 2-3 yards of chiffon or georgette – whatever you like to use for skirts. If you just want to do a skirt, then stick with the chiffon/georgette. Polyester is fine; this paint sticks to everything.<br />
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Stretch velvet? You could try. I did. It feels like I painted the cat. It might work if I wanted some crazy effect involving painted cats, but I wouldn’t plan on airbrushing stretch velvet. In dresses on the market with airbrushing, you will find airbrushed Lycra and mesh in the bodysuit and chiffon/georgette for the skirts, nothing else. It leads to a bit of a conundrum, because some skaters love stretch velvet for its matte look and want airbrush effect on the bodysuit. Which leads to part 2, making samples. When in doubt, make a sample. <br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Part 2: Practice</b></span><br />
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Cut 18-inch or thereabouts square pieces of whatever fabric you’re going to use. A meter of 60 inch Lycra will get you six 3x20x18-inch squares. This is the time to make samples of what works and what doesn’t. Pin these to your spray wall. Spray wall?<br />
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The cardboard box is your spray booth. Spray wall is more like it. Although it seems natural to spray on something lying flat on the table, the spraying works better when the fabric is vertical. Cut open the box and find a place where you can attach it to a wall. I have a big cardboard that I’ve covered with brown paper, which I change occasionally. It doesn’t have to be entirely vertical. Think of it as an easel. Pin the squares to the spray wall. Pin them tight, but not stretched. That 45 PSI will blow wind at them and cause them to flutter around if they’re loose. <br />
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Attach the airbrush to the compressor. Wait for everyone to leave the house, turn on compressor (follow their instructions) and psssst, hit the button on the brush. Prepare the paint by either using Createx from the bottle, thinning Jacquard textile colors, or using airbrush paint straight.<br />
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I’ll have to digress here. There’s the airbrush bottle and the siphon cup. For now, pour your paint into the bottle and attach it to the brush. Take those paper towels and make a thick pad out of some of them and holding the brush level, spray into the pad until paint starts coming out of the end. You’re ready.<br />
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Starting off the edge of the fabric, push the button, start spraying across the fabric without stopping and take your finger off the trigger once you’re off the fabric. It’s basic spray painting. Did you like the effect? Change the spray width on the nozzle, test, stand closer, stand further, play around with this for a long time until you’re confident you’re comfortable with the brush and how it sprays. You will get sputts and splatters, it’s either related to the air or the pressure on the trigger. Occasionally it can be because the paint was not thinned properly and a chunk has gotten stuck in the nozzle. In that case, spray it out into your paper towels and/or rinse out the nozzle and try again. There’s a lot of YouTube videos about specific techniques. How to spray flames on the hood of your sports car can work out to being flames on a man’s bodyshirt. I just need a man who wants a flaming bodyshirt... Anyone?<br />
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Let the samples dry, heat set them by either ironing them for a few seconds on the reverse side (I use a teflon sheet ) or throwing them in the dryer. Then wash them and dry them just for good measure to see what happens. This is overkill, but it’s a good idea to see what happens with your combination of fabric and paint. Washing it also takes out the stiffness that can build up.<br />
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Some airbrush sites say to spray on paper to learn technique. I say use fabric, because the paint does soak in and it's something you need to learn how to deal with. It doesn't have to be white Lycra actually; it could be that yard of ugly that's been in your stash for years. Just use a very contrasting paint. Knowing how the paint covers on color fabric is also something to learn.<br />
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Do not skip making practice samples. Here are just a few of mine, with different paints, fabrics and lots of splatters.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b39/thistlemedia/practicesquares.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b39/thistlemedia/practicesquares.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Part 3: Doing It</b></span><br />
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Cut out whatever you want to spray. Pin the pieces to the spray wall. Put the pins where the seam allowances will be. Make sure they’re tight, but not stretched.<br />
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If I’m spraying a bodice and a back, I line them up side-by-side so that I can spray across both. Sleeves would be the same. For skirts, pin them so that the bottom edge is at the bottom obviously if it’s a full circle, put lots of pins at the top, and you could angle your spray wall flatter. <br />
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Think about what direction the pieces will go when they are put together. If you're spraying a sleeve, and you want the spray to be horizontal, it might mean spraying the sleeve sideways, or even a U shape.<br />
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Here is a sleeve where I decided to add a purple effect, after the fact. Neckband, and the right sleeve. The pattern is somewhat raglan, it's actually a test of a new pattern draft and I decided to do two tests in one, sew it out of white Lycra for pattern test and then airbrush the heck out of it. I think this is the way that the purple will line up:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b39/thistlemedia/purplesleeve.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b39/thistlemedia/purplesleeve.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><br />
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Then once all the pieces are done, I lay them out to make sure I've got it right before sewing it together. In this particular case, I didn't like the way the left sleeve had the purple on it, so I discarded it and cut a new sleeve and sprayed again.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b39/thistlemedia/sampledress.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b39/thistlemedia/sampledress.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Getting down to the details:</b></span><br />
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Prepare the paint. If I’m doing a multicolor effect, I use the siphon cup and keep pouring the paint in as it empties. It makes a nice color change doing gradients. This is a bit advanced and you’d work it out in practice on samples. For now, try a color effect on a hem.<br />
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Pin up the skirt. Starting off the hem, begin spraying with the center of the flow on the edge of the skirt. This puts the most solid color on the hem. Sidenote: I hem the skirt afterwards. Spray another swath overlapping that one and continue upwards. If you angle the brush upwards, you’ll get a thinner effect as you get closer to the top of the skirt. (You worked this out on samples, right?) Let it dry (it probably is already), and then go back and layer that same color on top until it’s evenly thick. It’s common to get a lined effect. You want solid.<br />
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To add another color, start with the second color where you want the transition and spray a swath and continue upwards going overtop where you left off with the first color. Go back and deepen the color when it looks like you should. Let it dry and then look again.<br />
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For a white hem:<br />
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For a skirt, start at the waist edge and spray a circle. Do the same on the other side if it’s two pieces, or if it’s one (pinned up circle) make sure you keep consistent pressure. Do more circles outwards until you’ve reached how far you want to go. I am assuming that you’re going to have a white-edge hem. Then, starting back at the waist, develop the color layers by spraying on top. The paint will dry very quickly. I prefer to water down my paint and make many, many layers. Keep spraying until you’re happy with it, and let it dry. If matching the skirt to a bodysuit fabric, let it dry, compare the color, and possibly respray. It’s tricky to color match an airbrushed piece to an existing Lycra or stretch velvet. Tip: I don’t try to match the Lycra, I cut the entire garment of one color and spray the whole thing. Velvet is easier to match “close enough” because of the shading in velvet.<br />
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Perfectionist moment: Because the paint stays mostly on the top of the fabric, if I think the underside is ugly, I’ll turn it over and spray the underside. You could try to spray more densely on the top so that it soaks through, but the soaking is inconsistent. It all depends on the fabric. With the crepe georgette that I use, it soaks right through and looks like dye. With Lycra skirts, the paint sits on top.<br />
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Take the fabric off the spray board, heat set and sew it into the garment. After you sew the garment together, you might find that the sides don’t match up evenly or it needs a little extra, like one of the spots where a pin was. You can touch it up by holding the dress over your arm with your arm inside the dress. If you pin it back on the board, made up, make sure you put plastic, or a piece of cardboard between the front and the back in case of soak through.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b39/thistlemedia/finisheddress.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b39/thistlemedia/finisheddress.jpg" width="150" /></a></div>I'm deciding how to rhinestone the top and I'm still not happy with the transition to the purple. Can you see that the purple in the armpit doesn't match up to the back of the sleeve? That's partly because of trying to draw a new pattern and not sewing it up yet and not thinking out where everything goes together. I will overspray this to touch it up. There is also a dot at the center front of the skirt from a pin that needs to be touched up. The bodysuit pattern in this particular dress didn't work out quite the way I wanted it, so it's been great to use for airbrush practice.<br />
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If I could offer just one piece of advice, this is it: <b>Less is More</b>. Airbrush is a great effect and a little goes a long way.<br />
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<i><b>Thank you, C.R.H.! If you have questions for C.R.H. this is your opportunity! Leave your questions in the comments.</b></i><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i><b>Do you have questions for Ice Mom or the Advisory Board? No problem! Send me an e-mail! Are you an expert like C.R.H. is? Terrific! Contact me about writing a guest post. E-mail: <a href="mailto:icemom.diane@gmail.com">icemom.diane@gmail.com</a></b></i>.</span><br />
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<a href="http://qtrial.qualtrics.com/SE?SID=SV_4OsBdalwVUO2yR6&SVID=Prod" target="_blank"><img alt="Ice Mom's Summer Camp Survey" border="0" src="http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b39/thistlemedia/postsummercampsurvey.gif" /></a>Ice Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05639175462486739483noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-598357895737427353.post-26356088907497607212010-03-16T00:01:00.002-05:002010-03-16T00:01:01.737-05:00Review: MySkatingMall.com<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b39/thistlemedia/msmscreenshot.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="178" src="http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b39/thistlemedia/msmscreenshot.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>PSA Master-rated coach and 2003 World Team Member Ryan Jahnke has been working hard on his new online concept: <a href="http://myskatingmall.com./">MySkatingMall.com.</a> It’s not just another online retailer. This is one that gives back to local figure skating clubs.<br />
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<a href="http://myskatingmall.com/">MySkatingMall.com</a> will be the link between buyers all over the world looking to save money on gently used figure skating gear and sellers who want to clean out their closets. The best part? Five percent of the sale goes to the buyer’s home club. Sellers must donate at least 2.5 percent to their figure skating club, but they can donate more of the sale amount, too. Users must be 18 or over to join the free online registration. Jahnke is very careful to make the site family-friendly. He includes a video of himself explaining that users should report inappropriate content so he can remove it from the site. <br />
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Until March of next year, listing figure skating items for sale on the site won’t cost you anything. After that, listings cost a flat $1 for an entire year, or until the item is sold. Sellers can improve their listings with low-cost upgrades like title bolding, featured listing, and better placement. All transactions are done through PayPal, so users will need a free account at that secure site. <br />
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MySkatingMall.com also has online retail partners who sell new figure skating items. You’ll recognize names like Lauren Downes’ <a href="http://www.sk8strong.com/home.html">Sk8Strong </a>off-ice DVDs, Annette Thomas’s <a href="http://balletforfigureskaters.com/">balletforfigureskaters.com</a>, <a href="http://www.championcords.com/">Champion Cords</a>, <a href="http://studiounisons.com/">Sk8Mix</a> music, and <a href="http://www.bradgriffies.com/">Brad Griffies </a>custom skate outfits. Jahnke is still searching for online stores as retail partners, so the list grows all the time.<br />
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As of this posting, the site is in testing. However, individuals can visit the site and poke around to see how it works. In addition to the sales, you'll find a blog, videos, and links to informational figure skating sites.This is a terrific time for figure skating clubs to sign up their club to benefit from their members’ sales and purchases, too.<br />
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I plan on telling our club’s board all about <a href="http://myskatingmall.com/">MySkatingMall.com</a> and asking the board members to promote the site in the club newsletter. I’m for anything that saves me money as a figure skating parent and brings down my ice costs at the club. Great idea, Ryan! I wish you success!<br />
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Ryan's full site launches on Friday, April 26.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i><b>Have a question for Ice Mom or the Advisory Board? Do you know a figure skating expert who would be a good fit for The Wednesday Ask the Expert feature? Have a suggestion for a post? Awesome! E-mail me at icemom.diane@gmail.com</b></i></span><br />
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<a href="http://qtrial.qualtrics.com/SE?SID=SV_4OsBdalwVUO2yR6&SVID=Prod" target="_blank"><img alt="Ice Mom's Summer Camp Survey" border="0" src="http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b39/thistlemedia/postsummercampsurvey.gif" /></a>Ice Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05639175462486739483noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-598357895737427353.post-83486207786299667082010-03-15T00:01:00.004-05:002010-03-15T13:21:14.853-05:00Announcement: New Sites Coming - plus - Ask the Expert feature<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b39/thistlemedia/trilogo-1.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="183" src="http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b39/thistlemedia/trilogo-1.png" width="200" /></a></div><b>Three new sites.</b> On April 3, if the techno gods favor me, I’ll be launching my new site at icemom.net. Also launching on April 3 are icecoach.net and icegirlblog.net. These two blogs will cover figure skating from the coach and student perspectives. I receive a lot of great questions in my e-mail box that are better suited to a coach or skater to answer, so now everyone will be able to share rinkformation at all levels of involvement.<br />
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All three of us will post on Mondays starting in April about the same subject from different angles. One of these joint posts we have planned is about the process of running a competition. Ice Coach is going to cover securing judges and setting it up, I’m going to write about strong-arming volunteers, and Ice Girl will talk about being a runner and how to have fun in a high-pressure situation.<br />
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We’ll also have a contest to kick off the launch with fabulous prizes. Not millions – we’re in figure skating. But you’ll like the contest – it’ll be funny, I promise.<br />
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Ask the Expert.</b> On Wednesdays, I’m starting a new feature called, Ask the Expert. Each Wednesday, I’ll try to invite someone who knows way more than I do to write something and answer your questions in the comments.<br />
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Wednesday, March 24, Annette Thomas, a classically trained ballet instructor, will post about ballet. She wrote the book <a href="http://www.balletforfigureskaters.com/"><i>Fundamentals of Alignment & Classical Movement for Figure Skaters</i></a> and she’s very knowledgeable. My questions for Annette were along the lines of: is ballet worth it? So, start thinking about what questions you’d have for a classical ballet teacher who knows a lot about figure skating, too. You can also send in your questions in advance to me (icemom.diane@gmail.com) and I’ll store them up for Annette to answer. Of course, you can also add them to the comments on March 24 for Annette to answer that day.<br />
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I’m lining up more guests: a former show skater, coach Xan of <a href="http://xan-boni.blogspot.com/">Xanboni!</a> and Ice Coach, soon to be of <a href="http://icecoach.net/">icecoach.net</a>, will answer questions about USFSA/ISI, and <a href="http://ontheedgeofskating.blogspot.com/">Allison Scott</a>, Jeremy Abbott’s mom, will talk about interacting with judges.<br />
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As always, advertisements are independent of editorial content. These aren’t ads, anyway. They’re an opportunity to ask questions you’ve always wanted to ask of people who are really knowledgeable. Should be fun!<br />
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If you have a suggestion for an expert or you are an expert, e-mail me at icemom.diane@gmail.com. I’d love for you to let us know more about figure skating.</b></i><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Also, if you have a suggestion for post ideas that you’d like the three of us (Ice Mom, Coach, and Girl) to write about, that would be fabulous! If you have other ideas for us, too, hey: we’ll take ’em! E-mail me at <a href="mailto:icemom.diane@gmail.com">icemom.diane@gmail.com</a>.</span></b></i><br />
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<a href="http://qtrial.qualtrics.com/SE?SID=SV_4OsBdalwVUO2yR6&SVID=Prod" target="_blank"><img alt="Ice Mom's Summer Camp Survey" border="0" src="http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b39/thistlemedia/postsummercampsurvey.gif" /></a>Ice Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05639175462486739483noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-598357895737427353.post-51504612585720708802010-03-12T00:01:00.004-06:002010-03-12T00:01:00.116-06:00Can You Help This Mom? Inappropriate Figure Skating Music<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b39/thistlemedia/unraveledmusic.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="128" src="http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b39/thistlemedia/unraveledmusic.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>This question comes from, um, a <i>friend</i>. Not me. A <i>friend.</i> Let's call her, um, <i>Mice Mom, </i>er, <i>Nice Mom</i>.<br />
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So. <i>Nice Mom's</i> husband wants, um <i>Nice Girl</i>, to figure skate to some music that <i>Nice Mom</i> and <i>Nice Girl</i> think is just...<b>wrong</b>.<br />
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Ice Dad,<i> </i>I mean, <i>Nice Dad</i> says that we spend so much money on figure skating that he deserves to pick <i>Nice Girl's</i> figure skating music just once. This is something we have to, I mean <i>Nice Mom and Nice Girl</i> have to really consider because <i>Nice Dad</i> deserves a voice in her music, too.<br />
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Help me. I mean, help my <i>friend.</i><br />
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<b>Suggestion #1:</b> Theme song from <i>Curb Your Enthusiasm.</i><br />
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For those of you who are not familiar with the HBO show from Larry David, <i>Curb Your Enthusiasm</i> is about a clueless idiot, Larry, who says naughty things to nice people. He is socially inappropriate and <b>not a role model,</b><i> Ice Dad. </i>I mean, <i>Nice Dad.</i><br />
<a href="http://www.blogger.com/goog_1267927950257"><br />
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<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gyZDZCGQJf8">Click here to listen to the theme song.</a> It's heavy on the tuba and is just...wrong...<br />
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<b>Suggestion #2:</b> Theme song from <i>Dexter.</i><br />
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Showtime's TV show, <i>Dexter, </i>is about a serial killer who kills serial killers. Despite the violent theme, I really, really like this show.<br />
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However, <i>Nice Dad</i>, that does not mean that a serial killer's theme song should be used as your daughter's figure skating music!<br />
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<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ej8-Rqo-VT4&feature=related%20">Click here to listen to the theme song and watch the opening credits. </a><br />
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<b>Suggestion #3:</b> Theme song from <i>Halloween</i>.<br />
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<i>Halloween </i>is the scariest horror movie of all time, in my opinion. I don't watch horror movies, but just listening to the music completely creeps me out. <br />
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<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UWTD-nXadaI&feature=related">Click here to listen to the theme song.</a><br />
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<i><b>So. Help me out here, people. I mean, help out </b>Nice Mom.<b> We all know that these songs are </b>not appropriate</i> <b><i>figure skating music. Let's come up with a ton of reasons why </i></b><i>Nice Dad<b> is totally wrong. Please.</b></i><br />
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<i><b><span style="font-size: x-small;">Have a question for Ice Mom or the Advisory Board? Know more than Ice Mom and want to write a guest post? Have an idea for a post? E-mail me! <a href="mailto:icemom.diane@gmail.com">icemom.diane@gmail.com</a>. </span></b></i><br />
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<a href="http://qtrial.qualtrics.com/SE?SID=SV_4OsBdalwVUO2yR6&SVID=Prod" target="_blank"><img src="http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b39/thistlemedia/postsummercampsurvey.gif" border="0" alt="Ice Mom's Summer Camp Survey"></a>Ice Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05639175462486739483noreply@blogger.com65tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-598357895737427353.post-79729824510336084782010-03-11T00:01:00.008-06:002010-03-11T16:46:49.394-06:00Leaving a Figure Skating Coach<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b39/thistlemedia/brickwall.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b39/thistlemedia/brickwall.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i><b>Note from Ice Mom:</b> This <b>guest post</b> comes from reader, mom to a male figure skater, trainer, and Advisory Board member sk8rmom. She wrote this in the comments of </i><a href="http://icemom.blogspot.com/2010/03/ask-ice-moms-why-do-coaches-and-parents.html">Ask the Ice Moms: Why Do Coaches and Parents Have an Adversarial Relationship</a>? <i>It's so good, though, that it needs to be a post.</i></span><br />
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If your situation is not working, and you have raised your concerns and met with a brick wall, then by all means make a change after careful consideration. Don't get stuck on a treadmill going to nowhere. The families I see that made a change were really stressed at the time, but have since been very happy with the decision. <br />
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I think that the "problem parent reputation" can be avoided if you: <br />
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1. Educate yourself. Read everything you can get your hands on. talk to other parents (though with caution). Listen to other people's experiences. USFS has handouts on these topics and blogs like this one and others are great resources to learn of other people's experiences.<br />
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2. Make a move with thought and consideration. <br />
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3. Don't hop from coach to coach. Do your research. Observe other parents and students working with that coach. Talk to other parents to see what their skater's goals are, are they similar to your child. Do the values that coach exudes seem to mesh with your child. Do you feel comfortable "having a relationship" with that coach. Are you willing to work on this relationship with this person. Does your child like the new prospective coach?<br />
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4. Close the old relationship in a professional way. Start the new one with your cards on the table. State what you need in terms of communication, find out if the coach is willing to work with this. etc. <br />
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4. Give the new coach a fair shake. Don't expect miracles in a short amount of time. Relationships take time to build. Skating is a journey, not an event. <br />
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One other thing that is very valuable is that after you have done your job and hired the coach, let them do their job. Step back and be the parent, not the coach. Trust them to get the job done. Support your skater emotionally and with praise. Their coach will do the rest. <br />
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Good luck!!! I wish everyone a great coach, each child and family deserve one! <br />
<b>- sk8rmom</b><br />
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<strong>VERY IMPORTANT UPDATE!</strong> <em>From reader, coach, and Advisory Board member Xan of <a href="http://xan-boni.blogspot.com/">Xanboni!:</a> I would like to add that you should make sure you have paid in full the coach you are contemplating leaving. An ethical coach will not take on a new student if they owe money to the former coach (this is a stricture of PSA ethical guidelines). And don't think you can hide this information, because the new coach will ask the old one, if they're smart. This is just smart -- if they didn't pay the old coach, what's your guarantee they will pay.</em><br />
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<i><b>Have you ever switched coaches? What made you reach that decision? How did it go? How's life at the rink - awkward or O.K.? Is your figure skater happier? Let us know - you can comment anonymously, we don't mind!</b></i><br />
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<b>Update: </b><i>From reader Anonymous: I have switched coaches a few times before, and it was mostly because of scheduling or one coach moving away, etc. One thing I learned is that you must tell the old coach you are switching, and give them somewhat advanced notice. It is a little awkward, but just smile and say hi to new and old coaches and everything will be fine. They are used to it, honestly. People are always switching.</i><i><b> </b></i><br />
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<strong>Update: </strong><em>From reader jumpingbeanmom whose daughter just switched coaches: [...] But once I decided and once I got the yes from the new coach that my daughter could go the their team, I didn't toil, make excuses or draw out telling old coach- I just went and said "I think this is what is best for jumpingbean" and left it at that- more like tearing off a bandaid! </em><br />
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<strong>Update:</strong> <em>From advisory board member Seasonedsk8rmom: I researched changing coaches and realized that I can not compare my daughter to what other skaters are doing. My daughter's coach is also very good at knowing what her strengths and weaknesses are as a coach and when she sees that one of her skaters is not grasping a skill under her instruction, than she will happily have the skater work with another coach for a couple lessons to get different perspective on the problem.</em><br />
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<strong>Update: </strong><em>From skater idratherbeontheice: We switched because the previous coaches paid little attention to me, were often a little harsh, and did not know how to teach very well. In fact, one of them was teaching me incorrect technique- something that is biting me in the tail as I work on axels/doubles.</em><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i><b>Have a question for Ice Mom or the Advisory Board? Have an idea for a post you'd like to see? Know more than Ice Mom? Better yet, do you know about dip-dying figure skating dresses? E-mail me at icemom.diane@gmail.com.</b></i></span><br />
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<a href="http://qtrial.qualtrics.com/SE?SID=SV_4OsBdalwVUO2yR6&SVID=Prod" target="_blank"><img alt="Ice Mom's Summer Camp Survey" border="0" src="http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b39/thistlemedia/postsummercampsurvey.gif" /></a>Ice Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05639175462486739483noreply@blogger.com20tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-598357895737427353.post-19719119405263671982010-03-10T00:01:00.006-06:002010-03-14T00:11:00.372-06:00Ask the Ice Moms: What Do I Do When My Figure Skater Feels Lonely?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b39/thistlemedia/sadskater.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b39/thistlemedia/sadskater.jpg" width="133" /></a></div>This question comes from reader L.L.K. She's frustrated because her competitive figure skater has few friends. Here's a part of what she wrote:<br />
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<blockquote>[...]she is isolated and alone. She has no time (and to some extent - little desire) to keep in touch with the girls from her previous school. She is ALWAYS training and none of them really skate. Furthermore, she wants NOTHING to do with the girls in her homeschooling group [...]<br />
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Despite the new lifestyle to which we have committed, she is a social butterfly [...] A life without friends, sleepovers and play-dates has left her feeling empty. There is a deep sadness over the fact that she has no close friends. She would love to build a "true-heart", as she calls it, friendship with another skater who understands the dedication and discipline necessary to skate competitively. Her rink (which we LOVE) is a serious training facility and does not provide a very social atmosphere. When you are there - YOU WORK.<br />
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She is a figure skater who is educated at home and needs to meet others like her [...] but how the @#$% do I find them?!?!?!?!</blockquote>This is a great question, L.L.K., and I don't think it's limited to figure skaters who are homeschooled or very competitive figure skaters. Ice Girl is in public school, skates a ton, and is sad that she has little time with friends. However, she doesn't want to give up the skating, either.<br />
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Here's what the Advisory Board had to say:<br />
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<b>S.L.,</b> a veteran ice mom:<br />
<blockquote>Lonely isn't just for homeschoolers. We never did after school activities or school sports due to skating right after school, then off ice and homework. One thing I committed to when she skated more was making sure I committed to getting her together with a school friend once a week (not easy, usually a weekend). Now mind you, we have plenty of social time at our rink and she has made just as good friends through skating now. Our rink is not as serious. She should try to find someone at her rink to connect with. Unfortunately it takes a while. They may need to commit to another activity/event or connect with a good "old friend" to find a social outlet. I would hate to encourage facebook, but maybe an old friend (or a new one) might connect with her there.</blockquote><b> PairsMom,</b> the ice mom of the male half of the winning intermediate pairs team from the December 2009 Junior Nationals:<br />
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<blockquote style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"></span><br />
<div>I think it is important for skaters to interact with their peers, both skaters and non-skaters. Yes, it is difficult and if you are making your training the priority, and schoolwork right up there too, there will not be an equal "balance" because there are only so many hours in a day. Maybe find other skaters that are close to her age at the rink and plan to go to lunch one day after practice, or maybe shopping or a movie, since they are expected to be working while they are at the rink. This could be the beginning of a "once a week" ritual that they look forward to. There is potential for a "mentoring" type friendship as well. Another suggestion, does she have a day off where she attends church or maybe the local gym for off ice work, pilates, ballet? This is another place to find friends. This may give her an opportunity to bond with other girls that are close to her age that have similar commitments to their own sport or activity. Several skaters at our rink enjoy traveling together to competitions, some are competing against each other and others are not, have to figure out what works best for your child.</div><div></div><div>Hang in there! Be encouraged! Most teenagers are going to find their own way eventually.</div></blockquote><b> Xan,</b> the ice mom of a former Jr. National competitor and current show skater. She's also an adult skater, a coach, and the blogger at <a href="http://xan-boni.blogspot.com/">Xanboni!</a><br />
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<blockquote>I think that isolation is something that all high achieving kids experience. Their talent and focus sets them apart, and makes it difficult for them not only to connect with their peers, but making it a little scary for their peers to approach them. My daughter felt this very keenly, that the kids were a little afraid of being her friend; she had to really work at it, and in fact eventually we found a coach who was known for the wonderful camaraderie she created among her skaters.<br />
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The obvious first place to look is at the rink, especially among her coach's other skaters, in particular the competitive group. If she's only skating during school hours, talk to the coach about having one or two practices when she comes to the rink during the regular free style practice times. Sign her up for the ice show and a class (again, let the coach know why you are doing this). You can bring in friendships through bribes as well! If there's a special occasion coming up, like her birthday, bring a sheet cake and make sure everyone at the rink that day knows there's free cake! This works brilliantly. The first time someone does it, kids are a little shy; but if you can get all the moms to do it, believe me, kids coalesce around cake.</blockquote><b> Sk8rmom aka "p,"</b> the ice mom of a male competitive skater (intermediate level)<br />
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<blockquote><div>I have been in a similar situation as you, and known of others as well. Often skaters have a focus and maturity that are not common to their age peers. There are other kids around with the same type of focus (be it skating or music or something else), but in a homeschool situation, you might find them few and far between just because you have a smaller pool of people that your skater is exposed to daily. Eventually, your skater will find at least one or two really good friends, if not a multitude that she will enjoy spending time with, but I know it can be hard waiting for that to happen. </div><div><br />
</div>This is the first year we started homeschooling our skater who is in middle school. We did not start homeschooling because of skating, but it has made practice time a little easier. One thing that we consciously do is to go in for the early morning sessions three times a week to be with the other high-level skaters who attend traditional school. His home rink is a training facility with no public skating, so the skaters are seriously working, similar to your situation. Even though we have more flexibility with schedule, the early-early mornings help to keep our skater in contact with the other kids his age and level, and I feel is very important both for social interaction as well as keeping a competitive edge (it's well worth getting up early for). </blockquote><blockquote><div></div><div>Another great thing is that if your skater goes away to other rinks, regional or national competitions, this is a wonderful time to meet new friends. With all the instant electronic communication, it makes it easy to keep in touch. These kids are all in the same boat, practicing hard, loving skating, not much time to do everything they want to do socially. If your skater is a social butterfly, it might not be hard for her to get to know some of the other competitors. These friendships are different than the local friendships, but it gives her a broader pool to choose from and more chances to click with someone. It also gives more incentive to qualify for the next year if you are going to see some friends :).</div><div><br />
</div><div>I talk to other moms at the rink a lot. If there are new kids, no matter what the age or level, I introduce my skater to them. It is very fulfilling for a teen to be a "mentor" or friend to a younger skater. This is sometimes a good way to cultivate very satisfying relationships if peers are few and far between. Little ones are so free with their love and adoration LOL. </div><div><br />
</div><div>Mainly keep the faith, be patient, I know it's heart breaking to see your child lonely, but with time, you both will figure out what works and she will find at least one special friend to spend time with. </div><div><br />
</div><div>Maybe this little story will give you some hope knowing that you are not alone and that in time things will work out... It's been almost a year since my skater's good buddy quit skating; they used to "play" and push each other during practices, and it's been a little hard. Well, today, a really cool thing that happened. For about a month or so, my skater has been skating a couple days a week at a public rink. He says <i>hi </i>to some of the kids, but usually just skates. There is a high-level skater that we see when we are there; she's amazing, and we always marvel at her jumps, etc. Today she started cheering my skater, copying the tricks and spins he was doing (of course doing it better :) and they had a nice exchange of "playing." </div><div><br />
</div><div>It was a really special thing to see; you could feel the change in energy at the rink when this give and take started happening. She even came up to me and started talking, just something little, but it broke the ice. I ended up talking to her mother and my skater had a blast. I am very hopeful that they can become friends even though they are at different skating level, ages and genders. It is just plain fun to have someone to "train" with.</div><div><br />
</div><div>Our Coach (and I say our, because I learn so much from him as well) says "even when skaters play, they are learning." And when in doubt about whether to let your skater to do something "teenagey" or go to sleep early, always remember that "these are kids that want to be skaters, not the other way around". Grab those opportunities. </div><div><br />
</div><div>Good luck to the both of you! I know that given a little time, things will be better. Just by being concerned, you will help to make it happen for your skater!</div></blockquote><br />
<b>From Seasoneds8rmom:</b> mom to a 12-year-old skater and an adult synchro skater<br />
<blockquote>My daughter is an extreme social butterfly. It is very difficult for her to balance skating and her social life. We do the best we can. She still attends public school and this helps a lot because she can still stay connected to her friends at school while she is attending school. There have been many times however that she has wanted to participate in activities with her school friends and has had to miss out because she has skating conflicts. I know that it can be very difficult to juggle mainstream school and figure skating at the championship level but I think if you can try to work with the school to allow her to leave school early or come to school late it may be best for your daughter socially and emotionally to go back to mainstream school.<br />
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Often times young skaters think that homeschooling will be best for their competitive skating but then realize after they start homeschooling that it is not the right choice for them. I often would ask my daughter if she wanted to homeschool but she would defiantly say "NO" because she knew that it would interfer with her social connections.<br />
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FYI ...Another place where my daughter has close social connections is at church and getting involved in team skating. Being apart of a team can really help to bring skaters together socially and help them make life long friendships. I know many seriously competitive rinks do not agree that team skating helps an individual skater because the coaches feel that it takes too much time and money away for individual practice and coaching time, but you have to do what is best for your child's well being overall. You want your skater to be a happy in all aspects of their life not just skating. If they are not happy in all aspects of their life they will begin to resent skating and get burnt out and eventually quit. </blockquote><br />
<b>Ice Mom</b>, ice mom of Ice Girl, a 14-year-old skater<br />
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<blockquote>I tell you, Ice Girl has this same problem. She attends public school, but skates all the time. It's tough for her to balance school, homework, and skating. In fact, she just broke up with her boyfriend because she couldn't stand the ribbing that came with their Facebook-only relationship. Boyfriend didn't understand why she needed to be at the rink all the time.<br />
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Part of what I do is have Ice Girl fill out the ice contract every month. She's in charge and she determines how much ice she wants. It doesn't mean that she has a social life, but it does mean that Ice Mom isn't forcing her on the ice and keeping her from her friends.<br />
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When Ice Girl first started figure skating, she had a hard time making friends. People can be slow to warm up and they see families come and go at the rink. Sometimes they wait and watch to see if the skater is serious or not. Now Ice Girl counts most of the skaters at the rink among her friends, but it took a while.<br />
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One of Ice Girl's competitive friends said, "I'm a figure skater. I don't have a social life." That's kind of sad, but it is a choice that kids make. There's definately a dip in events that Ice Girl can attend.</blockquote><b>UPDATE FROM L.L.K.: </b><br />
<blockquote>Today was a good day at practice! One of the other skaters who is a National Champion and trains with the same coach called Ice Princess over to introduce her to another skater (male pair skater who also trains with the same coach) who had been wanting to meet Princess! She was BEAMING and felt embraced for perhaps the first time by her peers. Mind you that Champion is 16 and Pairs Skater is nearly 20 - but they can be AWESOME mentor buddies to my sweet 10 year old! </blockquote><br />
<b>Update:</b> <i>From reader Helicopter Mom, whose daughter has a best friend at the rink: We are lucky because one of my daughter's best friends is a skater too - they started at about the same time, go to the same school and skate some of the same freestyle sessions. On the flip side, I need to make sure there isn't too much socializing going on during practice time! </i><br />
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<b>Update: </b><i>From reader jumpingbeanmom: I go out of my way to make sure she can get to parties, have friends over etc. even if it is uber incovenient for me and the other family members because I know it is a huge sacrafice for her.</i><br />
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<b>Update: </b><i>From reader Jozet at <a href="http://www.halushki.com/">Halushki:</a> [...] keep Saturday afternoons/evenings and Sundays skate free [...] just knowing when friends can call her is a big help. Sometimes, kids would want to get together and call her last minute, and you know what happens after too many "I'm busy tonight" - kids stop calling. The sacred free time was a big help.</i><br />
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<b>Update: </b><i>From reader FrozenMom, who values her skater as a whole person: It is easy to get caught up in the competitive cycle and forget that they are children who need friends to share the successes and also the bad times, any athlete can suffer an injury which stops their competitive lifestyle for good or for years, I see it as part of my job to make sure that if that did happen it doesn't feel like life is over!</i><i> </i><br />
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<i><b>How about you? Is your Ice Girl or Ice Boy lonely? What have you done to balance skating, school, and a social life? </b></i><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><b><i>Have a question for Ice Mom and the Advisory Board? Do you have a suggestion for a post you'd like to see? Are you an expert and want to share your wisdom? E-mail me at <a href="mailto:icemom.diane@gmail.com">icemom.diane@gmail.com</a>. </i></b></span><br />
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<a href="http://qtrial.qualtrics.com/SE?SID=SV_4OsBdalwVUO2yR6&SVID=Prod" target="_blank"><img alt="Ice Mom's Summer Camp Survey" border="0" src="http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b39/thistlemedia/postsummercampsurvey.gif" /></a>Ice Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05639175462486739483noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-598357895737427353.post-61084756842473442682010-03-09T00:01:00.007-06:002010-03-09T16:28:27.307-06:00How-to: Make a Fleece Seat Saver for Figure Skating Competitions<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b39/thistlemedia/blanket.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b39/thistlemedia/blanket.jpg" width="200" /></a>I went to a synchronized skating competition a few weeks ago. The rink stands were <i>packed</i>. Like most spectators, we'd brought our no-sew fleece blankets and spread them out carefully over our bench seats. It's a smart thing to do because the folded blankets keep your rear end from freezing to metal benches and the blanket saves your seat if you have to grab a cup of coffee or run to the restroom.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The competition was so packed, though, that other spectators had a hard time leaving and returning to their seats. The folks behind us must have had very small bladders because they kept coming and going, each time crossing over our blankets.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div><div> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">These people stepped all over our blankets, trod on our coats, and nearly upended a cup of hot cocoa on me.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div><div> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b>Competition lesson #1:</b> Never wear anything in the stands that won't look good with a splash of someone else's coffee on it. Ice Grandma? This means you. Do not wear that fur coat, Mom. I don't care if you've just fed it and walked it. Someone's going to spill on it and you'll be loud, obnoxious, and telling everyone in a 50-foot radius how mink looks lousy with mocha. Leave it at home, Mom. Yes, the hat needs to stay home, too.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div><div> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b>Competition lesson #2: </b>Make cool no-sew fleece seat savers. (It's the same for a big no-sew fleece blanket, just smaller)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div><div> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The synchro team next to ours had a very smart bunch of parents. These people brought no-sew fleece blankets like the rest of us, but theirs were narrow and perfectly sized to fit the bench seats and accommodate two people sitting on them. The blankets had their synchronized skating team colors - one color on each side - and were embroidered with the team's name. Alright, the embroidery was kind of over the top, but I guess the embroidery prevented others from taking them. At least, it prevented me from taking one.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div><div> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Materials:</div><ul><li><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">1 1/2 yards double-sided fleece - any color</div></li>
<li><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">1 1/2 yards double-sided fleece - another color</div></li>
<li><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">sharp shears</div></li>
<li><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">ruler</div></li>
</ul><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div><div> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Method: </div><ol><li>Wash and dry the fleece fabric</li>
<li>Lay the fleece fabric on top of one another, wrong sides together and edges squared up</li>
<li>Make a straight line from selvage edge to selvage edge, 15 inches from the cut edge. (The selvage edges are the machine-finished edges of the fabric that run perpendicular to the cut edges.)</li>
<li>Cut along that line</li>
<li>Repeat steps 3 and 4 so you have three pieces of 15" wide fabric</li>
<li>Cut off the selvage edges of the fabric, making sure that the edges of the layers are even</li>
<li>On each corner, measure in three inches and draw a line. You should have a three-inch square at each corner. Cut out the three-inch square and discard</li>
<li>Lay your ruler along one of the cut edges of the missing squares. Make sure that the ruler is straight across the square and parallel to the long edge</li>
<li>Make cuts every inch along the ruler to make the ties. Your cuts will be spaced one inch apart and will be three inches long. Move the ruler as necessary</li>
<li>Once you've finished cutting all the blanket ties, tie the front and back together in a double knot, skipping every other tie</li>
<li>Flip the blanket and tie the remaining blanket ties with a double knot</li>
<li>Look very smug when you put the seat saver blanket down on your bench seat </li>
</ol>My plan is to make a couple of these for the next competition. If someone steps on my fleece seat saver, I'll just flip it over. And plot ways to trip those people if they stomp on my stuff again. Maybe I'll spill my hot chocolate on them, accidentally-on-purpose.<br />
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<div> </div><i><b>How about you? How do you survive all day at a competition on hard, cold bench seats? How do you keep your mother from embarrassing you in front of everyone? How do you keep your husband from working the crossword puzzle? Do you have any other competition day tips? Share 'em!</b></i><br />
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<div> </div><i><b><span style="font-size: x-small;">As always, please let me know if you have a question for me or the Advisory Board. If you have an idea for a post, or you'd like to write something yourself, that's cool, too! E-mail me at </span><a href="mailto:icemom.diane@gmail.com"><span style="font-size: x-small;">icemom.diane@gmail.com</span></a><span style="font-size: x-small;">.</span></b></i><br />
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<div> </div><a href="http://qtrial.qualtrics.com/SE?SID=SV_4OsBdalwVUO2yR6&SVID=Prod" target="_blank"><img alt="Ice Mom's Summer Camp Survey" border="0" src="http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b39/thistlemedia/postsummercampsurvey.gif" /></a>Ice Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05639175462486739483noreply@blogger.com19tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-598357895737427353.post-301392342088605762010-03-08T00:01:00.002-06:002010-03-08T23:43:10.049-06:00How-to: Display Figure Skating Medals<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b39/thistlemedia/skatemedals.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b39/thistlemedia/skatemedals.gif" width="187" /></a></div>Reader Anonymous sent me a comment: <br />
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<i>[...] I was wondering how you display Ice Girl's medals. My daughter has been skating for a few years now but I have yet to think of a good way to display her medals. What do you think? Thanks! </i><br />
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As you can see from the photo, this is how we display Ice Girl's medals.<br />
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I bought this wooden skate at a competition for an unbelievable price: $12. I wish I had bought two. The gal who made it had her husband cut the skate out of wood with his jigsaw. She sanded it, painted it, added wooden pegs to the front, and hooks on the back for wall hanging.<br />
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If you don't have a husband with a jigsaw, you can still accomplish this same thing pretty inexpensively. Craft stores carry ready-made boards with pegs on them. Paint, add hanging hardware, and display.<br />
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The whole project, including paint and hardware, should set you back maybe $10 - $12.<br />
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<b>Update:</b> <i>A fabulous DIY renovation project from Advisory Board member, figure skating parent to an Olympian, and <a href="http://ontheedgeofskating.blogspot.com/">Life on the Edge</a> blogger Allison Scott: </i><span style="color: black; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 12pt;"><i>One of the things that we used to do (though now it is totally impractical after 20+ years of medals) is to frame the top ones with the competition programs. Please note: If your skater stays in the sport for a long time and succeeds, you may be able to take each of those frames, cement them together and build an addition to your house – a little DIY recycling project that could help your bank account! </i></span></span><br />
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<i><b>What do you do with your skater's medals? How do you display the trophies? Please share your ideas in the comments!</b></i><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i><b>As always, if you have a question for Ice Mom or the Advisory Board, please send it to me! If you have an idea for a post or would like to write a guest post, please let me know, too! E-mail me at <a href="mailto:icemom.diane@gmail.com">icemom.diane@gmail.com</a>. </b></i></span><br />
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<a href="http://qtrial.qualtrics.com/SE?SID=SV_4OsBdalwVUO2yR6&SVID=Prod" target="_blank"><img alt="Ice Mom's Summer Camp Survey" border="0" src="http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b39/thistlemedia/postsummercampsurvey.gif" /></a>Ice Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05639175462486739483noreply@blogger.com28tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-598357895737427353.post-23955606332076071782010-03-05T00:01:00.008-06:002010-03-15T10:39:52.858-05:00Ice Mom’s Sewing Guide: Laying out the Pattern<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b39/thistlemedia/pincushion.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" kt="true" src="http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b39/thistlemedia/pincushion.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>This post is part of <a href="http://icemom.blogspot.com/search/label/Sewing%20Guide">Ice Mom's Sewing Guide.</a> </i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Other posts in this series: <a href="http://icemom.blogspot.com/2010/01/ice-moms-sewing-guide-all-about.html">All about Patterns</a>, <a href="http://icemom.blogspot.com/2010/01/ice-moms-sewing-guide-all-about-fabrics.html">All about Fabrics</a>, <a href="http://icemom.blogspot.com/2010/02/ice-moms-sewing-guide-how-to-dye-silk.html">How to Dye Silk for Fabric Skating Skirts</a>, <a href="http://icemom.blogspot.com/2010/02/ice-moms-sewing-guide-altering-your.html">Altering Your Growing Skater's Figure Skating Dress</a>, <a href="http://icemom.blogspot.com/2010/03/ice-moms-sewing-guide-laying-out.html">Laying out the Pattern.</a></i></span><br />
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Laying out and cutting the pattern will take you longer than any other step. However, if your layout and cutting are terrible, the dress isn’t going to look right. Resign yourself to taking a long time with this process.<br />
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Before beginning this step, you should have prepared your pattern. If you haven’t, please read <a href="http://icemom.blogspot.com/2010/01/ice-moms-sewing-guide-all-about.html">Ice Mom’s Sewing Guide: All about Patterns</a>.<br />
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<b>My set-up:</b> I have a folding cut-out table on casters in my front room. I push the coffee table out of the center of the room, settle my dog and his dog bed by the door, wheel my cutting table in front of the wide-screen TV, and pop a DVD in the player (my preference: Dexter. Serial killing goes well with pinning and cutting.) I have two high wooden stools and I place them on either side of the table. A glass of iced tea and I’m set for two hours.<br />
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I know a very good seamstress who lays out and cuts patterns on her vinyl floor. That sounds uncomfortable to me. I used my kitchen table for years (rectangle are much better than round). I really like my white folding cut-out table, though, because it’s countertop height and it folds up so I can hide it behind the sofa. No stooping over the table to cut or pin. The table set me back $50; normally, it’s $100, but I had a half-price coupon at the fabric store. <br />
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You will need:<br />
<ul><li><a href="http://icemom.blogspot.com/2010/01/ice-moms-sewing-guide-all-about-fabrics.html">Fabric,</a> pre-washed (if washable)</li>
<li><a href="http://icemom.blogspot.com/2010/01/ice-moms-sewing-guide-all-about.html">Pattern pieces</a> (that you’ve traced and fitted)</li>
<li>Sharp pins (dull ones snag, especially on Lycra)</li>
<li>A long, wide table that you don’t mind nicked up</li>
<li>Sharp fabric shears</li>
<li>Sharp fabric snips</li>
<li>Tailor’s chalk or disappearing ink fabric pen</li>
<li>Iron and ironing board</li>
<li>Flexible measuring tape</li>
</ul><b>Iron everything.</b> Be sure that your iron is set to a low setting for most of your ironing. Lycra is a synthetic and it will melt like plastic under a hot iron. It will stick to your iron plate and make a messy goo. This is experience talking here, people. If your iron’s too hot, but you haven’t melted your fabric, you run the risk of leaving the impression of your iron plate on the fabric – think Shroud of Turin, but for irons.<br />
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If you’re ironing velvet or anything with a pile (like panné, Polartec brand polar fleece, or velour), iron on the back side of the fabric, again to avoid that unattractive Iron Shroud of Turin effect.<br />
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It’s a fantastic idea to fold your fabric precisely in half as you iron, selvage edge to selvage edge. You want a line down the middle for the next step.<br />
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<b>Put the fabric on the table.</b> This might seem deadly obvious, but it’s not. Often pattern instructions don’t tell you how to orient the fabric on the table so you’ll be able to cut out all of the fabric pieces and not need more fabric.<br />
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For figure skating outfits, lay the fabric on the table, wrong side up with the ironed crease running down the table’s center and the selvage edges hanging over the sides. Bring the selvage edges up to the folded center so that the two selvage edges are touching. When you look at the fabric, you should see this: long fold, selvage edge at the center, opposite selvage edge at the center, long fold. At either end are two layers of cut edges.<br />
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You’re orienting the fabric in this manner so that you have more folds to work with. You also want to keep the fabric straight. You’ll orient your fabric parallel to the selvage edges, so you want to make sure that the fabric underneath is not crooked. Crooked fabric doesn’t lie well on the body.<br />
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<b>Deal out the fabric pieces.</b> Place the ironed pattern pieces on the fabric. If you see a straight line with two arrows on a pattern piece, that means that you’ll need to lay that piece out parallel to the selvage edges. If you see a line and arrows pointing to the cut edge of the fabric, that means to lay it out with the edge on the fold. Double-check what your pattern pieces are telling you, too. They’ll tell you if you need to cut on the fold or not. They’ll also tell you if you need one or two of the pieces.<br />
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I always orient my pattern pieces in the same direction. In other words, the tops of all the pattern pieces point the same way. This is a wise idea for fabrics with a pile or nap, like velvet. You know how velvet looks different from one direction to another? Yep. That’s why I lay all pattern pieces in the same direction, even if the fabric doesn’t have a nap.<br />
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It’s perfectly fine to turn a pattern piece wrong side up. That won’t affect anything.<br />
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Once you have all of your pieces in place on the fabric and you’re sure that you can cut them out without buying more fabric, you’re ready to pin.<br />
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<b>Pin the fold lines and the grain lines first.</b> I always start with pinning the fold lines first so the fabric doesn't shift around. I pin the pattern to the fabric parallel to the fold line and make sure that the fold line of the pattern matches the foldline of the fabric exactly.<br />
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For those of you who have never pinned before, there’s a trick to it. Begin stabbing the pattern and fabric at a 45-degree angle. When you hit the table, bring the pin back up at a 135-degree angle (the other 45-degree angle). If you’ve never pinned before, this will seem to take ages. Don’t worry – you’ll get better at it.<br />
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Next, pin down the grain lines. The grain line is the straight line with a error at both ends. Make sure this line is parallel to the selvages. Pin one end of the grain line to the fabric, keeping the pattern straight. With your measuring tape, measure the distance from the pinned part of the line to the selvage edge. Slide the tape measure down the line. Adjust the pattern piece so that the grain line end is at the same measurement as the first grain line end. Pin in place.<br />
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<b>Smooth out and pin.</b> Working parallel from your fold line or grain line pins, smooth out the pattern gently over the fabric and pin in place, parallel to the pattern edge about ¼ - ½ inch from the edge. You’re just smoothing things out here, you’re not stretching anything. Pin the entire pattern in place, making sure that the corners are tacked down.<br />
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That’s it for the layout post. Next post, we’ll cut!<br />
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<b>Update: </b><i>From reader Beth: When sewing on woven (non-stretchy) fabrics, the grainline (arrow on pattern pieces) should be parallel to the selvages. On stretchy fabrics the arrow follows the greatest degree of stretch in the fabric. Depending on the fabric, the grainline will be either parallel to or perpendicular to the selvage. On the disappearing ink or water soluble pens, always test on a scrap of fabric and <b>never iron over those marks or they may become permanent</b>. Don't ask how I know this. </i><br />
<i><b>Note from Ice Mom:</b> Ugh. Don't ask how I know it, either.</i><br />
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<b>Update: </b><i>From reader Silver Blades who cautions sewers against letting excess fabric hang off the cutting table: </i> <i>I also forgot to mention two things about cutting out stretch fabrics. Do NOT let the fabric dangle over the edge of the cutting surface! It will stretch prior to cutting and once you cut the piece it will spring back and be too small. Yes, I have done this. I now pull up a chair or stool to the edge of the table or neatly fold the excess up at the table edge so it is not pulling itself out of shape.</i><br />
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<b><i>Do you have any questions about this process? Better yet, did I leave something out? Even better: do you have a fabulous tip? Please write about it in the comments!</i></b><br />
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<b><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Have a question for Ice Mom and the Advisory Board? Do you have an idea for a post? Would you like to write a guest post? That's fabulous! E-mail me at </span><a href="mailto:icemom.diane@gmail.com"><span style="font-size: x-small;">icemom.diane@gmail.com</span></a><span style="font-size: x-small;">.</span> </i></b><br />
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<a href="http://qtrial.qualtrics.com/SE?SID=SV_4OsBdalwVUO2yR6&SVID=Prod" target="_blank"><img alt="Ice Mom's Summer Camp Survey" border="0" src="http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b39/thistlemedia/postsummercampsurvey.gif" /></a>Ice Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05639175462486739483noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-598357895737427353.post-59235030833178365772010-03-04T00:01:00.008-06:002010-03-08T21:48:55.334-06:00Can You Help this Mom? Figure Skating Music That's NOT for Princesses<div align="left" class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b39/thistlemedia/princess.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" kt="true" src="http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b39/thistlemedia/princess.jpg" width="144" /></a></div><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b><i>As always the readers are very generous with their music ideas. Check out the comments for great suggestions!</i></b></span><br />
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I cracked up in my cubicle when I received this plea:<br />
<blockquote><i>[I need] age-appropriate music and costumes that aren’t Disney!</i><br />
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<i>[Dear daughter] is 7, turning 8 next year, and competing in Canada at a fairly low level [...] The time has come to choreograph a new program and DD’s [dear daughter's] coach ( who we love ) loves Disney. </i><br />
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<i>I cannot do Disney any more. And at every competition there are several girls skating to various Disney Princess songs. Ugh.</i><br />
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<i>I would love other suggestions because if I don’t up with one, she’s going to be skating to Disney. Again.</i></blockquote>I suggested that DD skate to a Disney <i>villain</i>, because I think that Cruella deVil on the medal stand with Snow White and the Little Mermaid would crack me up. Man, I need more coffee. Or less.<br />
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<b><i>Can you help this mom? If you have music suggestions, please put them in the comments. And, for the love of Pete, not </i>The Candy Man<i> or </i>Puff the Magic Dragon.<i> We can't have everyone at the rink try to break the kid's CD. She'll cry.</i></b><br />
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<b><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Do you have a question for Ice Mom or the Advisory Board? Do you have an idea for a post? Better yet, are you an expert at something - like airbrushing dresses (hint, hint)? Why not write a guest post? E-mail me at </span><a href="mailto:icemom.diane@gmail.com"><span style="font-size: x-small;">icemom.diane@gmail.com</span></a></i></b><br />
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<a href="http://qtrial.qualtrics.com/SE?SID=SV_4OsBdalwVUO2yR6&SVID=Prod" target="_blank"><img src="http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b39/thistlemedia/postsummercampsurvey.gif" border="0" alt="Ice Mom's Summer Camp Survey"></a>Ice Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05639175462486739483noreply@blogger.com45tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-598357895737427353.post-24566367289350462302010-03-03T00:01:00.009-06:002010-03-09T11:25:11.266-06:00Ask the Ice Moms: Why Do Coaches and Parents Have an Adversarial Relationship?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b39/thistlemedia/communication.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b39/thistlemedia/communication.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>This question comes from reader E.L.W. She’s frustrated because she observes that parents and coaches at her rink aren’t communicating effectively with one another. Here’s a bit of her e-mail:<br />
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<i>My daughter isn’t only in ice skating (Basic Skills 7) - she is in a few other things like piano and school. What I find interesting is that her other teachers give the parents assistance in helping their child learn new skills, whether that be a checklist of what music exercises she should practice at home during the week or for that matter, homework. <br />
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I took piano for 12 years. I would never have shown up to a lesson without taking the time to practice during the week. I took that practice mentality to figure skating only to find that something else seems to be going on. I don’t know what exactly but here it is.<br />
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The ice skating coach has mentioned NOTHING for her to do between lessons. It is rare if one of them deigns to speak to the parent. The child is supposed to come out on the ice and wait until the coach finishes with the child before her and when that lesson ends there is another child waiting in the wings. <br />
This doesn't make sense to me. I'm paying for her to be learning - not just for the joy of writing checks.</i><br />
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Ouch. Sounds like E.L.W. is pretty upset.<br />
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Here’s what the ice moms on the board have to say:<br />
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<b>From Xan,</b> who is a coach, a figure skating parent of a Jr. Nationals competitior, an adult skater, and the blogger at <a href="http://xan-boni.blogspot.com/">Xanboni!</a>:<br />
<blockquote>Perhaps they could ask the coach to choreograph a short number incorporating all the skills she's working on. Then she could practice that. This makes the practice seem more fun and she doesn't have to remember skill to skill, if she just skates the program she'll be using her skills. The mom should also sit down with the coach every 4-6 weeks and ask for a progress report and a practice guide. There is often no time during lessons to do this, and no time between lessons for the conversation, which is a drag, but also a reality. Coach is probably more uncommunicative than is strictly diplomatic, but as you say this may be the culture at the rink, and the exigencies of the schedule.</blockquote><br />
<b>From PairsMom, </b>whose son and his partner won Jr. Nationals in Intermediate pairs December 2009:<br />
<blockquote>Parents, Coaches, and skater must all be part of the same team. If you do not feel that this is happening, try to communicate with the parents/skater, and if after time nothing has changed, then it is time to move on. There are plenty of coaches and hopefully there is one available at your rink that will guide your child towards success and enjoyment of the sport.</blockquote><blockquote><br />
Talk to the skating director at your rink to see what the expectations are for that particular program. Ask her for suggestions on how to get the most out of it to benefit your child; it is YOUR money and YOU are your child's ADVOCATE in this situation.</blockquote><br />
<b>From Ateam on the Edge</b>, the parent of a skater son, mom of a skater Olympian, and blogger at <a href="http://ontheedgeofskating.blogspot.com/">Life on the Edge</a>:<br />
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<blockquote>This is a classic struggle for control and it seems to be prevalent throughout skating. We saw it at the Basic Skills level and we saw it up until about a year ago. <br />
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Without going into detail, the one thing a parent has to remember is that the coach is an employee, not an employer. You pay the bills, and as it is in any workplace, there is a little matter of accountability. I think the biggest issue is that parents don’t set the ground rules early on. My suggestion: Have a serious conversation before a single blade hits the ice in a lesson. Outline a cooperative plan for communication (a “business plan,” if you will); do a “90 day review;” expect a year-end meeting and evaluation, goals setting for the coming year and a regular schedule of meetings. That doesn’t mean that a parent can intrude on a coach’s private time, make a ton of late-night phone calls or spam the coach with emails. A smart coach will value his or her time and charge an overbearing parent for that time at the same rate as he or she charges for lesson time. That’s just good business. A great plan, set and agreed to in advance, can avoid all that anyway.<br />
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I am not suggesting that this has to be adversarial at all. View it like any other vendor you employ and put in charge of something you value – in this case, your child. You wouldn’t turn your car over to a mechanic without knowing what to expect. You wouldn’t turn your business over to a manager without accountability and a plan in place. Why, then, would you turn your child over to a coach, who will be a huge influence on them both on and off the ice, without a business agreement and a plan of action? Proper planning produces preferred results with a minimum of misunderstanding and missed communication.</blockquote><b>From C.L.,</b> a parent of a 9-year-old figure skater<b>:</b><br />
<blockquote>Switch coaches and rinks :) or she could ask her coach to put together a non-lesson practice sheet for her daughter. For example, type of skill and number of times she should practice it, for each non-lesson time. Also, an off ice pilates/yoga/stretching checklist would be helpful too.</blockquote><br />
<b>From S.F.:</b><br />
<blockquote>Does the skater have a notebook/spiral notebook for the coach to make a few notes on during the lesson? Then the skater would know what to practice before her next lesson and mom would have some info about what happened during the lesson. One tactic I have used until I get to know the coach is not hand the check to Amy. This forces the coach to come off the ice to get their check. The parent then has an brief opportunity to speak with the coach. <b> </b></blockquote><br />
<b>From Kel, </b>a parent of a 9-year-old figure skater<b>:</b><br />
<blockquote>When we started with my daughter's coach, she actually gave her a binder which included her on- and off-ice practice lists, a tab for competitions, a tab for ice contracts. I wonder if the parent has directly asked the coach what the student should be doing between lessons. Perhaps, this coach does not frequently deal with newer skaters that would need this kind of guidance? I can imagine that someone that more regularly deals with higher level skaters would not have provided my skater the same attention. I'd just talk with the coach and tell her what you think your skater needs -- give her notice that you want a few minutes so she has time to talk. Nothing worse than a parent that demands a bunch of attention when the coach has ten other things she needs to be tending to...</blockquote><br />
<b>From S.G.</b>, whose daughter switched coaches last year. It was <i>awkward</i>.<br />
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<blockquote>I have learned from experience that when hiring a coach for your child you need to interview them first. And, yes, you are hiring them. How do they teach? Is there teaching style compatible with your child's? What do they expect from you as a parent and what do you expect from them as coaches? If they are not meeting your expectations, then you need to communicate with them. A majority of the time it will not be right after or before a lesson. You may have to call or E mail them. If you do this and things still do not get better, then you may need to find another coach for your child. With each experience you learn quickly what is important to you and your child. It is easier to be proactive rather then reactive. Good Luck! </blockquote><br />
<b>From Ice Mom:</b><br />
<blockquote>I know of a coach who makes a list of skills for the skater to work on. If the skater is a pre-reader, she includes photos. She takes the photos from competitions, prints them out, and shows the skater visually what to do. </blockquote><blockquote>As far at the communication problem, I have no idea why the coaches at your rink won't talk to parents. I know of a few coaches like that, but for the most part, coaches in the clubs Ice Girl skates in communicate with parents. It sounds like a rink culture thing, which is too bad. I would suggest breaking that unspoken rule and pretending you don't know it exists. After all, you're paying for this.</blockquote><b>Update:</b> <i>From Sk8rmom, who is a <b>genius</b>. Want to switch coaches in a classy way? Scroll down the comments, find hers, and read the whole thing. It's terrific.</i><br />
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<b>Update: </b><i>Great advice from reader jumpingbeanmom: </i><i>Go ahead and ask! I do know that some coaches like to talk via phone etc. if they have back to back students. If you don't get the attention you think you and your skater should get, look for another coach. My girls have notebooks as well as a whole book of stuff from their coach with practice expectations and the like.</i><br />
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<b>Update: </b><i>From reader Idratherbeontheice who had a difficult coach. Or two: I don't want to sound too harsh, but I had a two coaches like that once, and me and my mom have both found that just getting a new coach is the best solution. My mom tried talking to them, talking to the head coach at my rink, and all other sorts of things, but it didn't help very much. We finally changed coaches twice, and lucked out with my current coach. Altogether, we've found that with some coaches, talking doesn't make a big difference.</i><br />
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<b>Update: </b><i>From reader Anonymous who thinks many coaches are divas: I totally agree with this parent. Our daughter is also in other activities and sports and none of our sports/arts experiences has been anything like skating. I am totally frustrated with the skating culture. I think skating has an archaic culture which puts the needs of the coaches before the rights of the parents. Figure skating needs to be more attentive to the concerns of the present day consumer. </i><br />
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<i>I think there are a lot of diva coaches which naturally follows from their years of being diva skaters. They don't want to COMMUNICATE with the parents they just want to TELL us what's what. No questions, please, thank you very much.</i><br />
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<b>Update</b>: <i>From Canadian reader Falyn S who is v. satisifed with her daughter's coach: My daughters coach made up a book with a daily practice log (which has everything from off-ice warm up, stroking, spins, jumps, footwork, combos, and solo on it with how many times she should do each session and my daughter checks them off when completed) [...]</i><br />
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<b>Update: </b><i>From one of my favorite commenters, reader Season Williams, a figure skating mom and an adult skater: Coaches that are worth your time and money will be more than happy to have a meeting with you or speak with you over the phone. If you have a coach who is not willing to speak with you directly (in-person or by phone) than you should consider getting a new coach. </i><i> </i><br />
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<b><i>Do you have any suggestions for this mom? How do you make the practice thing work? How do you make the coach-parent communication thing work? Please include your experiences in the comments!</i></b><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><b><i>Do you have a question for Ice Mom and the Advisory Board? Feel free to suggest a topic or write a guest post and share your wisdom, too! E-mail me at <a href="mailto:icemom.diane@gmail.com">icemom.diane@gmail.com</a>. </i></b></span><br />
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