Test Session

I got to observe another test session this morning. About half of Anna's students were testing, many of them more than one test. I was there from 9 a.m. to noon, so a very cold 3 hours!

I got to observe a Novice freestyle test. I didn't even know until Friday that we had anyone at that level at our rink. It was fascinating to watch. Unfortunately, to the best of my knowledge she didn't pass; she fell on a ... double loop? And couldn't get it in the re-skate either. It's too bad, it's clear she had worked very hard and she's a beautiful skater.

I got to watch a number of dance tests. I don't really know what to look for on these tests, but it's nice to watch. The quality of the turns on these dances is a real goal to strive for -- but one that will take a long time to achieve.

Most instructive for me to watch were several iterations of the pre-Juv and Juvenile MIF. Wow. I know how to do one of these moves (the perimeter crossovers) so that was helpful for me to watch and see what a passing standard looks like for that. I need a lot more edge on those!

On the Juvenile MIF, I'd seen most of these moves before at various freestyle sessions -- but the back power 3s! Good Lord, those look mind-numbingly difficult. I am beginning to see how these MIF tests lay the foundation for the footwork elements required for both FS and dance.

In the end there were a lot of happy people, some disappointed people, and unfortunately a couple of nasty falls -- poor Ashley had a fall that probably wouldn't have been bad at all except she was coming back to the door to talk to her coach, and when she fell she whacked her wrist on the door frame, as near as I could tell. I think she's going to be okay, though, and she went ahead and tested her Preliminary freeskate at the end of the session. What a trouper!