Author Topic: Planet Ice - Skate UK  (Read 22619 times)

ceiliaanne

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Re: Planet Ice - Skate UK
« Reply #11 on: October 12, 2014, 06:17:11 pm »
They're going to have to do Skate Star eventually anyway in order to get their NISA Levels so why move away from Skate UK ?


This is what I meant.  If Silverblades and PI rinks aren't doing SkateUK anymore (for whatever reason), surely they're not going to be able to teach SkateUK Star?  If they can't teach SkateUK Star, surely then they won't be able to teach the NISA levels?


I fear it's yet another nail in the coffin of UK skating. 
'There's no one in the world harder to please than a skate coach' - Peppermint Patty

Mieke_the_Hobbit

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Re: Planet Ice - Skate UK
« Reply #12 on: October 12, 2014, 06:18:59 pm »
Being a bit picky, as an ex ice dancer, I would have liked them to be a little more strict on some of the people who passed some of the grades. In particular I thought they let some pretty poor crossovers and three turns pass on occasion but on the whole I was very impressed.

Somebody else who shares the same opinion! I think this is something facilitated by the new SkateUK scheme of 'constant assessment' as opposed to the structured six/eight week courses that we were among the last to do. It's just more bad habits and incorrect technique to have to correct at the later grades, slowing later progress.
« Last Edit: October 13, 2014, 12:18:15 am by Mieke_the_Hobbit »

Mieke_the_Hobbit

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Re: Planet Ice - Skate UK
« Reply #13 on: October 12, 2014, 06:22:42 pm »

This is what I meant.  If Silverblades and PI rinks aren't doing SkateUK anymore (for whatever reason), surely they're not going to be able to teach SkateUK Star?  If they can't teach SkateUK Star, surely then they won't be able to teach the NISA levels?


I fear it's yet another nail in the coffin of UK skating.

PI rinks are not offering any SkateUK courses as group lessons, but you can still do it privately with a coach: as I said in an earlier post, Coach said that 'if you go privately, you can learn whatever you want' and he's already confirmed that he's definitely doing Passport with me. However, group lessons have to be Excellence, or go to SkateUK at a different non-PI rink.

Loops

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Re: Planet Ice - Skate UK
« Reply #14 on: October 12, 2014, 07:47:00 pm »
I wonder.... in the US there are two different governing bodiess for skating:  US Figure Skating Association (USFSA) which handles the olympic/worlds track competitions and the Ice Skating Institute of America (ISIA) which is more recreational.  Many rinks belong to organization but the clubs housed at them to the other (my rink was ISIA, so group lessons  were with that system, but once out of group and into serious skating the club tested through USFSA- we skaters competed at both ISIA and USFSA competitions).  Most competitive skaters are involved and test through USFSA, but many Elite skaters also went through the ISIA system.  They are different, but compatible.  ISIA is much, much cheaper, for rinks, skaters, and especially coaches, although many coaches I suspect end up working with both organizations so they can take their skaters to more competitions.

Could something similar be happening in the UK?  Many adults in the US test under USFSA, but it seems like they tend to compete more under ISIA- it's more lighthearted and more fun.

Having said that, neither US system emphasizes foot watching, so someone dropped the ball/didn't think things through with Skate Excellence.....

Mieke_the_Hobbit

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Re: Planet Ice - Skate UK
« Reply #15 on: October 12, 2014, 07:52:09 pm »
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« Last Edit: October 12, 2014, 08:06:38 pm by Mieke_the_Hobbit »

iSk8

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Re: Planet Ice - Skate UK
« Reply #16 on: October 13, 2014, 12:06:29 am »
Well, there are certainly some opinions about the course!

I found the Skate Excellence website.  Obviously still a work in progress, but I like the concept of 'putting it all together' at the end, which certainly seemed to be missing from Skate UK.

Got to hope that there's going to be some evidence-based assessment of the merits of the course, whatever it is.

Mieke_the_Hobbit

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Re: Planet Ice - Skate UK
« Reply #17 on: October 13, 2014, 12:13:19 am »
Got to hope that there's going to be some evidence-based assessment of the merits of the course, whatever it is.

There is: the Planet Ice twitter page for the IOW rink (I believe off the top of my head) has a group having finished their grade stood with their certificates.

Mieke_the_Hobbit

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Re: Planet Ice - Skate UK
« Reply #18 on: October 13, 2014, 12:14:35 am »
I think other than the content the assessment is the same: if you can do it to what the coach considers to be a passable standard, you pass the grade and if not presumably you have to redo that grade, if it is like pre-2013 SkateUK in regards to being a structured set of weeks.
« Last Edit: October 13, 2014, 12:16:58 am by Mieke_the_Hobbit »

iSk8

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Re: Planet Ice - Skate UK
« Reply #19 on: October 13, 2014, 12:29:54 am »
There is: the Planet Ice twitter page for the IOW rink (I believe off the top of my head) has a group having finished their grade stood with their certificates.

Not quite the 'evidence' I meant! I was thinking more about whether the course achieved some objective in the greater scheme of ice skating things. Bit like being educated. You may get a certificate against some standard, but is it of any value?  If everybody gets the bit of paper, then it has limited value. If you can't do something you really need to know (e.g. add up) then it's not really worthwhile.

If it has some merit, then it should encourage more skaters who carry on skating. It's probably too early to tell yet.

Mieke_the_Hobbit

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Re: Planet Ice - Skate UK
« Reply #20 on: October 13, 2014, 01:27:11 am »
Yes I gather it's a pretty new thing, maybe in the future it'll gain some gravitas, but who knows.

antmanb

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Re: Planet Ice - Skate UK
« Reply #21 on: October 14, 2014, 01:44:23 pm »
I went to look at the website and it seemed like a fair chunk of the website was about promoting the off ice skates they sell.

The colour coded gloves and boot covers seem like more of a gimmick than anything else....they're also trying to sell it as a Franchise, so it's obviously an attempt to steer money away from NISA and back to themselves.  If it really is borne out of a dispute with NISA, then isn't there a risk that by going against them, they might be prejudicing the skaters at the their rinks who want to follow the NISA path? Will test sessions for NISA tests still happen at these Skate Excellence rinks?

It seems to me that there has been a long standing friction between the people behind silverblades/planet ice and NISA and I'm not sure i'm happy that we the skaters are the pawns that end up caught in their political games.



 

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