- Joined
- Jun 27, 2003
Yesterday means Saturday...
just thought I'd share as I know he has a "following" here
For those who are following Duane's skating lol
- Thread starter Tonichelle
- Start date
Yesterday means Saturday...
just thought I'd share as I know he has a "following" here
Go Duane! 
- Joined
- Jul 26, 2003
Congrats Duane! Keep up the great skating!
- Joined
- Jun 27, 2003
I forgot to ask but... what does "alpha" mean as far as what he'll be doing/learning? I am completely clueless with all of these tests and names lol
- Joined
- Jul 26, 2003
ISI's standardized Learn-to-Skate program, introduced in 1964, is a structured program designed to increase interest and participation in ice skating. The program provides a nurturing environment where skills are broken down into progressive, achievable levels that encourage skater development.
The Learn-to-Skate program is offered in group lessons at ISI member rinks. Classes include:
Tots: The ISI Tot testing program offers specialized instruction for three to five year-olds with the emphasis on fun.
Beginning Skaters: The ISI pre-Alpha test program introduces skaters to the wonderful world of ice skating. Emphasizing fun and safety, lessons quickly generate confidence as new skaters develop skills and make new friends.
Basic Skills: The ISI basic skills skating program guides new skaters through carefully graduated maneuvers, ensuring rapid progress over short time periods. Alpha, Beta, Gamma and Delta tests provide direction and build competency in all important foundation moves. Forward and backward skating, stopping, turning and edges are taught in exciting, low cost group lessons.
Pre-Alpha through Delta classes are offered to all ages, tots to adults. Skaters at these levels may not compete in Freestyle, Figures, Couples or Dance levels 1-10. Skaters wishing to compete in these levels and advance their skills can move on to ISI's Recreational Figure Skating Program and/or ISI's Recreational Hockey Program.
Toni-Duane is learning to skate and testing under the ISI-Ice Skating Institute. It is different then testing under the USFSA (which I test under). Check out their web site: www.skateisi.com
The Learn-to-Skate program is offered in group lessons at ISI member rinks. Classes include:
Tots: The ISI Tot testing program offers specialized instruction for three to five year-olds with the emphasis on fun.
Beginning Skaters: The ISI pre-Alpha test program introduces skaters to the wonderful world of ice skating. Emphasizing fun and safety, lessons quickly generate confidence as new skaters develop skills and make new friends.
Basic Skills: The ISI basic skills skating program guides new skaters through carefully graduated maneuvers, ensuring rapid progress over short time periods. Alpha, Beta, Gamma and Delta tests provide direction and build competency in all important foundation moves. Forward and backward skating, stopping, turning and edges are taught in exciting, low cost group lessons.
Pre-Alpha through Delta classes are offered to all ages, tots to adults. Skaters at these levels may not compete in Freestyle, Figures, Couples or Dance levels 1-10. Skaters wishing to compete in these levels and advance their skills can move on to ISI's Recreational Figure Skating Program and/or ISI's Recreational Hockey Program.
Toni-Duane is learning to skate and testing under the ISI-Ice Skating Institute. It is different then testing under the USFSA (which I test under). Check out their web site: www.skateisi.com
- Joined
- Jul 26, 2003
Here is some more information:
SI v USFS Figure Skating Programmes
Within the American figure skating community, there is some debate as to which of the two major instructional programmes is better for children: that offered by the Ice Skating Institute (ISI) or that from United States Figure Skating (USFS). The introductory programme in ISI is called Learn to Skate, and the initial programme in USFS is called Basic Skills. The programmes have many things in common:
Both offer group instruction1 for all groups from toddlers to adults.
Both focus on the 'free-skating' elements of figure-skating, rather than the classic figures (such as the figure of eight) that many remember from decades past.
Both offer advanced programmes for students who have passed the introductory levels.
Both offer opportunities for competition.
Both utilise tests to determine when students are ready to move to the next level.
In general, ISI is a recreationally-oriented programme, and USFS is a competitive programme. However, many ISI skaters participate in competitions (both those specifically for ISI skaters and USFS competitions), and both children and adults take lessons through USFS programmes without ever intending to compete. It's also not uncommon for children to begin in ISI programmes, and then switch to USFS programmes when they start to take skating more seriously. For most novice skaters, the initial choice simply comes down to which programme is offered at their local ice rink.
Different ISI Programmes
The ISI programmes include:
Basic skating instruction
Recreational figure skating
Figures
Couples, pairs, and ice dance
Synchronised skating and other team-based programmes
Speed-skating
Pre-hockey instruction
Not all rinks that offer ISI programmes offer the full range of activities - the most common are the basic skating and recreational figure skating programmes. In addition to the levels described below, ISI also offers a graduated programme for disabled skaters.
Learn to Skate
The toddler programme in ISI has levels from Tots 1 to Tots 4. In some rinks, these classes are of the 'Mommy and Me' variety, with a parent participating along with the child. These are also often the classes where adolescent and young adult skaters have their first teaching experiences. The moves learned during the Tots classes include:
The safe way to fall and get up from a fall
Marching, both in a standing position and while moving
Beginning stroking and two-foot glides
Preparation for snowplough stops
Dip - bending the knees and crouching down slightly while gliding forward
Forward, backward, and single swizzles - the feet move in and out, making an hourglass shape, and pushing the skater across the ice
Two-foot jump in place
T-position and push - this involves putting the feet in the position of an upside down letter 'T', and using the rear foot to push off onto a glide on the front foot
Two-foot or one-foot snowplough stop
Backward wiggle - as the hips shake from side to side with the feet together, the skater moves backwards in a zigzag
The Learn to Skate programme for older children and adults is divided into five levels, and includes many of the same basic moves as the Tots programme. Since the early levels of the programme assume no prior experience, children who have taken the Tots classes are often able to skip the Pre-Alpha level.
Pre-Alpha - the moves at this level include two-foot and one-foot glides, forward swizzles, backwards wiggles, backward swizzles, beginning stroking, and beginning snowplough stops.
Alpha - the moves at this level include forward stroking, forward crossovers (both left-over-right and right-over-left), and one-foot snowplough stops.
Beta - the moves at this level include backward stroking, back crossovers (both directions), and T-stops.
Gamma - the moves at this level include outside edge three-turns (both left and right feet), inside mohawk turns and combination sequences on both feet, stroking from a T-stop position, outside edges, and hockey stops.
Delta - the moves at this level include inside edge three-turns, forward edges, bunny hops, lunges, and shoot-the-duck moves.
SI v USFS Figure Skating Programmes
Within the American figure skating community, there is some debate as to which of the two major instructional programmes is better for children: that offered by the Ice Skating Institute (ISI) or that from United States Figure Skating (USFS). The introductory programme in ISI is called Learn to Skate, and the initial programme in USFS is called Basic Skills. The programmes have many things in common:
Both offer group instruction1 for all groups from toddlers to adults.
Both focus on the 'free-skating' elements of figure-skating, rather than the classic figures (such as the figure of eight) that many remember from decades past.
Both offer advanced programmes for students who have passed the introductory levels.
Both offer opportunities for competition.
Both utilise tests to determine when students are ready to move to the next level.
In general, ISI is a recreationally-oriented programme, and USFS is a competitive programme. However, many ISI skaters participate in competitions (both those specifically for ISI skaters and USFS competitions), and both children and adults take lessons through USFS programmes without ever intending to compete. It's also not uncommon for children to begin in ISI programmes, and then switch to USFS programmes when they start to take skating more seriously. For most novice skaters, the initial choice simply comes down to which programme is offered at their local ice rink.
Different ISI Programmes
The ISI programmes include:
Basic skating instruction
Recreational figure skating
Figures
Couples, pairs, and ice dance
Synchronised skating and other team-based programmes
Speed-skating
Pre-hockey instruction
Not all rinks that offer ISI programmes offer the full range of activities - the most common are the basic skating and recreational figure skating programmes. In addition to the levels described below, ISI also offers a graduated programme for disabled skaters.
Learn to Skate
The toddler programme in ISI has levels from Tots 1 to Tots 4. In some rinks, these classes are of the 'Mommy and Me' variety, with a parent participating along with the child. These are also often the classes where adolescent and young adult skaters have their first teaching experiences. The moves learned during the Tots classes include:
The safe way to fall and get up from a fall
Marching, both in a standing position and while moving
Beginning stroking and two-foot glides
Preparation for snowplough stops
Dip - bending the knees and crouching down slightly while gliding forward
Forward, backward, and single swizzles - the feet move in and out, making an hourglass shape, and pushing the skater across the ice
Two-foot jump in place
T-position and push - this involves putting the feet in the position of an upside down letter 'T', and using the rear foot to push off onto a glide on the front foot
Two-foot or one-foot snowplough stop
Backward wiggle - as the hips shake from side to side with the feet together, the skater moves backwards in a zigzag
The Learn to Skate programme for older children and adults is divided into five levels, and includes many of the same basic moves as the Tots programme. Since the early levels of the programme assume no prior experience, children who have taken the Tots classes are often able to skip the Pre-Alpha level.
Pre-Alpha - the moves at this level include two-foot and one-foot glides, forward swizzles, backwards wiggles, backward swizzles, beginning stroking, and beginning snowplough stops.
Alpha - the moves at this level include forward stroking, forward crossovers (both left-over-right and right-over-left), and one-foot snowplough stops.
Beta - the moves at this level include backward stroking, back crossovers (both directions), and T-stops.
Gamma - the moves at this level include outside edge three-turns (both left and right feet), inside mohawk turns and combination sequences on both feet, stroking from a T-stop position, outside edges, and hockey stops.
Delta - the moves at this level include inside edge three-turns, forward edges, bunny hops, lunges, and shoot-the-duck moves.
- Joined
- Jun 27, 2003
thanks for the info... I think the rink here in Anchorage does teh USFS stuff... but yeah...
they don't have teachers that teach past the beginning levels at the rink where Duane is anymore... and mom is worried about how he'll continue...
Alaska sucks lol
they don't have teachers that teach past the beginning levels at the rink where Duane is anymore... and mom is worried about how he'll continue...
Alaska sucks lol
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