In July 2017, President Sam Auxier appointed a Competitions Task Force, with the goal of pulling together a number of issues, challenges and opportunities affecting the U.S. Figure Skating qualifying pipeline, into a comprehensive proposal to present a re-imagined competitive pipeline. The theme of this proposal is: Identify. Develop. Promote.
A PowerPoint presentation outlining this proposal can be found at http://www.usfigureskating.org/content/Competitions Task Force - PP Presentation.pdf
The Rationale and Details for this proposal can be found at http://www.usfigureskating.org/content/Competitions Task Force - Details.pdf
This voted "in" May 2018 and it will start next summer.
In a nutshell, skaters will have two ways to qualifying for Sectionals:
- The Traditional way for placing top 4 at Nationals OR
- Through a newly developed qualifying series (similar to the Ice Dance Solo Qualifying Series). As I understand stand it, skaters will sign up to participate in a designated series (June 1 - August 30). Skaters choose how many competitions in the series they wish to skater in. Competition scores (short + long at s single competition) are maintained in a USFS database and the top 4 scoring skaters in a Section then get a bye to Sectionals. If a top 4 skater opts to skate at Regionals, their placement becomes irrelevant - the top four skaters besides Sectional bye skater gets a spot to Sectionals.
This will allow the number at Sectionals to increase from 12 to 16 so 4 more spots in each of the 9 Regions.
Top 4 skaters at Sectional in Juvenile, Intermediate, and Novice are placed on "Developmental" Team USA. They will a special camp (timed around Nationals) and also get a Team USA jacket. Juvenile, Intermediate, and Novice Nationals are eliminated.
Junior Nationals basically remains unchanged EXCEPT Top 2 scoring Novice skaters then gets bumped to skates in Juniors Nationals. Basically Nationals for Nationals increase from 12 to 14 (+ those with a JGP bye).
Senior Nationals basically remains unchanged EXCEPT there will be now be a minimum score to reach it.
At least that is is the way I understand it.
Why is this good? If a good skater is consistent, they will be rewarded. Also from what I have seen, there are 1 or 2 skaters at Regionals that clearly should be going to Sectionals. Then there is a "pack" right behind them of another 4-6 skaters. This qualifying process will give more of the pack skaters a chance to go to Sectionals. If you look at both Med and Zag in their early teen years, they were probably a "pack" skater not a "given" (may be even Gracie, Ashley, and Bradie). With attrition rates what they are, USFS needs as many "pack" skaters to get that Sectional experience since they may later be the very top skater.
A PowerPoint presentation outlining this proposal can be found at http://www.usfigureskating.org/content/Competitions Task Force - PP Presentation.pdf
The Rationale and Details for this proposal can be found at http://www.usfigureskating.org/content/Competitions Task Force - Details.pdf
This voted "in" May 2018 and it will start next summer.
In a nutshell, skaters will have two ways to qualifying for Sectionals:
- The Traditional way for placing top 4 at Nationals OR
- Through a newly developed qualifying series (similar to the Ice Dance Solo Qualifying Series). As I understand stand it, skaters will sign up to participate in a designated series (June 1 - August 30). Skaters choose how many competitions in the series they wish to skater in. Competition scores (short + long at s single competition) are maintained in a USFS database and the top 4 scoring skaters in a Section then get a bye to Sectionals. If a top 4 skater opts to skate at Regionals, their placement becomes irrelevant - the top four skaters besides Sectional bye skater gets a spot to Sectionals.
This will allow the number at Sectionals to increase from 12 to 16 so 4 more spots in each of the 9 Regions.
Top 4 skaters at Sectional in Juvenile, Intermediate, and Novice are placed on "Developmental" Team USA. They will a special camp (timed around Nationals) and also get a Team USA jacket. Juvenile, Intermediate, and Novice Nationals are eliminated.
Junior Nationals basically remains unchanged EXCEPT Top 2 scoring Novice skaters then gets bumped to skates in Juniors Nationals. Basically Nationals for Nationals increase from 12 to 14 (+ those with a JGP bye).
Senior Nationals basically remains unchanged EXCEPT there will be now be a minimum score to reach it.
At least that is is the way I understand it.
Why is this good? If a good skater is consistent, they will be rewarded. Also from what I have seen, there are 1 or 2 skaters at Regionals that clearly should be going to Sectionals. Then there is a "pack" right behind them of another 4-6 skaters. This qualifying process will give more of the pack skaters a chance to go to Sectionals. If you look at both Med and Zag in their early teen years, they were probably a "pack" skater not a "given" (may be even Gracie, Ashley, and Bradie). With attrition rates what they are, USFS needs as many "pack" skaters to get that Sectional experience since they may later be the very top skater.