USFS testing begins!

One of the advantages of being an adult skater is that when you begin to work on USFS testing, you can actually test in two tracks (though you can only compete in one).  The standard track is the "kids track" for lack of better terminology- it's the one that the kids do in order to go to the olympics- which is what is most visible to non-skaters.  It starts with pre-preliminary, then preliminary, pre-juvenile, juvenile, intermediate, novice, junior, and finally ends in senior.  The adult track is much simpler: pre-bronze, bronze, silver, gold, masters (for people who have reached a certain level in the standard track and/or have finished lower level adult levels).  For adults over 21, the adult track is the one they will compete in.  When you test, you have to to test and pass moves in the field and then you can test the freestyle for the same level.  It is much more complicated than ISI, which is what I have tested under previously.

Up until now, I have tested and passed all of my ISI basic skills.  I will be testing and passing ISI Freestyle 1 and 2 as soon as my coach says, okay, let's test.  Haha.  I have one more week in my Freestyle 2 group class, then I'll move into Freestyle 3- yay!  So today, one of my coaches (I have two) began working with me on my moves in the field for my pre-preliminary test.  I will be testing under both tracks- and I'm super excited about it.  The edges will be no problem, just have to work on moving my arms a bit slower at the change and the stroking won't be a problem either- though I've gotten lazy with my technique, so I'll have to be sure to practice with long strokes rather than just quickly skating around.  The waltz 8 will be the trickiest just because it's new footwork- so we spent a fair amount working on that.  The hardest is trying to figure out how big to make that darn circle!  Haha.  We only did it on one side before it got way too busy to try and do the other side.   The last part we didn't practice, the spiral.  My left spiral is really good, but my right one is not so good-it's hard to raise my left leg up all the way!  I'm not flexible at all.  Boo.  But it's fun to work on something new because now I have a new goal- pass my pre preliminary and my pre bronze tests in addition to learning my ISI Freestyle 3 skills.

One of the reasons I love figure skating is there is always new things to learn and there are built in goals- new skills, new tests, new competitions.  :-)  It's perfect!