NCCP Instruction-Intermediate Intermediate STARSkate Provincial Coach (ISPC) Program

1. NCCP Instruction-IntermediateIntermediate STARSkate Provincial Coach (ISPC) Program Pair Skating

2. Today’s Agenda • Intro and history Video • Developing a Pair team • Unison and tracking • Pair safety • Pair elements and the CPC system • ISPC evaluation - achieving a certification in pair skating!

3. Pairs History Lesson ISU Pairs DVD How to start a Pair team…. • Introduction video • History video

4. Roles and Responsibilities Skaters: goals and objectives (competitive / educational), long-term commitment Parent: support (moral / financial), long-term commitment, respect and confidence in both skaters Developing a Pair Team

5. Judge: objective evaluation of skill development, constructive criticism of strengths and weaknesses and monitor Association: provide information and learning / upgrading opportunities for coaches, provide competitive and skill development opportunities to athletes Roles and Responsibilities

6. Roles and Responsibilities Coach: • Lead communicator between all parties • Long-term planning and commitment • Realistic evaluation of talent and goal setting • Encourages and is supportive toward team work with outside experts

7. Suitability of Partners • Partnership – most important factor • Skating ability and potential • Characteristics: physical, emotional and mental • Family support • Financial resources

8. Characteristics Physical: • Physically and esthetically complementary • Same level or potential of ability • Good single skating skills • Physique: • boy should be taller • body builds and lines should be similar • upper body strength required from both partners

9. Characteristics Emotional / mental: • Must be compatible to communicate effectively • Must have great trust and confidence level in each other • Should have one leader in the pair; however, input is a must from both skaters • Female skater should display a high level of courage

10. ISU Pair DVD • How to start a Pair team…. • Partnerships video Let’s view…

11. Unison • THE most important aspect of pair skating (it affects all the elements) • Definition: the practice of moving alike in lean, stroke, speed, free leg positions, knee bend, arms, hands, head, etc. • Having a “sixth sense” awareness of each other at all times

12. Unison Unison in step sequences, stroking and connecting steps • Side by side unison: defined as two bodies moving beside one another with arms, legs, body and head moving identically. Both skaters are on the same foot. This is also referred to as shadow or parallel unison. • Mirror image unison: defined as two people moving identically with one another but on opposite feet. The same demands of arms, legs, body and head moving identically do not change but are opposite to one another. This is sometimes referred to as symmetrical unison.

13. Unison • Counterpoint unisonis whenskaters elect to use a counterpoint interpretation of the music. This means that the two people skating together may not necessarily perform the same steps. • Unison in solo and Pair elements The following are influenced by unison or the lack there of: • the entry and exit steps of pair elements • the lift and spring action of lifts • the timing of foot and position changes in pair contact spins.

14. Tracking Spatial relationship of two skaters moving together on a curve or straight line. • Mastering tracking techniques is a must to become a pair • Skaters must be the same distance apart at all times to achieve the same circle circumference and speed over the ice surface, especially during the execution of individual elements such as jumps and spins.

15. Tracking Objectives of tracking exercises • To maintain the same speed over the ice surface. • To simulate all the possible situations involving tracking in the technical and long programs. • To develop a peripheral awareness between partners.

16. Examples of Tracking Exercises Tracking on serpentine pattern Same Axis Different Axis

17. Examples of Tracking Exercises On a Circle Pattern Perimeter in Parallel

18. Concentric Movement As it applies to figure skaters: Definition Skaters moving on similar circles, with centers of the same axis and therefore, the skaters always remain the same distance from each other.

19. Concentric Movement Example of Application: Side by side solo spins

20. ISU Pair DVD • How to start a Pair team…. • Side by side skating video Let’s view…

21. Pair Safety 101! • Everyone’s #1 priority at all times! • Use spotters – on-and-off ice • Teach how to get out of a potential accident safely • Ensure both skaters are aware that they are responsible for their own actions

22. Pair Safety 101! • Do not put a lift up unless the path is clear • Designate parts of the ice for certain elements (i.e. death spirals) • Have an emergency command signal – i.e. heads up! • A program has the “right of way” • A lesson has the second “right of way”

23. Technique – very important! “Only when you can do something simple perfectly, then you will be able to accomplish the difficult”

24. Physical training a must to ensure both skaters are strong enough Skaters must have a complete understanding of the skill before before trying it Man’s footwork in a lift is extremely important! Lady’s position in a lift – must be able to support own weight and trained to compensate for a distorted balance line Key Safety Tips

25. Key Safety Tips • Work difficult elements slowly and know when the skaters are strong enough to attempt them • Constantly review basic techniques • Be sure skaters wear proper attire – i.e. gloves, mitts will not ensure a good hand grip! • Like any other disciplines, a proper warm-up and cool-down are essential

26. Spotting

27. Spotting • “Spotting” - a safeguard against injuries during on and off ice training • Lifts and spotting should be learned off the ice before attempting on the ice • Should be done by at least two people – using mats if possible • Should simulate all parts of a lift in order to train a reflex safety procedure

28. Helmets • Wearing helmets by both skaters will protect from common head injuries • Lady should wear an helmet when attempting a new throw jump • Other equipment such as elbow pads and crash pads may also be used

29. Jump Harness • Lifting or jumping harness can be used to assist skaters in acquiring the proper technique • Can be used to do jumps, lifts, and throws • Helps skaters to acquire correct feeling while being held in the air and may help eliminate (or minimize) the fear of falling

30. Pair Elementsin CPC

31. CPC Definitions Pair skating Skating in unison of two people who must perform their movements in such harmony as to give the impression of genuine pair skating as contrasted with multiple individual skating. Pair skating Consists of a well-balanced program composed and skated to music.

32. A Good Pair Skating Program • Contains moves of single skating executed simultaneously • either symmetrically (mirror skating) • or in parallel (shadow skating) • Contains especially typical pair skating moves such as • Lifts & Twist Lifts • Pair spins • Spirals & Death Spirals • Partner assisted jumps (Throws) • All linked harmoniously by steps and movements with a minimum of two-foot skating

33. Note: Both partners need not always perform the same movements. They may separate from time to time, but they must always give an impression of unison and harmony of composition, of program and of execution of the skating.

34. CPC Rules - Lifts

35. CPC Rules - Lifts Pair lifts areclassified according to the take-off hold at the moment the Lady passes the Man’s shoulder • Group One - Armpit Hold position • Group Two - Waist Hold position • Group Three - Hand to Hip position • Group Four - Hand to Hand position (Press Lift type) • Group Five - Hand to Hand position (Lasso Lift type)

36. CPC Rules - Lifts • Groups are listed in order of their difficulty, from easy to most difficult • However Groups Three and Four are of the same difficulty. • In Group Five the Axel Lasso (Side by Side Lasso) and Reverse Lasso Lifts are considered as the most difficult. • In any Group one hand hold may increase the difficulty of the lift.

37. CPC Rules - Lifts • A minimum of two (2) revolutions of the Lady, and minimum of one (1) and maximum of three and a half (3 ½) revolutions of the Man. • Partners may give each other assistance only through hand-to-hand, hand-to arm, hand-to-body and hand to upper part of the leg (above the knee) grips. • Changes of hold or of the Lady’s position during the lift are permitted.

38. CPC Rules - Lifts • When the Man begins to bend the arm after full extension, the lift is concluded (excluding while changing hold or position) • Any part of the lift, executed after a new extension will be ignored for the Level features and also for the number of revolutions of the Man.

39. ISU Pairs DVD • How to Start a Pair Team…. • Lifts Video Let’s view…

40. CPC Rules - Twist Lifts

41. CPC Rules - Twist Lifts • The Lady must be caught in the air at the waist by the Man prior to landing and be assisted to a smooth landing on the ice on a backward outside edge on one foot. • The Man also exits from the lift on one foot. • In the twist lift, a split position by the Lady, prior to rotating, is not mandatory, but will be one of the features that might increase the Level of this element.

42. CPC Rules - Twist Lifts • The number of revolutions in the twist lift is not limited. • The quarter mark of landing is the border line to identify a cheated twist lift. For downgrading there needs to be more than ¼ revolution missing. • A small dance lift immediately preceding the twist lift will be considered as a difficult entry if there are some steps immediately preceding the dance lift.

43. CPC Rules - Throw Jumps

44. CPC Rules - Throw Jumps • Throw jumps are partner assisted jumps in which the Lady is thrown into the air by the Man on the take-off and lands without assistance from her partner on a backward outside edge. • A throw jump will be considered as “Under-rotated” if it has missing rotation of more than ¼ revolution, but less than ½ revolution. • An under-rotated throw jump will be indicated by the Technical Panel to the Judges and in the protocols with a “<” symbol after the element code.

45. CPC Rules - Throw Jumps • A throw jump will be considered as “Downgraded” if it has “missing rotation of ½ revolutions or more”. • A downgraded throw jump will be indicated by the Technical Panel to the Judges and in the protocols with a “<<” symbol after the element code. • A throw jump identified as downgraded will be evaluated using the scale of values (SOV chart) for the element of one rotation less (i.e., a downgraded triple will be evaluated with the scale of values for the corresponding double).

46. ISU Pairs DVD • How to Start a Pair Team…. • Throws & Split Twist Video Let’s view…

47. CPC Rules - Spirals

48. CPC Rules - Spirals • Pattern of the spiral sequence can be any combination of curves (on edges). • The spiral sequence will be included in Free Skating every season. The Spiral • Sequence will always be awarded a fixed Base Value, called a choreographic spiral sequence and evaluated by Judges in GOE only.

49. CPC Rules - Spirals • There must be at least two (2) spiral positions of each partners not less than three (3) seconds long each or only one (1) spiral position of each partners not less than six (6) seconds long. • In case this requirement is not fulfilled, the spiral sequence will have no value.

50. CPC Rules - Spirals • Free leg: knee and foot higher than the hip level. • It is considered the end of the concerned spiral position: • When the free leg drops at the hip level (or lower) • When during a spiral position the skater is losing the edge, going on flat or to the other edge without a purpose of a change of edge • If the free leg, after the drop, comes back to the allowed position (higher than the hip level) or regains the initial edge, in both cases this continuation should be ignored and not counted as a new position by the Technical Panel.