CLUB HANDBOOK 2014-2015 Skating Season
Box 23045 Penticton, B.C. V2A 8L7 Website: www.glengarryfsc.com Email: info@glengarryfsc.com Phone: 250-486-0244 BC Section Website: www.skatinginbc.com Skate Canada Website: www.skatecanada.ca
GLENGARRY SKATING CLUB HANDBOOK WELCOME TO SKATING! We have put together some bits and pieces of information to help both old and new members of the club and all parents who may not know who to approach with questions. Please take a few minutes to read this over. We hope it will be helpful to you. WHAT IS A SANCTIONED CLUB? It is a club run under the Skate Canada rules and regulations. Glengarry Figure Skating Club is a Skate Canada sanctioned club. Each registered member receives a Skate Canada member number which stays with the skater for life. This number is used when the skater takes a Skate Canada test or participates in a competition. CANSKATE The Canskate program offers a learn-to-skate program for beginners of all ages. The skaters earn badges while learning the fundamentals of forward and backward skating, stopping, balance, posture, falling and getting up. Canskate has 7 stages. Canskaters are tested regularly and continually throughout the year. After acquiring these basic skills, the skater should be able to do well enough to really enjoy ice skating as recreation or go on to further activities such as figure skating, hockey or speed skating. Private lessons can be arranged, if you desire, by a professional coach. CANPOWER Canpower focuses on balance, power, agility, speed and endurance. Canpower provides an alternative to figure skating and is an excellent complement for those athletes playing on hockey or ringette teams. The Canpower program consists of skills divided into six levels, arranged in progressions gradually increasing in complexity. Skaters are evaluated on skill level and are timed as they perform a test involving skills in a course-like pattern. The skater receives a mark combining his skill performance plus test time. This determines whether the skater receives a Bronze, Silver or Gold award bar for that level.
THE JUNIOR ACADEMY SESSION The Junior Academy Session offers a continuation of Canskate stages 5-7, plus is introduced to the performance level, and to the disciplines of skating skills, dance and free skate. Group lessons are provided. Extra semi-private or private lessons may be arranged by the parent with any of the Coaches. Semi-private or private lessons are an additional cost above the Junior Academy fee and are billed to you directly by the professional coach you hire. Once skaters are ready to test, compete, and have completed all the skills required in the canskate levels, and are able to adjust to independent skating, they can move into the Primary session. THE PRIMARY SESSION The Primary Session is a continuation of Junior Academy. Primary skaters are working on Preliminary to Junior Bronze disciplines of dance, skills and free skate. Skaters become responsible for working on their own. Group lessons are provided, but more independent skating is introduced. Semiprivate and private lessons can be also arranged, but this is an additional cost above the primary fee and is billed to you directly by the professional coach you hire. Once the skater has completed and passed 2 of the 3 Junior Bronze disciplines they move into the Intermediate sessions. THE INTERMEDIATE SESSION The Intermediate Session offers continuation of the Primary program. Intermediate skaters are working on Senior Bronze disciplines. Semi-private or private lessons may be arranged by the parent with any of the Coaches. Semi-private or private lessons are an additional cost above the Intermediate fee and are billed to you directly by the professional coach you hire. The skaters will continue to learn and experience different areas of figure skating: skills, free skating, dance, stroking and artistic interpretation. Once the skaters have passed 2 out of the 4 Senior Bronze disciplines they are ready to move in the Senior sessions.
THE SENIOR SESSION The Senior Session continues to work on the skating disciplines of skills, dance and free skate. Senior skaters are working on the Junior Silver to Gold disciplines. Skaters can continue working in the Skate Canada Test Program or join the competitive stream of figure skating. The Competitive Program consists of 8 free skate tests, 7 groups of compulsory dance tests and 7 skill tests. Private lessons are an additional cost above the Senior session fee, and billed directly by the professional coach you hire. WHAT ARE SKATE CANADA STARSKATER TESTS These are the tests that are taken after the canskate badge level has been completed and the skater has moved into the starskate program. These test days occur throughout the year. The dates will be posted by the Club. These tests must be judged by qualified evaluators (judge) who are all volunteers. All Clubs in our Region give a portion of their ice time to have a Test Day. This may require the skater to travel to his/her necessary test. Some fees may apply for example, partner fee (dance), partner travel expenses, coaching fees, coach travel expenses, judge travel expenses and possibly a club office fee. Partner and coach fees will be billed to you directly by your dance partner and coach. Also there is a Skate Canada fee for all tests, $12.50 for free skate and elements, $15.00 for dance and skills. The fee for this test is payable to the Club by a specific date prior to the test. The Coach will notify the skater and/or parent if they consider the skater ready for a test. The Coach may also recommend proper attire for these tests, i.e. clean skates, laces, tidy hair and dress choice.
TEST AND COMPETITIVE SKATING DISCIPLINES The following is a list of the various tests and levels that skaters may strive for in their skating career. Most of the tests have more than one part e.g., in order to achieve your Preliminary Dance Test you must pass 3 dances. STARSKATE DANCES Dance is a pattern of steps to music. Consisting of seven levels of tests, the Dance Test program teaches timing, musicality, rhythm interpretation, structure as well as basic skating skills such as edges, flow, control and unison. Levels of Dance: Preliminary: Dutch Waltz, Canasta Tango, Baby Blues Junior Bronze: Swing, Fiesta Tango, Willow Waltz Senior Bronze: Ten Fox, Fourteen Step, European Waltz All three dances must pass in order to complete the levels Junior Silver: Keats Foxtrot, Harris Tango, American Waltz, Rocker Foxtrot All four dances must pass in order to complete the level Senior Silver: Paso Doble, Starlight Waltz, Blues, Killian, Cha Cha Congelado Gold: Viennese Waltz, Westminster Waltz, Quickstep, Argentine Tango Four of the five dances must pass in order to complete the levels. Diamond: Ravensburger Waltz, Tango Romantica, Yankee Polka, Rhumba, Austrian Waltz, Golden Waltz. Four of the six dances must pass in order to complete the level.
WHAT IS THE SKATING SKILLS PROGRAM? The Skating Skills Program consists of seven levels in total, commencing with Preliminary and progressing in difficulty to the Gold level. Each level consists of 3 exercises designed for skaters in all disciplines. Each exercise incorporates turning mechanisms, edges, crosscuts, field movements and stops performed in a context selected to address specific physiological development as well as to improve balance, lean, flow, power, speed, focus and presentation skill. SKILLS LEVELS Preliminary: Waltzing threes, Waltzing Mohawks, Circles (forward, backward, inside and outside edges.) Junior Bronze: Threes & Power Mohawks, Power Circles I, Change 3 s Senior Bronze: Forward Brackets, Power Circles II, Expanding Exercise Junior Silver: Multi Turns & Power Threes, Snakes & Ladders II, Flying Choctaws Senior Silver: Rockers & Choctaws, Multi- Circle Threes & Brackets, Expanding Exercise Gold: Counters & Three Change Threes, Multi-Circle Double Threes & Mohawks, Expanding Exercise Passing Requirement for all skill levels: The candidate must obtain a satisfactory or better on all three. WHY ARE SKATING SKILLS IMPORTANT? It has been recognized in the development of these exercises that power, strength, flexibility and endurance are important components of skating quality. Speed and agility are necessary for quick acceleration, intricate footwork, and interesting and varied connecting steps which thread together the technical elements in all skating programs. All levels of the Skating Skills program are assessed according to clearly defined and measurable criteria and skaters are expected to perform each exercise with the indicated degree of mastery and control before progressing to the next level.
STARSKATE INTERPRETIVE FREESKATE TESTS The Interpretive Program provides an avenue within which skaters can develop their ability to interpret music without the pressure created by the demand for technical difficulty in other programs. Interpretive program is artistic movement and interpreting the music. The levels are: Introductory Bronze Silver Gold FREESKATE TEST Free skate is spins, jumps and artistic movement footwork to music. Starskate Stream Free skate Tests: Preliminary Free skate Junior Bronze Free skate Senior Bronze Free skate Junior Silver Free skate Senior Silver Free skate Gold Free skate COMPETETING STARSKATE PROGRAM AND COMPETITIVE PROGRAM The Starskate Program are levels Star 1, Star 2, Star 3A, Star 3B, Star 4, Senior Bronze, Junior Silver, Senior Silver, and Gold. The Competitive Program are levels Pre-Juvenile to Senior. When a child completes Star 4 and is within the required age limit they can either skate towards Senior Bronze (Starskate) or they can choose Pre-Juvenile (Competitive). Pre- Juvenile and Juvenile have an age prerequisite. Asking your coach about these two programs and which way you would like your child to go would be advisable when they enter the Primary/Intermediate/Senior program. For more information on the Starskate, Competitive and listed seasonal competitions please visit the Skate Canada B.C and Yukon Section website. www.skatinginbc.com
WHO AND WHAT IS A PROFESSIONAL COACH! We have 3 club coaches: Trevor Buttenham, Kat Buttenham and Shirley McNally are paid by the club to give group instruction and are paid by you (if hired) to give semi-private/private lessons to your skater. Their fees vary depending on qualifications and ratings, which are set by Skate Canada. If you decide you want your skater to have private lessons and hire a coach, you and your coach will determine the amount and type of lessons you wish to pay for. We recommend at least one of each discipline of skills, dance and free skate. The professional coach will bill you semi-monthly. Please contact our Head Coach Trevor Buttenham prior to contacting other coaches. Coach Contact Info: Email Phone Trevor Buttenham trevor.buttenham@gmail.com 250-486-0244 Shirley McNally mac_sm16@hotmail.com 778-363-0078 Please remember!! Your professional coach may depend on this as their sole income. Please pay them promptly. If your child is unable to attend one of his/her lessons, please have the courtesy to notify the coach in advance or you may be billed for that lesson. THE BOARD OF DIRECTERS These people are a group of interested parents who donate some of their time to assist with the activities and functioning of the skating club. They have been elected at the Annual General Meeting held at the end of each skating season. Meetings are normally held once a month. If you have a topic that needs to be addressed please let the President know in advance and it will be included on the agenda. If you would like to help in any capacity or for a position on the Board in the next election, PLEASE ASK ABOUT IT or leave your name and phone number at the skating office and someone will contact you. We are always looking for new faces and new ideas. Anyone wanting more information can contact any member of the Board or email us at info@glengarryfsc.com, or call at 250-486-0244. A list of the Board of s is attached. MANY HANDS MAKE LIGHT WORK!
GLENGARRY SKATING CLUB 2014-2015 SKATING SEASON BOARD OF DIRECTORS President/Test Chair VP/ Canskate Coord. Secretary Treasurer/Registrar Off- Ice/Media/Advertising Fundraiser Michelle Tuckwood Christine Davidson Karen Treader Sally Snyman Lisa McEachern Trish Sanche These people have donated many hours of their time so that we have a successful skating club here in Penticton. Over the winter you will see them working hard to ensure that things run smoothly and your children have a great time. From time to time they may ask for a little help, please think twice before you reply as it is your children they are working so hard for. Website: glengarryfsc.com Email: info@glengarryfsc.com Phone: 250-486-0244