nicole

I am working on a program, which I will be competing (it will be my first time competing a program! ack!!) and I can get pretty nervous before things like plays or competitions, etc. So it made me wonder what you guys do to keep yourself calm before a skating competition. Maybe some of the things you do will work for me. So yeahh...

BQ-Right before the competition, do you like to think about skating, or block out skating entirely and think about anything else.

Lol funny question, but I haven't posted a question in a little while. I just got my first footwork sequence and it's really fun! Lol. You can list past ones if you have no life like me and spend all your time on Y!A when you should be doing your biology homework. My current one is:

1. Pose. It's kinda hard to explain but I have my left leg bent with my right arm up.

2. Left toe hop.

3. Bunny hop.

4. Right mohawk and then cross.

5. Left mohawk and then cross.

6. Right 3-turn.

7. Present. I just lean with my arms up.

8. Crossover.

9. Forward chasse.

10. Right foot inside twizzle.

Then I stop and do the same pose I did at the beginning.

No making fun of how basic this is lol. I like twizzles. I just learned them this week lol.

BQ: Do you like footwork sequences? Have you ever made one up yourself?

You probably know from the fact that I bothered asking this question that I have no life.

Happy Skating!

So, I can't seem to get my flip or lutz consistent. Besides landing a few flips when I was first taught them after I got my loop consistent, I just haven't been able to do it. I'm also really frusturated because my coach is having me work a lot on MIF for my test and I feel like I can't do any of my jumps as well as I could and I can barely get time to go practice at the rink except for my lessons, so I feel like I never work on jumps, and even when I go I just can't do it. How do I get over this plateau and tell myself that I will eventually be able to do these jumps.

BQ: Did you ever have a skating plateau where you thought you would never be able to do a certain element? If so, what element was it? How did you get over it?

Thanks!

Okay, well I like these sort of questions, so I decided to ask one. It's pretty self explanatory,just say what the hardest skill was for you to master, how long it took you or if you're still working on it, and describe why it was hard for you. I just love hearing other skaters input on this, and so yeahh thanks guys, easy points, right?

Okay, well basically, I had to become a first-club member instead of an LTS member at my rink because I'm testing my pre-prelim. moves in March (ack! but it's exciting I guess). My mother has to pay a $100 volunteer fee (she's paying it this Friday when I go to the rink for my lesson) but it gets refunded if you fulfill all the required volunteer hours by June. So, my mother is really busy (I won't go into detail about that...) and my private lesson coach said that helping out at LTS counts as volunteer hours and there's one right after I skate on Wednesday and several others I can attend. My coach and the LTS director are good friends and it has already been cleared with her. I'm thinking about going to the one on Saturday. Anyway, if I don't do this I have to pay my mom whatever money is left over, which is fair because she pays for my lessons and ice time and drives me to the rink. I'm thinking it will be kind of fun! (and it's better than running music or punching in people's punch cards for ice time lol) :) But, what should I expect? Thanks!

My coach wants me to compete...so I relunctantly agreed. Anyway, I'm skating to the rhapsody, and I really like it. So, what songs have you previoulsy skated to and about how many competitions have you done?

PS-If you can tell me what it was like to compete I would be really grateful. I'm nervous because it's my first time competing with a program and it seems like a lot more of the stressful aspects of skating are being dumped on me like testing in front of judges for the first time. (I'm taking my pre-preliminary MITF in March!!) Well, anyway, I don't want to screw up. I can just imagine myself competing and forgetting my program or just skating off the ice! Ack! Sorry to ramble. Anyway, thanks!

So, I've been wanting to quit figure skating for a while now. I'm currently working on my lutz, flip, and loop jump. Anyway, skating's getting pretty boring now and it's also starting to take up a lot of my time that I want to use for other stuff like the plays at my school. The problem is, my mother's really upset because she spent a lot of money on my skating and I've also quit a lot of other stuff before. How do I convince my mother that I'm serious about quitting. I'm also terrified of falling so that really doesn't help things. That's why my jumps are so small.

I'm hoping to go to a good college, but I'm worried about my extra curriculars. I really want colleges to know that I'm not sitting on my duff all day, haha.

Outside of School:

Figure Skating (this is my main activity!)

-gymnastics (Advanced 1--working on my stride circle)

Horseback riding (only in the summers and not all the summers and I'm not very good. I ride English btw.)

Through School:

-Figure skating team

-Community Service club, etc.

-I'm also hoping to do tennis, but I have to see

Soooo, I know it's not a lot, and it doesn't seem like I'm active, but I actually am. Is there anything else I can do that you think I would enjoy and would also look good. I'm only a freshman, so I have plenty of time to add other activities. I'm planning on doing the figure skating team all 4 years, but that's all I really have so far. Thanks in advance!

What are you (and your family) eating for Christmas dinner. We are having filet mignon, potatoes, a salad, asparagus, bread, and chocolate cake. Well, people? What's on your Christmas dinner menu?

Hi! So, I just got my loop pretty much consistent (there's still the occasional putting my foot down or cheating it) and I landed a few good flips the other day in practice and in my lesson. I'm working on getting that consistent. Once I get it consistent, I'll start my lutz. So, my question is, do you think I'll make it to double jumps if I stick with figure skating (which I'm going to do whether or not I get to doubles)? I'm a freshmen in high school and I'm planning on doing skating throughout high school and college, maybe even after college if I can afford it.

Thanks!

They just switched me over to the new look, and I personally, am not a fan. I am switching back to the old look and I'm keeping it as long as I can. I just wished they hadn't messed with what worked. The old look worked really well, and for me there was nothing more they could do to improve it. What do you guys think of the gmail new look?

This question was crossing my mind today at practice. I always seem to either over think what I am doing or not think about it enough. So what exactly should I be thinking about doing my MIF or jumps and spins on the ice? What do you guys think about? Or do you not think about anything?

So, I do my spirals a lot off ice and I do squats, etc and I think my off ice is pretty good. To see real improvement in my spirals, how many on each leg should I do each practice? I don't want to spend too much time on them during my session, but I think it's important to do them because of the strength factor. (Plus, they really don't take much time up.) So yeah, how many on each leg should I do per half hour practice session?

Thanks, and any other tips are greatly appreciated!

Okay, so today was my group lesson pre test, and my group lesson coach said the only thing holding me back from passing FS 2 is the backspin, which I'm working on with my private lesson coach, so if I'm able to get it by next week (3 lessons/practicing before, so hopefully I'll get it! :)) I'll pass FS 2. Then, I have a winter break camp coming up and they test us at the end of camp, and hopefully I'll have passed FS 3 after the camp. Well, anyway, I was just wondering if you think it's possible for me to pass the FS levels by the end of summer. This includes 2 group lessons a week and 2 private lessons a week with practice. I'll probably be doing an Easter camp too (similar to the winter break camp; you skate every day and they test you at the end of camp) unless we decide to do a spring break vacation. So, do you think this is possible, or am I being too hopeful? Thanks everybody!

Hi skaters!

The backspin is the only thing holding me back from passing FS 2. I'm working on it with my private lesson coach, but I'm hoping I can get some tips. Also, is there anything I can do at home to work on it?

Thanks!

For me, it's my posture on the ice. I'm working on it, though! What about all of you?

Thanks for taking the time to answer my silly little figure skating question. Happy Holidays!

Howdy Figure Skaters!

Do you think this is a good off ice program? Is there anything else I should do?

Every night I do the pike stretch, straddle on all sides, butterfly stretch, and then splits. (I warm up first, of course, usually with jumping jacks). I also do 20 squats and 30 seconds of wall sits every night (thank you, Riley! lol)

Tuesday I have my gymnastics class (I'm working on back hip circles, sole circle dismount, roundoffs, etc)

Saturday I take a Cheernastics class, where we do flexibility training, stunting, tumbling, jumps, etc.

Once a week I jump rope for about 15 minutes then another 15 minutes, do hollow bodies and superwoman, dribble a basketball (my coach said this would help me, so I do it... if anyone can tell me why that would be much appreciated!) and do these things where my mom holds her hand up and I bend and jump up and try to touch my head to her hand. I am going to start doing one legged squats for my sit spin. I'm trying to specifically focus on my spirals, sit spin, and my loop jump along with my other jumps. Any help on adding or adjusting my program is much appreciated.

Thanks in advance and thanks for reading all of this!

Happy Holidays!

I'm on a figure skating team and we have a holiday party coming up. We are supposed to bring a $1.00-$5.00 gift for someone unknown until we get there who is on the team. So hypothetical, if you were a figure skater on my skating team what would you want from me as a secret santa gift? I'm thinking like lip gloss and some other makeup or something but I'm not really sure.

Please keep it $5 or under; we are not allowed to bring anything over that.

Thanks!

My theater teacher wants us to come up with a backstory for this monologue:

"You know what I'd do if I were you? I'd just show I was a good sport, that's what! I wouldn't let on that it affected me one bit. I'd laugh about the whole thing--why I'd be ashamed to let anybody get my goat like that. When you're older, you'll just look back on this and laugh. You'll see. You'll be going to college next year, and you won't remember a thing about it."

So for the backstory I need who the person is who is saying these words, who they are talking to, and why they're saying these words. Thank you so much!

A video clip was shown in class as to how many drops of water could be placed on the head of a penny. A second demonstration was done in which soap was first rubbed on the penny then the drops of water were placed. Did the soap have any effect on the number of drops of water that could be placed on the penny? If yes, explain how this occured?

I am really having trouble with this question and don't want to be up late because of it. I managed to get most of it, but I am going in for extra help soon. Thank you so much! Lol, I'm not very smart.