- Joined
- Jan 10, 2018
Is "pass with honor" or "pass with disctinct" ever a goal of testing for you? Does it affect anything actually?
I think it's a nice incentive to have some "bragging rights" but my goal is just to pass any test I take.
I do think the new system gives the skater a better indicator of how well they mastered the skills.
Is "pass with honor" or "pass with disctinct" ever a goal of testing for you?
This would never be a goal for my daughter. I want her to test her moves and pattern dance tests whenever her coach says she has an ok chance of just passing (no honors or distinction needed). It’ll take many, many more hours of lessons and practices, as well as hundreds of dollars more in coaches’ fee and ice time to get that bragging rights. It’s probably worth for some skaters, but I would rather my daughter spend her ice time & my money on her competition programs.
I sort of understand this coming from the parent who writes the check perspective.
HOWEVER, moves are very important. Skating skills are very important. They are not separate from competition programs. The better one's moves get the better the overall skating quality. If you look into IJS scoring there are component scores that are going to be affected greatly by skating skills. In fact, if you look at world class skaters the ones who have good jumps and spins but lack skating skills don't do well. They end up missing the podium again and again. Moves may seem boring, but the better those skills get the better and more complicated a coach can make transitions and step sequences in your daughter's programs, and the more difficult those are and the better she can execute them will greatly improve her score.
Sorry off soap box. I get it, it's not as interesting and doesn't look as impressive, but it's super important to the skater's total package.
I totally agree that moves in the field and fundamental skating skills are very important. My concern is that spending longer than needed on a moves or pattern dance test will take time away from learning new skills that are needed for competitions or at the next level up. For example, I would want her to learn & pass her counters and rockers at Nov & Jr moves tests quickly so that she can move on to mastering her Rocker Foxtrot at a dance competition.I sort of understand this coming from the parent who writes the check perspective.
HOWEVER, moves are very important. Skating skills are very important. They are not separate from competition programs. The better one's moves get the better the overall skating quality. If you look into IJS scoring there are component scores that are going to be affected greatly by skating skills. In fact, if you look at world class skaters the ones who have good jumps and spins but lack skating skills don't do well. They end up missing the podium again and again. Moves may seem boring, but the better those skills get the better and more complicated a coach can make transitions and step sequences in your daughter's programs, and the more difficult those are and the better she can execute them will greatly improve her score.
Sorry off soap box. I get it, it's not as interesting and doesn't look as impressive, but it's super important to the skater's total package.
Also would argue that passing with honors vs no honors on prepreliminary or preliminary mitf at 6 years old probably says very little about your skating skills at 16.
Not to mention those that passed all of their tests before those distinctions were added.
I can see wanting those classifations for the final Senior test but I really don't see a real benefit at the other levels. I would rather spend the time and money moving up than trying to add a distinction at a lower level test.
I never thought about it this way before, but now I am, and I think that’s why the new test scoring system bugs me.No. I hate this "pass with honors" type scoring. I find it to be exacerbating the already too-prevalent elitism in figure skating, at least in my area. If I'm being honest, my goal is simply to pass.
And this is why skating skills in competitions are nothing to call home about anymore.
So many say that they think that Patrick Chan and others are amazing with their feet and edges, control and glide. Where do you think he got that from?!:sarcasm:
Not from rushing through tests so they can "progress." Also, having less than remarkable control of your blade and turns, rockers, counters etc won't do you any favors in ice dance.
I don't think anyone is dissing honors-worthy skating skills. Passing a test without honors now doesn't mean the skater will never acquire honors-worthy skills for that level in future, as he/she progresses beyond that test.
It's just a matter of whether she tests at that level earlier her career, when she is pass-ready, or later when she is honors-worthy. Whichever she chooses who depend on when she needs the test completed in order to advance her career goals.