Presenters Inside U.S. Figure Skating for Parents Pam Dawson Chair, Parents Committee Ben Miller Chair, Athlete Development Committee Mission of U.S. Figure Skating Provide programs to encourage participation and achievement in the sport of figure skating. When you reach for the stars you may not quite get one, but you won t come up with a handful of mud either. Leo Burnett Goals of the Presentation Keeping it in Perspective Promote understanding of the sport Show what resources are available Provide direction on how to get answers when questions arise You don t have to become an Olympic Champion to have success as a figure skater
Benefits of Figure Skating Fun and Enjoyment Fitness / Health Cardiovascular conditioning Strength Balance Flexibility Socialization Self-esteem Goal setting Sense of accomplishment Self discipline Time management Value of hard work Life-long sport College applications Career Preamble: The essential elements of character-building and ethics in sports are embodied in the concept of sportsmanship and six core principles: 1. respect 2. responsibility 3. fairness 4. caring 5. trustworthiness 6. good citizenship The highest potential of sports is achieved when competition reflects these six pillars of character (Arizona Sports Summit Accord) I will encourage good sportsmanship by demonstrating positive support for all skaters, coaches and officials at every practice session, competition and test session I will encourage my child to skate in a safe and healthy environment Make sure your coach is registered I will teach my child that doing one s best is more important than winning I will never ridicule or yell at my child or other participant for making a mistake or blame my child s teammate for placement in a competition I will do my best to make skating fun and remember that my child participates for his/her own enjoyment and satisfaction, not mine I will ask my child to treat other skaters, coaches, fans and officials with respect I will applaud good effort in both victory and defeat emphasizing the positive accomplishments and learning from the mistakes I will respect my child s coach and refrain from coaching my child or other skaters during competitions and practices because it may conflict with the coach s plan or strategies I will respect the decisions of officials and their authority during competitions and test sessions and teach my child to do likewise
Structure of U.S. Figure Skating International Skating Union (ISU) US Olympic Committee (USOC) Governing Council Board of Directors Committees Headquarters Staff Professional Skaters Association U.S. Olympic Committee (USOC) Recognized by the International Olympic Committee as the sole entity in the United States whose mission involves training, entering and underwriting the full expenses for the U.S. teams in the Olympic, Paralympic, Pan American and Parapan American Games. In addition, the USOC is the moving force for support of sports in the United States that are on the program of the Olympic, Paralympic, Pan American and Parapan American Games. Recognizes U.S. Figure Skating as the National Governing Body (NGB) for the sport of figure skating International Skating Union The body that governs the sport of figure skating internationally ISU Recognizes us as NGB for figure skating in the U.S. We do not control the ISU U.S. Figure Skating gets one vote Same as every other country We must follow ISU rules for international events Ex: age limits in international competitions We have the option to adopt ISU rules for our own events Body of delegates Governing Council Selected by each member club or individual members # of votes based on # of paid memberships from prior June 30 Annual meeting held in May Anyone can attend the meeting Board of Directors 15 voting members 6 Officers 1 President 3 Vice Presidents (one per section) 1 Treasurer 1 Secretary 4 Group Coordinators 2 Coaching members 3 Athlete members Elected by Governing Council annually Athletes are elected by the Athletes Advisory Committee Committees 29 Permanent Committees Divided up between 4 group coordinators Oversee specific areas 20% of all legislative bodies must be athletes Each committee has rules (pgs 23-130)
Administrative / Legal Group Athlete Services Group Audit Compensation Ethics Finance Grievance Rules Sanctions and Eligibility Strategic Planning Athletes Advisory Athlete Development Coaches International Memorial Fund Parents Sports Sciences and Medicine Membership Development Group Collegiate Programs Membership Program Development Special Olympics State Games Technical Group Adult Skating Competitions Dance International Judges and Officials Judges Pairs Selections Singles Synchronized Skating Technical Panel Tests Parents Committee Parents Committee Structure Role of the Parents Committee Collecting and communicating viewpoints and ideas Informational and educational meetings for parents Providing guidance to parents in the sport Promoting Codes of Ethics and good sportsmanship Selecting spokespersons for meetings, seminars and camps Vice Chairs (4) Basic Skills Singles & Pairs Ice Dance Synchronized Coaches (4) Chair Pam Dawson Members (17) Athletes (7)
Headquarters Staff Work with committees and Board of Directors Administer day-to-day activities Provide member support Restricted members No voting powers One office Headquarters Staff Colorado Springs, Colo. Also home of World Figure Skating Museum and Hall of Fame Office Hours: Monday-Friday 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m. MT 48 staff members Includes museum staff, interns and contractors ~400 members per employee Almost no duplication of roles Professional Skaters Association Abbreviated as PSA Separate organization Own board, staff and committees Recognized as official coaches education, certification and training program for U.S. Figure Skating Located in Rochester, Minn. Available Resources U.S. Figure Skating rulebook U.S. Figure Skating directory SKATING magazine www.usfigureskating.org www.skatepsa.com PSA directory (for PSA members) Parent Survival Guides Parents Committee Funding Resources Funding Resources Your skating club / interclub Coaching Minimum 16 years old recommended Does not compromise ability to compete Michael Weiss Foundation http://michaelweiss.org/foundation.shtml Women s Sports Foundation www.womenssportsfoundation.org Internet searches Library
A Note About Skating in College Only two varsity synchronized skating programs No varsity programs for singles, pairs or dance No athletic scholarships are available for figure skaters NCAA rules don t work well for figure skating Single gender sports; can t make money in the sport; only the elite could participate A scholarship doesn t have to be specifically for figure skating to be helpful. Don t forget about academic scholarships For more info go to www.usfigureskating.org Select Programs -> Collegiate A Note About Eligibility Eligibility rules of U.S. Figure Skating and the ISU prohibit skaters from participating in any skating competitions or events not sanctioned by U.S. Figure Skating or the ISU. The purpose of the Eligible Skater's Compensation Agreement (ESCA) is to provide the vehicle whereby skaters may enter into an arrangement providing financial assistance while still protecting their eligibility to compete in U.S. Figure Skating, ISU, or Olympic competitions. When is an ESCA Necessary? ESCA U.S. Figure Skating Sanctioned Event Non-Sanctioned Event ISI Sanctioned Event Athlete Will Receive Compensation ESCA NOT needed but athlete s name, U.S. Figure Skating # and compensation amount must be attached to the sanction application submitted to U.S. Figure Skating ESCA must be completed and along with the applicable processing fee ESCA must be completed and along with the applicable processing fee Athlete Will Not Receive Compensation ESCA NOT needed but sanction application must be submitted to U.S. Figure Skating by host club ESCA must be completed and along with a $10 processing fee ESCA NOT needed but the athlete s names must be if the athlete has skated novice or above for the past two years at U.S. Championships Processing fee: For a skater receiving compensation in a nonsanctioned event, the contractor agrees to pay a nonrefundable processing fee to U.S. Figure Skating equal to ten percent (10%) of the amount of payment to the skater, or $150.00, whichever is less. Available through www.usfigureskating.org Eligibility Questions? Club Sanctions Officer U.S. Figure Skating Headquarters ESCA: U.S. Teams Coordinator Sanctions: Member Services If a competition is listed at www.usfigureskating.org it is sanctioned Your coach should be your direct contact for almost every question That s part of their job Be respectful of their time If you don t trust them to give you the answer, that s a problem Coach should be the person approaching officials with technical rules or results questions
Your Skating Club / Rink Publications READ THEM May have the answer to your question Tell you who to contact if question isn t answered Competition announcements U.S. Figure Skating web site U.S. Figure Skating Staff Departments Office of the Executive Director (5) Events (3) Athlete High Performance (6) Marketing and Communications (7) Membership (7) Information Technology (4) Development (1) Finance (10) Museum (3) Parents Committee Pam Dawson, Chair, phdawson@charter.net Mary Pottenger, VC Singles/Pairs, pairofpairs@aol.com Linda Ogawa, VC Dance, logawa1@comcast.net Gordon Benson, VC Synchro, bensongdki@aol.com BL Wylie, VC Basic Skills, blwylie@ix.netcome.com 2 representatives from each Region Questions? Pam Dawson - phdawson@charter.net Ben Miller - BenjaminEMiller@gmail.com