Copy
View this email in your browser
TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT DAY IN JULY
The second Training and Development Day has been organsied for Sunday 11th July at Erina Ice Arena. The July T&D Day includes over 2 hours on the ice and skaters will be divided into 5 groups:
  • Aussie Skate
  • Preliminary and Elementary
  • Basic Novice, Intermediate Novice, Intermediate
  • Advanced Novice, Junior and Senior
  • Adult
Dr Juanita Weissensteiner will be presenting to the athletes, with a focus on self-regulation and self-reflection. Juanita is the Principal Advisor of Pathways for the NSW Office of Sport. Juanita is leading the implementation of the NSW Government’s Future Champions strategy, launched by the NSW Office of Sport in December 2019. In her role, Juanita provides education, guidance and mentoring to state and national sporting organisations, NSWIS, regional academies, schools, universities, clubs, coaches, participants/athletes and their parents. A physiotherapist by background, Juanita is an original co-author of the FTEM (Foundation, Talent, Elite and Mastery) Athlete Development Framework and was a co-contributor to the 2015 published International Olympic Committee’s consensus statement on Youth Athlete Development.
From a skating perspective, NSWISA is excited to have secured the services of coaches Linda Aubrecht, Pavel Aubrecht, Kara Burrows and Bradley McLachlan. These coaches have a lot to offer and we're excited for our Members to be able to learn from these coaches and add new skills to their repertoire.
To register for the T&D Day at a cost of $60, please click here. As always, if we reach maximum numbers it will be first in best dressed, so don't delay!
WHAT HAPPENED IN MAY
Over 80 Aussie Skate skaters competed at Canterbury Olympic Ice Rink in the second Aussie Skate Competition for the year. 
Each year, NSWISA hosts a series of Aussie Skate Competitions. To encourage participation throughout the season, NSWISA awards a Club Point Score Shield. This award is won by the Club who accumulates the most points across all Aussie Skate competitions throughout the year. 1 point is awarded to each Aussie Skate participant (or team) and extra points are awarded for attaining a podium place at the competition.
After 2 competitions SFSC are currently in the lead, with Penrith and Liverpool in a tight race for 2nd and 3rd. The Aussie Skate Club Point Score is updated after every competition and can be found on the NSWISA website.
Congratulations to LCCISC who were the winners of the Aussie Skate Club Point Score for 2020.
LCCISC receiving the Club Point Score Shield as 2020 Winners (Photo courtesy of PowerPlay Photographics)
On Saturday 15th of May Penrith Valley Figure Skating Club opened the NSWISA technical season with the PIP Trophy. More skaters competed than in previous years and fortunately PVFSC were able to secure more ice time to give all skaters who entered the competition the opportunity to compete. Thank you to PVFSC for working to accommodate all entries, Penrith Ice Palace for making extra ice available and the officials for giving their time and expertise for this event.
Photos courtesy of Eric Fonacier Photography (Top left clockwise: Kryshtof Pradeaux - Advanced Novice, Sarah Cullen - Adult Elite Masters, Elise McLean - Elementary)
HOW DOES JUDGING WORK?
NSWISA Officials at the Aussie Skate Competition at COIR on 2nd May
Stepping onto the ice at a competition for a figure skater can be exciting or overwhelming. Competitions provide the opportunity to perform the routine athletes have been practicing for months, in front of family, friends and officials. As skaters performs their routines, it may have looked and felt like every part was executed perfectly, or there were errors such as falls, but due to the complex judging system, levels of difficulty and grades of execution, the scores & places may not always be what the audience expects.

Figure skating judging can be difficult to understand. The score may not always reflect what the audience saw during the performance, but the panels pick up on things that others can’t. Judging figure skating can seem variable, especially when a skater can have a fall during their performance, but still score higher than another skater with a seemingly perfect routine. Understanding how figure skating is judged can make competitions more enjoyable for skaters, parents and spectators. The following is an overview of how technical competitions are judged.

How Is Figure Skating Judged?
In 2004, the International Skating Union's new scoring system was approved following testing at international events. It's a complex system which has continued to evolve and has several elements to it. There are two separate panels of officials - the Technical Panel and the Judging Panel, and many calculations that go into determining skaters' scores.

The Technical Panel
The Technical Panel is composed of five officials: the Technical Controller, a Technical Specialist, an Assistant Technical Specialist, a Data Operator, and a Video Replay Operator. Each of these officials works in direct communication with each other as a skater performs. When you look across the rink, these are the people wearing headsets! A brief overview of each of these roles is as follows:
Technical Controller – Coordinates the Technical Panel & is responsible for signing of all results.
Technical Specialist – Identifies the elements a skater performs, their levels and any falls or bonuses.
Assistant Technical Specialist – Pre-calls the elements so the panel can prepare for what elements are coming (eg. Data Operator moves to the relevant area to input quickly and the Video Replay Operator knows what to look for to start recording the element clip for the replay).
All three of these people can call "Review" on any element if they believe there is something that needs to be checked, discussed of corrected in any calls. The agreement of any two of these people will be the call that is entered into the system.

Data Operator – Enters all of the elements into the computer as the Technical Panel calls them.
Video Replay Operator –Prepares the video clips for replay by both the Judging and Technical Panels.

The Judging Panel
The Judging Panel is made up of a Referee and a minimum of three Judges or up to nine in higher level competitions. The Referee is in charge of the event overall and can also be a Judge on the event. Judges focus entirely on evaluating the quality of each element performed and the quality of the overall performance. The Judges’ scores are based on specific criteria published annually by the ISU for each element (GOEs) and also specific criteria on a world wide scale for the Program Components. The Referee is also responsible for timing the performances and inputting deductions for interruptions, time violations or parts of the costume falling on the ice.

Technical Elements Score
The TES is arrived at by combining three factors - the element calls of the Technical Panel, the Base Values of the elements as listed in the ISU Scale Of Values and the Grades Of Execution assigned to each element by the Judges. The GOEs each Judge awards can range from -5 to +5 based on how well the element was executed. The combination of these three factors, along with some others such as bonuses, result in a score for each element. These scores are then totaled to become the Total Elements Score (TES).

Program Component Score
In addition to the Technical Elements Score, the Judges will award points on a scale from 0.25 to 10.00 with increments of 0.25 for the Program Component Score. There are five Program Components however not all are used at all levels. The number of Program Components assessed increases as the divisions progress. The five Program Components are Skating Skills, Transitions, Performance, Composition, and Interpretation of the Music /Timing (for Ice Dance). The Program Component Scores are multiplied by a factor set for each division and then totaled to become the Total Program Component Score.

The other important role at IJS events is that of the Accountant. The Accountant sets up the competition in the IJS, prepares the paperwork, assists with set up of the system at the competition and operates the computer system during the event. This includes printing the scores to be checked and signed by the Referee and Technical Controller.

As you can see, there is a lot that goes into assessing the performances of skaters and events require large panels of officials completing many different roles to produce these results. If you are interested in finding out more about becoming an Official, you can do so by visiting the ISA website or contact officials@nswisa.com.
BOARD MATTERS
The April Board meeting was the first time the Board met after the AGM. The Board discussed the renewal of a number of NSWISA policies and given the technical season has begun, NSWISA would like to remind skaters of NSWISA001-Entry to State Championships Policy.
In 2020 the the qualification requirements of the Policy were amended to reflect the lost training time and uncertainty regarding access to ice and participation in competitions as a result of Covid-19. For 2020 only, the qualification criteria was reduced so skaters only needed to have competed in one competition to qualify to compete at NSW State Championships. At the April Board meeting, there was unanimous agreement to revert to the previous version of the Policy, requiring skaters to have competed in 2 IJS competitions in NSW to qualify to enter this year's State Championships. You can view the Policy here - NSWISA001-Entry to State Championships.
NSWISA MEMBER & EVENT COORDINATOR
If you are interested in a great opportunity to work in Sports Administration please view our job advertisement here and apply. The position is based at Sydney Olympic Park.
ISA ONLINE COMPETITION RESULTS
Congratulations to all our skaters who participated in the ISA Online Competition. Most of the results have been published and can be found on the ISA Website. Not all divisions have been finalised, so please continue to check the website for results.
If you have any questions regarding the competition, please contact ISA directly.
2 x $25 VOUCHERS TO BE USED AT RINKS FOR ADULTS
The NSW Government has launched Dine & Discover NSW to encourage the community to get out and about, supporting dining, arts and tourism businesses and stimulating spending in the economy.
NSW residents aged 18 years and over can apply for 2 x $25 Discover NSW Vouchers. These can be used at recreation facilities such as ice rinks. The vouchers are valid until 30 June 2021.
Be sure to contact the rink prior to attending to confirm whether the rink is accepting the vouchers.
VOLUNTEERING
No event can be held without the efforts of our volunteers. Through volunteering, our skating families are able to connect with others who share the same interest and passion for the sport. We are fortunate that we have a very dedicated volunteer group, however, we are always looking for more volunteers to ease the workload of our regular volunteers at events. NSWISA requires its volunteers to have a WWCC number to ensure that our sport is prioritising the safety of our young people. A WWCC number lasts for a period of 5 years and can be applied for at Service NSW.
In order to verify the status of a volunteer, the organising committees will need the surname, the WWCC number and the date of birth of each volunteer. Having this information handy will make the preparations much easier for the organisers of events and will ensure that our sport will be providing a safe environment for our skaters.
NSWISA SOCIALS
Stay connected with the NSWISA community for support and information on the NSWISA Instagram and Facebook pages. To keep up to date with our skaters, use the following link https://instagram.com/nsw_isa?r=nametag or you can use the following QR code. Also, don't forget to tag us in your posts!
CALENDAR OF EVENTS
 JUNE    JULY    AUGUST
 1  Board    8  Tests @ Macquarie    7  SFSC Trophy Night & Club   Champs
 12  Hollins Trophy    11  T&D Day @ Erina    8  SFSC Trophy Night & Club   Champs
 13  Hollins Trophy    13  Board    22  Ice Zoo Club Champs
 14  Hollins Trophy    18  Aussie Skate @ Ice Zoo    27  Sydney Synch Fest
       25  MJS Trophy    28  Sydney Synch Fest
             29  Sydney Synch Fest
             31  Board
Facebook
Website
Instagram
Email
Copyright © 2021 NSW Ice Skating Association, All rights reserved.

Want to change how you receive these emails?
You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list.






This email was sent to <<Email Address>>
why did I get this?    unsubscribe from this list    update subscription preferences
NSWISA · PO Box 3266 · North Strathfield, NSW 2137 · Australia

Email Marketing Powered by Mailchimp