CAMPS CAN OFFER VARIETY, NEW WAYS TO PRACTICE by LEXI ROHNER
Tis is the second installment in a three-part series on adult skating camps and clinics. Featured are the experiences from skaters residing in and/or participating at camps in the Midwestern section of the country. Camps are available to skaters of all levels of ability and experience. Check the U.S. Figure Skating’s Adult Skating page for a list of upcoming camp locations:
http://www.usfsa.org/Programs.asp?id=112
Sandy Wittmann, Maplewood, Minn. St. Paul FSC, Coach masters/junior/senior
Sandy Wittmann is a coach who has
directed adult skating camps in St. Paul, Minn., in recent years. She loves everything that skating as an adult offers and enjoys sharing her knowledge and expertise with others in a camp setting. “It (skating) teaches life lessons, dis- cipline, handling success and failure, and promotes self-expression,” said Wittmann, who spent eight months planning the camps to make them special for each participant. “My hope was for each adult to take something away from the weekend and expand it to their training.” Wittmann has high regard for adult skaters who find time to train and do something they love. She recognizes their hard work and believes dreams come true as a result. “Coaching provides the reward of seeing
a student work on a new trick and eventually achieving it,” Wittmann said. Building friendships and learning alongside their peers enable adult skaters to achieve just as many goals as younger skaters, she said. Wittmann volunteers at many local and national competitions and consults with many coaches throughout the year. She holds one prac- tice a week with her adult students, encouraging them to practice twice a week on their own. Wittmann’s husband is a member of the
U.S. Figure Skating’s national music committee, and Wittmann has competed and earned a medal at the U.S. Adult Championships.
Autumn Allison, St. Moritz ISC Clayton, Calif., Adult bronze
Autumn Allison has gained a new perspec-
tive on skating after attending adult skating camps in Aspen, Colo., and in Lake Placid, N.Y. “Being critiqued in a new way may only consist of one comment or word, but sometimes that makes the difference,” she said. Analogizing camps as “an appetizer at a won-
derful meal — a nice taste of something unusual or different,” Allison has seen her confidence increase, recognizing tests and competition are sometimes a victory over circumstances. “I learn something from each event,” said Al-
lison, a news writer, musician and student pilot. She describes skating as frustrating at times but never boring, and is grateful for friends and
48 MARCH 2012 Te opportunity to meet other skaters and
learn from a variety of coaches is in part why Pamela Sexton enjoys attending adult skating camps. She’s attended a camp in Aspen and two in Lake Placid, N.Y. “Aspen had figure skating ice like bridal
satin,” Sexton said. “I’d like to skate on that again now that I have better skills.” Sexton also acquires knowledge about spe- cific off-ice activities at camp that she can incor- porate into her skating.
“I find that getting away from my home rink can help (my skating),” she said. “I learn from dif- ferent coaches, who teach a variety of techniques
Sandy Wittmann
Pam Sexton
opportunities without major consequences. “After competition or testing, I still have a
husband, job, mortgage and friends,” Allison said. Allison skated twice as a teen before begin-
ning the sport 16 years later. Her weekend work schedule allows time to explore hobbies, includ- ing skating. Her original goal was to skate one lap without assistance or falling. She was intrigued by doing something that seemed scary or difficult to others.
“I was always the family klutz and still trip
over sidewalk chalk lines,” she said. After a year, Allison entered her first com- petition (the only skater over age 12). She reviews her progress through competition videos. “From there it’s exploded into part of how I
define myself,” Allison said. “It’s a way to explore part of me that would have gone otherwise unde- veloped.”
Allison is a regional announcer, gold singles/ pairs test judge and an Adult Skating Committee member. She skates seven to 10 hours a week. “What feels like the greatest achievement is
that I’m still skating and plan to until I’m physi- cally unable,” she said.
Pamela Sexton, Fredericksburg, Va. Richmond FSC, Adult silver dance
Autumn Allison
and ways of expressing elements that can lead to a breakthrough for me.” Sexton began skating at 55. She took a year off because of a broken ankle (on ice) that re- quired her to completely start over. She took up ice dance to improve her skat-
ing and now works with dance and moves-in-the- field coaches.
“Te combination of learning new skills
involving balance and flexibility combined with artistic expression is very appealing,” Sexton said. “My biggest challenge, though, remains spirals.” Sexton, retired military, claims she has learned useful skills for her age by discovering she has great balance and is able to take a fall. Her doctor’s recent comment on her gracefulness meant a lot, she said. “At 60 you treasure those little words of
praise,” said Sexton, who also participates in horseback riding, rifle shooting and aerobatic fly- ing.
Sexton has two coaches and takes group les- sons, which she said have a vibe all their own. “It makes skating more collaborative as op- posed to individual,” Sexton said. Skating about eight hours a week, she will
increase that amount upon retirement from her civil service job and plans to pass her gold dance test before age 70.
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