ISU Development Trophy

[johndockley92]

Just read on ISU about them introducing a Development trophy?

The link for the small tidbit they released is here. On the release there is a "full story", but it won't load on my computer so I'm not exactly sure what it says.

Just venturing a guess though, is this like the World Team Trophy, but for Juniors? It seems interesting though, nonetheless.

[rayhaneh]

Just read on ISU about them introducing a Development trophy?

The link for the small tidbit they released is here. On the release there is a "full story", but it won't load on my computer so I'm not exactly sure what it says.

Just venturing a guess though, is this like the World Team Trophy, but for Juniors? It seems interesting though, nonetheless.

Not really.

Here's what the press release says:

"As announced in ISU Communications No. 1722 and No. 1767, the International Skating Union has initiated a new international competition, the “ISU World Development Trophy”. This initiative that is in line with the Mission Statement and Objectives of the ISU Development Program (as specified in ISU Communication No. 1531) has the objective of providing an incentive to ISU Members currently being inactive or having only a limited level of activity in one or several ISU sport disciplines.

In order to assess the level of activity of the ISU Members, the ISU Development Coordinator has conducted a global investigation using as criteria the Members participation at ISU Championships during the past two seasons (2010/11 and 2011/12) with a focus on Figure Skating (Ladies, Men), Ice Dance and Short Track Speed Skating.

Based on the analysis and conclusions of the above-mentioned investigation, by taking into account the indicated interest for participation in the ISU World Team Trophy by the potential participating Members, the Council agreed to launch the ISU Development Trophy competitions during the ongoing season 2012/13 at the locations and dates and with the participation of the Members for each competition as listed in the Annex attached.

Based on the experience gained, the Council will evaluate this initiative and decide upon future editions, possibly including also the other ISU sports disciplines (Speed Skating, Pair Skating, Synchronized Skating) and additional and/or different participation of Members."

From the list that follows which lists national federation of countries that are not often, if at all, represented in major international competitions, I understand this is about organizing kind of second league WTT (although they're more like European and 4CC Team Trophies rather than World, but anyway) to help to rekindle interest and momentum in these countries for skating sports?

[johndockley92]

So pretty much a WTT for countries that do not qualify for the WTT?

[sammyf]

According to this http://www.nzifsa.org.nz/news/NEWSLE...%20October.pdf it's a developmental event, not like WTT.

The ISU Council has initiated a new competition with the name of ISU World Development Trophy with the objective of giving an incentive to the development of the ISU Members who are currently of inactive status or lower level activity in one or more than one skating principles. For non-European ISU Members the Trophy for figure skating will be held in Manila, Philippines in the disciplines of Figure Skating (Ladies; Men; age categories: Novice A, Novice B, Junior) and Ice Dance age (categories: Basic Novice, Advanced Novice , Junior). Tentative date: 8-14 April, 2013

[Rochelle]

In order to assess the level of activity of the ISU Members, the ISU Development Coordinator has conducted a global investigation using as criteria the Members participation at ISU Championships during the past two seasons (2010/11 and 2011/12) with a focus on Figure Skating (Ladies, Men), Ice Dance and Short Track Speed Skating.

....[cut] Based on the experience gained, the Council will evaluate this initiative and decide upon future editions, possibly including also the other ISU sports disciplines (Speed Skating, Pair Skating, Synchronized Skating) and additional and/or different participation of Members.

Interesting that they're not starting off including pairs, etc. but did mention they may add it later.

In my opinion, pairs needs more development across the world (especially in these 'developmental' countries) than ice dance and much less the ladies and men. Perhaps they are taking into account the lack of available coaching/resources/men/previous teams from such nations (or, lack there of)/etc. to support pairs in such locations.

[maatTheViking]

Interesting that they're not starting off including pairs, etc. but did mention they may add it later.

In my opinion, pairs needs more development across the world (especially in these 'developmental' countries) than ice dance and much less the ladies and men. Perhaps they are taking into account the lack of available coaching/resources/men/previous teams from such nations (or, lack there of)/etc. to support pairs in such locations.

I think is excatly what they want to do, and honestly I also think that they don't want to 'push' pairs too early in developing federations, as they probably don't want to see accidents. In dance you can get away with some simple lifts at those lower levels, but I believe pairs will need overhead lifts.

[Sylvia]

Official event site for the inaugural ISU World Development Trophy in Cieszyn, Poland: http://www.pfsa.com.pl/iwdt2013/index.php

From the Announcement: http://www.pfsa.com.pl/iwdt2013/inde...e=announcement

1st ISU Development Trophy 2013 March 26-30, 2013
to be held at the Hal Widowiskowo-Sportowa Ice Rink
im. Cieszynskich Olimpijczykow Cieszyn, Poland
...
The Program includes the following parts:

1) Preparational Training Camp (March 26th-29th, 2013) including a four day long period having the following professional education:
- two times on ice training per day
- one off ice training per day
- one lecture (skating technique and tactics, ISU Rules and Regulations)

2) Competition (March 30th, 2013)

Categories involved
Single Skating: Novice A and Novice B for Girls and Boys, Junior for Ladies and Men
...
Entries with the name and number of participants (Competitors, Coaches) and requirements of accommodation must reach the Organizing Committee by February 18th, 2013.

All invited Members can enter 1 Skater per category plus 1 Coach for the Team free of charge (meaning that the ISU covers the costs for room and board with the exception of travel costs.)

Also to come:
ISU World Development Trophy
16 - 20 Apr
Manila, Philippines

[kwanfan1818]

Are these considered competitions for the SB list?

[sammyf]

New Zealand entries http://www.nzifsa.org.nz/news/Januar...SLETTER%20.pdf

Junior Ladies -Brin Berge, Madelaine Parker, reserve Jessie Park
Junior Men -Thomas Woodbridge
Basic Novice A Ladies -Anastasia Kutznetsova, Abbey Heale, reserve Haylee Booth
Basic Novice A Men -Harrison Bain
Basic Novice B Ladies -Tracy Danbrook, Rebecca Lau, reserve Keely McGuigan

[Coco]

This is very cool!!

[Sylvia]

Bumping this back up... Ziggy, can you find out/let us know how it goes in Cieszyn this week?

[C_T_T_]

I have a friend who is there. She says they are working really hard but she's having an amazing time!

[allezfred]

Some of the Irish skaters have shared their impressions here.

[Sylvia]

Thanks! I also enjoyed reading Team Ireland coach Cherise Hanvey's description of her experience in Poland to date: http://isai.ie/2013/03/27/team-irela...opment-trophy/

ETA:

Are these considered competitions for the SB list?

No. The competition in Poland consists of free skates only (Basic Novice A/B to Junior).

[Ziggy]

Bumping this back up... Ziggy, can you find out/let us know how it goes in Cieszyn this week?

Link: http://www.pfsa.com.pl/iwdt2013/index.php

I was originally planning to go but wasn't able to in the end, unfortunately.

All I can say is that Nikolaev and Gres are amazing coaches. Really creative, with great attention to detail and a strong focus on the basics.

Gres used to train under Nikolaev (who has worked with Baiul and Zagorodniuk and is based in the US now) and was a very promising Junior skater (she had all the triples and 3t/3t IIRC). She's now based in Warsaw, Poland where she coaches. Amongst her students, there's a really promising Pre-Novice skater of Russian origin (Elizaveta Labunets) that I hope can go on to achieve big things. Whilst she has only mastered the jumps up to 2lutz at this point, what sets her apart from everybody else in Poland is the quality of everything she does.

In Fianait's blog you can read about the exercise where they have to do jumps straight off transitions that they find really difficult. That's an excercise Nikolaev likes to use a lot. It has a psychological aspect as well as the technical one. If you can successfully and regularly execute jumps from very difficult entries in practice, once you do them without the preceding transitions in competition, it will feel really easy. And when you observe Gres demonstrating that footwork, it's just so sharp. Her basic skating is great.

My adult skater friends love training with her because even at the very basic level, she comes up with interesting and challenging exercises. I took a class with her once and it involved practising various basic movements and then at the end, she created a straight line step sequence which was made of really simple moves but put together very cleverly and difficult to execute at high speed (which was the aim). I really loved it.

Sarkis Tewanian who is the third coach (he coaches Pairs and Singles in Poland) is really good with giving feedback on the levels. A skater once told me they were trying really hard to achieve high levels and struggled with it and with his help, they found out they could do that in a much easier way.

The Cieszyn rink is very new (it was only built a couple of years ago or so) and whilst it's a small facility (full-size ice pad though) it's really lovely. It's relatively warm inside (but not too warm), ice quality is usually great and there's a nice ambience inside.

So that's all I know without actually being there.

[Sylvia]

Thanks, Ziggy! Link to bios of the 3 coaches/moderators: http://www.pfsa.com.pl/iwdt2013/inde...age=moderators
Valentin Nikolaev has been based in Richmond, Virginia for many years now.

[kwanfan1818]

Ziggy, your description of Gres' approach is making me tear up

[sammyf]

A few more entries, from South Africa, Amber Britz, Evan Wrensch, Abigail Samuels, and Matthew Samuels http://cgfigureskating.org.za/

From Malaysia Julian Yee, Bryan Christopher Tan, Chew Kai Xiang, Nicholas Tan, Aina Sorfina, Ng Jia Xin, Amirah Azfariena Azhari, Chew Sze Chyi, Ashley Chin, Rachel Lim, Aneeta Lingam, Lily Qistina, http://isam.my/comm/COMM_087.pdf

[allezfred]

Team Ireland coach Cherise Hanvey has just posted another blog here.

[Sylvia]

Thanks!

Starting orders/Results page for Saturday's competition (free skates): http://www.pfsa.com.pl/results/2012/WDT2013/index.htm