Sunday, November 28, 2010

"Adult" Synchro Team Dreams

About two years ago I was on a very fun ISI Adult Synchro team coached by one of my dear friends and coaches. I got to meet great skaters and have a blast on the ice with these folks. Unfortunately with adult skating comes adult schedules and after awhile kids, work and life just got in the way of consistency. I reluctantly backed out of the team when I realized that the ship was breaking up and I really didn't have the money to go down with it. With me not competing this season, I have been kinda ho-hum and working on MIFs and not much else. My eyes lit up when I received an email from another adult skater friend about a new adult synchro team starting up that would go to Sectionals in Feb. WOW! I have to be in Minnesota anyway for Muffet's synchro team - why not skate there too?!

My dreams came to a quick and crashing end when I attended the conference call this week with the coach and other skaters. Come to find out that this was not to be an "adult" team after all but rather a "Retired Senior MIFs and former Senior but aged out" Synchro team. POOP! Out of the 15 people interested, I was the lowest level skater with another gal who just passed Silver moves and another gentleman who is working on silver dance. Can you imagine? Me skating with former Senior level synchro skaters who can do outside spread eagles around me? Pish posh - I may be dumb but I am not crazy!

Here I am all broken hearted. But now I have launched another scheme! How about ice dancing? That helps with edges, right?

Sunday, November 14, 2010

Winning and Losing

As we get deeper and deeper into serious competition season for the elite skaters, Muffet and I are in training mode. She had the axel and now is trying to get it back. Her double salchow seems as if it will be pretty easy for her to master and the Juvenile moves will not be a problem. She had a tough end of her season this year due to moving up to Pre-Pre mid-season and got her booty handed back to her big time. Therefore it is time to have the "discussion" with the Boss.

Now I knew this would happen eventually. Now that Muffet has far surpassed mom in the skating department, it is time for mommy to step aside and give her lessons to the little one. The Boss has a plan for me though - I don't get left out in the cold totally. Well, I do get left in the cold, on the ice, but not without the Boss helping me! I will get my lessons here and there, but the focus of the Boss's time will be with Muffet. Ah me, what beast have I helped make? Not only will she get more time with the Boss, but she will continue with her finesse coach, we will add a secondary jump coach, still on the Synchronized skating team, spin class and strength and conditioning class. No wonder dad and I have no money.

The winning is not for us but for a dear friend we have watched over the last five years we have been in this crazy sport. She has skated during the public. She has skated during the wee morning hours before school. She attends regular high school and is an AP/Honor student there as well. Miss Vanessa Lam won her first Junior Grand Prix event a few weeks ago in the Czech Republic and yesterday won as Pacific Coast Sectionals Seniors Ladies Champion. I am so incredibly happy for Vanessa as she has worked so hard and battled through pain and those hours on the ice. But mostly I am thrilled for Vanessa's mom and dad who sit with her in the cold day after day supporting her every move. They make and design her beautiful dresses. They sacrifice so she can reach her dreams. They give all of the little skaters "Good Luck" gifts before each major competition and always have a smile to share even if it is 5:00 in the morning.

So the losing is not that big of a deal for me because in all of this I skate because of my Muffet. I would sacrifice anything in the world for her to reach her dreams of skating on TV like Mirai or Caroline. I will lose so she can win.

Congratulations Vanessa, Dianne and Doug and the Lam family. We are so proud of your achievements and please know that you are an inspiration to many little skaters and their parents.