AUGUST 2006

 

August 31, 2006:

Here is my last journal entry for August, and for the summer.  I have had an AWESOME summer!  I met some wonderful skaters and made some great friends!  I loved being in LA and being a part of Angela Nikodinov and Ivan Dinev's team.  But, as the summer has ended, so has our stay in California.  My mom really tried and tried to find an apartment that would accept our 30 pound Boston Terrier, be close to the Torrance rink, not be in gang neighborhood and also not cost too much.  Well, that just never happened.  The biggest problem we had was finding an apartment that would take our dog as well as be in a good neighborhood and not cost too much.  Some apartments take dogs but the dog has to be under 10 pounds.  I don't think Max was EVER that small.  Ha!  Some people told us we should get rid of him so we could find an apartment but we would never be able to do that.  He is part of our family.  The apartment complexes in LA are not (bigger)dog friendly.  So my grandparents told us we should just pack up and come back to Az and live with them.  They have a three bedroom house and don't mind Max being there.  They said it is their way of supporting my skating....allowing us to live with them will help us financially not have to come up with the huge living expenses in LA.  My mom is working doing data entry in Tempe, Az already and I've gotten my room fixed up nice.  My brother, Jeremy, lives in Tempe, too, so I get to see him a lot.  I have already skated at the Ice Den and they have a lot of really good skaters and some great ice, so I think I can handle the change.  I really will miss my friends in California, though,and especially Angela and Ivan but I"m hoping we can get back out there when they finish their training facility in Cherry Valley.  It has been a really rough 8 months. 

Ok, I will try to update as soon as I can.  I will probably be starting my new homeschool program next week and will be getting my training program set.  I have a lot of mixed feelings...feelings of sadness and yet at the same time I am excited to get my schedule set and my training back.

Love you all,

Sarah K.

August 21, 2006:

Although I feel pretty good about my moves, I'm thinking I'm not going to take the test this week.  I'm trying to do the best thing all around with my skating.  I would like to take a couple more weeks with my moves to feel really good and strong.  I am just not wanting to go out and wing it and hopefully pass.  I much rather take my time and do a good job.  I really wanted to do regionals this year at the intermediate level but it's just not enough time with the moves test.  I wish we would have had a moves coach sooner but I can't dwell on the negatives.  It's been a long trip and move.  It's just he way things are.  I think I'll just train really hard with all of my moves this year and keep up with my programs.  I then plan to move up for next year and do regionals then.  I am feeling kind of down about the situation but am really trying to keep positive.  I have to look at the whole picture and not just what I want to happen right at this moment.  My mom said we can go to Vegas in November and I can compete intermediate then and have some fun while we are there.  I will have passed my moves by then and my programs should be strong.  Too bad I can't turn back the clock about a month but I can't. 

So, other than that bit of news, my skating was really good today.  I skated four sessions and loved every minute on the ice.  Right now we are at the library and I found some awesome books to read.  I bought a couple at the bookstore that's inside the library and then I'm also checking out some really good ones.  I love to read so plan on doing that tonight.  I'm also going to run  some at the Burbank HS.  They have a dirt track, which is really cool.  My shoes get so dirty though with this orange-like clay/dirt.  It's beautiful to run there.  It's very picturesque with the mountains in the background.  I think my mom said she is planning on taking a pic from the stands and if she does, I'll share it. 

Ok, well hope everyone is having a great day! 

Sarah K.

August 20, 2006:

Ok, I got through all of my moves and now I just have to practice, practice, practice.  I now belong to the All Year Figure Skating Club and they have a test on the 24th but I just don't know if that is enough time for me to get these moves down good enough to test.  I have another lesson on Monday so we'll see at that time what Kelly thinks.  If I don't test (and pass), then I don't do regionals.  It was just a time thing so there's not much I could have done about that.  If I don't test then I'll just be training hard to move up to the next level for the next year.  I did my triple loop the other day and also double axels so I'm sure I could have my jumps ready but my program also needs to have work.   But, I'll just do what I can. 

Next week is the Golden West competition and it's always a big one.  My club, All Year FSC, is hosting it.  I'm not competing in it (so WISH I was though), but am volunteering.  I'm going to be a runner/messenger.  My mom is working at the registration desk.  It will be a good way to meet the other kids in the club and also be able to cheer on my friends that are competing in it.  If you go to the www.AllYearfsc.com website, you can see the groups and the schedule.  It's going to be an awesome competition.

Ok, better go.  My mom and I (and Max) are going down to Redondo Beach for the day.  We think we found a new place to live there so we're going back down to check it out again and also hang out.  It's beautiful there!

Later,

Sarah K.

August 16, 2006:

Hi!  The summer is almost over and regionals is just about here.  I don't know if I will be participating in regionals this year or not yet.  I really want to be there but since having to go through the move to a new coach and training center, I've had to endure some time setbacks.  And yet, I feel stronger than ever.  I'm so happy to be here in California nd I love my new coaches Angela Nikodinov and Ivan Dinev.  One thing I have to do before I can compete at regionals is pass my intermediate moves and freeskate.  My former coach did not have me do moves for more than a year and, in fact, it has been almost 2 years since I have even been taught moves.   Also, Angela and Ivan do not teach moves and I do not look to them to teach me those things.  They are the type of coaches that allow someone else to take care of those needs.  That is the way it SHOULD be.  It helps the head coach focus on what their skaters need with regards to competition.  Anyway, my coach Aleksandr was only in Omaha for 3 months this past winter and then he had to return to Russia.  It was at that time that I had to make the decision whether to move to where there was more opportunity for me with my skating.   After Aleksandr left,  I was then without a coach from February until getting here to California, sometime in mid June.   That is a long time.  Aleksandr may come to California soon and I'm so hoping he will.  Until then we are getting situated and loving my new coaches.  My mom has even hired a moves coach for me.  His name is Kelly and I really like him a lot.  He is really good at coaching moves.  And, the thing I like about him is....he LOVES coaching moves and is so positive.  In 20 minutes we got through the first three sequences, which is the first half of the test.  I actually felt good about how much I learned!  On Friday we will go through the second half.  I am going to try and test next Thursday.  The test is full but I'm handing in the paperwork anyway just in case someone drops out of it.  I need to pass the test before September 1st in order to compete regionals this year at the intermediate level.  So we'll see what happens.  But, Kelly actually makes the moves fun!  He has so much energy and is so positive.  He is a very good teacher and coach.  I will keep him even after I pass my intermediate test so I can continue learning my moves, which I should have been doing all along.  I will just keep learning the moves that are needed and test as I am ready.  So anyway, today I skated 4 sessions so I could practice an entire session on my moves.  I plan to do that all this week and next.  I love skating 4 sessions a day though.  It still does not seem like enough time to get through everything.  Ivan still needs to choreograph my programs.  I have  basic programs but they need some major work.  Today I also did my double axel and triple loop.  They are not perfect but it felt so good to do them again.  I'm feeling so good on the ice and am excited with the training right now.  I love the Torrance rink.  It is so geared for figure skating.  There is open freestyle ice almost any time of the day and even the public session is used to teach privates and to train.  There is ice three evenings a week too.  Plus there is freestyle ice on Saturdays and Sundays!   I mean it's just awesome!  Amber Corwin has been practicing a lot lately.  She did a triple triple the other day.  She is looking really good.  I don't think she is competing, but I could be wrong.  I believe she is getting ready for a show.  You can tell she just loves to skate.  I can't stop feeling so fortunate to be on the same ice as so many high level skaters.  It so motivates me. 

Gotta get to bed early tonight.  I wanted to go take Max on a walk tonight with my mom, but she is really tired.  We were up late last night because my brother Josh was getting back in town and we had to be up to let him in.  We are staying at his house for a short while longer while we wait for our apartment to be ready. 

Ok, talk to ya later,

Sarah K.