Adult Pre-Bronze Freestyle Skaters competing at USFS Adult Nationals

April 2006

To: Fellow adult figure skaters, coaches and others

Dear Friends,

This is a petition to show support for allowing Adult Pre-Bronze freestyle skaters to compete at Adult Nationals.

One of the topics at this year's Adult Committee meeting at Adult Nationals in Dallas is to discuss the participation of Adult Pre-Bronze freestyle skaters as competitors at Adult Nationals and to add/change rules through the USFS Governing Council to allow Adult Pre-Bronze freestyle skaters to compete. As we all know, currently Adult Pre-Bronze freestyle skaters are NOT eligible to compete at Adult Nationals.

We understand that there might be some concerns about the skill level demonstrated by Pre-Bronze skaters, and the skill level necessary for inclusion at Adult Nationals, but we would like to present a few arguments in FAVOR of having Pre-Bronze freestyle skaters compete at Adult Nationals.

1) Back when Adult Nationals was created, there was no Pre-Bronze level. Bronze Test Requirements back in 1995-1996 were essentially what Pre-Bronze freestyle is now. Pre-Bronze was not added until about 1997 and the current Bronze freestyle elements were upgraded to what it is now. The lowest level (Bronze circa 1995-1996) adult track skaters at the time were competing the first two years at Adult Nationals. Some may think that Adult Pre-Bronze skaters should "earn their eligibility" by passing the appropriate tests to become Bronze level skaters. Yet, this comment was never mentioned back in 1995-1996 regarding Bronze level skaters at that time, but is addressed now for Pre-Bronze skaters.
2) Pre-Bronze skaters are now required to pass both Moves and freestyle tests too, just like all the other levels, further showing that we have earned our eligibility to compete at the National level.
3) At last year's Governing Council meeting there was an addition of the Pre-Bronze freestyle well balanced program rules for Pre-Bronze freestyle skaters. This should make the addition of the Pre-Bronze freestyle level for Adults National relatively smooth.
4) There seems to be a drop in the numbers of adults attending Adult Nationals and it was addressed last year by lowering the age level to 21. While we are glad that the younger adults now have an opportunity to compete, it still hasn't significantly increased the number of adults competing at AN, as we're seeing now with this year's Adults National attendance. (Or at the very least, attendance is not as high as that seen in 2001-2002.) Allowing Pre-Bronze freestyle skaters can provide that increase in numbers.

Many of us have been Pre-Bronze freestyle competitive skaters for at least five years. For some of us, we have been Pre-Bronze skaters for almost as long the Pre-Bronze freestyle level was put into place in 1998. In 2002, the adult moves requirements were added, making the hurdle to become a Bronze level skater (therefore being eligible for Adult Nationals) much higher! We Pre-Bronze freestyle skaters work just as hard all year
to improve on our overall skating and compete at all other competitions (including Sectionals and Oberstorf, Germany.) Yet, we are still denied the opportunity to compete at USFS adult competitions at the National level.

There are many Pre-Bronze skaters out there who would love the opportunity to also be inspired and competing alongside with our fellow adult skaters. Won't you please show your support for our cause by signing this petition?

Thanks very much for reading!!!

Sincerely yours,
The USFS Pre-Bronze Freestyle Skaters at Adult Nationals Coalition

Joanna Ramberg - Skating Club of San Francisco
Teresa Chadwick- Hampton Roads FSC
Debbie Shapiro- Chesapeake FSC
Chandra Morgan- Henley- Brooklyn FSC of Ohio