The executive director of the Professional Skaters Association (PSA) provides proven technique instruction for more than 100 skills, presenting them progressively from beginning to advanced levels of expertise. 170 photos.

Figure skating, which is the world's most popular winter Olympic sport, is the subject of this volume. Though figure skaters are often known for their theatrical and artistic performances, author Jennifer MacKay outlines for readers the complex physical and biomechanical properties at work in this beautiful and demanding sport. From the development of the indoor ice rink, to the application of Newton's laws of motion, to the psychological challenges faced by many skaters, MacKay explores how these athletes achieve amazing physical accomplishments and perfect their art.

Figure skating is the most popular televised sport at the Olympic Winter Games and is the oldest of the winter sports, having first been contested at the Games of the fourth Olympiad in London in 1908. No other sport creates such a perfect balance between athleticism and artistry, and the athletes—many of them household names like Oksana Baiul, Brian Boitano, Nancy Kerrigan, Evan Lysacek, Katarina Witt, and Kristi Yamaguchi—spend years in training to make it look effortless. The Historical Dictionary of Figure Skating relates the history of the sport through a chronology, an introductory essay, an extensive bibliography, appendixes, and over 800 cross-referenced dictionary entries on hundreds of skaters, past and present, but also on skating countries, governing bodies, skating disciplines, technical elements, skating styles, and many other subjects. This book is an excellent access point for students, researchers, and anyone wanting to know more about the history of figure skating.

The contemporary era has been the most revolutionary for women in sports, with more females involved in athletics than ever before, at all age and skill levels, largely due to the push to make school sports inclusive for girls and women. This book provides a comprehensive introduction to and historical overview of figure skating. It covers all aspects of participation in the sport and staying safe on the ice. Included are anecdotal and inspirational success stories of figure-skating luminaries, and special attention is paid to recent advances and trends in the sport.

For reference librarians and researchers seeking information on sports and fitness, this guide is an important first stop. For collection development specialists, it is an invaluable selection guide. Allen describes and evaluates over 1,000 information sources on the complete spectrum of sports: from basketball, football, and hockey to figure skating, table tennis, and weight training. Focusing on English-language works published between 1990 and the present, the guide thoroughly covers traditional reference sources, such as encyclopedias and bibliographies, along with instructional sources in print formats, online databases, and Web sites. To enable users in search of information on specific sports or fitness activities, chapters are organized thematically, according to broad- type aquatic sports, nautical sports, precision and accuracy, racket sports, ice and snow sports, ball sports, cycling, and so on, with subcategories for such individual sports as soccer, golf, and yoga. Within these categories, works are further organized by type: reference, instructional, and Web sites.

A brand new version of the best-selling enquiry desk reference text, Know it All, Find it Fast, specifically designed for those working with children and young people in schools, public libraries and at home. Including an invaluable overview of the education system and the school curriculum as well as a comprehensive listing of useful resources by topic, this A-Z covers school subjects from science and maths to reading and literacy, and more general themes such as children's health, wellbeing and hobbies. Each topic is broken down into useful sections that will help to guide your response; Typical questions outline common queries such as 'Have you got any information about volcanoes?' Considerations provides useful hints and tips i.e. 'Geography now encompasses not only physical and human geography but also environmental geography, social geography, geology and geopolitics.' Where to look lists relevant printed, digital and online resources with useful annotations explaining their scope and strengths Readership: This is the must-have quick reference tool arming librarians and teachers with the knowledge to deal with any queries thrown at them from children and young people as well as their parents and caregivers. It will also be a handy reference for parents and anyone working with children and young people in other organizations such as homework clubs and youth workers.

"Nowadays, figure skating is largely about jumps and the impressiveness of how many spins you can make in the air. However, the jumps have not always been figure skating's most prominent feature. When did the jumps emerge, how, and why? Who invented them - if that is even possible to know? These questions are addressed in Ryan Stevens' book." - Anna Maria Hellborg, Department of Sport Sciences, Malmö University, Idrottsforum Much has been written about figure skating jumps over the years, but most of it has focused on technique. Precious little has been written from a historical perspective. Jam-packed with fascinating information about the origins and international evolution of figure skating jumps, "Technical Merit: A History of Figure Skating Jumps" includes: - Essays on the waltz jump, toe-loop, Salchow, loop, flip, Lutz, Axel, pairs throws, twists and side-by-side jumps. There is even a chapter devoted to the history of the backflip. - Data on a wide variety of technical firsts achieved under the International Skating Union's IJS system. - Dozens of compelling, little-known facts about the people who have been responsible for some of the biggest technical achievements in the world's most exciting winter sport. If you love figure skating, you will not be able to put this book down. Order your copy today!

Introduces the figure skating events at the Winter Olympics, including how they are judged and world records and trivia about the sports.

We all know the dilemma: Kids are tuning in to TVs and video games and tuning out physical activity. As a result, kids are more overweight than ever. More than half of the adult population in the United States are overweight, and almost a third are clinically obese. An obvious answer is to become and stay fit through regular physical activity. The authors of Fit & Active: The West Point Physical Development Program know this, and in response they developed a program at West Point--the academy that's been educating U.S. military and political leaders for over 200 years. Now you can use the West Point fitness program to meet the needs of your students. Fit & Active: The West Point Physical Development Program is a practical, ready-to-use resource that will help you inspire the kids under your charge to be more physically active. It includes the following features: -The system that has worked for the authors in their West Point program, along with detailed strategies for modifying their approach for various ages and environments -Activities and ideas that have been reviewed by high school physical education teachers to ensure the suggestions are appropriate for high school students -New ideas and information that will help you improve your program -Assessment strategies to help you meet state and national physical education standards At West Point, fitness is seen as a solid foundation for emotional and intellectual well-being and as a way to help prepare students for a lifetime of health, physical activity, and success--in the classroom and beyond. With that in mind, the authors focus on how to develop and assess your program in part I, and in part II they provide core activity courses (including basic movement, swimming, boxing, self-defense, and obstacle courses) that develop motor skills. In part III they delve into wellness and personal fitness strategies, workout designs, assessments, and related issues, and in part IV they outline courses for lifetime activities such as tennis, golf, ice skating, and rock climbing. As a result, you get a comprehensive resource that is easy to use, well illustrated, adapted for high school, and appropriate for a variety of groups--and one that will also help you meet state and national standards. Along the way your students will learn leadership skills through sports and become motivated to make physical activity and fitness an integral part of their lives long after they leave school.

Traces the history of various winter sports including skiing, skating, and tobogganing as presented in articles in the "New York Times."