Skip to main content

Dealing with it

Well, the inevitable happened and it's taken me 24 hours to come to terms with it enough to write down my thoughts here. IPSF season cancelled. Or postponed? Nobody is sure. I hope postponed, as having to adjust to a new code of points (and requalify for those) would be implied in the case of cancellation.

This decision was devastating to those of us who had already been training and planning their year around these key dates. But, with the IPSF wishing to fall in line with the Olympic committee, not to mention the impossible prospect of rescheduling tens of qualifying competitions, it just wasn't possible to go ahead. Additionally, there was a sense of unfairness surrounding the inequality in athletes' preparation conditions. Some are isolated without a pole; some, like me, have been ill and are just getting their strength back, while others may have issues planning their travel.

After some consideration, I thought about other competitions that may still be taking place this year and I decided that this would be as good a time as any to discover the world of the Pole Sports Organization (PSO). After checking out the categories and levels, I signed up for a competition in the level 4 Championship category, Master 40-49 years. I have also applied for official IPSF coach status, following my hope that the season is postponed and not cancelled. Now, it's a case of refocusing. I am interested to see what others decide to do following yesterday's announcement.


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Instagram Challenges & Confinement Motivation

During this confinement, the pole community has benefitted from its strong online presence. Even if we cannot go to class, we have not lost contact with our pole friends, nor have we stopped supporting and motivating one another. For me, the pole community is like none other; I have honestly never in my life encountered such an inclusive and supportive network, which is not at all impersonalised by its immensity. We have been spoilt for choice of lockdown challenges on Instagram; a great source of motivation to warm up and get on the pole at home, even when lethargy sets in or, as in my case, you need to rebuild your strength following illness. I have been following the Brussels Art & Pole #bxlartpolechallenge, which I will also contribute to next week. Every two days, on-pole and off-pole figures on a given theme are suggested, that you can reproduce, modify or incorporate in a short combo or choreography. Here are some of my participation efforts: "chair", "str...
Post a Comment
Read more

Pole Teacher Training

When I began teaching pole classes back in September 2019, I had a couple of teacher training sessions at one of the studios where I teach. This was valuable in giving me the confidence to plan my first sessions, but I decided that I also wanted to persue an official qualification to teach this sport (even though there is no obligation in Belgium). I turned to Spin City Pole Fitness, a company that I knew and trusted from their Pole Bible and online presence. I chose to begin with the Pole Fitness Beginner's Level course, which took me 6 months to complete in total, allowing for flexibility during busy times and more intense study during quieter moments. Completing this training provided me the validity I was looking for, but also sparked a whole lot more! The more I learnt about effective warming up, for example, the more I sought to discover. I discussed with students of my classes who work in the medical domain, including physiotherapy, who were able to answer my questions...
Post a Comment
Read more

Leaning into lockdown extension

The announcement came on Wednesday afternoon; lockdown until 3rd May. And after that? We will find out next Wednesday. I'm a bit late in offering online classes. I think that there was more enthusiasm to follow these in the initial weeks of lockdown, when everything was feeling a bit more novel and everyone was figuring out how they wanted to live their confinement experience. Now, 5 weeks in, a routine has set in, with less spontaneity and increasing disappointment. Unfortunately, I took a few weeks to catch up, being ill at the start, and so here I am with my ideas and enthusiasm! I hesitated before planning these classes. Maybe we would have our normal classes again in a couple of weeks anyway. Was the hassle worth it? What if people didn't sign up? How would I take that? With all these big names and top-level pole dancers offering online classes, what can I offer of interest? Weighing up the options, I felt it was worth a try. My philosophy is to try to see an opportuni...
Post a Comment
Read more