The Ice Skating Blades Continue to Turn: 2024

In late May / Early June of 2024, my son Joel and I were notified by Linda Alexander that she thought she’d found a girl small enough and with the skating skills to skate with my son Joel for the gold pair test.

This was very good and exciting news since Joel had planned to take that test with his sister Annabelle in 2014, but got hired to tour with Disney On Ice just a month before the test date. He still very much wanted to pass the gold pair test.

(Below is a video of Joel and Annabelle’s junior pair test. They were so close to that gold-senior pair test!)

Anyway…soon after we went to the rink to observe Jacey practice, Joel and Jacey Taylor began skating pairs together. We all began with a very optimistic and positive attitude.

The thing is, Jacey had never done pairs, but Linda believed in her and we really wanted to give what seemed impossible a try. It almost seemed like we were doing something only seen in an ice skating movie.

Both Joel and I put what seemed all of our time and energy and money into skating with Jacey, but she had limited availability because she worked a lot and is a college student, but we worked around her schedule.

My daughter Rebekah choreographed a program. Below is a video of Rebekah doing a spin with Joel during the time Rebekah came to the Sertich to help:

Linda was gone a lot, so Larry Ibarra taught them for about a month when the Monument rink had limited ice time, Max Settlage became involved, and we also went to World Arena for lessons with Olympic pair skating champion Natalia Mishkutenok.

The pair improved steadily despite Jacey’s limited schedule and also the fact that Jacey seemed to not really like doing pairs and exhibited fear. She also seemed very stressed with work and school. In addition, her collegiate skating competitions and ice dance tests and her lessons with other coaches were a priority over the pairs.

One morning, Jacey had a breakdown/tantrum in front of me, Linda, and Joel because she couldn’t land her double salchow. When Joel and I observed that very disturbing episode, we thought perhaps the pair skating partnership-arrangement would not work, but Linda encouraged us to just put it behind us.

Although Jacey apologized via text for her behavior, other negative type behavior followed. Joel and I noticed Jacey looked miserable and was unpleasant much of the time when she did pairs, but happily skated when she was not doing pairs. I was told by Linda that Jacey had told her she didn’t want to be at the rink anymore because of the pairs.

By the time the Columbus Day Weekend 2024 arrived, Joel and I thought of perhaps giving Jacey the chance to end what we had begun since she seemed so overwhelmed and miserable, but coaches Max and Linda really felt there might be a possibility that the test could pass and encouraged the pair to continue since they’d come so far.

Here is a text message I wrote that weekend but did not send to Jacey after all:

”Jacey: You seem overwhelmed, miserable, and exhausted. I think it is best to release you from this pair skating commitment. Although so much time and money has been devoted to getting this pair skating test passed, your well-being is more important than a gold pair test medal. You have been totally wonderful and have worked so hard and you and Joel accomplished so much and went so far! All you did is very much appreciated. Thank you and best to you and your future.”

Linda and Max did not really understand that Jacey did not plan to continue pairs at all after November 20, 2024. I asked Jacey directly if she’d consider continuing in the Spring or Summer to finish up what we’d started especially because of all the hard work, progress, and money spent but the answer was NO.

The pair kept skating together, but seemed to hit a plateau. Jacey just couldn’t get the double twist and even though she had successfully done double throws, she would not do them in the program. She just didn’t like to fall. She even skipped doing the double side by side jumps and did singles instead. The lifts, death spiral, and pair spin were okay. Even though we knew they had reached a plateau, we all believed that the test still might be possible, but not getting that double twist and also Jacey’s fear of the double throw jumps and not liking to fall on double jumps were an issue.

Jacey’s schedule was very difficult to deal with. It required getting up at 4 am and being at the rink at 5:40 am. Jacey was late often. We had to work around time for her to practice her singles, her ice dancing, and her lessons.

It was clear Jacey dreaded the pair skating. We were subject to Jacey’s schedule and wants.

Joel tried to deal with Jacey not being respectful to him and tried to talk to her about it.

Joel and I purchased a Starbucks gift card and gave the card below to Jacey:

There were times that Joel felt that the coaches encouraged Jacey to believe that her dislike of being criticized while doing pairs was perhaps due to Joel. Sometimes she’d tell us she could not skate pairs at a certain time, but would skate by herself anyway. We felt we were not told the truth at times. We noticed she would often not sign in to pay for ice time at Sertich and we had a feeling that Linda probably didn’t charge her for lessons.

At a short Zoom meeting on November 6, 2024 where we discussed progress and the fact that the double twist would not be ready by November 20, Jacey also made it clear school was her priority and would most likely not continue after the November 20 date. I stated that later in life she would regret not completing what she started, but that didn’t seem to matter to her. Joel was ready to stop that day. Max’s opinion was that we probably should not spend any more money on time on a goal that could not be achieved.

I sent the following text to the group: Joel, me, Jacey, Linda, and Max since we wanted to let Linda know how much she was appreciated and hoped Jacey would continue for Linda:

“One thing Joel and I were thinking about all day: If Jacey is willing to come back in Spring to complete the gold pair test with Joel, Linda and Max will get credit as coaches for getting a gold pair test passed. That chance may never again come again for Linda. Jacey, do think about that. Consider doing it for Linda who gives more than any coach I’ve ever known to skaters and people she cares about. I have known Linda as a colleague and friend for almost 30 years and what I say is absolutely true. When Joel got his senior free skate passed last year it was a very special thing for Linda too. She told me once that when she got a skater almost to pass a gold test, they would move on to another rink or coach, but Joel stuck with her and together it happened. Think maybe about coming back for Linda if you can even if you can only do pairs a bit in the spring. Everyone did an amazing job these past 5-6 months. There is just no test passed to put in US Figure Skating records, but you two came so far! Gold test records do mean something on resumes, applications, in life, etc though. Later in your life you may wish you’d completed the gold pair test goal when you had a chance just like I regret never passing my 8th/Gold Figure test. Joel is not going to give up on his goal and wishes he could do it with Jacey, but if he can’t, we will test with someone else. Thanks for listening to my thoughts.”

We talked about skating for fun and doing some lessons together until she left for her Thanksgiving holiday on November 20, but when she let us know her neck was hurting we decided to call it quits. It was common for Jacey to come up with something hurting: first it was the wrist, then it was her foot, then it was her head, then it was her neck, etc., so this time, we felt that because no test was involved it was time to stop.

I sent this final text to the group:

“I didn’t realize you were injured Jacey. Let’s just call it quits now…no reason for you to continue at this time. I didn’t know about the injury when I suggested this morning that Joel would enjoy the training with you until 11/20. Let us know about the spring if you want to come back to get the gold pair test for Linda. She truly believes in both of you. Thank you for all you did the past 5–6 months and congratulations on doing so well at the collegiate competition. Linda and Max: a big thank you from me and Joel.😍💕⛸”

(There was no response to my texts from either Jacey or Max, but Linda did respond.)

This whole thing has been really disappointing since the pair was so close, but the good news is that Joel gained all of his pair skills back and he has been doing adagio pair skating with other girls and it looks like he may be able to test with another pair girl at the World Arena. Linda also had a chance to renew her pair skating coaching skills.

Below is a video of one of their last run throughs of the test program.