July 21th Schedule / Pole Competition
FULL CLASS SCHEDULE THIS WEEK!
INCLUDES a step-by-step guide to using your email to sign up for classes (if you have a subscription or credits)
AUGUST 3rd is Pole Sport Organizations Southwest Competition in Dallas, TX
I will be attending and have volunteered to Judge.
My goal is to become more knowledgeable about PSO events so we can enter in the future.
This is an all day competition and if you want to drive in with me I can comfortable haul 3-4 extra peeps in the pickup. Tickets are for sale at https://polesportorg.com/products/2024-pso-southwest-tickets
Learn more about the PSO at https://polesportorg.com/
I like the PSO because
They have a number of competitions near us ever year.
They have many different categories, including by skill, age and style with different scoring systems for more athletic vs. dance performances. You can choose to just get feedback!
They do NOT have Olympic aspirations, and are a little more laid back and less intimidating for new competitors. Scoring is also less complex - which is both a pro and a con.
Speaking of the Olympics -
The most Olympics hopeful/progressed organization for Pole and Aerial sports is the IPSF https://www.polesports.org An important part of becoming an Olympic sport is having an international organization with consistent scoring world wide and a world championship - the IPSF has a world championship with a TEAM USA - https://www.usaerialfederation.org/
For pole nerds check out the IPSF scoring system and move library http://www.polesports.org/free-videos/pole-sports-code-catalogue/ lt is very challenging! I think Pole would be a perfect Olympic sport with the blend of athleticism and artistry. Similar, but quite different from Rhythmic Gymnastics and artistic swimming.
To add complication, there is also another international organization that has a world pole sport championship - POSA: https://www.posaworld.org/ with the US branch being the US Pole Sport Organization. https://uspsfcompetitions.com/ with their own points system https://uspsfcompetitions.com/polesport
Right now only the IPSF satisfies what the Olympic Committee requires, which it sounds like is fairly strict and a little limiting. POSA has slightly different rules and maybe less international consistency. However, it is entirely possible that POSA and it’s member organizations will make the changes needed to also qualify as an Olympic sport. So its a bit of a race between the two. Like Thomas Edison and George Westinghouse, except friendlier! I think their are pros and cons to the way each origination runs things and ultimately the consumer (the athletes) will probably determine who ‘wins’.
Very ambitious Pole competitors do all three competitions! Crazy!
The next step of Pole Sport is to qualify to participate in the World Games. For example Cheerleading and various Ballroom Dance Styles are currently part of the World Games. https://www.theworldgames.org/
I hope you all enjoy watching the Olympics and remember to notice how much dance sneaks into various sports!
