Presidents Message

Welcome back to Keeping In Touch! So many wonderful things have happened in the skating world in these last few months, some you have heard about in the media, some are less publicized.  Each has created another defining moment for our Skate Canada family.

Though the event season is almost complete, there are still many exciting things happening. Section AGMs, Skate Canada’s Annual General Meeting and National Coaches’ Conference, testing and ice shows are all in the works.

Now is the time to take a deep breath and reflect on what a great season we are having. We’ve seen thousands of happy CanSkaters for the 25th year in a row - clubs have been getting creative through these changing economic times to ensure we are delivering the highest standards across the country. Each and every member of Skate Canada has once again made a valuable and tangible contribution to the skating community!

I cannot begin to express my gratitude for how hard everyone is working this season, how excited I am about the upcoming ACGM and in general how happy I am to be part of skating in Canada. I know you all feel the same way and this is why our association is so strong. I encourage you to get in contact with our Editor-in-Chief Dianne Tennen dtennen@skatecanada.ca and share your stories with us. Keeping In Touch benefits us all so share your defining moments and continue to enjoy!

Sincerely,

Benoit Lavoie

Table of Contents

News & Views

ACGM and National Coaches' Conference Mania!!

The NCC and ACGM are quickly approaching once again! This year, the Skate Canada family will converge in Edmonton, AB from June 3-6 for the 96th annual event.  As you know, the Notice of Meeting went out a few weeks ago and we are gearing up for a spectacular event to help kick off another exciting year.

If you haven’t had the chance yet, please visit our ACGM/NCC website www.skatecanada.ca/en/Acgm/acgm.htm. It’s new this year and includes a full online registration process. You can view the whole ACGM/NCC package and list of activities and workshops from wherever you like now, and we saved about 25,000 trees!

With such a rich skating tradition in Edmonton, we have several special guests who once trained in the area stopping by. You never know which world champion or skating pioneer you might be rubbing shoulders with.

There are no rule amendments this year so that means more time for informative workshops, more opportunities to discuss the issues that affect you and your skating family and more fun!

Got questions about the ACGM or NCC? Contact the Skate Canada Member Services Department at memberservices@skatecanada.ca or 1.888.747.2372, extension 2519 and they will be able to steer you in the right direction.

See you there!

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Canadian International Medal Count*

* As of March 30, 2009

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Skate Canada Partners With SIRC

What is Canada’s Sport Information Resource Centre? Well, to put it simply, SIRC is the Canadian sports information hub servicing the world! With over 6.5 million pages of sport related research dating as far back as the 1700’s and encompassing over 62 different languages, SIRC is certainly a valuable tool for many Skate Canada members.

SIRC and Skate Canada have been working together to make sure skating is in the limelight and information is available to the masses. During the 2009 BMO Canadian Figure Skating Championship, SIRC featured a different skating athlete’s profile on their daily news releases, which provided great exposure for Canadian skaters!

Through several websites including, www.sirc.ca, www.canadiansport.ca, and www.sportcanadien.ca, you can access all kinds of skating and sport-related research with everything from grassroots to elite and beyond. We are very excited about this partnership with SIRC, not only to be a part of such a large sports-supporting body, but to continue to create educational and resourceful opportunities for skating fans and Skate Canada members.

SIRC has many things to offer from an online database, to a virtual library, research services, qualified indexing and research services and comprehensive collections of sports related materials. If you have skating material you would like SIRC to house in their library, or would like to become a member, visit SIRC’s website.

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Membership

Season Wrap Up

It is springtime and for many clubs that means it is annual general meeting time. How does a club prepare for this? What is needed? Who needs to be invited? What is quorum? These are all very common questions fielded by the Member Services Department at this time of the season.

Most of these answers can be found in your club’s by-laws. Preparation for the AGM should begin months in advance as a time and suitable meeting place will need to be secured. Remember your by-laws should provide for the number of days required to notify your members of the AGM and how this has to be done. A written notice is the normal method and with e-mail communication being the most cost-effective, this is the route many clubs choose. Quorum for your meeting should be listed in your by-laws and generally is a percentage of your club’s membership. It is necessary for your club to meet the required quorum in order for the Annual General Meeting to be recorded.

It is vital that your club’s by-laws be reviewed annually and updated at least every five years to ensure they meet the needs of the club. Keep the wording simple and clear to avoid any misinterpretations. Your club’s by-laws are a very important piece of club operation and must never be ignored.

Quorum can often be difficult to meet as many parents have other commitments. Consider holding the AGM while parents are already together, perhaps after an awards evening or party. Incorporate an activity for the skaters so parents do not have to arrange for a babysitter. This can be a very simple activity or more organized depending on the club. The following ideas can provide a great opportunity for your senior skaters to meet and mingle off the ice with the young CanSkaters:

• Scrapbooking
• Board games
• Colouring
• Playing with Lego

The key to a successful meeting is encouraging membership participation. Skate Canada has two publications that can be helpful in assisting with running a smooth, informative and efficient meeting. Call to Order is written by Herb Perry and includes more than 100 pages of easy to read and understand meeting procedures including the role of the Board of Directors. The Board: A Winning Team is also written by Herb Perry and includes useful information for clubs. These books sell for $17.99 each and are available on the Skate Canada Online Store.

Some new documents on running effective meetings have recently been posted in Members Only in the Main Menu under Clubs and Schools.

As always, the Member Services Department is there to answer your questions. We can be reached at 1.888.747.2372 ext 2519 or by e-mail at memberservices@skatecanada.ca

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Coaching and Skating Programs

LTAD Report: Your LTAD Source April 2009

As we reported in the previous issue of Keeping In Touch, Skate Canada is in the process of creating a Long-Term Athlete Development (LTAD) model to help improve the way we develop athletes at all levels. The LTAD Report will be a regular feature of Keeping In Touch and will serve as your “go to” source for what is happening with the LTAD project.

Be sure to check out the LTAD Q&A that follows this report as it will address some of the questions received through online feedback or heard at recent LTAD presentations. This Q&A will become a regular feature on the LTAD menu of the Members Only site.

Speaking of Members Only, keep checking the LTAD menu for updated information and requests to provide feedback. The LTAD project and programs will only be as good as the feedback you provide to us! From the beginning, we have encouraged feedback and input on the development of the LTAD model and we will continue to do so as we begin planning how to implement this model into our system.

Why Are We Doing the LTAD Project?

Along with being a requirement of Sport Canada, Skate Canada is always looking to improve its programming for all athletes regardless of their abilities and goals in the sport. We have received valuable feedback from our coaches and other skating family members to help us on this mission. Through feedback, our membership told us they want better programs so as to produce better skating. Some of the challenges mentioned include skaters being held back to compete, improving the level of skill development with our skaters, and the cost of participating in skating at the lower levels.

Phases of Project Development

The LTAD project is very large and will take considerable time to complete. Given the size of the project, there will be many phases with many steps involved. Once the model overview is completed, each phase will require technical skill development as well as a discussion of whether or not we need to change our program structures. If new program structures are required then various options will be considered and evaluated.

At this phase of the LTAD project we have just begun to work on the technical skill development for CanSkate but programming decisions have not yet been made. Please note that programming decisions or changes will not be made without consultation with the skating family. All proposed changes will be brought forward for feedback which will then be consolidated and worked into a proposed program structure. The goal is to make the implementation of LTAD philosophies as seamless as possible for skaters, coaches and clubs.

What Is The Next Step?

Presently, we are finalizing our LTAD overview document (currently available on Members Only) that forms the basis of the LTAD model. While that work is being completed we have also begun reviewing the CanSkate program to determine whether any changes should be considered in light of this LTAD work.

The CanSkate program is a solid learn-to-skate program and any changes to the program will be done so as to enhance the current structure. Once the review for the CanSkate program is drafted it will be shared with the National Board of Directors and then brought forward to the skating family for feedback.

Some of the objectives we are keeping in mind as we review CanSkate are to:

• Ensure good quality basics are being taught nationwide
• Explore the inclusion of a flexibility and/or off-ice warm-up component
• Explore ways to encourage and develop speed
• Review skill placement for a more efficient learning curve
• Improve CanSkate delivery nationwide
• Explore ways to encourage skaters to stay in the program up to Stage 6
• Ensure good quality coaches are on the session
• Explore possibilities for a more viable pre-school format

Be sure to catch the next issue of KIT for information on some of the proposed changes for CanSkate!

Upcoming Meetings and Information Sessions

So far this season LTAD presentations have been given at many events including most sectional championship events, 2009 BMO Skate Canada Western and 2009 BMO Skate Canada Eastern Challenge events, 2009 BMO Canadian Figure Skating Championships, 2009 BMO Skate Canada Junior Nationals, 2009 BMO Skate Canada Synchronized Skating Championships, and 2009 HomeSense National STARSkate Championships. Watch for an LTAD presentation at your Section AGM and the Skate Canada ACGM and National Coaches’ Conference in Edmonton, Alberta, June 3-6, 2009.

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March 2009 LTAD Q & A

1. How long will it take to implement the LTAD model?

• We anticipate full implementation of the LTAD model into Skate Canada programs may take up to seven years.
• LTAD will be implemented into our programs through a phased-in process.
• The phase-in will begin with the CanSkate program, followed by STARSkate and Competitive programs.
• At each stage of the process we will begin with consulting our membership and proposing changes to our programs.
• Pilots will be conducted to allow for testing of the revisions.
•  Any final changes to be implemented will be based on the feedback from members and the feedback and lessons learned from the pilots.

We want to hear from our members during the consultation process. The more feedback we can compile from our members the better the changes; improving the experiences of our athletes!

2. Why were the age ranges selected for the stages so low, especially the Learn to Train stage?  The majority of our figure skating membership falls in this category.

As mandated by Sport Canada, the LTAD model must serve two types of athlete development: (a) elite athletes and (b) recreational/ participatory athletes. The skill development pathway outlined in the LTAD document is appropriate for both of these types of development. For elite development, however, it is necessary to identify the ideal age ranges in which the development will take place.

The age ranges identified in the document are only a recommendation for the elite pathway, and even within the elite pathway it is possible to be outside of the age ranges at the early stages and “catch up” at later stages of skill development. For the recreational/participatory skater, the largest portion of our membership, these age ranges would not necessarily apply.

For all athletes what will be important at each stage is to develop the skills of the skater that have been defined, before progressing to the next stage. For the recreational/ participatory athlete, it is entirely possible that they will spend the majority of their time in this stage, and perhaps transition to Active for Life directly from the Learn to Train stage.

3. Will CanSkate competitions be eliminated?

No. Currently CanSkate competitions (or events) are not standardized by a national program. The process of developing the LTAD model has allowed the organization as a whole to consider the role of these events in the athlete’s development.

We know that CanSkate is a critical time for skill development and skill acquisition. It has been recommended that skaters not begin choreographed solos with technical elements at the CanSkate level until they have good basic technical skills to work with. Teaching and learning / memorizing a solo at a young age takes up valuable time (and money) that could be used for skill development, which is considered to be a more beneficial long term investment for the skater. We do want skaters to continue to develop their rhythm and musicality by skating to music and are looking at new and innovative ways to continue to include this in a competition/event based format.

We are making draft recommendations regarding the number and format of these events. Currently we are piloting these draft recommendations. Feedback from the skating community will be reviewed before any final recommendation regarding a national standardization of these events is considered.

4. Why are we making changes when our programs are already strong?

Skate Canada has some of the best programs to offer to Canadians who want to skate. We can make them even better by incorporating the LTAD principles so that they are more comprehensive and introduce participants to the following key components of a sport program: agility, balance, coordination, speed, flexibility, strength, stamina and sport skills.

Our programs work for the athletes who stay in the programs, but an analysis of membership statistics clearly indicate that we have areas where athletes are encountering developmental roadblocks and either stop to develop new skills or leave the sport. We hope to address these issues by making changes to our programs.

5. I reviewed the LTAD overview document posted on Members Only. Are we still going to follow our current STARSkate model or is this being eliminated?

The STARSkate test program will remain in place up to the gold level and there will still be test days. The current LTAD model specifically defines technical skill development chronologically and progressions from stage to stage for the acquisition of turns, edges, stroking, field moves, jumps and spins, etc. Because of this, it is anticipated that there will be a reorganization of the elements and skills within the tests. In addition, discussion/communication/feedback with coaches at this level has clearly indicated a large gap between the CanSkate and STARSkate programs. We are considering adding two new test levels before the Preliminary test to bridge the gap from CanSkate to STARSkate. Again, any changes to this program will include consultation with the skating community before finalization.

6. Is the Skating Skills Program being eliminated?

No. Any changes to the current Skating skills program will follow the process outlined in Question #1.

7. What about those who are recreational skaters and don’t want to compete in the “competitive” stream and like going to the smaller competitions?

The recommendation to date is to create one competition structure. This structure would encompass all levels of competitions from the preliminary level to the senior competitive level and would be defined based on age and skill level. We do not want to take away competitions from recreational skaters – we want to create a more positive competitive experience. One way is to group skaters of the same age and ability together.

8. How can I stay informed about what’s happening with LTAD?

Visit Skate Canada’s website at www.skatecanada.ca and log in to Members Only to view surveys, presentations and the draft version of our LTAD model. You can access the Sport Canada LTAD information at www.ltad.ca.

We are always looking for your feedback on this project. You can send us an email at ltad@skatecanada.ca

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Important NCCP Update

In partnership with the Coaching Association of Canada (CAC), Skate Canada is currently transitioning its coaching programs to a relevant and competency based education and training program – a new approach to coach training and development endorsed by over 60 sports across Canada.

NEW NCCP CanSkate Coach Certification – Effective September 1, 2009
Attention all NCCP Trained CanSkate Coaches! Skate Canada is excited about introducing the new Certified CanSkate Coach designation – a mandatory certification for coaches who are actively teaching only CanSkate. Once coaches are CanSkate “trained” and actively coaching CanSkate for two consecutive years, these coaches will have two years to complete the requirements below and become CanSkate coach “certified” to maintain their coaching membership status with Skate Canada.

1. Mentorship Program
   • Observe three CanSkate sessions with an approved Mentor Coach
   • Develop a CanSkate group lesson plan and relevant Emergency Action Plan (EAP)
   • Teach one group lesson plan in front of an approved Mentor Coach
   • Complete the required lesson summaries in the portfolio

2. Complete the on-line evaluation for Make Ethical Decisions - MED:
   • Following the training of this module, coaches must log on to www.coach.ca and take the on-line evaluation.

3. Outline a CanSkate session
• Develop an ideal 45-60 minute CanSkate session on paper detailing information on  the four main parts of a CanSkate session

All trained CanSkate coaches that are required to complete this mandatory certification must obtain an approved Mentor Coach in their Section by contacting their Section Course Administrator (SCA).

Note: All of the resources needed for both the candidate and Mentor Coach are available on Members’ Only under the main coaching menu - www.skatecanada.ca

Reminder:  NCCP Level 3 theory phase out
The Level 3 theory course will be phased out between December 31, 2008 and April 1, 2009.
The NCCP Competition – Development multi-sport modules are gradually being phased in and will eventually replace the Level 3 theory of the old NCCP.

During the transition phase coaches will be able to obtain equivalency for their Level 3 Theory component as follows:

Make Ethical Decisions + Design a Basic Sport Program

(*If a coach has completed these modules or has equivalency for Theory 1 & 2 they do NOT    need to re-do these modules).

PLUS 4 of these 6 NCCP Competition – Development Multi-sport Modules
      Developing Athletic Abilities
      Prevention and Recovery
      Coaching and Leading Effectively
      Psychology of Performance
      Managing Conflict
      Doping Prevention

Equivalency for Level 3 Theory can be granted effective immediately but will cease to be provided to coaches after April 1, 2012.

These courses can be accessed through the Provincial Government Sport Body at www.coach.ca/eng/links/ptcc.cfm

Reminder: Make Ethical Decision On-line Module
Effective September 1, 2009 – as a condition of membership, all coaches will have to complete the Making Ethical Decisions (MED) on-line evaluation to become a registered Skate Canada coaching member. Log on to www.coach.ca for further information and to complete the MED module.

In preparation for your completion of the MED on-line module, reference material is available on Members’ Only at www.skatecanada.ca under the Coaching main menu.

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Officials Corner

Best Practices in Officials Development

Every Skate Canada Section must provide officials with an opportunity for continuing education as outlined in the Skate Canada Rule Book, Officials Definition, Appointment, Qualifications Policy, item 6.3.

The Quebec Section has undertaken a novel approach regarding the ongoing training of Synchronized Skating Judges. Officials qualified in Synchronized Skating face the challenge of staying current because the competition season for this discipline is short as compared to Singles, Pairs and Ice Dance and there are no opportunities for assignment over the off season months. Quebec is faced with the additional challenge of distance between officials making a face to face clinic difficult to schedule. In response to these two issues the Quebec Section Officials Committee has proposed the following solution:

• Senior Synchronized clinic participants will be sent a list of three programs via e-mail once every two months that they can view using the ‘youtube’ website.
• Included in the e-mail will be the judge worksheets for each program with the elements already entered.
• Participants will be required to provide Grades of Execution (GOE) and Program Components (PC) for each of the programs.
• There will also be additional questions related to specific GOEs and PCs provided.
• Feedback and opportunities for discussion will follow once the completed worksheets are submitted to the committee.

By asking officials to complete the required assessments via e-mail and internet viewing, the Section has the ability to provide opportunity for continuing education to all its qualified officials in this discipline. Additional advantages with this program include:

• Convenience: By providing assessment via e-mail and internet viewing, officials can provide their response when it is convenient, as opposed to giving up free time to attend a seminar.
• Cost: There is no significant cost involved in this approach versus the real costs (hotel, travel, etc) involved in scheduling a clinic.
• Timely feedback: All officials welcome the opportunity for constructive feedback as it allows them to arrive at events prepared. By providing this opportunity for continuing education, the officials involved in the program gain another possibility for effective and timely feedback on their abilities.
• Educational analysis: Potential systemic flaws in education can be highlighted through the responses of the participants. If the majority of respondents offer a similar incorrect assessment of a team’s performance, attention can be paid to potential areas that need to be updated in our system of clinics and training opportunities.

The Quebec Officials Committee is running this undertaking as a two year pilot project and has involved officials from the Nova Scotia and Newfoundland and Labrador Sections. Once the results have been returned and the project assessed, they anticipate using this structure for continuing education opportunities in other disciplines and other classes of officials.

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National Team

National Events Recap

2009 BMO Skate Canada Junior Nationals took place in Calgary in mid-February and new and returning champions were crowned in juvenile, pre-novice and novice in all four skating disciplines: men’s, women’s, pair and ice dance.

(Pictured left) Juvenile Women on the podium
1st - Taylor Hunsley WO
2nd - Jayda Jurome BC/YT
3rd - Roxanne Cournoyer QC

Juvenile
Men’s – Phelan Simpson - WO
Women’s – Taylor Hunsley –WO
Pair – Shalena Rau / Phelan Simpson –WO
Ice Dance – Madeline Edwards / Zhao Kai Pang – BC/YT

Pre-novice
Men’s – Jordan Ju – BC/YT
Women’s – Natasha Purich – AB/NT/NU
Pair – Alysson Dugas / Maxime Deschamps - QC
Ice Dance – Edrea Khong / Edbert Khong – CO

Novice
Men’s – Nam Nguyen – BC/YT
Women’s – Kaetlyn Osmond – AB/NT/NU
Pair – Katie Bobak / Matthew Penasse – WO
Ice Dance – Carolyn MacCuish / Tyler Morris – WO

The 2009 BMO Skate Canada Synchronized Skating Championships in Oshawa was the place to be in late February!

Adult Festival silver medal team Mississauga Ice Precise

A total of 69 teams from both the competitive and festival disciplines hit the ice in Oshawa to vie for national titles. The eight category tournament produced eight Canadian Champions.

Congratulations to the 2009 Canadian Champions and everyone that participated at both events!

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LA LIVE!

Canada does it again! For the second straight year, the Maple Leaf flew proudly for the “winning-est” nation at the World Figure Skating Championships in Los Angeles.

Canada’s Men’s Champ, Patrick Chan, set the stage for next year’s showdown in Vancouver by winning the silver medal. Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir captured a bronze in Dance after Tessa’s miracle recovery following surgery in the fall. And finally, after 21 years of medal drought on the Women’s podium, Canada’s Joannie Rochette skated to silver.

Backstage at the Staples Centre, things ran very smoothly for Team Canada. The support team was primed and experienced, led by former Canadian Men’s Champ Mike Slipchuk, now Skate Canada’s High Performance Director, and by team leaders Petra Burka and Debbi Wilkes, both Olympic medalists. On the medical side, Dr. Julia Alleyne of Toronto and Judith Proulx-Snedden of Ottawa combined their talents to manage coughs, colds, aches and pains and to provide the motherly support needed throughout the week during times of enormous tension and emotional pressure.

The host organizing committee couldn’t have been more hospitable. Transportation from and to the airport was easy, accreditation was seamless and with Canadian Carol Hopper and her pal, Charlie Cyr from the US, as Tech reps, all the on-ice running of the event went off like clock work. Their wonderful personalities helped create a calm and casual environment … and as a result, the skaters produced many personal bests clocking in some of the highest scores ever seen on the international circuit.

And now all eyes will turn to another city on the Pacific, this one further north, as athletes and coaches prepare for the greatest event of them all, the Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver, just 11 months away.

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Historical Edges

Ron Vincent, Skating Legend

Ronald J. (Ron) Vincent was born in Burnaby, British Columbia, in 1927. Upon seeing a dance performance at the age of four, Ron had what he calls a "crystallizing experience" which led to a life-long interest in dance and theatre. Later, this interest translated into a love of figure-skating and at 14 he joined the Vancouver Skating Club.

Ron trained under remarkable skating coaches: Ferdinand G. Chatte', Russian émigré and one-time coach of Sonja Henie, Verna Miles Fraser, famous for producing skating spectacles, Mary Rose Thacker, Winnipeg’s North American Champion, and chiefly, Czech coach, Otto Gold.  With partner Joy Forsyth, they won the Junior Pair Championship of Canada in 1949 and with seven first place finishes after this, they were raised to the Senior team for the North American Championships in Philadelphia to compete in ice dancing.

Courtesy of Skate Canada Archives

In 1951, after touring in Canada, the USA and Great Britain with Ice Capades, Ron was hired to coach at the St. Catharines Winter Club and began a highly successful relationship that lasted 16 years. He taught year-round in several cities across southern Ontario. His students were successful at the Western Ontario Championships and national competitions including Bradley Black, Junior Champion in 1960 and member of the World Team in 1961.

Ron studied in the summers with the fledgling National Ballet of Canada under Artistic Director Celia Franca and the school’s Principal Betty Oliphant. He joined company members and others for three years in performing in the Grandstand show at the Canadian National Exhibition under choreographer Alan Lund.

In the 1960's Ron became a member of the Board of the recently formed Professional Skating Association of Canada (later called Figure Skating Coaches of Canada). He also chaired the Work Study Committee in 1967, produced what became the groundwork for an education program for coaches. It was the first sport organization in Canada to seriously address the education of its coaches. Ron was appointed the first Course Conductor in 1974.

In 1967 Ron moved to Edmonton to become Head Coach and Director of the Royal Glenora Club. Many Provincial and Canadian Championships were won along with a bronze medal at the World's Professional Championships in Spain in 1973 (William (Bill) Marchyshyn).

In 1970, Ron returned to his home province as Head Coach of The Racquet Club of Victoria. In 1976 Ron founded, with Mary Rose Thacker (the legendary Ladies North American Champion) and Frank Nowosad, skater, artist, and dance critic, a non-profit association dedicated to pursuing skating as an art. With an Explorations Grant from The Canada Council for the Arts, Canada Ice Dance Theatre Association gave a summer series of performances. In the early eighties the society moved to Vancouver, where it continues to give performances, classes and workshops. There were regular shows by Canada Ice Dance Theatre, two editions of Winterfest in Vancouver in the early 90’s, and his skating company was nominated for "Best Entertainment at an Event in North America in 1995".

Ten years later after moving to Victoria, Ron moved to Vancouver to take up a full-time position in the National Coaching Development Program. Working with Skate Canada (then the Canadian Figure Skating Association), the courses became part of the new National Coaching Certification Program under Sport Canada. Ron was appointed Coaching Program Director.

Ron Vincent has had an interesting life as a skater, dancer, coach, choreographer, producer, artistic director and administrator. He was a champion and in a very long career has taught hundreds of children and adults. Some became gold medalists, others just had fun, but they all appreciated learning through the artistic lens that Ron sees skating through.

Ron is credited with being a pioneer of programs for coaching development in Canada and the presentation of these programs throughout the country. His love of artistry has additionally contributed to figure skating through competitive program choreography and through his artistic skating company.

In 1997 the British Columbia Section of Skate Canada honoured Ron with a Lifetime Achievement Award and now, at over 80 years of age, he continues to coach.

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From the Beginning of CanSkate

This season was special for Penny Bosomworth Simpson as she shared the memories of her 25 year relationship with CanSkate. This retired Skate Canada coach knows the ins and outs of the CanSkate program as she was involved from the very beginning back in the 1983/1984 season. As the CanSkate program celebrates its 25th season, we continue to hear more and more people who have grown with Canada’s best and largest learn-to-skate program!

1987 - Moncton Mariposa Skating Club.
CanSkate being taught by current coach and Skate Canada Archivist Emery Leger.
Photo credit Arnold Studio

Penny was a skater too, first skating in London, England under the great Arnold Gershweler where she learned how to skate through a program similar to CanSkate. Her personal journey led her to Colorado Springs where she trained with the late Eddie Sholden – and later became a coach at the White Rock Figure Skating Club in White Rock, British Columbia. Back in 1983, a new grassroots skating program was introduced to some clubs across the country. After deciding what a great opportunity CanSkate was for new skaters, Penny got involved from the get-go and became an advocate of the program. “I was very impressed by the elements and how the skaters were able to progress within each level,” she said. “As a teacher, I found it so professional to be able to have this little piece of paper that outlined each badge and the fact it wasn’t bulky allowed me to keep it right in my pocket!”

Penny studied the program and was invited to the National Office in Ottawa to become one of few Master Clinic Conductors for Western Canada; she returned to BC with a goal of implementing the program across all clubs in her region. From Winnipeg to Tumbler Ridge Penny travelled from club to club teaching the basics of the new program and sharing the benefits. Although there was a little resistance at first, she was convinced that this program would be great for skating in Canada, and she was right!

Penny is still very involved in the skating world though she is retired from coaching. Her journey with CanSkate is a real testament of her commitment and the program’s success. Penny is one of the many people who have made this program so popular and worthwhile. Skate Canada is proud to share the stories of our wonderful members like Penny and recognize their dedication, hard work and trust in the direction we continue to take to bring skating to all Canadians at all levels. Congratulations Penny!

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You and Your Club

CanSkate Toolkit

Last summer, the Marketing and Communications team undertook a major initiative and created a Communications Kit that was sent to all clubs and schools in October. The goal of this toolkit was to provide clubs with the necessary resources to be able to promote their CanSkate programs at the local level.

The kit was presented in an easy-to-use CD format and included the following tools:

• Print ads
• Posters
• Flyers
• Radio and television spots

Available on the CD was a document called “CanSkate Promotion and Marketing Information Sheet”. This piece provided background information on the CanSkate program, explained the benefits of CanSkate and provided marketing strategies and tips on how to keep children involved in the program. Helpful articles on how to write press releases, tips on developing advertising campaigns and how to properly market products were also included in the kit.

We hope that you have had an opportunity to explore all of the options that are available to your clubs on this CD and have started to implement them in and around your community. Our feedback survey is still available if you have not had the chance to fill it out http://www.zoomerang.com/Survey/?p=WEB228R8SL5NYS. If you have any questions about the contents of this kit please contact the Member Services Department at 1.888.747.2372 ext 2519.

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This Season and Next

2009/2010 Event Season

Skate Canada is excited to begin the 2009/2010 season of competitive figure skating. The passion and excitement that Canadian figure skating witnessed this 2008/2009 season is only a preview of the energy that will be generated throughout the 2009/2010 season! The talent displayed by Canadian figure skaters this season has been exceptional. The level of energy is expected to amplify in the next year, as Canada gears up for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Games in Vancouver, British Columbia.

Cities in Ontario will be hosting three of Canada’s five competitive events to take place in the 2009/2010 figure skating season.

The 2009 HomeSense Skate Canada International will take place in Kitchener, Ontario from November 19-22, 2009 at the Kitchener Memorial Auditorium Complex. Ticket packages are currently on sale; all-event tickets are $145 plus applicable taxes and surcharges. They can be purchased online at www.centre-square.com, by phone at 519.578.1570 or 1.800.265.8977, in person at The Aud or at the Centre in The Square Box Office.

The 2009 BMO Skate Canada Western Challenge & 2009 BMO Skate Canada Eastern Challenge will be held in Mississauga, Ontario from December 2-6, 2009 at the Hershey Centre. The Western and Eastern Challenge events will bring together approximately 500 skaters, competing to advance to BMO Canadian Figure Skating Championships or BMO Skate Canada Junior Nationals. Ticket information will be posted on www.skatecanada.ca when available.

The 2010 BMO Canadian Figure Skating Championships and BMO Skate Canada Junior Nationals will be held in London, Ontario, and will follow a new trial format. This configuration stems from the Long Term Athlete Development (LTAD) plan, which Skate Canada is implementing over the next six to eight years basing skater development on biological age rather than chronological age. The 2010 BMO Skate Canada Junior Nationals (junior and novice events) will take place at the Western Fair Sports Centre from January 11-14, 2009. The 2010 BMO Canadian Figure Skating Championships (senior events) will take place at the John Labatt Centre from January 14-17, 2009. Top finishes in the competition will earn senior skaters the possibility of representing Canada in the 2010 Olympic Games in Vancouver, as well as a spot on the Skate Canada National Team. Athletes will also vie for spots on the 2010 ISU World Figure Skating Championships, the ISU Four Continents Figure Skating Championships 2010 and the ISU World Junior Figure Skating Championships 2010 teams. Ticket packages are currently on sale for both events; senior event packages ranging from $125-$150 and junior/novice event packages at $20. These packages can be purchased at the John Labatt Centre, online at www.johnlabattcentre.com or by phone at 1.866.455.2849.

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Skate Canada to Pilot Revised Competition Structure in 2009/2010

Beginning in October, 2009 and culminating in January, 2010, Skate Canada is piloting a new competition format for skaters in the qualifying system.  Skate Canada is presently adopting a long term athlete development model (LTAD) that includes changes to the ideal competitive process.  This model provides a more systematic approach to working with participants and developing athletes, based on biological age rather than chronological age. The calendar for development level figure skaters and the event restructure is reflective of the emerging principles of long term figure skating athlete development.

The new event format combines BMO Skate Canada Junior Nationals and the BMO Canadian Figure Skating Championships in the same location during the same week.  The pilot of this combined event format will be held in London, Ontario in 2010.  This change to the competition structure in part begins to allow for the adoption of the model which will be implemented gradually over the next six to eight years.

The 2010 Junior Nationals event scheduled from January 11-14, 2010, will include Novice and Junior competitions.  The 2010 BMO Canadian Figure Skating Championships, scheduled from January 14-17, 2010, will consist of the four Senior Championship events.

In the 2009/2010 competitive season, juvenile athletes will compete at Sectionals; pre-novice skaters will compete at Sectionals before advancing to the Challenge competition in the usual format. Neither of these categories will compete at Junior Nationals in 2010.

It is suggested that over the next few years, the most important competitions for competitive skaters at the pre-novice and lower levels begin to be organized toward the end of the winter season to allow for proper training time for the majority of participants at those levels.

A summary of feedback collected during the past several seasons includes the following general comments and support of this trial event format:

1. current competitive structure is very expensive due to travel required for skaters to compete at low developmental levels – in the case of juvenile, only one free program skate
2. timing of Sectional qualifying events for skaters in pre-juvenile, juvenile and pre-novice does not support training programs in the majority of clubs whose winter season sessions do not begin until October
3. skaters are sometimes held back to try to qualify for or win Junior Nationals, interfering with their own development and blocking the development of skaters new to that level
4. it is a long time for juvenile skaters to wait from Sectionals to Junior Nationals – they are losing important training and skill development time training last year’s program, while other skaters have moved on to the new material already
5. Challenge, Junior Nationals and Canadians event schedules are very long and do not support best athlete performance because of early mornings, late nights and long days we need to consider if we have too many categories or too many entries.

As this format is in a trial period, comments and feedback are welcome from across the skating community now and through next season as the revised events occur.  Subsequently, decisions will be made about the future event format, relative to long term athlete development, best return on investment for providing skater experiences and best competition management practices.

Please address your questions and feedback to skatecanada@skatecanada.ca attention Director of Events.

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Rink Rats

In-Venue Entertainment

There is nothing better than attending a live sporting event……the noise, the familiar smells and the atmosphere make these events memorable. So what can heighten the fan experience at events even more? It’s in-venue entertainment (IVE) which can take place both in the stands as well as on the concourse. Entertainment in the venue can range from simple things like setting up a booth full of historical memorabilia for fans to check out during intermissions, to providing autograph sessions allowing fans to gain an opportunity to meet their heroes. Skating events are different than most sporting events in that they run over a span of four to five days, instead of happening over the course of a couple of hours. The days are also much longer meaning that extra attention has to be paid to make sure the fans can realize the entertainment value of attending! Sponsor related games, prizing, music, commercials, PA announcements and autograph sessions are all examples of successful IVE activations.

In-Venue Spotlight

This season Skate Canada embarked on some new fan engaging adventures: the Daily Spin is one of them! The idea is to better connect with our fans on-site at events through a mini newspaper. “At every event there are terrific backstage stories, inspiring personal stories, exciting moments and dramatic situations that the audience never hears about. With the Spin, it's our opportunity to let our fans discover those stories and to learn about the ideas that not only add a personal and more human touch to the event, but can also educate and engage them about skating in a deeper way." said Debbi Wilkes, Director, Marketing and Communications.

Keep an eye out at the next event you attend and become more in-the-know with the Daily Spin!

Shawn Sawyer and Jeremy Ten signing autographs in front of a HomeSense
display at the HomeSense Skate Canada International

The main goal of IVE is to ensure that the fans are having fun! At HomeSense Skate Canada International, in-venue entertainment was evident throughout the entire building. T-fal gave away mini frying pans, Artistry provided fans with lipstick samples, Sony set up a photobooth and Post handed out cereal samples. HomeSense gave out ornaments upon entry to the building and set up vignettes throughout the venue showcasing merchandise. Autograph signings took place daily with fans lining up for their chance to meet and have their pictures taken with many of the Canadians that competed at this international event. Much of the same took place at the recent BMO Canadian Figure Skating Championships. BMO created a large fan centre complete with memorabilia, computer terminals and giveaways for the fans to enjoy. The fan centre also housed all autograph signings giving fans the opportunity to interact with some of their favourite skaters. BMO activation in the stands was also evident through their BMO Ultimate Fan and Power of Blue promotional games. Skaters got fans on their feet for a chance to win some prizes!

A new element to Skate Canada’s IVE that was first introduced at HSSCI was SkateBug. It’s a small battery operated receiver attached to a tiny earpiece that has the ability to provide audio commentary of the event to the live audience and it’s recyclable, so fans could also use it at BMO Canadians. People who purchased this device were able to listen to the commentary of former Canadian Champions including; Liz Manley to Debbi Wilkes and Jeffrey Buttle while following along with the events. An added feature allowed fans to send text message questions that were then answered live on air by the expert panel.

All of the above in-venue elements along with a great on-ice event work together to ensure that fans not only have a good time but guarantee that they’ll want to come back for more!

BMO Fan Centre!

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Ice Dancers and Volunteers!

Claire and Wendell at the 2009 BMO Canadian Figure Skating Championships

Is there anything better than leading your section in the ice dance category and having the opportunity to compete at the national level? Apparently for Alberta/NWT/Nunavut partners Claire Tannett and Wendell McGrath, helping the next generation of skaters is!

Claire and Wendell decided to help out this year at the BMO Skate Canada Junior Nationals. Claire took on the role of Ice Captain and Wendell helped with transportation. “We are the Alberta Senior Ice Dance Champions and thought we would make great role models for the younger skaters,” said Claire. Though the partners worked very long hours, there was some fun to be had as Claire greeted the skaters wearing a cowboy hat at the airport as part of her role.

The ability to give their friends and training mates words of advice and support as they were competing at this event was not only helpful to the skaters, but rewarding for these Ice Dance Sectional Champs. Staying involved in the skating family is important to these two who have competed at the national level many times. They shared that being a part of the skating family adds to their experience as skaters.

Claire has been skating since she was 12, Wendell since the age of four. They have been a team since 2006 and continue to enjoy skating for fun and competitively. Skate Canada thanks Claire and Wendell for their commitment and leadership on and off the ice!

Claire and Wendell at the 2009 BMO
Skate Canada Junior Nationals
as volunteers

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Patrick Chan – From CanSkater to Champion

Patrick Chan is the reigning two time Canadian Champion, the current ISU Four Continents champion and a double gold medal winner on this year’s Grand Prix circuit - all this and he just celebrated his 18th birthday!

Patrick started off in the CanSkate program at the age of five, he wanted to play hockey but his mom insisted that he try figure skating first. During his time in the CanSkate program, he enjoyed making new friends and collecting skating badges. He was immediately interested in learning how to skate fast and jump. He was so enthusiastic about skating that he often practiced on an outdoor pond late at night after his taekwondo training.

This early love for skating eventually led him to the Granite Club where he started training with his longtime coach Osborne Colson. Under Colson’s guidance Patrick was named the pre-novice national champion in 2003, the novice champion in 2004 and junior national champion in 2005.

After successfully defending his national title this past January, Patrick continues to work towards his ultimate goal of representing Canada at the upcoming Olympic Games in Vancouver; a journey that began 13 years ago when he stepped onto the ice for his first CanSkatelesson.

Fun Facts about Patrick:

Favourite subject: math
Favourite pastimes: golf and tennis
Volunteer work: “Adopt an Athlete” program through the Canadian Olympic Committee
Favourite colour: red
Dislikes: raw tomatoes
Likes: cars and everything about them

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Editor’s Closing

Editor’s Closing

Thank you for coming back to Keeping In Touch! I am very pleased with all the input we have received for this publication and hope everyone will continue to contribute. I will keep reminding you that this is a vehicle for us to reach each other and help out as much as we can! This is a big reason the skating family has been so strong and will continue to be. Keeping In Touch online is still in its infancy and there is lots of room for us to grow!

Communication vehicles are important to all of us and we want to make the drive for you as smooth as freshly zamboni-ed ice! Though a wonderful season is ending, another great one is beginning.  We’ve embraced opportunities, believed, dreamed bigger and reached higher and this season, we are about to highlight our defining moments in history, in the 09/10 season and beyond!

I wish everyone a safe and successful spring season and look forward to hearing about your AGMs. I know there are several exciting themes and materials being prepared by each Section and the national office is working on several new and exciting initiatives for our ACGM and National Coaches’ Conference in June.

I have been visiting as many areas as I can and have been so warmly welcomed from each and every member. I want to take this opportunity to thank everyone in the skating family for being so dedicated and continuing to share your passion for the greater good of our sport. I appreciate all the input that has come in and look forward to hearing the continued stream of feedback. We are part of a dialogue, so let’s keep talking!

Until next time….keep in touch!

Sincerely,

Dianne Tennen
Keeping In Touch Editor
Manager of Internal Communications

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