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IN SYNCH
August/September 2009
More than 500 athletes, coaches, parents and judges took over the University of Delaware campus June 25-27 for the fourth annual U.S. Synchronized Skating Training Festival, the National Coaches College and the second convergence of the newly formed DREAM Team.
Prominent coaches such as Saga Krantz, Lisa Darken, Pam May, Jill Janik-Cipresso, Judy Blumberg, Josh Babb, Merita Mullen, Holly Teets and Vicki Korn joined forces to help teach and inspire skaters on the path toward success in synchronized skating.
Athletes participated in many on-ice sessions, and also off-ice classes such as dance, stretching, team building and International Judging System Jeopardy. The training festival featured a “road trip” theme, as each group of 25 skaters represented a U.S. city from coast to coast, with the final “destination” being Colorado Springs, Colo., where the 2010 World Synchronized Skating Championships will be held next spring.
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| Members of the DREAM Team enjoy time together at the festival. Pictured are (clockwise) Amanda France (purple shirt), Lauren Bracken, Emily Saitta, Erika Hoffman, Taylor Walker and Noelle Pearson. |
“The most valuable thing for me was working with the best coaches in the United States,” Daley said. “I loved hearing what each of them had to say about the sport, and I really tried to soak everything in as much as I could. It was such a great opportunity that all of those coaches were there all at once to teach us. I also found our time with the judges and technical specialists valuable because that is a rare opportunity to be able to talk to them and ask all of our questions about the system.”
Fully committed to the idea of going on a “road trip,” Daley drove from Ohio to participate in the training festival, which she thought would be a good way to challenge herself and gain skating experience.
“My favorite part was probably in the end when our team really pulled it together,” Daley said. “It was such a great experience to be on a team with 24 other girls, who you had never met before, and be able to work together and pull together a decent performance in less than an hour.”
One of her teammates was festival attendee Ashley Mulhern.
A member of the Skyliners' junior team, Mulhern's commitment to the sport pushed her to attend the festival for the first time.
“I love synchronized skating so much because of the team aspect and camaraderie,” Mulhern said. “I love making new friends from all over the country, whom I am able to see and reconnect with at competitions and other places throughout my skating career. I also love how challenging it is, but also how rewarding it can be.”
That love of the sport is something that Mulhern shared not only with those at the festival, but with 10 specific athletes.
These 10 athletes make up the recently formed DREAM Team. Just like all the other participating athletes, these 10 skaters were brought together by their passion for synchronized skating and their ambition to achieve within the sport. Throughout the weekend, DREAM Team members got to cover all the bases – they attended the coaches college and were team leaders, classroom teachers, presenters, liaisons, and, of course, skaters.
DREAM Team members not only shared their love of the sport with developing athletes, but also learned about themselves as skaters and leaders, and how they can continue to grow within the sport. The 10 skaters also participated in activities with the other athletes both on and off the ice, including performing a program that kicked off the festival's concluding exhibition.
Prior to the DREAM Team taking the ice for the exhibition, the sounds of enthusiasm and excitement echoed throughout the arena as all 200 athletes, team leaders, coaches, and even parents and fans, participated in a rousing USA chant – a moment that brought chills to many.
The U.S. Synchronized Skating Training Festival is a demonstration of the athletes' dedication to the sport and to their country, and the desire to grow, learn, inspire and achieve in the sport of synchronized skating.
