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IN SYNCH

November 2009

by Noelle Pearson/Erin Banco

Editor's note: Noelle Pearson is a member of U.S. Figure Skating's D.R.E.A.M. program and a freshman on the Western Michigan senior synchronized skating team. Last season, Pearson represented the United States at the World Challenge Cup for Juniors as a member of Team Braemar. In this column, she shares her experiences selecting a college and choosing to skate while attending college.

As I sat in my first week of freshman classes at Western Michigan University in Kalamazoo, listening to my professors go on about the enormous amount of work I'll need to do, my thoughts began to race: "Oh my goodness, how am I going to do all this work and skate tomorrow morning? We have tryouts. There's no way I can skate and go to college; what was I thinking?"

Trying to decide whether I should skate in college or not reminded me of being a high school senior and approaching graduation. The questions were flowing: "Can I handle skating and school? Is college skating affordable? Do I want to skate in college?"

Noelle Pearson

The answer to these questions was, undoubtedly, yes. When I started my college search I had no idea how many universities or colleges had skating programs or even how much money it would cost. I found there are open collegiate, collegiate, junior, and senior teams that represent more than 40 colleges and universities all over the United States.

As decision time drew near, I found many benefits to continuing skating in college. I would have an instant group of friends with my teammates, I would stay fit, and I would travel all over the United States. I might even travel internationally to represent the United States. My teammates could advise me on which classes and professors to pick. Most importantly, I would learn time management skills.

I considered the words of experienced college skaters. When I asked some of the Western Michigan University skaters why they continued to skate in college, I was given these responses: "I couldn't let go of skating, I would miss it too much"; "Skating helps keep me motivated for school"; "There's always someone to help you with homework"; and "I wanted to represent a college and have team spirit."

This is exactly what I was hoping to hear.

I knew I was not ready to give up the exhilaration of skating. It's just you, the ice and your passion for skating. I knew that whatever stress I was under from college classes, I could get away from it all through skating. I am thrilled to compete with a team with which I can share my excitement about the sport.

As I sit in my second week of college classes, I realize all the advice I was given was true. I can handle skating and school. I know I made the right decision by following my passion for skating and continuing it in college. No matter where you choose to go to college, you can always continue skating. Whether it is synchronized, free skating or ice dance, the opportunities are endless.

Erin Banco competes at the 2009 U.S. Synchronized Skating Championships with her team from the University of Wisconsin.

Editor's note: Erin Banco is a member and co-captain of the University of Wisconsin Synchronized Skate Team in Madison. She competed as a member of the Colonials and, in this column, shares her perspective on skating on a college team.

I remember my first skating lesson. I was 3 years old, wore a pink ski suit and used a slightly broken milk crate for balance. I started skating for the same reasons other girls my age did - I wanted to go to the Olympics and compete in a packed arena. When I was 8, I tried synchronized skating. Before long, the sport and friends I made became an integral and pertinent part of my life.

I spent most of my competitive career with The Colonials synchronized skating team under the direction of Merita Mullen. Through my years there, I acquired a set of qualities that were beneficial throughout my high school and college careers. From long tumultuous hours of practice I learned discipline, hard work and dedication, and from competing, I learned how to focus.

Before every competition, my team and I cheered and mentally prepared for competition, but there was only one tradition that could fully suppress our nerves - hearing our coach's infamous phrase, "Skate for the feeling in the pit of your stomach."

I heard these words at the 2007 World Synchronized Skating Challenge Cup for Juniors in Nottingham, England - one of the most important competitions of my skating career.

It was that feeling my teammates and I strove for when we stepped on the ice for our free skate. It settled our nerves and focused our thoughts on executing the steps. After a nearly flawless performance, we had that feeling in our stomachs and finished fifth in the world.

Mullen's advice helped me transition into skating in college. At my first practice with the University of Wisconsin Synchronized Skating Team, I held unfamiliar shoulders and listened to new direction, but I continued to skate for the feeling in the pit of my stomach.

The gap between high school and college is smaller than most graduating seniors realize. The same is true with skating. The steps, competitions and teams are the same. The most prominent difference is skating for a new club and a new mascot.

At college competitions, not only do I represent the University of Wisconsin Figure Skating Club, but I also represent 40,000 other Badger students on my campus. The responsibility of representing a world-class university only adds to the duty I feel as a student officer of the UW-Madison collegiate team.

In high school, I was not responsible for the organization of my team; at UW-Madison, the students manage the team. We make budgets to afford ice and costumes, organize social functions, book plane tickets, and communicate with officials while working to sustain overall team morale.

As co-captain, I am refining skills I will use after graduation and far beyond my synchronized skating career. It is important to have a connection with each individual on the team, regardless of my personal feelings. In order to promote cohesion, I reach out and support skaters who are experiencing stressors, whether related to skating and or other personal issues.

The main challenge of skating in college is balancing the academic rigor while also excelling as an athlete. In high school, I focused on academics along with skating, but in college the expectations are higher. There is a tremendous amount of pressure to receive the best education and to prepare for the looming real-world job market I will need to break into.

Despite my college workload, I know I can always rely on skating as a stress reliever. The hours I spend on the ice during the academic year are the most precious to me because they encompass my only time off from studying.

If I had one recommendation for aspiring synchronized skaters of any age it would be the advice Mullen passed on to me. It is my 12th season as a synchronized skater, and I still yearn for that feeling in the pit of my stomach. There is nothing sweeter than a successful performance and months of hard work paid off. Inevitably, there are many performances in which my team and I fall short, but that makes each flawless performance following even more fulfilling. Although I have more responsibilities as a college skater, my passion for the sport is the same as it was at my first competition. No matter how old I am or what team I skate for, the feeling will remain the same.