By Joanne Vassallo Jamrosz, special to U.S. Figure Skating Online

Olympic champion Scott Hamilton (center) poses with, from left to right, John Kerr, Sinead Kerr, Ashley Cain, Joshua Reagan, Audrey Lu, Nathan Chen, Mark Ladwig and Amanda Evora at the Dallas FSC's "Road to the Olympics" show. (Photo by Mike Itashiki)

The months following the Olympic Winter Games can be beneficial ones for skating clubs, as new members often join after discovering the sport during the high-profile event.

David DeCaprio of the Professional Skaters Association is the author of the monthly "ARC Forward" newsletter distributed by the PSA Area Representatives Committee. In a recent issue, DeCaprio noted that while the Olympics may be over, the quality of competitions taking place in many venues is quite high. DeCaprio sent a list of Olympic suggestions to coaches throughout the United States, with shows topping the list.

"Show planning could include Olympic music or themes," DeCaprio wrote. Another suggestion is to invite Olympic skaters as ice show or rink guests.

"Each of these athletes started somewhere, probably in group classes," DeCaprio wrote. "Include posters and their life stories in (club) newsletters. Are any of these skaters possibly from the area? These are suggestions clubs may want to capitalize on."

The Dallas Galleria Ice Skating School took DeCaprio's suggestions to heart. Its April 11 show "Road to the Olympics" not only featured performances by U.S. novice champion Nathan Chen and novice pairs champions Ashley Cain and Joshua Reagan but also Olympic pairs team and U.S. silver medalists Amanda Evora and Mark Ladwig and Olympic ice dancers Sinead Kerr and John Kerr of Great Britain. Olympic and World champion Scott Hamilton even served as master of ceremonies.

"We are very fortunate to have had Scott Hamilton as the host of the show," producer David Kirby said. "The show highlighted what top athletes looked like at different stages of their quest to compete in the Olympics."

The show began with U.S. Figure Skating champions ranging in age from 7 to 12. The middle group featured junior skaters ages 14 to 20, and the final group featured skaters from the 2010 Olympic Games. The ice skating school's 600-plus students also received special invitations to attend the free show and a private reception with Hamilton and guest skaters.

The County Ice Center, in conjunction with the Murray Silver Blades Figure Skating Club in Salt Lake City, Utah, chose its "Olympic Odyssey" theme from the excitement surrounding the Olympic Games, according to staff coach Katie Moose. The show's theme also gave the club's coaches and skaters a chance to reminisce about the 2002 Games held in Salt Lake City.

"All the coaches participated in the opening ceremonies for the 2002 Olympic Games, so this is really a nostalgic theme for all of us," Moose said. "Some of our greatest memories are of the months we spent rehearsing for that magical and perfect night, February 8, 2002, when the snow started falling just as the opening ceremonies began."

Moose hoped the show would bring just a touch of the 2002 Games closer to the more than 100 skaters participating in it.

"Probably half of the performers in our show weren't even born or were toddlers when the Olympic Games were in their hometown," Moose said. "So, this is their chance to be a part of the Olympic Games on their home ice."

Participants in the Clinton FSC's "Destination Vancouver" event (Photo by Michele Mock)

Clubs also offered Olympic workshops. At the Clinton Figure Skating Club in Clinton, N.Y., skaters participated in a "Destination Vancouver" workshop in mid January.

"We started out by having a brief overview of the Olympics," club board member Michele Mock said. "We discussed the Olympic rings, and we began our countdown until the Games began. The skaters were exposed to seven Olympic events including hockey, ski jumping, bobsledding, speedskating, curling, downhill skiing and, of course, figure skating."

The skaters "had a ball" according to Mock, and even picked Jeremy Abbott as their favorite Olympic skater.

"We were fortunate to have Jeremy as our guest skater at our annual ice show in 2006 and 2007." Mock said.

Skaters at the Rochester Figure Skating Club in Rochester, Minn., held a "Mini Olympics Day." More than 150 learn-to-skate members participated in seven Olympic events, from bobsleigh to curling to downhill skiing.

"Everyone had fun and received participation gold medals," coach Carol Rossignol said.

Even if clubs did not hold specific Olympic events, many annual competitions seemed to take on an Olympic air. At the Saratoga Figure Skating Club in Saratoga N.Y., President Darcy Scelsi decorated the rink in red, white and blue streamers for its mid-March competition, "The Saratoga Springs Invitational," and posted pictures of the 2010 U.S. Olympic Figure Skating Team members around the rink.

"We have seen an influx of new and younger skaters this season," Scelsi said. "I don't know for certain if the Olympics have impacted that simply because the sport is more visible this year than in other years. I think, in general, this does happen. There was definitely more of a buzz around the rink during the Olympics. All the kids were watching."