The Clinton Classic
by Joanne Vassallo Jamrosz, special to U.S. Figure Skating Online
Most skaters remember their first competition as a pretty scary experience. Memories of a strange rink, unfamiliar skaters and parents and having to skate in front of a panel of judges for the first time, quickly come to mind.
Maureen Dalton, National Vice Chair of Basic Skills, was aware of those first scary experiences and set out to create a skating competition that presented a fun, introductory competitive experience for the beginning skater. So she began the Basic Skills Competition series.
Dalton started the Michigan series six years ago after seeing competitions in Florida and Colorado Springs where skaters attended fellow skating club's basic skills competitions, accumulated points and received awards.
Today, the format of the series is simple. Three or more local competitions join forces and share one standard sanctioned announcement and all participating skaters earn points for their placements which are totaled up throughout the series. During the series last competition, the top three point earners in each level receive an additional award for participation.
However, the main focus of the event is to make the competition a fun and happy experience for skaters and parents.
"Parents and skaters want to walk into a rink and have a happy face greet them," Dalton said. "Our motto is, 'You are required to know nothing.' We want parents to feel free to ask any skating question, even if they feel it might be silly. We have new and wonderful things to present in skating and it should be done in a fun and gracious atmosphere."
Dalton believes the series works because of the philosophy of keeping it simple, but it is the ittle details that keep the skaters coming back.
"We have an on ice ceremony, just like the Olympics, where we present awards," Dalton said. "Everything is there, from the red carpet to lights to making nosegay bouquets for the skaters. We even have coaches on ice to help the little ones on to the podium."
The Clinton Figure Skating Club in New York is the most recent to join the series and will present the Clinton Classic Basic Skills Competition on May 12. After meeting Dalton at a governing council meeting, the thought of a state wide competition piqued Clinton club board members' interest.
"We could see this as a wonderful opportunity for younger skaters to be able to work toward a larger goal," club vice president Pat Sarandrea said. "The idea of a state wide series just captured our attention. The more we looked into it and talked to Maureen, the more excited we got."
New York State Clubs from Oswego, Malone, Lake Placid, Thomas Creek and Skaneateles will join the Clinton competition. For club president Kim Galinski, hosting the competition is exciting for club members and parents.
"The skaters will now have something to keep their interest and have goals like the older freestyle skaters do," Galinski said. "We hope that the clubs we did get to sign up with us will stick with us through next season because now that it's off the ground it's only going to grow and get more exciting."
Dalton also believes adding fun competition perks such as photos and gifts for the skaters all add to an event skaters will remember. The series also encourages skaters and parents to continue to pursue the sport, since Basic Skills creates future upper level skaters.
"You have to make them want to come back each year," Dalton said. "So you find your best and friendliest club people to help with the event, and have fun with it. Basic Skills skaters are critical to clubs.
Dalton is pleased with the response the series received so far.
"When we started, we had something like 40 or 50 skaters. Now they average more than 100 skaters," Dalton said.
Dalton encourages others to check out the Basic Skills Series newsletter on the U.S. Figure Skating web page Basic Skills page, and to help bring people aboard she will be speaking on the series at the upcoming U.S. Figure Skating Governing Council.
"The success has been unbelievable," Dalton said. "Our competitors have to come from somewhere. Why not get them at the rink at the Basic Skills level?"
If you would like to learn more about organizing a Basic Skills Series in your area, please contact Maureen Dalton at msdskating@aol.com or Susi Wehrli-McLaughlin at swehrli@usfigureskating.org. It only takes three Basic Skills programs to get it going, and many, many benefits will be realized.
Skaters at the recent Arctic Basic Skills Series pose on the podium. Photo Courtesy sk8stuff.com
