August 11, 2023 -
Hello and welcome to the new season!
2024 National Showcase
The Peninsula Skating Club has been awarded the 2024 National Showcase! It’s tentatively scheduled in the week of July 29; it’s a prestigious really fun five day event and skaters from all over the country will attend. Planning started months ago and we’ll keep you posted! To find out more about theatrical showcase skating, click here:
Strategic Planning Program
The Board of Directors is participating in a USFS sponsored program that helps clubs figure out where they are now and where they want to go. This Strategic Planning Program will help us outline a five year plan to better support you, our membership. An anonymous Membership Survey was mailed out to you and we need your input. We want to know how we can improve and what you want/need from the club. Keep in mind that we have little control over the rink facilities – we are guests in their house.
High School Team
This program starts in September and if you are interested in participating, please contact Liz at: secretary@peninsulaskatingclub.org. This year, we need parent volunteers to run the program. It’s growing and Liz needs help! Click here for more information:
Theater on Ice
We have been trying very hard to start a team but none of the rinks will give us sufficient ice time. We continue to try.
Competition Insight
We saw a flurry of activity from Aug 3-5 as we hosted Collegiate Nationals and SVO. We saw over 250 skaters in the competition that we’ve been working on for almost a year. I’d like to give you insight into what’s involved with hosting these competitions.
Approximately nine months ago, we bid for Collegiate Nationals, NQS partnered dance and applied to be part of the Solo Dance Series for SVO. We had to provide proposed budget data, identify key personnel, and obtain facility approval. Board members worked with the USFS and rink management to figure out which rinks would provide the best configuration since Collegiate National and NQS skaters must be credentialed. We continued to work with the USFS to satisfy all of their requirements.
60 officials had to be lined up to cover all of the different events and levels. Our chief event coordinator negotiated with hotels to obtain better rates and food had to be planned for all officials, three meals per day for three days.
Our Registrar had to set up three different competitions in EMS: Collegiate Nationals, NQS dance, and SVO. Entries had to be managed, withdrawals processed, and late entries dealt with. The Registrar tracked music and PPC form submissions, a no small feat since many were late. Practice ice was opened up for Collegiate Nationals and due to a bug in the EMS system, it allowed skaters to buy unlimited number of sessions and we had to shut it down. As a work around, we had to set up a paper system where practice ice was purchased at the rink.
New tables had to be built for the judges since the configuration of the rinks were different. We worked with our facility manager who designed tables that hooked onto the boards so that we could set up the judges mini-systems and iPads. Chairs that fit inside the hockey boxes were identified and 32 stadium seats were purchased for the judges’ comfort.
In order to run a competition, volunteers are needed: registration desk, ice monitors, runners, music, announcing. As the competition approached, the sign up request (SignUp Genius) was sent out to our membership and just days before the competition, we had a 27% sign up rate. By competition day, enough people stepped up to cover the events.
The day before the competition, all judges’ tables and chairs, mini systems, registration area, podium with backdrops, video and photo areas had to be set up. Credentials were printed and organized. The Accounting room was set up with all equipment and printers ready for scoring. The Chief Accountant determines and posts the starting orders. Sheets for ice monitors and registration were printed.
The club does not make money from these events. Between hotel, food, and airfare for the officials, the cost of ice at $555/hour, EMT support, and a myriad of other expenses, the club absorbs the cost.
I’m hoping that the next time you walk into a competition, you have a better understanding of all the work and love that goes into these events, all provided by volunteers. Please volunteer!