‘PLUS 10 ENCORE’ AWARD
Clubs recognized for retaining introductory members compiled by SUSI WEHRLI-MCLAUGHLIN
he returns have been promising in the introductory membership category at U.S. Figure Skating. Presented for the first time in 2010, 114 member clubs earned the “Plus 10” award for their efforts in successfully recruiting at least 10 new members. Last year, 140 member clubs achieved this special designa- tion.
T Tis past year, the membership committee
created an additional recognition category titled “Plus 10 Encore.” Te award goes to those clubs that retain 75 percent or more of their introduc- tory members from the previous year. We are happy to announce that 32 mem-
ber clubs received this award. Te following is a compilation of their success stories. We hope that your club can find ideas and different ways to gain and retain new members.
Louisville Skating Academy
Louisville Skating Academy (LSA) under- writes and operates all figure skating program- ming at Iceland Sports Complex in Louisville, Ky. To advance outside of the Basic Skills pro- gram (which only requires Basic Skills mem- bership), all skaters must become members of LSA. In return, LSA members enjoy a variety of programming aimed to meet the needs of all types of skaters, from young to not-so-young and from recreational to highly competitive. LSA offers free-skate sessions, private lessons, clinics, competitions, off-ice conditioning and ballet, synchronized skating, test sessions and other opportunities. One of the biggest draws for new members is the annual Nutcracker on Ice perfor- mance. Membership is required for all but the tiny tots, and many skaters from the Basic Skills program become members to secure a spot in the cast. Finally, LSA is a spirited club, and another benefit to membership is being able to purchase LSA logowear.
The Skating Club of Boston
Te Skating Club of Boston has enjoyed success enticing families with Basic Skills skaters to join our club. We created a companion intro- ductory-level membership to complement the U.S. Figure Skating membership, which offers the opportunity to try out our club with a re- duced financial commitment. We’ve found that once families start to take part in the many activi- ties that we offer throughout the year, such as our holiday pageant, annual club competition and yearly show, Ice Chips, they are eager to remain a
30 NOVEMBER 2012
part of our skating family. As a result, almost all of our introductory members have converted to full members, some even in advance of the end of their one-year trial period.
FSC of Madison Tis year is our club’s 50th anniversary!
Many of our former members continue to stay involved and help run our annual competition and spring show. We were able to grow and retain membership last year by requiring our synchro- nized skaters to become club members. Tis ben- efits all our members by exposing kids to more opportunities. Figure skating isn’t just one genre; there is place for all kids to explore their dreams, whether it is as a solo skater or part of a team. FSC of Madison hopes to expand introducto- ry membership again this year by growing our coaching base.
Pasadena Figure Skating Club
We hold annual membership drives in the late summer at public sessions, freestyle sessions and our home rink’s well-attended summer skat- ing camps. Te club’s annual competition is in early fall and we encourage rink skaters who want to participate to join our club. Te Basic Skills competition track has become a wonderful segue for those skaters taking group classes or summer camps. We have found that our first-time com- petitors enjoy their experience and, with a piqued interest in skating, look forward to competing the following year. Te club also includes full-mem- bership applications in its annual renewal mail- ings to our Basic Skills members. In the packet, we highlight the benefits of full membership with a comparative chart and detailed informa- tion. Some of these benefits include workshops for parents and skaters, our annual skating show, personalized competition jackets, club skating sessions and more. We also have a club board at our home rink where interested skaters can pe- ruse posted articles and club photos of all of our fun-filled events.
Skokie Valley Skating Club With skaters from 60 different zip codes
skating at multiple (more than 10) rinks, our greatest challenge is to provide a club identity. We do this with club jackets, stipends, schol- arship awards, exhibitions, pairs-only exhibi- tions, dance sessions, an annual junior ban- quet, an annual dinner, monthly test sessions, a biannual dance weekend and a strong synchro-
Skokie Valley FSC offers a variety of programs to retain and grow its membership.
nized skating organization within our club. As a part of the Illinois Skating Council, we partici- pated in hosting the 2012 U.S. Adult Champi- onships, the annual Synchro Illinois Competi- tion and the Illinois Grand Prix. In an effort to keep the high school students engaged, we start- ed the annual Illinois High School Figure Skating Competition.
La Jolla Figure Skating Club We owe much of our success to the fact
that we pride ourselves on being skater-focused. We hold regular testing sessions, host an annual open championship, provide grants to regional, sectional and national competitors, and organize social events to promote camaraderie and reward hard work. LJFSC has a history of producing strong and successful individual skaters as well as a thriving synchronized skating program. We have three Epic Edge teams that range from the pre-juvenile to intermediate levels. Tis enables us to attract skaters when they are young and re- tain them as they continue through high school.
Los Angeles Figure Skating Club LAFSC believes in supporting all its mem-
bers — children, adults, developmental and recreational skaters as well as elite skaters, volun- teers and officials. We recognize the importance of having solid roots to support every branch of our growing tree. Tat said, the downturn in the economy could have affected many beginning skaters and thwarted their dreams of joining a club, taking tests and competing in U.S. Figure Skating before they even had a chance to try the sport. Te introductory membership category gave these skaters an opportunity to experience what it was like to be a part of U.S. Figure Skat-
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