CLUB MATTERS Ice can be nice in the summertime by ERIN SCHOPF
activities for their children. Regardless of how your facility is set up,
W
you can make summer programming beneficial to your overall bottom line. I’ve always found it ironic that when the weather is hot, most rinks are empty. You would think that people would be coming to ice rinks in droves. We all know that is not the case, and summer programming can sometimes pose our biggest challenge. When conceptualizing your summer skating school, it is imperative that you understand your target audience. You may need to restructure your program to fit the needs of your clientele. As the skating season ends, figure skating clubs face older skaters leaving for college and newer skaters entering the competitive pipeline. Te most important thing to realize is that last summer will not run exactly as this summer. You may need to change the levels of freestyle sessions, offer Basic Skills sessions at a reduced cost and change the structure of the camp to target younger skaters. Skaters under 12 years old seem to enjoy the camp experience. By offering daily arts and crafts, theme days and weekly fun activities, you can accomplish that goal. On those really hot days, an inexpensive ac-
tivity that kids absolutely love is to have the rink staff dump the snow from the Zamboni outside so that the kids can have a fun snowball fight. In addition to being an enjoyable break from the rig- ors of skating practice, this creates a buzz around the facility as heads turn to see snow outside on a 90-degree day. As program coordinator, you also must un- derstand the needs of your parents. In many fam- ilies, both parents work full time. By offering a before or aftercare program, you can considerably boost your revenue. Stay organized. From getting a parent/fami-
ly brochure out to sending a letter with required items for camp, make it as easy on the parents as possible. Create an email distribution list with weekly updates to send to the parents. Parents need to feel reassurance; after all they are entrust- ing you with their children. Have emergency contact information and
waivers readily available in case of an emergency. If you have concessions at your facility, discuss with its management the possibility of a partnership to offer campers healthy lunch options. It is so im- portant that while your campers are training they understand the benefits of nutrition and how it can fuel their bodies. Te parents will appreciate not having to pack a lunch every day and the kids will benefit from not eating the typical ice rink food. When you begin scheduling your daily free-
SKATING 65
ith winter still gripping most of the United States, it is hard to believe that parents are already planning summer
style sessions, discuss with the coaches if they would be willing to work together with you to of- fer on-ice clinics and off-ice classes. By staggering your classes during the week to offer ballet, Pilates, yoga, off-ice jump and conditioning, you give the skaters enough variety to stay engaged. Another option would be to contact your local gym to see if a trainer would be willing to come out to your facility and work with the skat- ers. When hiring a trainer, be sure to involve your coaches, and discuss as a group the specific needs of figure skaters. Make sure the trainer under- stands the importance of injury-free training. In addition, whether they focus on flexibility or core exercises, make sure they understand that figure skaters’ needs are different to those of their regular clientele. Also, take a minute to learn more about U.S. Figure Skating’s S.T.A.R.S. program and how it can benefit your skaters If offering a summerlong skating school
won’t work for your facility, try offering a week- long camp. A new trend in camps is cross-sports training camps. See what else your facility has to offer. Do they have a swimming pool? Talk with the pool manager and see if he or she would be willing to package swim lessons with skating lessons. Te glide and slide camp that I ran at
Tie-dyeing shirts can be a fun activity between summertime skating sessions. The snow from the Zamboni can help kids cool off and have some fun.
Tornton Park in Shaker Heights, Ohio, has been successful. We offered skating lessons, open skate time, swim lessons and open swim time. We start- ed with just half-day options and then graduated to a full-day option with additional on-ice clinics and outdoor activities. Te full-day option be- came so successful we had a waiting list. While filling summer ice often fills program
coordinators with a sense of dread, it is, in reality, a valuable opportunity for your facility. By un- derstanding the needs of your clientele, offering quality programming, and staying organized you can turn your icy, cold rink into a hot spot during those summer months. Erin Schopf is the Basic Skills manager at
U.S. Figure Skating.
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84