L E T T E R F R O M T H E E D I T O R
U.S. FIGURE SKATING Sponsors
Capitalize on the Olympic buzz, celebrate National Skating Month
There’s nothing like the Olympic Winter Games to get people motivated and inspired to start ice
skating. I’d love to know how many girls decided to start taking lessons after being galvanized by the
skating of Sarah Hughes or Tara Lipinski on the biggest of stages. Or how many boys witnessed Evan Lysacek capture the fi rst U.S. men’s gold medal in more than 20 years, and decided right then and there that ice skating was pretty cool. It’s equally hard to calculate how many adults have been moved to give skating a try after watch-
ing the drama and excitement that occur every four years. With the 2014 Olympics in Sochi, Russia, now just weeks away, U.S. Figure Skating is primed and
excited to welcome families and individuals from across the country to this great sport. As part of its Destination Sochi Membership Recruitment and Club Programs, U.S. Figure Skating
has launched National Skating Month, its primary annual membership drive. Because it’s an Olympic year, National Skating Month has been extended to include January and February. “The Olympics are always a magical time and have a proven history of attracting families and in-
dividuals to the sport of ice skating,” said Susi Wehrli-McLaughlin, senior director of membership at U.S. Figure Skating. “We traditionally see a signifi cant spike in our membership numbers during an Olympic season, and we encourage all of our rinks, clubs and programs to capitalize on the Olympic buzz.” There are many ways, Wehrli-McLaughlin said, for clubs and rinks to make that important fi rst im-
pression with prospective skaters, such as off ering free lessons, skating demonstrations, open skating, exhibitions by local talent, fun and games on the ice, parent meetings, equipment resales, celebrity appearances and bring-a-friend promotions. “One other important element to tie your National Skating Month eff orts together is engaging
the local media about what you are planning,” Wehrli-McLaughlin said. “Get the word out through your newspaper and radio stations, as well as through the local school district. The turnout for your National Skating Month activities depends heavily on the promotional eff orts in your community.” To aid clubs and rinks in their marketing eff orts, U.S. Figure Skating sent out 500 National Skating
Month kits in November that included a media packet with sample press releases and announcements on CD.
The kit also included posters, postcards, raffl e items, bookmarks, skating stickers, logo pencils,
keychains and Snowplow Sam zipper pulls. “It’s up to all of us to help market and promote skating, especially this year,” Wehrli-McLaughlin
said. “Remember, celebrating National Skating Month on the local level not only attracts new members, but also draws attention to your existing programs and ice facility.” In concert with National Skating Month, the other components of the Destination Sochi Member-
ship Recruitment and Club Programs are also picking up steam as the Games near. Through the Des- tination Sochi website (
www.destinationsochi.org), many clubs and Basic Skills programs have signed up to off er a Destination Sochi Team Competition. The team event can be conducted prior to, during or after the 2014 Games. A video contest was off ered, with the theme “Go Team USA.” Dozens of clubs and members cre-
ated 30-second videos, with the winner’s video to be shown at the 2014 Prudential U.S. Figure Skating Championships and at National Skating Month events throughout the country. U.S. Figure Skating, in partnership with Disson Skating, held four SkateFests across the country.
SkateFest events are free and a great way for families to experience skating for the fi rst time as they share the ice with Olympic hopefuls and legends. Lastly, Club Tool kits are available for free download on the Destination Sochi website. The kits
include one-page documents for clubs to use during the planning and execution of their Destination Sochi events. They include topics such as identifying jumps, Olympic team event overview and a sim- plifi ed international judging system overview. “We encourage clubs and programs to pick one of these great programs or pick them all,”
Wehrli-McLaughlin said. (Check out the planned NSM events in your area by going to the U.S. Figure Skating website and clicking on “Programs” and “National Skating Month.)”
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4 DECEMBER 2013
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