REWARDING EXCELLENCE by ERIN M. SCHOPF I have always been a big fan of the Academy Awards and Oscar night.
It’s the one moment when actors are honored for their accomplishments with all the glitz, the glamour and, of course, the speeches. Our Basic Skills directors may not get to wear Vera Wang dresses or Armani suits, but to their clients they are all worthy of hoisting the golden statuettes. In this spirit, the Outstanding Director award will be presented annu-
ally to a Basic Skills director who demonstrates an above-and-beyond atti- tude, excellent customer skills and a genuine love for skating at the begin- ning level. T is year’s inaugural class of directors was nominated by peers, colleagues and loyal customers for its commitment to skating excellence at the grassroots level. May I have the envelope please? And the winner of the fi rst Outstanding Director award is ... Kerry
Murphy of Skokie Park, Ill. Murphy and the other nominees take the stage in this SKATING magazine story, sharing their passion for helping people learn to skate.
WINNER — KERRY MURPHY SKOKIE SKATIUM, SKOKIE PARK, ILL.
“My involvement with the
Basic Skills Program has been a wonderful experience for not only me but for my staff , parents and children of the Skokie Skatium. I’ve had the privilege of being a skating director for 28 years and could never imagine a more re- warding job. I want to thank all 17 wonderful Basic Skills skating directors in the Chicago area, who work tirelessly at promoting this amazing sport. T e fact that this is the fi rst time this award has been presented makes it even more special.”
PATTI BRINKLEY WASHINGTON ICE SKATING ACADEMY, SEATTLE
“I love ice skating. As goofy as it sounds, I
believe that it is my calling to be a program di- rector. T e philosophy of my program is to not only help develop proper and profi cient skills, but also to help foster life skills while instilling a lifelong love of the sport. I was recently told that I ‘sparkle’ when I talk about my program and skating. I want all of my skaters to sparkle throughout their lives when they think about and talk about ice skating.”
EVIE GAFFNEY THOMAS CREEK, FAIRPORT, N.Y.
“T omas Creek’s Basic Skills program focuses on having fun while providing quality instruction to beginner through advanced skat- ers, ages 4 and up. It off ers small group lessons for Basic 1–8, open practice time, Artistry in Motion class, Introduction to Synchronized Skating, Beginner Skating for Hockey, Mom- my and Me class, Adult-Only Group class and an afternoon Snowplow Sam preschool class.”
32 AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2014
TIESHA DIMAGGIO CHAMPIONS SKATING CENTER, CROMWELL, CONN.
KATHLEEN GENOVESE AND “Our goals are to provide top-qual-
ity coaching from tots to adults and ev- erything in between. We off er a bridge to higher learning for the recreational, hock- ey and competitive skater. Our current programs have proven to be successful and we continue to foster new ideas to expand skating in all disciplines.”
KAY GENTGES KANSAS CITY ICE CENTER, KANSAS CITY, KAN.
“T e goal of the Skate School at Kansas
City Ice Center (KCIC) is to provide quality skating instruction in a fun and safe environ- ment, with an emphasis on fun. By being or- ganized, having an awesome coaching staff and open communication with the parents, the Skate School at KCIC has made the learn-to- skate program grow in recent years. l also try to provide many opportunities for the skaters to participate, so that they can accomplish whatever skating goal they have set for themselves. Skating is a lifetime sport that can be learned at any age, and I encourage the young and old that it is fun to learn to skate.”
AMANDA GOETZ ICE HOUSE LEARN TO SKATE, ANN ARBOR, MICH.
“T e mission of our program is to en- courage the instruction, practice and advance- ment of the members in any or all disciplines of fi gure skating and hockey, to encourage and cultivate a spirit of fraternal feeling among ice skaters and to encourage a fun and safe atmo- sphere. Communication and organization are the two most important keys to running a large successful program and I generally thrive at those two skills.”
TERRY GREEN HIGHLAND ICE ARENA, SHORELINE, WASH.
“Highland is one of the rare family-owned and-operated rinks in the country, built in 1962 by my parents, Jim and Dorothy Ste- phens. Highland’s program registers more than 400 members annually since switching to Basic Skills in 2000. As a coach, the win for me is watching a child’s face light up as they realize that with a little eff ort, they can do it, and the squeal of delight as one of our young skaters greets me in the rink. By the time this is published, I expect to have my grandson out on the ice. He turned 1 in March and will begin our fourth generation on the ice.”
Directors recognized for their exemplary programs
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