is committed to providing a safe and positive en- vironment for all of our members.”
SKATING: Technology has played a major role in how U.S. Figure Skating conducts busi- ness and promotes its programs and athletes. How have technological advances enhanced opportunities for the organization?
Jason Wong with St. Peter at the 2009 U.S. Collegiate Championships in Philadelphia, where Wong won the senior title.
tumultuous period, membership assisted great- ly by passing a dues increase. We also adopted a spending policy to utilize some of the interest earned from the U.S. Figure Skating Foundation Development Fund to assist with the organiza- tion’s expenses. I’m proud to say that everyone pulled together during this challenging time to help us in achieving a balanced budget.”
SKATING: After Evan Lysacek won the 2010 Olympic gold medal, you introduced him at the USA House in Vancouver. What was that experience like?
ST. PETER: “T e place was packed! It was truly a thrilling moment, not only having the privi- lege of introducing Evan but also observing who was there to celebrate with Evan. It was special to watch Evan introduce Frank (Carroll) and witness Evan’s clear admiration for Frank and his recognition of what Frank did for him as his coach to assist him in achieving his dream of be- coming an Olympic gold medalist. It was also very moving to see Evan recognizing his fami- ly and huge group of supporters. It was a great night for Evan, for Team USA and U.S. Figure Skating.”
SKATING: U.S. Figure Skating extended its broadcast contract with NBC and helped ac- quire the U.S. broadcast rights for ISU com- petitions on icenetwork, both through the 2017‒18 season. How signifi cant are those developments?
ST. PETER: “T e contract with NBC allows U.S. Figure Skat- ing to continue to promote the sport and bring premium programming to our fans. NBC is the Olympic network, and this most recent contract extension en- sures that the most popular Olym- pic winter sport
SKATING 13
will have a home on national television through 2018. I’m also excited about the acquisition of U.S. media rights for ISU events. T ese rights are now being seen on NBC, Universal Sports and icenetwork. Icenetwork has become the fans’ destination for fi gure skating, and now for speedskating, too. T e website has been revamped and the live video stream enhanced to dramati- cally improve the fans’ viewing experience. With this growing presence on television and on the Internet, our in-arena marketing opportunities have also expanded. At 2013 Hilton HHonors Skate America in Detroit, the rink boards were full of sponsor advertising, and at the 2014 U.S. Championships in Boston, the rink boards will also be full. T at was not the case a few years ago when the economy had slumped. We’ve po- sitioned ourselves well moving forward.”
SKATING: You passionately led the eff ort be- hind the U.S. Figure Skating SafeSport Pro- gram, which launched in May. Will you share your feelings about it?
ST. PETER: “We must have zero tolerance when it comes to abuse and harassment. It is essential that all of our members are provided a safe environment that is free of abuse and harass- ment. T e SafeSport Program provides tangible resources to help identify what constitutes abuse and harassment and the procedures for how to report it. U.S. Figure Skating
ST. PETER: “On the club side, we are now regu- larly using webinars to network our clubs nation- wide to provide information and education on topics that are relevant to our clubs. We are also using webinars to educate our offi cials. For exam- ple, we had a webinar this fall in which our chief referees received information from our sports science and medicine experts regarding concus- sions, return to play and other safety issues that our referees need to be prepared to address. All of our webinars are posted on our website for our clubs and offi cials to use. Also, we’ve seen the growth of social media within the sport skyrock- et. I’m extremely proud of our athletes in how they use social media to create positive images of themselves and, at the same time, promote our sport.
SKATING: U.S. Figure Skating continues to grow and expand its many grassroots pro- grams such as T eatre on Ice, National Show- case and National Solo Dance. How have these eff orts aff ected the big picture?
ST. PETER: “Membership growth and retention are among our top priorities, and these programs play a major role in providing skaters with more participation opportunities. All of these programs are key to our continued membership retention,
St. Peter with Dina Carruthers at the RISE premiere in New York
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