Once again, this year’s figure skating season ends June 30th. I wrote about my dilemma involving changing clubs last year, and ended up renewing with the same club because I thought I’d continue doing club ice. (I didn’t.)
I like our club members, for the most part, but I dislike the way the club is run, and I dislike the rink the club is aligned with. (Duh.) The club is rapidly losing members to the competing club, thanks to a better ice rink and a greater amount of professionalism.
I’ve been contemplating joining with our competing club, but honestly, I don’t really like them either! Their rink doesn’t give me the sense of friendliness that I want; most skaters there are extremely suspicious of newcomers, and the coaches eye your every movement. UNCOMFORTABLE.
There’s a new ice rink opening up about thirty minutes northeast of me, which is going to house a CHL pro-hockey team, along with public skating and possibly figure skating (??). I’ll have to weigh my options and decide where I want to skate, but the rink I choose does not equal joining their skating club.
All I really want is a figure skating club I can happily and proudly represent. I think what I’m going to end up doing is joining an out-of-state club. I’m flying up to Maine next week, and while I’m there, I’m planning to check out two. The first I’ve never skated with, but I used some of the second’s club ice last summer and was very happy with the experience. A few other options are around the Washington DC area, and a few more in the New England area.
I wish there was a master list of every club and the qualities each possessed!!
I have no idea how to even pretend to be able to tell you what to do… I do not know much about this subject. What are the places in New England??
What is required when you join a skating club??? What is the point?? how can you be a part of one in another state???
New England clubs I’m considering are the SC of Boston (HUGE in figure skating land) or somewhere in New Hampshire or Vermont, as I have family ties in both places.
To join a club, all you have to do is fill out a membership form, basically. That’s why you can be part of ones in other states- there’s nothing required of you (i.e., you don’t HAVE to skate with them.) Many elite and professional figure skaters do this… keep their home club, but skate in another state, or vice versa.
The point of joining a club is to be a member of the USFSA, so you can test and compete. You CAN just join USFSA as an individual member, but I like representing a club. I have to join USFSA somehow, because I’ll be testing this season.
ahhhh… makes sense…. you have fam in NH??? where??
Yup… down near Manchester.
heh! I live pretty close =)
There. It is settled.
You come to NH.