Daane knows every athlete and parent; and is not only professional, but very personal. Coaches had to quickly develop new practice methods to keep their athletes engaged and excited for the unprecedented season ahead. Athletic Republic is a place for all athletes that want results! The film premiered at the Ocean City Film Festival on March 5, 2020. Ashley is an advocate for collegiate skating as she currently serves as the Vice Chair for Collegiate Synchronized Skating. Ann Arbor, Michigan. All rights reserved (About Us). The ability to devote more time to off-the-ice aspects of the sport was a silver lining of the pandemic, according to Grajek. All Rights Reserved. Cookie Settings/Do Not Sell My Personal Information. Phone: 586-446-2700 Fax: 586-276-4064 Special Events: 586-446-2692 Weather Hotline: 586-446-2693 Email: recreation@sterling-heights.net Missing a season is tough, but even worse is returning to play unprepared. None of the classes are metabolically taxing, so adding them to a routine doesnt increase the risk of overuse injury, and makes them ideal for athletes who are in-season. Synchronized skating has since become a female-dominated sport with very few men participating, Pinaglia said. Rather than get together in a rink, the Hockettes convened via Zoom, where head coach Lindsay Grajek and her staff emphasized that safety was the top priority. I think, especially not being an Olympic sport, theres this validation thats missing for these athletes where they know that they have something special and unique, but the rest of the world doesnt get it.. The junior team is now connecting again after making sure that all skaters and parents are comfortable with that. Lessons in skating. A still image from the "Life in Synchro" documentary shows synchronized skaters on the ice. The sport, founded by University of Michigan professor Dr . So [we just kept] reminding ourselves that if you do your best then at the end of the day when you give it your all, you have no regrets." The two women have remained in close touch. Thats always been our weakness, Grajek said. This year, teams are making these adjustments on a much larger scale a pandemic scale. Acceleration Training. Gone were conversations at lunch and sharing inside jokes in the hallway. We didnt really know what was going to happen in the future, but we were gonna keep working towards what we want, as a team.. Hockettes skating to song written and performed by former synchro skater Sara Syms. Each ice rink has its own protocol to ensure skater safety. For the skaters, the biggest challenge of the pandemic has been the shift in team rituals. They feel supported and appreciate that the coaches create an extremely positive environment. A synchronized skating routine may consist of straight line sequences, wheels, blocks, circle step sequences, or also moves in isolation. Grajek recalled attempting to teach younger teams a pivoting block, a maneuver that requires lots of tension through a line of skaters, while disconnected. The sport has now reached over 25 countries.. After graduation, Syms went on to pursue a career in graphic design in New York City, where she taught singles and synchro for Figure Skating in Harlem on the side. We ask that you consider turning off your ad blocker so we can deliver you the best experience possible while you are here. Learn more | Synchronized skating is all about adjustments. (For more information about the music behind their free skate, check out this story on usfigureskating.org.) Posts. Though this has not been the season that the team envisioned, the coaches and skaters have not let this distract from their goals. The Hockettes are cited in the World Figure Skating Hall of Fame as the first Synchronized Skating Team (known as "Precision Skating"), created by Dr. Richard Porter in 1956. She has tested and competed in figures, freestyle and dance; and she is a gold medalist in ice dancing. The use of software that blocks ads hinders our ability to serve you the content you came here to enjoy. The middle person from each spoke comes together and does a pairs spin while the wheels are interlocking with one another, kind of passing by, so its very exciting. The kids feel more connected to their environment and community, and the [adaptive] skaters who never did synchro before become more confident.. Hockettes Synchronized Skating Teams Hockettes Blog Hockettes.com Hockettes on Flickr About Porter 2010 Kalamazoo - Senior Short November 19, 2011 Starlights: Purple. The team brings adaptive skaters together with peer mentors to learn, compete and grow. ", "We have never experienced a better gym for youth athletes than Athletic Republic. Gradually, the ghosts and humans begin interacting and connecting more. All participants wear masks throughout practice, and the coaches pass around hand sanitizer constantly. This led to Johansons involvement with US Figure Skating and working on behalf of skaters with disabilities at the national level. Copyright 2023 Onyx Suburban Skating Academy - All Rights Reserved. Even when the team doesnt perform their best, a sense of community and overcoming fear often become the most meaningful lessons of the event. National Qualifying Series Schedule & Results, Video Platform powered by CBS Sports Digital, 2022U.S. Synchronized Championships, Junior 7th, 2020 U.S. Synchronized Championships, Junior 5th, 2019U.S. Synchronized Championships, Junior 10th, 2018U.S. Synchronized Championships, Junior 6th, 2017U.S. Synchronized Championships, Junior 5th, 2016U.S. Synchronized Championships, Junior 6th, 2015U.S. Synchronized Championships, Junior 3rd, 2014U.S. Synchronized Championships, Junior 3rd, 2013U.S. Synchronized Championships, Junior 5th, 2012U.S. Synchronized Championships, Junior 6th, 2011U.S. Synchronized Championships, Junior 11th, 2010U.S. Synchronized Championships, Junior 6th, 2009U.S. Synchronized Championships, Junior 9th, 2008U.S. Synchronized Championships, Junior 8th, 2007U.S. Synchronized Championships, Junior 1st, 2006 World Challenge Cup for Juniors 6th, 2006U.S. Synchronized Championships, Junior 3rd, 2005 World Challenge Cup for Juniors 7th, 2005U.S. Synchronized Championships, Junior 1st, 2004U.S. Synchronized Championships, Junior 4th, 2003U.S. Synchronized Championships, Junior 4th, 2003 North American International, Junior 6th, 2002U.S. Synchronized Championships, Junior 2nd, 2002 World Challenge Cup for Juniors 8th, 2001U.S. Synchronized Championships, Junior 2nd, 2001 North American International, Junior 7th, 2000U.S. Synchronized Championships, Junior 2nd. Coach Johanson calls her involvement in developing this program a happy accident. Her commitment and passion have been instrumental in helping students with disabilities all over the country who aspire to skate. A serious knee injury can be devastating for athletes of any age. Mady is a third year skater from Rochester, MI, and she is majoring in Accounting and Sports Management.
