This is a condensed version of the LRSC Handbook. If you would like a copy of the full version please ask any Board member. The LRSC Handbook will also be available at time of registration.
The 1940’s gave birth to the first annual “Frost Frolics” ice show, sponsored by the local Jaycees. The first shows were comprised of out of town talent. One of those talents, Helen Heen, became our first Club Pro.
By the 1950’s the Lake Region Skating Club was formed and early shows featured as few as eight local skaters. However, by the end of this decade 100 local skaters were participating in the club and performing in the show.
The 1960’s brought affiliation with the United States Figure Skating Association. Through this national program, a skater’s proficiency is measured. Skaters are tested on a nationally recognized level in addition to participating in the club and performing in the ice shows.
In the 1970’s, Drill Teams, later known as Precision Teams and now known as Synchro Teams, began to appear on the scene sporting large numbers of high school age skaters. This era was also fortunate to have a pro that stayed with us the longest in our history, Terri Romine, who was in Devils Lake most of this decade.
In the 1980’s Lake Region Skating Club Precision Teams performed at hockey games, as well as the annual ice show, and competitive skating was also introduced as another facet in which our skaters could strive to achieve. National testing as well as the annual ice show continued to play a large role in our skater’s lives.
Since the 1990’s our club has offered a wide range of skating opportunities. We are happy to be able to say that although our ice time per year is limited, we are offering all of the areas available through U.S. Figure Skating. Our club offers the basic skills program for beginners, the national U.S. Figure Skating testing for advanced skaters in dance, freestyle and moves in the field, and synchronized skating for basic skills and advanced skaters. As a result, our skaters participate in local and international competitions. These competitors can perform individually or in large groups such as a Synchro team. U.S. Figure Skating testing, when completed to a high enough level, can lead to our skaters becoming qualified to someday coach skating. It pleases us to know that some of our skaters have done just that and we hope to continue to broaden and expand our program to meet the needs of future skaters. We have added a Competitors Exhibition and Holiday Show, but as in past years, the annual ice show continues to be the highlight of our skating season.
This club has been able to grow and progress into every phase of skating through the constant support of this community. Parents are involved in everything from sewing costumes and building props to working on fund raising projects. They have always seen to it that these opportunities are available for our aspiring young skaters.
DATES TO REMEMBER:
Registration at Burdick Arena: August 26th, September 7th & September 8th, 6:00 – 8:00pm. Registration will also be available at the first few weeks of Family Skate.
Family Skating Begins: First week of October – LRSC will post specific dates on our website at www.lrskating.com
Schedule to be posted on the board at the arena and on the web site.
Website/LRSC Bulletin Board:
Our website is www.lrskating.com schedules will be posted on the website. Schedules and important information will also be posted on the LRSC bulletin board at the Burdick Arena (located on the south wall). The website will be updated in a timely manner but in the case of schedule changes the website may not have up to date information. Please remember to check the LRSC board at every Family Skate.
U.S. Figure Skating Testing:
The United States Figure skating Association is the governing body for figure skating in the United States. It is responsible for making and enforcing rules for the sport, holding competitions, and official tests (NOT Skate with Us testing). The Lake Region Skating Club is a Member Club in the U.S. Figure Skating Association and is listed in the rulebook. Rulebooks are provided only to LRSC coaches. If a U.S. Figure Skating Association member would like to order a copy of the rulebook it can be ordered from their website under the Members section.
A test session will be scheduled in February or March 2011 at our club. Exact dates TBA.
REMEMBER TO READ THE BULLETIN BOARD AT THE RINK FOR ANNOUNCEMENTS AND SCHEDULES.
The Lake Region Skating Club exists to enhance and promote family skating. When you choose to enroll your family in the LRSC we offer you the U.S. Figure Skating Association of Skate With Us Basic Skills, which is taught during family skating time. The curriculum in this program will teach any age person how to use skates to accomplish basic fundamentals of skating. When a skater reaches the upper levels of this program they often want more from this enjoyable sport. Family skating provides an opportunity for parents and children to skate together at their leisure. Family skating is offered twice a week on Wednesdays and Sundays, usually for three hours. Group lessons in Basic Skills skating are given during this time. Following your registration for membership, a schedule of what time each group lesson begins will be posted at the arena and on our web site.
Family skating time on Sunday is from 3:00 – 6:30 p.m. and Wednesday from 6:15-8:45 p.m.
Occasionally, due to hockey tournaments, Family Skating may be delayed. This will not affect the order in which lessons are given, just the time each class starts. A printed ice schedule for each week is put out by the Park Board and is located in the lobby. There is also a schedule information number you can call which will give the ice schedule for the Burdick Arena, 662-4835. The weekly schedules will also be posted on our website at www.lrskating.com and on the LRSC bulletin board.
PROTECTIVE GEAR/DRESS CODE
Beginning skaters are STRONGLY encouraged to wear elbow and knee pads as well as a helmet. This is for the safety of your skaters. Beginning skaters should wear clothing that is warm and allows for adequate movement.
Competitive skaters are required to follow a dress code. Competitive skaters will wear skating dresses or skirts skirts with tights or skating pants. Competitive skaters will not be permitted to wear frayed or flared pants, pajama pants or any other clothing deemed inappropriate or dangerous by the Skating Director.
During family skating, group lessons will be offered. These lessons are included with the general membership fee. Lessons will be held on ½ of the rink while family skating will use the remaining ½ of the rink. These lessons are 15-20 minutes in length and are offered both Wednesdays and Sundays.
The lessons follow the U.S. Figure Skating Basic Skills Program called “Skates with Us”. This is a learning program for the beginner in the sport. The objective of the program is to take the skater from the beginning stages to the point where the skater could enter the official higher level U.S. Figure Skating test and competitive program. Other objectives of the program are:
To learn correct techniques on the simple basic elements.
To develop a finer degree of coordination and balance.
To provide incentive awards.
To encourage skating as a lifetime sport.
Each skater must register for the U.S. Figure Skating Basic Skills Program. There is a registration fee to belong to the national “Skate with Us” program. With this registration, each skater will receive a yearly patch and personal record book in which to keep track of skater progress. In this book the requirements to pass each level are listed. Once a skater has received this book it will be their responsibility to bring them to the rink to be signed and dated on the days skaters are tested.
Testing at each basic skills level will be held at regular intervals throughout the season. Skaters will receive colored badges and certificates at the end of these sessions when they complete a level and advance to the next level. Skaters usually begin in Snow Plow Sam if they are five years of age or younger. Skaters usually begin in Basic 1 if they are over six years of age.
The Hockey Skills Class is group lessons for boys/girls who have tested out of Basic 8 and wish to continue to work on elements, edges and stroking. This is not a Power class but an actual class in which elements are taught and practiced.
The 65th Annual Ice Show will be held March 18th, 19th, and 20th, 2011.
We encourage all skaters to be a part of the show, however, it is not a requirement. Practice for the ice show will begin after the last testing session for the Skate with Us program. At this time the ice will be closed to family skating to rehearse the numbers.
Ice Show fees are included in your membership. Costumes are an extra cost to the parents. Parents are responsible for construction of costumes, to be sewn or ordered.
The Ice Show is our biggest moneymaker of the year. Parents are encouraged to help in the areas of these, sets and props, lights, costumes, tickets, programs, group parents and odds and ends. Please watch the board in the arena lobby for signup sheets and help out where you are able.
Basic Skills skaters will be placed in groups for the ice show by the skating director. Skaters who have passed basic skills will be placed as follows:
Solos: Seniors must have passed one test in pre-preliminary MIF, Pre-preliminary freeskate OR preliminary dance. In addition to seniors, solos will be offered to skaters who have passed Juvenile MIF AND juvenile freeskate OR Bronze dance. Skater must be actively working on next level.
Duets: Skater must have passed pre-juvenile MIF AND pre-juvenile freeskate OR pre-bronze dance AND actively working on next level.
Trios: Skater must have passed preliminary MIF AND preliminary freeskate OR pre-bronze dances AND actively working on the next level.
In addition to these requirements, to qualify for a solo, duet or trio as well as to meet lettering requirements, the skater must have a minimum additional practice time of 4 hours per week (not including lesson time). Synchro skaters will be required to have a minimum additional practice time of 2 hours per week (not including lesson time).
Solo, Duet and Trio requirements will be reviewed yearly and changed as needed.
SYNCHRO TEAMS
In the past, Lake Region Skating Club has had up to three synchronized skating teams, depending on number of skaters wishing to participate. Try outs are held at the beginning of the skating season and placements are made. There may be one non-competitive and one competitive team made up of basic skill level skaters and one team made up of advanced skaters. The coach may require skaters to participate in dance and power classes depending on levels. A dress code is required for synchronized skaters and costumes will need to be purchased by skaters.
Private lessons are arranged with the club coach(es). Any club member may take private lessons after paying the Practice Ice Fee. Taking private lessons does not always mean that you are at a level where you must compete or test through U.S. Figure Skating . Sometimes a private lesson or two can help a Basic Skills skater pass a level sooner or serve as an added help on any skill a skater may want to improve.
Private lessons are paid for by the family of the skater taking lessons. You will be charged for any private lessons missed. You may, however, find another skater to take your lesson. Private lessons are offered during Practice Ice Time. Lessons are pro-rated by the coach(es). You may sign up for these lessons as soon as your registration has been processed. The coach(es) will have a billing system and will let you know how this will be handled. Please pay on time…this is the coaches’ income and he/she has bills just like the rest of us!
The number and times of lessons is at the discretion of the coach and cannot be guaranteed until all registrations have been received. LRSC and coaches reserve the right to make schedule changes as necessary to insure optimal training conditions for all participants.
If a skater wishes to take private lessons from a coach outside of Lake Region Skating Club this must first be approved by our club coach. This includes supplemental lessons. If a skater chooses to compete under a coach from another club they may not compete under Lake Region Skating Club. Skaters who choose to compete with a non-Lake Region Skating Club coach will only be eligible to skate in large group numbers in the annual ice show.
When you choose to enter the competitive phase of skating, the amount of time and money you invest increases, but the rewards can be great. Additional costs include private lessons and entry fees in competitions, costumes, as well as more time spent on the ice and traveling. The rewards are increased self-reliance and confidence as well as the reward of striving for and attaining goals.
As your skater enters into the competitive phase of skating parents may have many questions. Please do not hesitate to contact any board member with questions. Our Competition Coordinator is Wendy Palmer. Wendy can be reached by email at wendy.palmer@sendit.nodak.edu
Our skaters have a chance to compete and test their skills against skaters at similar skill levels from around the state and region. Skaters begin the path to competition by beginning to take some private lessons. These lessons and practice time take place during the morning (before school). These lessons prepare the skaters for competitions as well as other skating endeavors they pursue, such as testing.
Again, there are many additional costs incurred attending a competition. Just because your skater chooses to compete and is eligible for many events, the skater does not have to skate in every event. Sometimes choices can help make completion more affordable and your coach will help with these decisions.
Areas of competition are Freeskate, Compulsory, Artistic, Dance, Maneuver teams, and spins. All individual competitors can plan on the following costs;
Purchase of practice ice time to take lessons and practice
Coaching; this includes private lessons and a share of coaches expenses for travel to competitions, preparing music for a program, individual event fees at competitions.
Costumes
Travel expenses
Entrance feels
The official U.S. Figure Skating tests are a series of tests to measure the accomplishments of a figure skater in all branches of the sport. They are as follows; compulsory Figures, Ice Dancing, Free Skating, Moves in the Field, and Pair Skating.
This system of tests is an incentive for the skater to learn and progress from the elementary levels of the Pre-Preliminary tests to the highest level, Gold. It is also a way in which skaters who compete move up to higher levels at competitions. For a skater to continue to challenge him or herself and skate against others of equal ability, corresponding test must be taken.
These tests are very different from the Skate with Us Basic Skills Tests, The U.S. Figure Skating testing skaters must often times go out of town to take tests. In recent years, however, the number of these skaters coming out of LRSC has grown such that we sponsor our own test session once a year. Judges who have been certified by the U.S. Figure Skating Association are flown in from other parts of the country to conduct these tests. Each test that is taken is judged as a pass or a retry. A retried test may be retaken after 29 days have passed. Each test level proceeds in difficulty.
All skaters who test must pay U.S. Figure Skating dues of $40.00 for the first child and $15.00 for the second child in the family. With this U.S. Figure Skating membership, each skater is given a number that is important to keep track of for the purpose of filling out competition and test forms. This number does not change from year to year, but you must update your membership each year.
The Endowment fund was set up to guarantee the Lake Region Skating Club, the financial means to support a professional instructor for the club. The club receives the interest only from the fund, therefore, as the fund continues to grow the benefits increase. Club members have the opportunity to contribute to the fund prior to the Ice Show each year. Therefore, you will notice on your “Membership Dues” sheet there is a line for donations. If you donate to the Endowment fund, you will be presented with six free passes to the ice show to use for yourself or others. If you choose not to donate to the Endowment fund you will be expected to purchase tickets for EACH Ice Show production that you attend.
Stay informed by reading the handbook, newsletter, bulletin board and web site (www.lrskating.com)
Obey the rules as stated and ensure that children obey the rules as stated
Release of liability forms must be signed before skaters can go on the ice
Provide the coach(es) with any health issues that they need to be aware of
Participate in club activities, i.e., lessons, shows and banquets
Take part in fund raising
Have fun and love skating!