Happy New Decade!...Learn New Skills & Enjoy a Lifetime of Skating!

What better way to start off a brand new decade than learning to skate?! 

Embrace winter and learn new skills that will last a lifetime while simultaneously enjoying the fun and fitness of skating. For those who already skate, the new year is the best time to set short and long-term goals and challenge yourself to new experiences. Please see my Sept 9, 2019 post “Setting S.M.A.R.T. Goals” on how to make clear and defined goals to better keep you on track (https://www.figureskatingetc.com/new-blog/2019/9/16/setting-smart-goals).

US Figure Skating National Skating Month

As January is National Skating Month, this is the perfect time to get on the ice as many of your local rinks will host open houses and offer free lessons and exhibitions. I will once again lead my club’s National Skating Month event in Howell, NJ on Sat, Jan 25 (please see the “Events” page for more details). Also, in honor of Martin Luther King’s legacy of service, I will be giving free lessons alongside my colleagues at another local rink in Middletown and would love to have you all come out with your friends and family for a fun winter workout.  For more info, check out https://www.figureskatingetc.com/my-events/2019/12/31/5bc0o7o2jo5oe0rc37jp9dmbthuezw

Source: US Figure Skating FanZone

Also, January is a big month for figure skating as the US Figure Skating Championships are held every year to crown the national champions in ladies’ (girls’) singles, men’s (boy’s) singles, pair skating, and ice dancing for the senior, junior, novice, intermediate, and juvenile levels. For information on, or to get tickets for, the 2020 U.S. Figure Skating Championships, go to ncskate2020.com. For those who can't travel and watch live, there will be full coverage of the event on the U.S. Figure Skating Fan Zone, https://usfigureskatingfanzone.com/sports/2020/1/19/2020-toyota-us-figure-skating-championships-competition-central.aspx .

I look forward to sharing the joys of skating and making special memories on the ice with all of you.  Happy New Year!

Skating Creates Lasting Friendships

In addition to the many health benefits of skating, (pls see my published Jan 2019 article, https://www.figureskatingetc.com/miscell2/2019/2/4/skating-promotes-fitness-and-good-health), another important aspect of the sport is its impact on one’s social skills. Skating is a great way to meet new people and make new friends. If you visit a public open skate session, you never fail to see people of all ages laughing and having fun together. Those who attend group classes or camp are participating among a community of individuals who all share the same passion. With this common interest, many end up building lifelong friendships that extend beyond the rink.

Today was my last day volunteering at Figure Skating in Harlem. During my short time with the program, I had an incredibly rewarding experience and made so many wonderful new friends. In particular, Leah, a 9-yr old girl in my class, quickly bonded with me. She was fascinated by my Asian eyes and hair and how young I was to be a skating instructor. Her questions about my background (where I lived, how many siblings I have, my relationship status, etc) made me double over with laughter. The minute I stepped on the ice, she immediately greeted me with a huge hug greatly warmed my heart. I will miss Leah and all my summer campers. While I’m sad that I won’t be able to see and continue working with these wonderful young children during the school year, I look forward to my time with them next summer and am excited to make many more new friendships. I hope I made a small difference in some of the kids’ lives as they have enriched mine in so many ways.

Check out my friends’ Summer Dreams Camp video - https://www.facebook.com/FigureSkatinginHarlem/videos/2192064950922012/Asia

MY SUMMER DREAMS CAMP FAMILY
Figure Skating in Harlem

Making a Difference

As you know, skating is an expensive sport - ice time, coach fees, quality equipment, music, costumes, travel expenses, and skates all add up. I’m incredibly grateful for the opportunities I’ve had in skating and want to continue to impart my knowledge to not only new skaters and parents, but also to those need additional support and resources. I enjoy dedicating my time to volunteering as it provides me much fulfillment and allows me to inspire a new generation of skaters. I also get to make new friends with so many interesting people from different cultures and backgrounds. Through my teaching, I strive to provide my students encouragement and emotional support, empowering them to develop their courage and self-confidence.

I’m absolutely thrilled to be volunteering at Figure Skating in Harlem (FSH) this summer. FSH offers a 6-week Summer Dreams Camp starting July 8 through August 15. Now that I can finally drive, I will be able to travel to the Ice Hutch rink in Mt Vernon, NY to to teach the Learn-to-Skate program to young girls.

I first heard about FSH when I came across a video clip posted by On Ice Perspectives on the Learn-to-Skate USA Facebook page. After watching a performance by some FSH members, I was intrigued to learn more about them. Similar to my involvement with Girl Scouts, FSH fosters a sisterhood by providing opportunities for young women to work and learn together, building their self-esteem and confidence. These girls are taught the necessary skills to help them achieve their dreams and become future leaders.

Yesterday was my first day at FSH and I plan to volunteer every Thursday during the summer. There were over 85 young girls who were all so eager to get started on the ice and learn new skills. I was pleasantly surprised to learn that all of the girls already had some basic skating knowledge as they skated over to me with ease. My group of 11 girls practiced forward crossovers, snowplow stops, lunges, and one foot glides. We then incorporated all these elements into a fun and interactive performance to the song, “Girl on Fire.”

FSH was founded in 1997 by Sharon Cohen who wanted to provide a skating education program for young women of Harlem. She wanted to offer a fun and safe environment for these girls to come together after school and further learn and work together. This non-profit organization offers after school academic enrichment and support along with group fitness classes and skating instruction which align with the USFS Learn to Skate USA program.

I look forward to making many new friends and a difference in these young girls’ lives.

Girl Scouts Creates Leaders in Skating

Did you know Dorothy Hamill, 1976 Winter Olympic gold medalist, was a Girl Scout?

I was incredibly honored to serve as the Mistress of Ceremonies in this year’s Girl Scouts Gold Award Ceremony on Wed, May 29th. The Gold Award, the highest distinction earned by only 5.4% of eligible girl scouts, recognizes young women who demonstrate exceptional leadership in carrying out a community project with a sustained and measurable impact. Only one year ago, I was eagerly waiting to receive my Gold Award. Now I am a Girl Scout Ambassador serving on the CEO Advisory Board, actively involved in promoting Girl Scouts and its programs to younger girls in hopes of developing female leaders and empowering them to reach their potential.

Girl Scout CEO Eileen Higgins and Guest Speaker Carol Stillwell (President and CEO of Stillwell-Hansen, Inc.) address the 2019 Gold Award recipients. To learn more about my 2018 Gold Award project, visit https://www.facebook.com/81789241560/posts/10155621180761561/

I’ve been a Girl Scout since 3rd grade and I credit the organization for all my achievements to date. Girl Scouts encourages girls to participate in sports to help them not only stay physically fit, but also to gain confidence. According to Tufts University, children who participate in scouting and youth sports are more likely to develop positive social values (Scouting Wire, ‘Can Scouting and Sports Coexist?’, Nov 24, 2015).

My years of Girl Scouting have exposed me to various new experiences, allowing me to explore different interests, develop new skills, challenge myself, and learn to overcome setbacks. The courage and commitment I have gained from Girl Scouts have helped me become a leader not only in school and skating, but in life as a whole.

I will be forever proud to say, ‘I’m a Girl Scout’

THANK YOU G

irl Scouts!

National Skating Month Celebration

Setting up registration table and putting together goodie bags filled with U.S. Figure Skating promotional items for all the skaters

THANK YOU to Garden State Skating Club (GSSC) and Howell Ice Arena for all your help and support in making my National Skating Month open house event so successful.  I want to especially thank the GSSC coaches and my amazing club member friends who took time out of their busy weekend schedule to come out and teach the free group lessons, perform their programs in the skating exhibition and help me when and wherever I needed them. We had a great turn out with more than 55 kids and adults participating.  There were many happy faces and much laughter and all enjoyed and had a great time on the ice. My event brought the community closer together as it was a great family bonding activity and many children made new friends.  People connected with each other because they all shared a common interest which was building confidence in learning to skate and developing fundamental skating skills.  I hope my event will encourage many to be physically active and adopt a more healthy lifestyle and active living. The event successfully increased local awareness and participation in the sport as families inquired about the rink's Learn-to-Skate program and also interested in joining our skating club.
Thank you all again!
http://usfigureskating.org/content/NSM.article.pdf
https://mobile.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=541173829578273&id=247732912255701
For more information about my event, please go to My Events page.

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Free Group Lessons

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Figure Skating Club Info Desk

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Parent/Skater Education

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My Talented Performers

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My Helpful Volunteers

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Photo Booth Fun

We had such a great turn out and everyone enjoyed a fun-filled skating day!