Our Synchronized Skating Teams for the 2009-2010 skating season

Mark you calendars!! Feb 3-5, 2011 is our target date. Midwestern Synchronized Skating Championship is being held in Rochester, MN. How do we get there? How do we prepare? Who is eligible?

We’d like to propose the following:

The St. Cloud Figure Skating Club will form (2) Open-Juvenile Synchronized Skating lines for the months Sept-Dec of 2009 then as of 1/1/2010 start competing as (1) Intermediate team and stay with that team through 2011.  As we prepare for this exciting once in the life time event, we look at our group of skaters and want to include as many synchro skaters as possible. Open Juvenile teams have between 8-12 skaters who are over 12 years old and have passed at least their pre-preliminary moves. An intermediate team can have 12-20 skaters under the age of 18,as of preceding July 1, and must have passed their pre-juvenile moves.

Initially both teams will practice at the same time, have the same dresses, same program (Our theme is Casino) and have the same music but compete at different competitions to give each team a chance to progress. As of January of 2010 I am hoping everyone has had a chance to pass their pre-juvenile moves test and we can then move into the Intermediate level and compete at that level at Red River Valley. We would have 6 weeks to prepare for the new level requirements and practice as a full team. I am hoping for a team of 16-20 skaters. This team, these dresses, this theme is what will be used at MIDS 2011!!

So now how do we put the teams together? In the short term I’m not sure that it makes much difference because by January we will be one. What happens if I don’t pass my pre-juvenile test by January? You practice with the team but are an alternate for Red River. This process actually gives the skater until Sept 2010 to pass the test to compete at Mids. In my mind the fairest way to form the teams is to draw names. We could do it by test level but it is an asset to our teams to have stronger skaters on the ice with them. By mixing the lower and higher move skaters together we blend and increase the skater power of all. Fortunately, we are all friends and it should make no difference in these few months who is on what team. I wouldn’t expect one team to be better than the other just a way to have everyone participate while we are moving to this higher level. We’re not ready for everyone to be on the Intermediate team yet and we want to include everyone that wants to skate synchro.

The LINE(S) will practice twice a week, Thursday morning and Tuesday evening, as well as off-ice practices for the duration of the season. Our practices may be at SCSU or the MAC. Our practices start in August. We also have an opportunity to work with Paula Wagener the week of August 3rd on our choreography theme and I have contacted Pam May of Braemer and she is available to us. More info to follow. Dress measurements will be taken the first week in August.

One of our teams could compete at Granite City and the other could at Maplewood Synchronized Competition (Minneapolis, MN), In order to have these lines, the Synchronized coaches have set a commitment date of July 31, 2009. By this time we need to have at least 16 committed skaters. This commitment is until Feb 2011.

To commit to your spot for Mids 2011, please register online by July 31, there is a $25 registration fee.

Thank you for your consideration and we’ll see you at the rink!

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