1. SYNCHRONIZED SKATING IN NL 1

2. A Little About Me Susan Thistle Currently Synchronized Skating Coordinator, SCNL Started volunteering with my club about 24 years ago Previous positions include: CanSkate coordinator, Synchro team manager, Club Treasurer, Club President, Avalon Region Secretary, Avalon Region Director, Section Director at large and Section Secretary 2

3. Synchro Involvement Interest in Synchro started when I joined an adult team in 1995. At that time we were known as “Precision” In 2001 I became a manager of a Juvenile team. I managed this team for 9 years as they progressed to the Intermediate category. We had many fun trips together competing both inside and outside the province. In 2010 I took on the position as the Synchronized Skating Coordinator with our Section. 3

4. History of Synchro in NL First provincial championships was hosted by the Flying Blades FSC in Clarenville, NL in 1982. This is the club that was founded by Elizabeth Swan in 1964-65. Experienced tremendous growth over the past 5 years. The 2010- 11 season we had 22 teams representing 8 clubs. This past season we had 45 teams representing 13 clubs! Traditionally our synchro season ran from October to January with our Provincial Championships late January. This past season we made major changes to our season by adding a second competition. The Elizabeth Swan Memorial Competition was held in early February and we moved our Provincial Championships to mid- March. 4

5. How We Support Synchro Coordinate a Technical Seminar each year for our coaches Provide financial assistance to our teams travelling outside the province for qualifying events. Travel with the team to Nationals to provide support. Provide support to clubs hosting provincial championships including obtaining officials and acting as Technical Representative for events Promote sharing……. Added a second competition to the skating season 5

6. Our Demographics 13 of our 32 clubs have Synchronized Skating teams Breakdown of teams in NL Beginner I – 7 Beginner II – 6 Elementary – 9 Juvenile – 5 PreNovice – 7 Novice – 1 Open – 1 Adult I – 1 Adult II – 5 Adult III - 3 6

7. Challenges Difficulty obtaining officials for our competitions Availability of ice time Competing with other programs in the club Competing with other sports High cost of travel to out-of-province competitions Lack of competition opportunities for our “competitive” teams 7

8. A Little About Me Lindsay Hillier Professional Coach, Skate Canada NL Coaching Representative, Member of the Skate Canada Coach Development Committee, Synchro Team Manager, Synchro Skater on the Open Starlites Ice Dancer from the Polaris Figure Skating Club in Labrador City, NL Moved to St. John’s in 2002 to attend Memorial University Started skating synchro in 2004-2005 8

9. Synchro Involvement Got involved in synchronized skating in 2005 (Junior Team) Fell in love with the sport and had a dream A decade later, that dream came true! Never coached a team Team manager or co-manager for 4 seasons, going into 5 th Team co-captain since 2013 Unique team structure Shared responsibilities Little external involvement 9

10. How We’ve Grown Our team skated recreationally for a decade No travel/travel only within province 1 Competition per season Deciding to move towards skating more competitively was not immediately accepted by all 10

11. How We’ve Grown Once we found team members willing and able to commit to the demands of a team with plans to compete nationally we began to consider: Team culture/morale Ownership/accountability Unified focus: How to compete with other teams in our category 11

12. Team Culture/Morale LOTS of teambuilding activities! Potlucks, teambuilding games, rock climbing, yoga classes, acrobatics classes, theme days at practice, the list goes on A Positive Social Media Presence Posting photos of our fun activities and having our own hashtag has attracted attention from interested skaters, and has helped us network with other teams around the world Manager(s) with vested interest in the team/clearly understanding the needs and wants 12

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14. Ownership/Accountability Clear, mutually agreed upon expectations Taking and listening to the opinions of team members Identifying people’s talents and finding ways to use them Hair, make-up, advertising/fundraising, artwork/banners, photography Showing appreciation Team awards banquet Constant communication Group text messages, private Facebook group, in-person meetings 14

15. Unified Focus Selecting a team willing to commit to season goals Discussing goals, and how to attain them Following-up throughout the season Setting plan in place and following through ie: fitness, attending practices, deciding on practice times/lengths Reviewing progress as a group throughout the season Trust in each other Willingness and ability to speak to each other to express feelings 15

16. Challenges Though we have made exceptional progress there are still challenges: Cost of travel off island Limited population Most skaters are typically assumed to be skating singles – synchronized skating is usually a secondary activity 16

17. What Others Think Went to the experts in our province… Our Coaches! Provided them a survey asking about their perspective on the strong culture of synchronized skating in Newfoundland and Labrador 17

18. Respondents 18

19. Why They Enjoy Coaching Synchro 19 Unique – Team Aspect Skaters get to experience a team sport Everyone is equal while on a team Gives skaters another avenue to compete Choreography and music selection – choosing a theme that will get skaters and audience to feel something Helps retain skaters Relationships between skaters built All skaters win/lose together - support

20. Why They Believe Skaters Participate in Synchro 20 Time with friends Being a part of a team/family Fundraising opportunities Memories Way to continue skating once done another discipline Spirit/excitement unlike other disciplines at competition

21. Reasons Skaters Choose A Specific Team 21 Recreational and more competitive options See peers enjoying it Group interaction/social opportunities Positive training atmosphere

22. Unique Activities/Rituals 22 Team Building Activities Dinners, outings, games, sleepovers, etc. Little rituals before beginning program at competition End practice with 2 things that went well and 1 thing that needs to be worked on next session as a group Choreographed warm-ups Creative ways to get to ice surface All-team (from club) dance party in dressing room before competing Appreciation rituals Thank-you circle, applause, bow, etc at end of practice

23. What Coaches Believe to be the Most Important Characteristics of Successful Teams 23 Unity between skaters, coaches, and management Team having fun and enjoying what they are doing Commitment/dedication of skaters Not setting expectations and cost too high – skating for enjoyment Remaining calm as a coach Good planning, knowing technical material, being able to adjust quickly and appropriately to the unexpected Realistic goals Willingness to learn from peers Club support Coaches willing to work toward best interest of skaters, not their own interest

24. Reasons Coaches Believe Synchro is Popular in Newfoundland and Labrador 24 There is a team for almost every demographic! Promoted well by clubs, section and coaches Opportunity for success outside of other disciplines By keeping it local (recreational), it is affordable to most

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