THE COLONIAL BLADE

September 17, 2021 Edition

CLUB NEWS

Happy September skaters and families! We hope back-to-school is going well for all, and are excited to see everyone back on the ice, working on programs, and in our classes and teams!

Colonial Club Jackets: You may have seen some skaters wearing our new jackets, and we would love to see more and more Colonial pride! We will be placing a Colonial Club Jacket order at the end of September. Jackets are $80, which includes logos on the back and front, and the skater’s name on the sleeve. There is one jacket available in the Colonial office for you to check it out. To order, please use this link. You will need to log into your Entryeeze account, then click on “Merchandise,” where you will be able to choose the size and complete your purchase. Please order by September 30, for delivery in mid-October.

UPCOMING DATES

October 16

3:15 PM - 4:45 PM

Rink 1

Please mark your calendars for the 2022 Championship Series Sendoff, where we wish the best of success to all of the Colonial skaters competing in the series!

October 7

5:15 PM - 8:00 PM

Rink 3

Theatre on Ice Intermediate/Open Team begins.

October 27

4:40 PM - 5:25 PM

Rink 3

ASPIRE Synchro Clinic begins

COMPETITIONS

Synchronized Elements Series Challenge

October 7-8, 21-22, 2022

A two-event virtual series where synchro teams will submit (3) three elements for evaluation and scoring at each event. The team with the highest number of points at the end of the two events in their division will be declared the “Elements Champion”.

2022 Colonial Classic

January 8-10, 2022

Tsongas Center in Lowell, MA

This is Colonial’s signature Synchro competition, and we expect to welcome over 125 teams! Please join us as a spectator and/or volunteer.

2022 Adult Winter Challenge

March 27, 2022

NVO

We are looking forward to bringing back this exciting event for Adult Skaters, and hope the entire Colonial community will come out and support our skaters as spectators and volunteers.

ATHLETE ADVISORY

Thank you to those skaters who have reached out about joining the Athlete Advisory Committee. It is not too late to get involved, so anyone with questions can email aac@colonialfsc.com

We expect to get started later in September, so stay tuned!

CLASSES

ON ICE

The Edge & Performance Class continues on Wednesdays, 4:40-5:25 p.m. on Rink 3. The Fall session runs through October 20. Skaters are having so much fun so far in this class, where they develop skills and body awareness, while also incorporating dance, music and expression.

OFF-ICE

Two of our Colonial coaches invite all skaters to join them for exciting off-ice classes, held on Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays. To learn more about Off-Ice training, please visit: https://www.colonialfsc.com/off-ice

LEARN TO SKATE & ASPIRE

LEARN TO SKATE

Learn to Skate is a joint program run by the Colonial Figure Skating Club and the Nashoba Skating School. All lessons are taught by Skating Professionals.

From Snowplow Sam through Basic Level 6, skaters learn to skate in a fun, supportive, positive environment.

Many parents and skaters ask, What’s Next? Here at Colonial, skaters may progress into the Aspire program, Aspire Synchro class, Edge & Performance and/or Intro to Theatre on Ice. These programs are all for skaters from Basic 5 on up. Make sure to check out the information located elsewhere in this newsletter.

Your skater may also benefit by working with a private coach, who can help with mastering difficult skills, and supporting the skater with next steps as they progress. Each Learn to Skate class includes the opportunity to register for a 15-minute private lesson, so talk to your teacher to learn more about this program.

ASPIRE ADVANCED SKILLS

Colonial's ASPIRE Advanced Skills program is the next step after learn to skate classes. We still have space in all three of our Fall classes, which meet Mondays 4:50 p.m., Thursdays 4:50 p.m. and Sundays 1:30 p.m.

Please contact advancedskills@colonialfsc.com for more information.

The session runs through December 12, and fees are prorated for skaters joining mid-session. Walk-ons are also welcome. To register, go to our Registration Portal, which may also be accessed from our home page, under “Programs.”

Enrolled in Aspire? Here is more information for you.

Private Coaching: This may be the next thing for you to consider. A private coach can supplement your group lessons, help you to master a difficult skill, or start to introduce you to the testing or competitive sides of figure skating.

Please talk to your skater’s Aspire coach to learn more about private coaching.

SYNCHRO & THEATRE ON ICE

It’s not too late to join our team; we still have spots open on our Preliminary, Adult and Masters teams. For our up-and-coming skaters, we are also excited to announce our new ASPIRE Synchro program.

Synchronized skating is a popular discipline both within U.S. Figure Skating and around the world. Synchronized skating is a team sport in which 8-20 skaters perform a program together.

Interested in one of our Synchro Teams?

Contact: synchro@colonialfsc.com

TEAM SCHEDULES

Prelim Team:

Wednesdays 5:35-6:35 p.m.

Sundays 2:05-3:40 p.m.

Open Juvenile Team:

Wednesdays 6:45-7:45 p.m.

Sundays 3:50-5:50 p.m.

Adult Team:

Wednesdays 7:55-9:50 p.m.

Masters Team:

Thursdays 8:10-10:10 p.m.

Open Masters Team:

Fridays 7:00-8:30 p.m.

ASPIRE Synchro

Open to all skaters from Basic 5 through Pre-Juvenile Moves in the Field, this 10-week program will introduce skaters to the excitement of Synchro. Not only will skaters learn and perform a synchro program, they will have fun and make new friends at the same time!

Wednesdays 4:40-5:25 p.m.

Oct. 27 through Jan 5

Fee: $200

To register, go to www.colonialfsc.com and click “Log into the Ice Booking Portal.”

Our 2021-2022 Theatre on Ice program is just getting started, and we hope to see lots of skaters performing with our Broadway Blades Teams! We are excited to offer two levels this year.

Theatre on Ice is a team-structured program that combines the grace of figure skating with the excitement of theatre and dance!

Interested in learning more about TOI?

Contact: cfsctheatreonice@gmail.com

Our Teams

“Broadway Blades” is our Intermediate/Open team. All participants must have passed at least the Pre-Preliminary Moves in the Field test.

Thursdays 5:15-6:15 Off Ice, 6:30-8:00 On Ice

Join our September Skill Sessions to try it out. The 4-week session fee will be prorated when you join now.

Broadway Blades Team will run from October through June, so join now! A $300 deposit is due when joining, followed by monthly installments throughout the year.

“Broadway Blades Intro” is an introductory TOI experience for skaters from Basic 5 through Freeskate 6.

Thursdays 6:30-7:15 p.m. On Ice

Join our Fall Sessions to try it out:

September (4 weeks): $100*

October (4 weeks): $100

November/December (8 weeks): $200

*September fee will be prorated.

Once you’ve tried it, and you love it, join the Intro Team that will meet January through June!

TEST SESSIONS

Our next In-Person test session will be held

October 21, 2021

Registration now open

Deadline to register: Thursday, Oct 07, 2021 @ 10:00 PM

AWARDS & RECOGNITION

We are excited to announce that we have 14 Skaters representing Colonial at the 2022 USFS Championship Series! Skaters will compete in the Series in Norwood, MA, November 9-13, and/or Leesburg, VA, October 27-30. From the Championship Series, skaters may advance to the 2022 U.S. Figure Skating Championships, and may qualify for the National High Performance Development Team.

To send them off Colonial-style, please join us:

STARS - Stars will be available in the Colonial office soon for skaters, parents and friends to send best wishes to your favorite skaters!

CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES SENDOFF EXHIBITION

October 16, 2021

3:15-4:45 p.m.

Our Championship Series competitors will perform on Rink 1 for our club members, family and friends to cheer them on and wish them all the best in their competition! We hope everyone will join us to celebrate!

Colonial celebrates excellence, as we strive for the highest standards in all endeavors. So that we can honor our champions, recognize achievement at all levels, and inspire skaters to reach new goals, we are seeking members to join our Awards and Recognition Committee. Please email patty@colonialfsc.com if you are interested or want to learn more about this committee.

VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES

Did you know?

Volunteering makes people happier in their lives: Research shows that people who regularly volunteer show higher levels of happiness in their daily lives!
Volunteering reduces stress: When you check your problems at the door to help someone else, the social interaction, meaningful work, and a little exercise is sure to decrease your stress levels!
Volunteering can improve your health: Improved cardiovascular health is just one of the proven benefits of volunteering, even decreased mortality rates!

Colonial depends on our members’ volunteer service to support the club, put on quality events and celebrate our skaters. Don’t forget to complete your “Volunteer Pre-Registration Form,” found on the “Get Involved” page of the Colonial website.

ICE BOOKING INFORMATION

We are very excited to see so many skaters back on the ice for our Fall Ice Booking Season!

Here are a few friendly reminders:

Check in for your ice sessions every day you skate. You may do this any time before your session, even first thing in the morning!
If you have to miss a session, please cancel it at least one hour in advance, so that you receive Ice Credit to use for a future session! No-shows or late cancellations are not eligible for credit.
If you are booked on a half-hour session, please check the clock to enter/exit the ice at the correct time. Our Member Service staff is here to help, but your attention is helpful as well.

QUESTIONS about Ice Booking, prices, schedules and more? Please see the Ice Booking and Programs Manual, found on the Ice Booking Portal page of our website.