The Inside Edge - Insider news at the Tampa Bay Skating Club

Nicole Weinstein, TBSA Skating School Director, invites all skaters to become a part of one of our Synchronized Skating Teams for the 2009-2010 Season. She is spearheading the effort to build the Synchro program so that by next year we will be able to have Tampa Bay Skating Club's first USFS Synchronized Skating Team.

In addition to forming synchro teams, Pauline Gasparini is going to start a USFS "Theater on Ice" Team. If you want to know how fun this form of team skating is, asking any member of the Spacecoast FSC as their skaters have been participating in this for the last several years and had a lot of success placing or winning competitions.

Skaters will have the opportunity to participate in both and when the teams go to competitions, our teams will be able to compete in both Synchro and Theater on Ice.

Everyone is encouraged to consider participating for the following reasons: Synchronized Skating at this level can be a prerequisite for a place on a collegiate team at one of the many colleges that offers synchronized skating. This not only gives you the opportunity to take your synchro skating to the next level, it allows you to travel around the world competing and representing your college. Theater on Ice can give you the tools you would need to become a professional show skater and would also give you the opportunity to travel around the world and skate for your job! These are just other avenues to take your skating, and both of these will help you become a stronger skater as you progress in your skating career. Both of these forms of team skating are a lot of fun and offer the opportunity for meeting and making new friends, both within our club and with skaters from other teams.

If you would like to be part or either or both of these teams, for more information, contact Nicole of Syncho and Pauline for Theater on Ice.

My Two Cents Worth from the TBSC Webmaster/Judge: I encourage all of our skaters to take advantage of these two opportunities to further your skating experience.

Back in 1999, our club hosted the US Synchronized Skating Championships at what is the what is now called the St Pete Times Ice Forum in Tampa. If any of you were a club member at the time, you may remember the team spirit and top notch skating talent displayed during the competition. The high level of skating skills these teams had even as far down at the Intermediate level was amazing. Due to the use of lots of intricate footwork and other moves, it definitely is a branch of competitive skating that all skaters should consider being involved in.

I have had the privilege to announce at the Syncho East (Sectionals) and 1994 US Synchronized Skating Championships (in Huntsville, Alabama). From my iceside seat, I experienced up close the camaraderie, team spirit, high energy and enthusiasm these teams have. It's all about the team. Everybody had a great deal of fun.

Synchronized skating is very popular in the Northeast & Midwest regions of the U.S and in Canada and is insanely popular (think cult following) in many European countries, especially in Finland and Sweden, where their teams have won many World and International titles.

Theater on Ice is a growing branch of skating. As mentioned above, the skaters from Rockledge have been participating in it for several years and have had great success at competitions. It's creative, fun and especially for people that like to entertain.

So if you have gone as far as you think you can go in skating or you have lost your spark and drive to continue and don't think there is anything "new: to learn, think again. Give synchronized skating and Theater on Ice a try. You'll be glad you did.

NEEDED: SKATING NEWS - If you compete in competitions outside Florida, drop us a line with the '411' about your experiences. Send email to the webmaster at tampabaysc@hotmail.com