Dear Prospective or New Member,
On behalf of the Hollydell Figure Skating Club, I would like to introduce you to our home away from home and our wonderful world of figure skating. My name is Joe Grasso and I am your Club President. I am almost as new to this as you are, but I am learning fast and enjoying every minute of it. You cannot know the feeling of satisfaction until you see the glow in your child's eyes when they move towards their goal and perform on ice. You will see this in your child as they progress in this great sport and display their athletic abilities that you never realize existed.
Hollydell Figure Skating Club is your Club and it will be as friendly and great as you make it so your child may achieve their goals. The officers and members are here to assist you and answer any questions you may have in order to make your membership a pleasure for you and your child. To become great takes practice and as it is said, practice makes perfect. I choose to believe in a quote made by Vince Lombardi, "practice does not make perfect, perfect practice makes perfect".
Is skating the right sport for my child? I believe this is a question we have all asked ourselves. It is a commitment and requires much time and patience. You will not see your child become a star in one week, or two for that matter. However, they can enjoy it every time they are on the ice and know they will be as good as they want to be. We have a basic skills class that introduces your child to the world of figure skating with excellent, patient coaches that will teach them the basic elements and the correct form. After the basic skills class you may choose to move ahead and your coach will recommend private lessons with an advanced coach that will work and teach your child one on one to give them the attention they need. The least that can happen is that you have introduced your child to a unique sport that many wish they had been introduced to. My daughter has played soccer, baseball, basketball, field hockey and has danced for ten years and finally figure skating. Although she loves dancing, her true love is figure skating. She has a goal and she is working hard to achieve that goal and will be supported all the way. You will also find that figure skaters are focused and this helps them in school. They appear to have higher achievements and better grades because of their focus.
Our Membership Committee will furnish you with a Membership Packet which will answer the majority of your questions, any that remain can be asked of a coach, officer or any other member. The packet will furnish you with the By-Laws of the club along with many other informational documents to guide you along the way. Remember, do not be embarrassed to ask a question or feel stupid, I believe questions are a learning tool, if you knew, you would not ask.
Many of our coaches are "Gold Level" Coaches, this is the top of the line. They are well learned and proficient and are willing to help you in any way they can, this is their desire. They went through the same thing you are going through so they do understand.
I encourage you to become a part of the Club that is now your Club. Come to meetings, volunteer to help at events, support our fund raisers and learn, you will never regret it. The most important thing is to make it an enjoyable atmosphere where your child can learn, feel safe and have a sense of accomplishment.
Our Club offers off ice conditioning to help your child build the muscle and balance needed to be a good figure skater. We also offer ballet classes which gives the skater balance, flow and posture to make your child a beautiful skater to watch.
As your child grows older and advance their skills the door opens wider for many opportunities. They may choose to continue as an amateur skater and progress toward the Olympic dream, or they may want to become professional and skate with theatres such as Disney on Ice, Smuckers on Ice, Etc. At the age of 16 they may even be a coach and earn extra money for college or whatever. The opportunities are endless, help your child take advantage of the World of Figure Skating.
Thank you for your time and interest in our Club. Do not hesitate to contact me at any time if you have any questions or need any help.
Joseph Grasso, President
Hollydell Figure Skating Club
