SynchroNice / Fourth Edition / 2019

At OneTeamMVMT we are passionate about seeing the sport of synchronized skating achieve the worldwide recognition we believe it is so deserving of. As the sport contin- ues to grow in new ways, we thought it would be interesting to reach out to a random selection of countries to get some feedback on what is happening with the growth of the sport around the globe. What we LEARNED: One common thread is that the excitement around SyS is as strong as ever. There is no standard solution for how to grow SyS, as each country has its unique set of challenges, but by sharing successful strategies from various countries, we hope our sport can grow world­ wide. Here is what a few countries had to say: Australia: Growing, according to Angelique Clyde-Smith (Chair of the Australian SyS Committee), from a handful of teams in 1984, to 40 teams across 7 divisions now. How are they doing it? They attribute some of their growth to having SyS a part of the Australian Figure Skating Championships since 1984, along with the other figure skating disciplines. This provides great visibility for the sport. Croatia: Growing, and aiming to have regular representation at the Junior and Senior World Championships, according to Ozana Räikkönen, head coach of the Croatian National team, Zagreb Snowflakes. How are they doing it? With only 1 synchro club of 170 skaters, their goal is to utilize guest coaches to strengthen their program. Ozana says,“we have been working with Anu Oksanen for 13 years, Anne Schelter for 3 years and we had our first season training with Pascal Denis as well!” Japan: Growing, according to Mihoko Sato, of the Japan Skating Federation How are they doing it? According to Mihoko, more singles skaters are converting to SyS, allowing for more teams to exist. Also, due to coaches increasing their technical knowledge of the sport in recent years, the level of programs has been improving. Netherlands: Not growing,but hoping to,accord­ ing to Kids on Ice head coach, Angelique Visser. How are they doing it? “Hosting our ISU competi­ tion, Lumière Cup, helped to open the eyes of several officials of our union of how professional our discipline is.” They attribute their lack of growth to the sport not Written by:Jan Tietz Researched by: Lisa Miadovnik Would you say synchronized skating (SyS) is growing in your country? If yes , can you give any specifics? If no , any thoughts on why not? WE ASKED: being respected or recognized in their country as a viable competitive sport, by members of the other figure skating disciplines, which “creates a huge barrier to join synchro,” says Angelique Visser. She added, “In order for SyS to be taken seriously this needs to be changed and we should be categorized as a competitive sport.” Sweden: In a growth stage, according to former Team Surprise Captain Nathalie Lind­ qvist, despite the loss of the iconic and long-standing Swedish Champions, Team Surprise. How are they doing it? Using the knowledge of an experienced local coach, to develop the sport on home soil. “Andrea (former coach of Team Surprise) helps other teams in Sweden, [and] is an important person for the development of [SyS] in our country. She shares her knowledge with coaches who want to learn more and who want to start a new team.”said Nathalie. A Skate Sweden article mentioned, “Andrea Dohány will shift her focus from everyday coaching to building a stronger foundation for [SyS] in Sweden.” Turkey: Growing, according to Zeynep Aydin (Head Coach of Team Vizyon and President of the Turkish Ice Skating Federation SyS Technical Committee), from 3 teams in 2014 to 25 teams now. How are they doing it? They attribute their growth to a series of events; 1) a performance in their country in 2013, which attracted attention from nearby clubs, 2) An ISU seminar in Berlin where coach Zeynep learned a lot, and 3) Competing at the 2015 World Championships where skaters were inspired that with hard work, noth­ ing was impossible. United Kingdom: Growing, according to Natalie Primavera (Marketing and PR Officer at British Ice Skating), to a record number of teams (57) at this year’s British Championships. How are they doing it? They attribute some of their growth to the inclusivity of the sport, and the fact that skaters of all ages can participate. This year’s British Champion­ ships attracted skaters as young as 2 and as old as 75! United States of America: Definitely growing, according to Leslie Graham, (USFS Senior Director, Synchronized Skating and Skating Programs) How are they doing it? “We have a great Learn to Skate synchro program and approximately 1/3 of our registered teams compete at one of those four levels. We offer Synchro badges in our Learn to Skate USA curriculum, so skaters are exposed to the discipline early on,” noted Leslie. She added, “We incorporate [SyS] seminars into all of our coaching programs/seminars so skating directors and coaches gain a better under­ standing of the discipline.” Knowledge is power! What we LEARNED: Overall, it is wonderful to see federations showing such support of SyS through various initiatives, and interest­ ing to see the common thread of development seminars and competitions as a means to develop the sport locally. “OneTeamMVMT will host 3 SyS development seminars in 2019 (Australia, USA, and Canada), which are open to skaters and coaches everywhere. We hope to be able to offer more in the future, to aid in the de­ velopment of the sport worldwide,” said OneTeamMVMT president, Lisa Miadovnik. Learn more about what each country does to support SyS; Australia: The national federation supports SyS development initiatives, such as their teams attending the annual ISU Development Training Seminar in Vierumäki, Finland. They also encourage teams to organize development opportunities in their own regions. “This year for the first time, we are lucky enough to be involved with OneTeamMVMT, and NZIFSA to conduct a comprehensive development camp in Syd­ ney which has been specifically designed for SyS.” said Angelique Clyde-Smith. Does your federation have any initiatives in place, to support the growth/development of SyS in your country? Please explain. WE ASKED: A GLOBALMVMT TO GROW SYS WORLDWIDE: A LOOK ACROSS THE NATIONS SYNCHRO NICE 167