Planning Tips For Figure Skating

By Ashley Wright

U.S. Figure Skating provides a number of online resources to assist skating clubs, including the free guide, "A Club's Guide to Hosting a Training Camp, Clinic or Seminar." The guide covers such topics as "What to Include," "Timeline/Checklist," "Financials," "Specialty Programs" and "Helpful Hints," and outlines essential elements to running a successful skating camp, clinic or seminar, such as:

Stay Informed. Communicate with skaters, coaches, staff members, volunteers and rink managers. The more informed people are, the more successful your program will be. "For example, if your volunteers are informed, they will be able to assist skaters better. If the rink manager is informed, there won't be any problems during set-up on event day. Communication is a big key to making the program run smoothly."

Practice flexibility. Be prepared that your event will not go according to plan. "Whether it is something big or something small, the ability to think on your feet and come up with a creative solution is invaluable. So, be prepared for the unexpectedÑit will happen!"

Secure financial arrangements in advance. All financial arrangements should be made directly with the coach/presenter before any kind of commitment is made. Fees vary, but be prepared that a national or Olympic-level coach can run anywhere from $800 to $2,000 per day.

For more tips on hosting a skating camp, clinic or seminar, visit www.usfigureskating.org/clubs.asp?id=239.

Ice Skating Institute (ISI) is a member service organization whose membership includes ice arena managers and operators. The organization's website, SkateISI.com, features an "Arenas" section with a variety of online resources, including the article, "Tips on Running Skating Camps and Clinics," by Diane Powell. The following are excerpted tips from the article:

Know your market. "Know what is going on in your area and don't over-saturate the market."

Staff appropriately. "Have enough personnel to cover emergency situations that arise, such as a child twisting their ankleÉor even someone to go get a band-aid for a scratch. Have some contingency plans in case an instructor doesn't show up."

Get Feedback. "At the end of the camp or clinic, survey your participants to determine what classes were popular, what was executed the best, what they would like to see again, etc."

For more tips on hosting a skating camp, clinic or seminar, visit www.skateisi.com/site/sub.cfm?content=Archive_TipsonRunningcamps.