Synchronized Skating Handbook What you need to know about the Lake Placid Synchronized Skating Program 2015
Table of Contents Introduction..Pg. 2 Chapter 1: Before you Arrive......Pg.2 Chapter 2: Packing List.....Pg. 3 Chapter 3: Sunday Drop Off.. Pg.4 Chapter 4: While in Lake Placid...... Pg.4 Chapter 5: Electronic Device Policy.... Pg. 5 Chapter 6: Saturday Pick Up.. Pg. 6 Chapter 7: Additional Skating...... Pg.6 Chapter 8: Test Sessions & Competitions.....Pg. 7 Chapter 9: General Questions.........Pg. 8 1
Welcome Skaters! I hope you are as excited about our synchronized skating program as we are! We have a week full of team building activities, off-ice classes and of course lots of SKATING! Here is some helpful information to prepare you for your arrival as well as our camp guidelines. You will be expected to know and follow these guidelines while at camp. We want you to get as much as possible out of this experience. If you have any questions or concerns you may speak to any of the chaperones, we are here to help! Chapter 1: Before You Arrive Now that you re signed up there is nothing needed until you hear from us. You will receive an email to address you registered with by May 1st. You will be asked to submit an additional form via e-mail with the following information: - Skater's current moves in the field level - Skater's current team/level - Roommate request* Please do NOT send any of this information before requested. Know our refund policy! There will be no refunds except for a documented medical reason of the skater. The $50 nonrefundable registration fee will be non-refundable regardless. We will fully refund program fees for documented medical reasons of the skater up to two weeks prior to the start of the program (June 14 th for High Performance, Week 1; June 21st for High Performance Week 2; June 28 th for All Levels). We will refund 50% of program fees for documented medical reasons of the skater after the two week deadline. All refund requests must be made in writing with a doctor s note attached to marye@orda.org by July 22, 2015. There will be no refunds processed after the July 24th deadline. Please note that it may take 4-6 weeks to process refunds. ****Roommate requests received outside the designated time will not be considered**** Where am I staying? The Olympic Center offers dormitory-style housing for skaters age 10 years and up. In the summer the facility is a co-ed dormitory available to athletes & other summer programs. Campers are expected to be respectful of the other athletes & guests. Housing is supervised at all times by multiple chaperones. All meals (breakfast, lunch and dinner), as well as healthy snacks 24 hours/day will be provided on-site. Meal times will be posted in the cafeteria as well as on the printed schedule. When the kitchen is closed there are snacks available and the microwave is accessible. It is helpful to have some snacks at the rink. Rooms can accommodate 2-6 people we will do our best to accommodate roommate requests, but cannot always guarantee a skater s first choice. The supplemental paperwork has a form for roommate requests, please included any requests on this form. We will not accept requests via email. 2
Chapter 2: Packing List This is a list of recommended items that you will need while in Lake Placid. Skates!!!!!! (Sharpening is available for $15, but due to our schedule we suggest you arrive with them sharpened) Hard guards Workout shoes (no converse, sketchers, etc) Workout clothes (i.e. gym shorts & t-shirts) Skating clothes Skating jacket (our rinks are cold, dress in layers) Multiple pairs of black skating pants Bed linens (for a twin sized bed) and Blanket Pillow Toiletries Towels/Extra hand towels Hair Ties, Clips, accessories for buns Band-Aids, blister pads, blister band aids, Neosporin, etc. Granola Bars/Power Bars/other nutritious snacks for at the rink Water bottle to refill (much lighter than carrying a case of water up to the 3rd floor) Umbrella/Rain Jacket Fan (if it is a hot summer) Yoga mat (recommended) Beach towel Alarm clock (recommended) Notebook & pen/pencil (to write down advice from the coaches) Spending money skaters shouldn t need more than $30 Any medications regularly taken by the skater (can be left with chaperone if needed) Medications for stomach ache, headache, muscle soreness, allergies, colds, etc. are suggested. We have found that it is difficult to help the skater when they are sick if we don t know what they can take. Feel free to send these medications as preventative measures and leave them with the chaperone if you would like. No electronic devices allowed while at camp. Cell phones will be turned in immediately at check-in and given back during the designated cell phone time. Please do not bring any valuables to camp. The Lake Placid Synchronized Skating Program is not responsible for items lost or damaged. What if I forgot something? If you arrive in Lake Placid and find you are missing something you may be able to pick up those items at Rite Aid (2140 Saranac Ave) or Price Chopper (1930 Saranac Ave). Drive down Main Street and at the end of Main Street follow it up the hill. Rite Aid will be on the left about a mile down the road. Price Chopper is about a mile past Rite Aid on the left. If you need something during the week please let one of the chaperones know so we can go pick something up for you. 3
Chapter 3: Sunday Drop Off Registration is held on Sunday from 3:00-5:00pm. The registration table will be set up at 3pm. You will receive a folder full of information for the week, a schedule, I.D. badge and room assignments. After registering you are welcome to move items into your rooms and get settled. Please note that there is no elevator and rooms are located on the 2nd and 3rd floors of the dorms. It is important that you arrive during the registration time. Please note: You will NOT be able to move into your room prior to 3pm. It is important to be moved in by 5pm so that you are here for the team meeting, dinner and Sunday night skating. We understand it is not always possible to arrive within that timeframe, if you are unable to arrive between 3-5pm please email Katrina at kkroha@orda.org to make arrangements in advance. During the Sunday evening skate, evaluations will be done to put skaters into groups if necessary. Assignment of groups will be based on skating ability and age. Assignment of groups will be determined by the head coaches and LOC. Requests from parents will NOT be accepted. Changes will only be made at the discretion of the head coach. Chapter 4: While in Lake Placid There are a lot of people involved in making this a great camp experience for you. Please show respect to the housing staff, coaches, off-ice instructors and chaperones. Be sure to thank them throughout the week. If you need anything please let the chaperones know as soon as possible so we can help you. If we don t know about the problem we can t help you solve it! Chaperones are with the group 24 hours a day and go with the group to each activity. Chaperones are college age or older that have experience with synchronized skating. Many of our chaperones came to Lake Placid as campers themselves! Feel free to go to any chaperone if you need assistance. Your schedule will be very full every day. To get the most out of this experience be sure you are getting enough sleep, eating during meal times, snacking at breaks and drinking enough water. We spend very little time at the dorms so be sure to take everything you need with you when you leave. Sample Schedule: 8:15am: Breakfast 9:00am: Zumba 10:00am: Ballet 11:15am: Lunch 12:15pm: On-Ice 1:40pm: Team Building 3:00pm: Off-Ice Class 5:00pm: Dinner 6:00pm: On-Ice **This is only a sample schedule and may change due to ice time and coaching availability. Expectations of skaters while at camp: You are expected to behave in a way that reflects positively on the Lake Placid Skating Program, coaches, chaperones and other support staff. 4
At the dorms skaters are expected to share the common areas, keep spaces clean and be respectful of the dorm families & other teams we may be sharing the space with. Skaters are responsible for cleaning their own room daily as well as any shared spaces. For no reason will you be in the dorm room of someone outside of the Synchronized Skating Program. The lounge is available as a common hang out area. At the rink be respectful of the spaces we are using as well as other people while walking through hallways, up stairs or going from one class to the next. You will need to know your schedule and be on time and ready to go when going from one activity to another. Chapter 5: Electronic Devices Policy In order to make camp a great experience for everyone we have created a NO electronic device policy. Please talk about this policy to prepare your skater for their week in Lake Placid. No electronic devices other than cell phones will be allowed. Please leave any ipods, laptops, ipads or other electronics that connect to a wireless signal at home. Cell phones will be allowed but stored with the chaperones until the designated time. While cell phones can be extremely helpful they can also be a hindrance in many ways. It is important for skaters to develop independence and self-reliance. These life skills can be as valuable as the skating skills they learn while at camp. We want to promote communication with the other skaters at camp. That face to face communication is limited when skaters are constantly on an electronic device. We want to encourage the group to bond and become a team for the week. We also want skaters to be getting a good nights sleep and they cannot do this if they are staying up watching videos or spending time online. This policy also reduces the risk of inappropriate pictures being taken and or distributed via social media sites. Ultimately we want camp to be a safe and rewarding experience for every skater. Cell phones will be checked with the head chaperone and distributed daily during the designated time. At Sunday check-in skaters and parents will receive the schedule for the week and know when phone time will be. In general this time will be in the evening when the day is finishing up. Parents will receive contact numbers for the head chaperone so that in the event of an emergency they may contact us. We respect and appreciate the need for communication between parents and children, but if our skaters are to enjoy camp fully they must be able to develop this independence. If there is an emergency or we are concerned about the well-being of a skater, parents will be contacted immediately. Any electronic device found will be confiscated and stored in the arena safe until after the exhibition on Saturday. 5
Chapter 6: Saturday Pick Up Information Our Saturday schedule includes packing up and moving out of the dorms. Rooms will be emptied and cleaned before we leave for the rink on Saturday. Parents may come anytime after 8:30am to help pack and move things out. After our exhibition of skills you will be released to your parents and may go back to the dorms to pick up your things. If you will not be picked up until Sunday you must let us know in advance that you will be staying over. There is a $75 overnight charge for the additional night, unless you are signed up for a second week of camp. If you plan to stay in Lake Placid another night don t forget about the Saturday Night Ice Show! Use your I.D. Badge and get into the show for FREE! Every week we hold the Saturday Night Ice Show with skaters from our Summer Skating Program and well as guest skaters. Stick around after the show to get autographs from our guest skaters! Chapter 7: Additional Skating Looking to spend more time in Lake Placid? Our Summer Skating Program offers weekly ice time, on ice group lessons, off ice classes such as ballet, conditioning and trampoline and a diverse coaching staff available for private lessons. The summer program runs Sunday-Saturday and you can skate for as little as 1 week or stay the whole summer! If you are only looking for a couple of extra days in Lake Placid you may purchase a punch card from the Box Office for ice time at the registered skaters price. A schedule can be found outside the Arena Office. To sign up for the summer skating program go online to www.lakeplacidskating.com. It will ask you to pick your week(s) and you will purchase your number of practice sessions based on your current freestyle level. Once you are here you purchase tickets for on and off ice classes and attend the ones of your choice. There is no pre-registration for those classes. If you would like to schedule private lessons you can view our professional staff list on the website and contact coaches directly. If you need housing during your extended stay check out the housing information link on our website: www.lakeplacidskating.com. 6
Chapter 8: Test Sessions & Competitions Test Sessions We hold 3 test sessions throughout the summer. Pre-preliminary through senior level skaters can take moves in the field, freestyle, figures and/or ice dance tests at any one of the three sessions. International level dance tests are also offered. Canadian tests may also be available. Check out our schedule and see if a test session fits into your stay in Lake Placid! Test Dates: June 28th :: August 2nd :: August 23rd Applications are available online at www.lakeplacidskating.com. There are two separate applications for test sessions: the Dance Test Application and the Free Skating, Moves & Figures Test Application. All of the prices for every test, as well as application deadlines are listed right on the applications. Those registered for the Lake Placid Summer Skating Program are not required to pay the $25.00 registration fee that is mentioned on the applications. This fee only pertains to those skaters wishing to test, who are not registered for the program. Applicants are reminded that per US Figure Skating rules, skaters are not allowed to test the same test more than once in any 28 day period, and it is the skater s responsibility to ensure that they are in accordance with this rule. The three Lake Placid sessions held during the summer are 28 days apart; however, the Lake Placid Summer Skating Program is not responsible for keeping track of whether or not the skater has tested elsewhere within 28 days of the current test session. All applications should be handed in at the Box Office before the due date listed on the application. Late applications require a $20.00 late fee for each test. A space for special requests can be found on the bottom of the application. In this section, skaters & coaches are invited to request a specific day or time that they wish to have their test scheduled. Please remember: we do try to honor all requests to the best of our ability, however, because we receive many applications for all test sessions and are not always able to accommodate every specific request we receive - *please try to be flexible*. Competitions If you are a solo skater combine your synchronized skating with your solo skating and join us for one of our competitions! Competitions: **2015 Lake Placid Figure Skating Championships will be held June 25-28, 2015** **2015 Lake Placid Ice Dance Championships will be held July 29-August 1, 2015** Please visit www.lakeplacidskating.com for updates and competition applications! 7
Chapter 9 General Questions Will I be challenged on the ice? Yes! No matter what your level or team experience you will be challenged. On ice sessions include work on individual skating skills as well as team skills. You will work on improving edge quality, turns, speed and flow as well as team elements. I forgot to fill out the roommate request, will I get to be with my teammates from home? We cannot guarantee any roommate requests. Due to the nature of our schedule we hardly spend any time in the rooms at the dorms. By the time we are back from the rink it s time to shower and get to bed for the next day. Even if you aren t in a room with someone from home you will be with them all day! Why do I need my intermediate moves-in-the-field test for the High Performance Week? This week is a much smaller group of skaters designed to have an intense and focused week as a team. The Lake Placid Synchronized Skating Program wanted to offer a more intense week for those skaters that will be on higher level competitive teams for the upcoming season. US Figure Skating recognizes the intermediate moves test as a requirement to skate on a Junior team. How much skating will I be doing? You will be on the ice between 4-5 hours each day. Off ice classes will take place throughout the day as well. This is a physically active program and skaters should expect to be working hard throughout the day. I have food allergies and I m a picky eater, will I have food to eat? Yes! Of course. It will be important for you to communicate your dietary needs to the head chef as well as the other kitchen staff. Be specific on your medical form so that the head chaperone can alert the chef of your dietary needs prior to your arrival. Once you arrive talk to the chaperones about what you need, they can help you too! What kind of off-ice activities will I be doing? Some of the off-ice classes include ballet, dance, Zumba, goal setting, off-ice program work and other team building activities. Do I have to participate in the off-ice activities? Yes, it is important that each skater is involved in the off ice activities. To get the full benefit of this week long program it is important that everyone acts as a member of the team and participates together as a team. Why can t I bring my ipad or laptop? Our schedule is jammed pack with activities that will use a lot of your energy. When we are not doing off-ice or on-ice activities we find it is easier to relax when there aren t the distractions from using electronics. Skaters need to get as much rest as possible, a tired skater is a safety risk, especially in synchro. In addition to getting some much needed rest it is difficult to bond with new friends when you are attached to the internet. 8