Figure Skater and Now Coach

It is now the competitive figure skating season and next weekend the Winter Bay State Games at Williams College in Williamstown, Massachusetts will be taking place, which we are very much looking forward to since this has become a family tradition.

My daughter, Alexandra, has been skating for 13 years and has been competing for almost as many years and last summer she medaled at the State Games of America in beautiful San Diego and was the ISI district champion.

Yesterday, however, my husband and I were at a skating competition at a rink that we had never been to before located at Fitchburg State University in central Massachusetts. We were there not to watch our daughter compete but to support two of her students that she has been instructing in her new role as a skating coach. The Basic Skills skating competition was hosted by the Wallace Figure Skating Club and the club did a wonderful job. It was the first time that our daughter was at a skating competition as a coach.

Her two students, who competed at the Basic Skills competition yesterday, at such young ages, handled themselves with such poise and, if I may say, maturity, that they were a delight to watch. The fact that they both won two medals each, including gold ones, just added to the specialness of the afternoon. The support provided by their families was heart-warming, as well.

My daughter's fabulous skating coach, Ms. Suzy McCaughtry, had several of her younger skaters also competing and the smiles in the photos above capture the pay-offs from everyone's hard work.

Getting the Gold When It's Not Expected

To all those who work so hard at their craft, sport, studies, jobs, and even research -- if you hang in there long enough and work hard enough, the recognition will come -- although it may come when you don't even expect it.

What is important is that you stay with your passion, despite the obstacles that may block your way, and that you never stop believing in yourself.

Last weekend, we were at the ISI (Ice Skating Institute) district / regional figure skating competition in Norwich, Connecticut, which covers all of the New England States. Our daughter was competing in three different events. The Norwich skating rink is located right next to a golf course and is in a lovely location in southeastern Connecticut. The competition took place June 23-26, 2011.

Our daughter was very much looking forward to skating at this competition and her events were scheduled over two different days. She had her dresses/costumes packed up and had been training for months, while holding down a heavy set of academic subjects in school and also being on the varsity track team.

Interestingly, there were decorations throughout the rink with a Chinese theme (consisting of lanterns, Chinese sayings, and graphics of what the various Chinese years mean, i.e., the year of the dog, horse, etc.), so we interpreted these as good luck signs.

She had a wonderful time, as did we, and earned gold medals in Freestyle Gold, Artistic Freestyle, and Light Entertainment Freestyle, as well as the Freestyle trophy. (When the incorrect music was played initially for one of her events, she did not panic, gracefully skated to the judges, and provided a backup copy of the correct music and back on the ice she went.)

The organizers of this competition did a superb job of making the events run in a timely manner (something that I very much care about) and created a warm and welcoming atmosphere.

The results are posted here.

Behind every achiever, there stand the coaches and the support network (family members, friends, and the community at-large) and special thanks go to them! The Daily Hampshire Gazette has a nice feature article recognizing the accomplishments and notes our daughter's truly exceptional figure skating coach, who makes skating, learning, growing, and doing one's best, such fun.

Bay State Winter Games at Williams College and the Drama of Figure Skating

The 2011 Bay State Winter Games are now taking place at Williams College in Williamstown, Massachusetts in the Berkshires.

Today is the last day of the three day figure skating competition.

We spent the entire day yesterday there since our daughter was competing in two events.

This year, not only were Massachusetts skaters invited to compete but also skaters from other New England states who do not host their own state games. There are about 450 who registered.

The weather was great and it was wonderful to see so many athletes, their coaches, families, and supporters. We enjoyed watching the skaters, walking through the small downtown with surprisingly wonderful restaurants and cafes (I recommend the bakery at Tunnel City cafe with exquisite treats that reminded me of Paris)!

Williams College, one of the top liberal arts colleges in the United States, was also bustling with other events, including a female basketball game vs. Middlebury.

Figure skating is a very challenging sport since it demands incredible discipline and athleticism, but also artistry and musicality. The competitive level was very high this year, which speaks well of this sport. There is also drama associated with this sport from a skater we saw whose hand touched her blade while skating her program and then had to be treated when she got off since she was bleeding (some seemed more worried about her skating dress, though, than her well-being). There were also tears among some of the competitors when they did not do as well as they had hoped. But they did their programs and competed and deserve applause for trying to do their best!

Some skaters were scheduled to skate in more than a single event so the waiting can be taxing and enervating. I suspect that skaters handle the waiting better than their parents! One is also always curious about the size of the flights (that is, the number that one gets to compete against) and over the years, the skaters who stick with this beautiful but difficult sport, get to know one another and to remember the results from various competitions over the years.

What I continue to find fascinating is who sticks with this sport, despite the dedication required, the difficulties associated with it, not to mention the cost. It is breathtaking to watch -- will the skater land the double jump? Will she (most of the skaters were female at this competition) do all the jumps and spins in her program? And even, will she be able to go on the ice to compete (we have seen some who, literally, were too frozen in fear to get on the ice in previous competitions). In this sport (unless one is doing dance or pairs) one is literally alone on the ice with the judges and spectators' eyes staring at you and one can't hide!

A former MBA student of mine, who is an auto executive, and who (I get the most interesting students, I must say) was also a competitive figure skater, sent me an email recently -- he asked me whether I am one of those mothers who can't watch their child compete (indeed, I am, but I am getting better and can now sneak a peak at the beginning of my daughter's program and towards the end).

Congratulations to all the skaters who competed at the 2011 Bay State Games at Williams College and thanks to the organizers for a wonderfully run event! Thanks also to the coaches who nurture their students and who help them to achieve their dreams!

And, yes, my daughter qualified for the State Games of America that will take place in the summer of 2011 in San Diego, California! The competition was tough but she loves this sport and that is what really matters!