INNISFAIL – For retired world champion figure skater Kaetlyn Osmond, giving back to young athletes has been a huge part of her life for the past decade.
Now 26-years-old and enjoying life as a university student in Edmonton, she remembered her early days of skating in her native Newfoundland and Labrador when going to competitions across Canada was difficult because the cost of getting off and on the island was just so “pricey.
“But clinics is a way I'm able to actually connect with people in smaller communities, and the clinics I try to get into are the ones in the smaller communities that have a harder time getting out to competitions and to different clinics around Canada - just because of straight up expense or time with family,” Osmond told the Albertan. “Newfoundland was fantastic with that, and they used to bring in coaches and offer clinics for athletes in Newfoundland.
“And for me that just stood out so much in my life,” she added. “I remember that more than I remember competitions as a kid.”
And Innisfail will soon be next on Osmond’s cherished clinic mission.
She is headlining the Skater Development Clinic at the Innisfail Twin Arena on Nov. 19.
The Innisfail clinic line-up is impressive, one that can rival any on the planet.
Osmond is a national and world champion, and multi-Olympic medal winner. Her long-time coach Ravi Walia, who also mentored multi-Olympic medal winner Patrick Chan, is also attending.
"We just feel so excited to have both of them,” said Nadine Korsiger, special events coordinator for the Innisfail Skating Club.
The clinic will also feature rising dance pair stars William Oddson and Marianne Hubert from Calgary’s Huntington Hills Skating Club, as well as club coach Tammy Schmidt and Tyler Myles, director of skating at Calgary’s Calalta Figure Skating Club and a certified national coach.
The Nov. 19 clinic was Korsiger’s inspiration. She was set to retire from the ISC board but realized she wanted to go out with “a bang.
“I thought, ‘you know, let's make one really good clinic before I go.’ And so, when Kaetlyn said yes, I asked her if Ravi could come because he's well known, and she said, ‘yes, let me ask him’, and he said yes, he was available, and it just kind of rolled from there,” said Korsiger. “I just started looking at who else we could get that represented Canada and would be good role models.”
Clinic organizers have already accepted event registrations from figure skaters and coaches from across Alberta.
At least 10 Central Alberta clubs will be represented, including ones from Red Deer, Bowden, Sylvan Lake, Ponoka, Blackfalds, Hanna, Stettler, Delburne, Carstairs, and of course the Innisfail club.
“What we've allowed, which we think is a great thing if you have skaters attending, is clubs can bring one coach to attend for free,” said Korsiger. “They can actually spend time with their skaters and enjoy this because usually coaches end up doing more work because they're helping their skaters, and so we are not charging the coaches to attend.”
The registration cost to skaters is $100, or $75 if he or she is a member of the Alberta Figure Skating Foundation; the largest sponsor of the Innisfail event that is expected to cost $10,000.
Korsiger said the clinic will also see a total of 72 to 80 registered figure skaters – including 14 from the ISC - who are being broken up into three separate skill level groups.
“We're looking at 24 for each of the three groups but we may be able to accommodate a few more. We already have a wait list on two of the groups,” said Korsiger, whose 19-year-old daughter Devan, an ISC graduate and now a competitive synchronized skater, has registered for the clinic’s higher-level group.
The clinic will start at 8 a.m. with a non-ice Zoom session from a skating official that will go through the point system all figure skaters must face in competition.
The on-ice portion of the clinic begins at 9 a.m. on both Arena ice surfaces for the three groups. Osmond and Walia will lead one group, while Oddson and Hubert will take a second and Schmidt and Myles will lead a third.
“They are broken into groups based on their skill level and Kaetlyn and Ravi will have one group and every group gets one on-ice session with Kaetlyn and one off-ice, which is just as important as on-ice,” said Korsiger, adding off-ice sessions will be held in the Arena meeting rooms. “They teach them dance skills and how to posture and how your arm should be and just the expectations on off-ice.”
The public is invited to attend at no cost but are asked to respect the clinic work.
“If the public does want to come, they can but they just have to be cognizant that we have these coaches and skaters here, and the skaters need to be listening, and so it just needs to be quiet,” said Korsiger.
At the end of the clinic in the late afternoon there will be a 45-minute session for the registered skaters to mingle with Osmond and guest coaches and skaters. They will have the opportunity to have photos taken with them.
This part of the clinic will be closed to the public.
“Yes, Kaetlyn is the big draw, but they (clinic participants) likely want a picture and an autograph from the others as well,” said Korsiger.
