The Sundre Skating Club wasted little time getting kids back on their skates last week after the arena opened for the season following the Thanksgiving long weekend.
“We’re just starting out tonight,” said club president Lamar Tobin on Tuesday, Oct. 15, adding the first practice of the season ran in tandem with the main registration event.
Parents had a chance to sign up their children while the kids got the opportunity to hit the ice, said Tobin.
There are so far 20 kids registered, 10 in the Learn to Skate as well as another 10 in the Pre-Star and Star Skate programs, she said.
But the club will for the next few months continue to accept newcomers, she added.
“We usually keep the registration open for as long as we can.”
Many younger children want to try skating but are not old enough, so she said the club takes registrations until January, by which time some have had their birthdays and can get involved. One of the main prerequisites, she said, is for children to be toilet trained.
But since the season is already nearing the end by the time January comes along, she added the club typically ends registration shortly afterwards.
Numbers generally fluctuate, with the club sometimes experiencing several years of higher numbers, followed by seasons with fewer skaters. Tobin partly attributed that trend to the tendency of young boys to move to minor or recreational hockey leagues after spending a few years with the skating club learning the basics.
The club’s coach, Lyndsay Stange, agreed this year to help with the Olds Figure Skating Club, but remained committed to the kids in Sundre as well, said Tobin.
So whereas the local group used to skate on Mondays and Wednesdays, the ice time was updated to Tuesdays and Thursdays to accommodate Stange’s new schedule, she said.
“The opportunity in Olds gives her a chance to build more experience in her career,” she said, adding the club also has a new Learn to Skate coach, Chelsey Yakimchuk.
The club is in good shape, and is not currently seeking additional coaches or volunteers, as parents largely get involved when required, she said.
However, she added that come the new year, the non-profit club will be seeking prize donations from the community for the annual season wind-up carnival in March.
Additionally, the annual cheese fundraiser is currently underway. From options including old cheddar and mozzarella to a variety of gift baskets, people have until the end of November to place an order either for themselves or as a gift for friends and family with the holidays just around the corner. Contact any club member, or email Tobin at [email protected] or club treasurer Amie Seidle at [email protected] for more information.
