Well, our club had a general membership meeting yesterday and the changes to the rink because of the new rink manager were discussed. First, there are two managers: rink and skating programs. The rink manager is in charge of the overall running of the rink while the skating programs manager runs the programs (figure and hockey).

Here are some changes that we have already seen:
-hockey camp during spring break for kids under 18 years of age. Previous years this ice has been utilized for extra public skating (i.e. "skate at your own risk").
-coaching on public daytime session is now permitted. Before, it was not allowed, only on club time and it was about $45 by the time you got done with your hour!!!
-Monday-Friday, 1:30-3:00 p.m. session added. This is new. Cost $3.00 includes rental skates.
-Friday Nights is now "Dance Night" with a live dj and games. That is all I know.
-Saturday afternoon sessions-you may now "rent-a-coach" for your birthday parties. However only one is PSA certified, although the other one has tested pre-pre.

Last, word (i.e. gossip, rumor) has it that our recreational rink is headed in a more "competitive" way....whether this means competitive as far as programs or in a training sense in the figure skating way (i.e. bringing down coaches from other rinks, having more drop-in freestyle ice, etc.) I'm not sure. The new skating programs manager is a former ice dance instructor so that is good.

Any thoughts? I'm thinking that this is positive. You can't compete with other rinks AND stay in business if you don't grow. We have been losing attendance over the past few years. We haven't grown. We have no high level coaches. This needs to change.

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Skate@Delaware
Ah, show skating!!! I do it for the glitter!

This may be good, or it may be bad-only time will tell. The new manager may or may not know what they're doing, and may have lots of ideas but not know how to implement them. If you have concerns about how this will affect you and/or other skaters, don't be shy-find out who the new general manager is and ask them for a sit down. From past experience, good managers will try to get to know the skaters and parents to build a good rapport because word of mouth advertising is still the best kind there is.

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deannathegeek
"It's like trying to do a toe loop in hockey skates-you have to have the right tools for the job."

Your new rules sound alot like our rink. I LOVE being able to do privates on public ice. Specially during the daytime. Its way cheaper. And for the little kids way more efficient since its not that busy during school hours. 4 and 5 year olds dont mesh well on freestyle and its not worth paying that price. Plus if your rink gives lts kids free passes.. then it encourages them to use their free pass to pay ice time for privates!!

I think it's great that your rink is trying to get a better program going (I wish my old hockey rink would do the same!) but of course there will always be those that don't like the changes. But since you have been losing membership it sounds like this is one way to go - good luck. I look forward to seeing how it works out!

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Is Portland the only city with it's own ice-dance website? http://www.pdxicedance.net/

From what I hear, she has managed a rink elsewhere, but I don't know where. She did leave a message on my voice mail at home, but I've been too sick (and hacking too much to talk on the phone politely) to call her back.

Other rinks in the area conduct lessons on public skate. We used to but it was nixed so the club could get members...but the sessions they were teaching on were lightly attended so safety was never an issue (maybe 10 people on the ice) and club membership is expensive.

I'm excited about the programs (am I the only one????? I seem to be so I've kept fairly quiet).

I don't usually go to other rinks and skate freestyle for two reasons: cost and I'm scared to death!!! I'd rather take my chances with the public skate crowds (which aren't too bad around here).

I'm going to try to look her up today when I go skate. She has been busy.

I have heard nothing but catty remarks and worse from the departing staff. Very unprofessional and it makes me wonder if they talk like that about everyone else????

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Skate@Delaware
Ah, show skating!!! I do it for the glitter!

Ok, so it's been about a week and the changes are slowly coming in. We had a staff meeting (my only one since I'm out for surgery). Here's whats really coming down the pike:
-we are doing BOTH ISI and USFSA learn to skate programs/testing
-green light for a special olympics; not sure when
-skate camp for girls (i.e. figure skating) again, not sure when
-patches will be given out when a skater passes a level; however, they are not to be passed unless they have truly mastered a level (by the book). We will be scrutinized.

Anyway, at the beginning of each lesson, we get a clipboard with our class list, broken down by level. We are "colorized" on our nametag, and each student checks in to the counter. They know where to go. First week was rough and classes ran about 15 minutes behind.

I had a Basic 1/2 class and I got a Basic 5 boy. His parents were NOT happy!!!! Then my special needs girl was stuck in a class of 15 (not mine). She requires a smaller class. I'm sure it will all work out in the end. Everything else ran smooth though.

We will have some off ice classes, ice dance, synchro, etc. There is some talk about breaking the freestyle/club sessions down into levels, which would be great as they are "open" sessions and typically chaotic with little girls playing games and dancers running through their stuff. Chaos.

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Skate@Delaware
Ah, show skating!!! I do it for the glitter!