So, why does one join a skating club?

Obviously I'm a long way off from ever doing so (at about Basic 5 right now and I can tell this one's going to take me a bit), but I keep wondering if I ever want to join one.

As far as I can tell, one joins a skating club to be able to skate club ice (i.e. no more public sessions!!) and have a club coach. And I assume I couldn't take any sort of group classes past Basic Skills without having a club membership? Or do rinks tend to let you go past that without joining the home club (which I assume would involve joining USFS as an individual)? The rinks around here seem to just have "adult" classes, which would suggest that it doesn't matter your level or if you're past Basic Skills. And then of course there is testing and competitions, which I don't really have an interest in doing, so I wouldn't need a club membership for that.

I know there's also the friendship aspect, but frankly I don't expect to find much of that as I'm guessing most clubs around here are just mostly full of kids and don't have many adult members. (Ideally I'd love to join Detroit Skating Club but it is just way too expensive, and it is further from me than at least four other clubs. It would make the most sense for me to join the club at the rink that is within walking distance of where I live, of course)

I just wonder what one gets for the expense of paying annual club dues...

Benefits vary from club to club. At my club, membership means you get a lower rates for freestyles and special club sessions like power class, the right to do feature numbers in the ice shows, lower test fees at our club and some others that we have reciprocal agreements with, we sign your competition forms for you, and you get to buy our cool club jackets.

From a personal standpoint, especially for an adult, you might come out better as an individual member of USFS. Clubs are bigger than individuals, though. As a group, we have more clout with the rink in terms of getting ice time. By supporting the club, members help insure that figure skating sessions will exist at that rink. Rinks lose money on figure skating sessions in general, so if they can sell that hour to hockey or anybody else that will pay the full hourly rate ($260/hour at my rink), they will. The club negotiates with the rink to help make sure that we won't lose all our ice. So, paying your club dues sort of buys you the ability to skate, especially freestyles, since the rink is less likely to offer those sessions if there's not a club demanding them.

For me the benefit of joining a club is to be able to test and compete. I really don't need to be a member of any club to skate at the rinks here. No one seems to care. lol. Some sessions at certain rinks are 'club' sessions but I just don't skate those sessions. And those 'club' sessions are not that common. And also I can have a coach who is not with my club or on the other hand, I don't have to be a member of any club to take with my coach or anyone else. Does that make sense? In fact my coach is a member of a club from another state.

If there were rules like that here skating life would be much more difficult!!

Just wanted to add that I chose my club because they have many test sessions and the dates are posted well in advance AND the cost of testing is the lowest in the area. I know you don't really want to test but just sharing my experience.

At my rink, this is what I view as benefits to joining a skating club:

• Access to Club Ice.
• Cheaper testing rate
• Much easier for me to register for my rink's yearly competition. I don't have to yank out my card to get the USFSA number or my coach's phone number. They have their contact info!!!
• Priority spot in club sponsored critiques.
• You get to go to club activities. We have picnics once a year! Club Ice Christmas parties are also fun too!!!
• The KEWL jackets and pins
• And of course the commaradarie, though I get that anyway whether or not I belong to the club.

That said, I did NOT renew this year b/c of my (un)employment situation PLUS that I'm taken a hiatus from competing to work on my basic skating and my Silver Moves test and don't expect to be test ready 'til at least the following year, if not 2011. Club Ice is usually too early and too crowded!!! It just doesn't make sense to renew for me until I'm ready to test and compete again.

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Cheers,
jazzpants

11-04-2006: Shredded "Pre-Bronze FS for Life" Club Membership card!!!
Silver Moves is the next "Mission Impossible"
(Dare I try for Championship Adult Gold someday???)

Thank you for the support, you guys!!!

I would say it's time to join Competitive Adult Skaters Yahoo Group and meet Kristin, one of my moderators, who skates in the Detroit area. She'd be able to help you out with more information.

Oh, I'm the Competitive Adult Skaters group member owner but I'm Canadian living in Windsor, ON across from Detroit and skate mostly ticket ice even though I'm a club member of Skate Windsor. If you don't mind crossing the border we have an Adult Group for high CanSkate(Skate Canada's learn to skate) adult skaters on Sundays @ Skate Windsor Adult Skate - $355 for full season Sept.-March on Sundays @ 6:20 PM – 7:20 PM ADULT LEARN TO SKATE/FIGURE SKATING at Forest Glade Arena on Google you'll find a more exact location of Forest Glade Arena.

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"It's not age that determines but the heart." "Skating is not just a sport for the young but it's a passion for the soul of the young at heart." Brigitte Laskowski

I am a nomadic adult skater who is a member of Windsor FSC (Skate Windsor) WOS SC again since Sept. 1st, 2008.

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Singerskates Sports Music Editing

For me, the only reason to join a club was to be a USFSA member. There is a club in our area that is less than the individual membership fee (and others that are more)- so it's just money.

They do have club ice, that is slightly less than freestyle prices, but it is so limited I don't use it.

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-Jessi
What I need is a montage...
Visit my skating journal or my Youtube videos (updated with 2 new videos Sept 26, 2009)

I joined the club at my rink for the following:

-discount on freestyle ice $10 instead of $15 per session (50 minutes)
-discount on testing session (which I'm told they WILL be having moves not just dance this year)
-clout and buying power; the more people that join, the more weight our club carries when it's time to buy ice. Although we will never outnumber ice hockey if our numbers consistently go up we build status
-the right to participate in shows (you have to be in the club OR taking classes, not just private lessons with a coach)

We have different levels of membership, varying from $35 (trial membership) to $150 which is the full membership. An individual USFS member would have to pay full costs for everything-I couldn't afford that.

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

Hi Kat12!! I don't test or compete, either, so we have that in common!!
As you stated, if you did plan to test/compete you would really need to join a club and have a USFS card. However, since you aren't....
A club can help when it comes to ice time (figure skating ice vs session ice). But several clubs will allow you to "walk on" to their practice ice for a slightly higher fee. This works for me as my schedule is "erratic" and I can't pay ahead for ice since I may not be able to use it. Also, you may have a problem if you do not test if the club is picky about enforcing the test levels on ice practice sessions. I am lucky in that they have seen me skate and accept me at the level I choose, but, technically I am only a preliminary level skater!! (and will never officially be higher)....So as you get better than your test level (no test/pre-perliminary) you may run into trouble there.....
Also, if you plan to have a coach, you might need to join the club in order to take lessons. Need to look into this.... (I'm not taking lessons, so it doesn't matter, but if you plan to take lessons this might be a problem.)

I joined the Detroit Skating Club (Limited Membership) for a variety of reasons. For me, I long to compete and excel as far as I can in singles (freestyle) skating. After taking the LTS and passing each level, I realized that the DSC was intended to be my home.

PERKS

• I have a locker now, cheaper ice (rather than paying 14.00 per session, I only pay 11.00).
• I found my coach there (whom I chose after spending time with other coaches and finding I learn the best from her and feel the most comfortable).
• Also, the atmosphere was the most important aspect. The kids and adults I met made me feel so welcome.
• I enjoy the food stand (which has outstanding food!!!) and the owners there are super friendly and supportive.
• Having free access to the weight/training room is a plus.
• Being able to join USFSA
• Its only 15-20 minutes from where I live. Right down the road.

You have to be a USFS member in order to compete/test.

I was skating synchro until recently ('08 was my last year) and all the teams I've ever been on required us to be a home or associate member of the figure skating club they were out of.

Now, I do a club membership versus an individual membership because test sessions are cheaper (although here if you are a home club member of any local club, there are no out-of-club fees to test above a certain level at test sessions due to difficulty of getting judges; some clubs dropped out-of-club fees altogether, particularly for summer tets sessions, to make it worth the time and effort to host them).

My club requires a home or associate membership to contract ice (although truthfully our number of contracts is so low this year they'd probably waive it if you are a USFS member). I don't contract ice, but club members also pay less for punch cards and walk-ons and the club holds all the Saturday sessions that I skate on. The portion of my membership that goes to the club after my USFS membership is less than the difference between club/non-club walk ons over the course of the year (not by much but by some). We also have daytime weekday ice sponsored by the rink (from about 6am-3pm) which only requires a USFS membership, so that's what I skate on in the mornings or on my days off.

We always have kids who go to sectionals, JNs, once in a while even nationals, and those skaters typically get a small amount of money from the club. In the past, they've even given adults going to ANs $100 each, which then makes the $90 I pay for club/USFS membership essentially free (they didn't last year because we had some financial strain).

Plus if you're a member, you have a say in how things are done. My theory is...if you're not a member of a club, you have no right to complain about how they do things.

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2010-2011 goals:
Pass Junior MIF test
Don't break anything

You don't need to join a Club until you want to skate in a non-Basic Skills competition or test, or you want to become part of their activities (synchro team, for example.) It's much less expensive to remain a Basic Skills member than to become a Club member of the USFSA.

Clubs offer standard, adult and Basic Skills competitions in addition to evaluation/test sessions, shows, competitions and practice ice. Those events are staffed by volunteers from the Clubs, so there's a time commitment to consider as well.

Some Clubs offer a Learn-to-Skate group program, but the Basic Skills and ISI LTS programs have allowed the rinks to assume those programs. I taught at a club-run LTS that was far better than the rink-run LTS. (The rink didn't test and their instructors were high schoolers with no training or supervision.)

Not all skating clubs offer ice time as a benefit. My current Club did when we first joined, but they haven't had it since that season. It's expensive to rent the ice and unless members are willing to COMMIT to the expense, many Clubs just can't afford it on a regular basis. Some work out a discounted price with the rink for some/all freestyles, others are Clubs in name only.

I belonged to several clubs when I skated for both the ice time and for the comaraderie. The adults at the Club would skate and then go crash a diner afterwards to talk and socialize; the kids went home because it was a school night, lol. I always tried to watch the other club members skate at competitions and it was always sweet when the kids returned the favor.

Many skating clubs have different types of memberships with different rates. For example, a student who is away at College might want to take out a Collegiate membership with one Club, or keep her home-club membership and become an associate member of a club near the college. There are even "supporter" memberships for people who don't skate, but want to support the club's programs.

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The main advantage for joining my club is that we have ice time every week at the same times which makes it easier to schedule lessons. The rink-run ice times are shorter (40 minutes vs. 50) and open to all levels so you get tots with helmets toddling around among skaters working axels and higher moves on the same sessions. And the rink run sessions changes days and times as the Head Office sees fit, to accomodate hockey and other "special events".

The Basic Skills membership will cover you up through Free Skate Level 6, if your program offers classes that high. Generally, though, if you move into private lessons, that's the time you have to think about the benefits of joining a club.

For me, club ice is the only time I can get ice after work, since the rink public sessions are mid-day.

So far, everyone who has answered has had some amazing benefits. However, not all clubs actually have benefits other than being able to test and use the club name for competitions.

• Some clubs cannot afford to do club ice (or they just don't want to), so there aren't any sessions for only club members.
• Some clubs give money to national/international competitors, but that wouldn't be a benefit for you right now.
• Usually clubs have jackets and things you can buy, others you have to earn them by going to a regional/sectional event.
• Not all rinks give you discounts on ice, because in many cases it is the rink, not the clubs, that run the freestyle sessions.
• If you do test, not all clubs charge an out-of-club test fee.

At my club, we have some club events, but no consistent club ice. However, being a member allows us to be on the synchro or theatre on ice teams, get gifts for going to regionals/sections/nationals (including adults), earn club jackets, test, and represent the club in competitions. Our rink does not require us to be a member to skate there, and all of the clubs are part of an interclub so there are no out-of-club test fees at any of the four clubs. I was not able to renew my membership because of my financial situation (and the fact I'm coming back from a major injury, so I'm not testing or competing), but I can still skate the same sessions and everything.

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"Without a struggle, there can be no progress" ~ Frederick Douglass

This is true in my area. Freestyles are run by the individual rinks, and you can skate on any of them regardless of club membership, as long you meet any level requirements they have. Basically the big benefit in my area is priority and cheaper costs on test sessions. The club I am a member of, requires a parent or guardian to join also if the skater is under 18. Normally this is free for parents that don't test or compete themselves. I've been paying the club fee so I could test as well, but since I'm also still off the ice due to a major injury, testing is probably not in my foreseeable future. I just paid for this year because it is still cheaper than individual memberships for my daughter and I, and she needs the membership in order to get liability insurance for skate school. Daughter turns 18 in a few months and next year she can sign up for the four-year collegiate thing if she wants (nice deal). At that point I will probably forego the club membership and just do the individual membership, since I probably won't be testing often enough where that will be a big deal.

I'm glad I saw this thread...coach said I am ready to take test this December and I will have to join the club and/or be a USFSA member in order to do so (i've never been a USFSA member). So I'm glad to see there's other potential benefits aside from being eligible to test/compete and the discounted test rates. I don't think the ice discount thing applies to the club I'll join though, because everybody who can pay can skate the freestyle ice even though you're not a club member, and if you are already a contract skater (which I was before new management came in and now we are on a punch card system), and you desire additional ice time, you can get the discounted walk on rate as opposed to the non contract walk on rate which is about $3 more.

The bit about jackets and pins sound cool , I'll have to look if my club has that. Im ready to send the form by next week and for my type of membership (recreational/adult...there is a competitive/adult but I dont want to compete yet, just test) it is $70 for the year. Is this reasonable? I know I'm joining late already and they probably don't pro-rate, but is $70 a common ballpark figure? just curious.

$70 sounds pretty good for me. Our local club is $100 and there is 1 hour of club ice per week ($4 for members, $6 for non-members) and they have had 1 test session in their 3-4 year history.

Edit: ooh, they changed it. They are now $75 which is about what the other clubs in the area charge.
That's for a regular membership though. None of them have special adult memberships, or competitive/recreational differences.

__________________
-Jessi
What I need is a montage...
Visit my skating journal or my Youtube videos (updated with 2 new videos Sept 26, 2009)

$70 is pretty decent. That's what my club charges for a "full adult" membership as well. My previous club was $110 for a full membership which isn't that ridiculous either, but we weren't getting anything additional from that club that we couldn't get from our current one. Other than a discount on a jacket which I no longer wear because it bears the name of my old club.

My club has a "new re-designed" club jacket which is really cool looking-it is red & black with a nice new logo but I don't know if I will get one.....I usually wear my polartech jacket. I might anyway just to support the club (esp. if the other ladies get one-we can "bling" ours with our crystal crowns we wear on ours).

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

Yeesh, I'm gonna come join some of you guys' clubs. Cheapest one I have found around here is something like $120. Detroit Skating Club is...wait for it....$300, plus there's an initial fee when you first join of $200. Hence why I'm not joining there even though I'd like to!

Most clubs don't. Some clubs in my area offer an associate membership, where you have membership privileges for things like club ice and testing, but you don't represent the club in comp, and a non-skating membership, which mostly exists for parents that sit on the club's board and don't skate but need to join the club b/c of their board affiliation.

The most prestigious or famous club isn't necessarily the most adult-friendly. Ask other adult skaters in your area about their experience with their clubs. As an adult skater, you will want a club that has at least some test sessions on weekends or evenings, possibly club ice in the evenings or weekends (although not all clubs offer a lot of ice - in that case, the rink offers the FS ice, just make sure you'll have opportunities to skate), and an adult-friendly attitude among the club's board and the parents and coaches in general. Ask around and skate at different rinks to get a feel for the atmosphere. Some clubs let you guest skate on their ice for a certain amount of sessions, although you often have to pay a higher fee than members, but it's worth it to try it out before plunking down lots of money for a membership.

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Terri C is a Bronze lady!
Gold Moves, here I come!

I take classes at DSC right now, so I know of their adult situation (the only other adult skater I know takes classes at the rink nearest where I live but he is not a member of any clubs)...I've gotten the impression, though I could be wrong, that most of the other clubs tend to have a higher kid population than adult, though when it comes down to it I'll start asking. The amount of adults at DSC is a large part of what would make me want to join there. Camaraderie is not essential for me--I'm there to skate, not socialize--so a lack of adults in that sense is not such a big deal (though I admit if I'm going to pay to join a club, it might be nice to meet some new friends), but if a club is all kids, then any adult concerns might fall by the wayside...

Also, the couple clubs I'd be looking at around here don't have all that convenient of club ice...there are one or two evening sessions a week, but I'm sure those are packed with any adults there are, plus the kids whose parents work and can't take them to daytime sessions (and I would imagine that that would be most kids unless there are WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY more people who don't work than I always thought)...

Oh our club doesn't have a special adult membership. The $70 was for a regular "full membership" (including voting rights/can serve on the board), but when I filled out the form I had to check what type of skater I was, so I checked Adult and Recreational, instead of Adult and Competitive, since I'm not looking into competing yet, just testing.

For the youngsters that are competitive I think their fee is $80.

My first skating club membership....wow

Sorry to resurrect an old thread, but I just sort of joined a local club by default because I take classes at their rink with one of their coaches, and after reading on their site, I still don't get the point.

So I pay a membership fee. But even then I still have to pay for ice time (most of which is during the weekday, except for the time when our class is--really, doesn't anyone have a job in this country? or do they really contract ice just so one or two people who don't work or work night shifts can skate?). I still have to pay for testing (though at least there's no out-of-club fee). If I want to take lessons or classes with one of their coaches, I still have to pay for it. If I want the club jacket or whatever I have to buy that. AND I have to volunteer (well, probably not since I'm not contracting ice--again, there are no times that I CAN). So I'm not really sure what I'm getting out of club membership except getting to say that I'm a member...do clubs eat part of the cost of the contracted ice to make it cheaper for members or something?

Yes, many do.

You also get insurance through USFS.

And you get to support the pyramid (edit to add: I don't mean this in a bad way. USFSA needs that bottom of the pyramid to support the top. If we care about skating, it needs the financial support) that allows the united states to send elite skaters to international competitions (and possibly local skaters to national ones, if scholarships are offered through your club).

But IMO, other than the ability to take tests and attend competitions not too much comes from membership. I only join in years I have tests.

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-Jessi
What I need is a montage...
Visit my skating journal or my Youtube videos (updated with 2 new videos Sept 26, 2009)

Clubs host the test sessions. Clubs host competitions. Clubs put on shows. Clubs work with the rinks to make sure that figure skating sessions get offered (rinks almost always lose money on figure skating sessions). If all of us were individual members, these things would not happen. I join my local club, and serve on its board, to help make sure that these opportunities exist for all our skaters.