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The Section is thrilled to welcome the following new staff members to the Section Office. Over the upcoming months, we welcome you to get to know them in the office or at upcoming events.
We are pleased to have Marc Stromme join the Section Office as Executive Director. Marc's background includes a Masters Degree in Kinesiology, Sport and Recreation Administration and a Masters in Business Administration from the University of New Brunswick. He comes to us from Volleyball Canada where he worked in the areas of event management, strategic planning and took a lead administration role for many multi-sport games including Pan Am and Olympic Games.
Kalleen Turchet is joining the Section Office in the role of Coordinator, Communications and Events. Kalleen has a Bachelor of Arts in Communications and she is joining us from Ontario.
Colleen Bannon has also started with the Section Office in the role of Accounts Coordinator. She is a Certified General Accountant and has a background in working with not for profit groups.
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Special Olympics Alberta is proud to hold 2015 Special Olympics Alberta Winter Games in Grande Prairie from February 20 to 22, 2015.
More than 500 athletes from all across Alberta will be competing in alpine skiing, cross-country skiing, curling, figure skating, floor hockey, snowshoeing, and speed skating.
"Special Olympics Alberta is thrilled to finally be bringing its Provincial Games to Northern Alberta," said Johnny Byrne, President and CEO of Special Olympics Alberta.
"Hosting our games in Grande Prairie is going to provide us with the opportunity to work with a world-class host city that has an impeccable track record in hosting major games, as well as, showcase a region of the province that has a rich Special Olympics history."
Click below for live stream videos.
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The 2015 Canada Winter Games in Prince George, British Columbia has begun! Opening Ceremonies were February 13, 2015. The Closing Ceremonies will include Figure Skating athletes and will be televised on March 1, 2015. Be sure to tune in to support your Section athletes on TSN or RDS, the official broadcasters of the games!
Skate Canada: Alberta-NWT/Nunavut has a total of 15 Section athletes attending the Canada Winter Games. The athletes will travel to Prince George to participate in the Week Two events They will compete Monday, February 23, 2015 - Thursday, February 26, 2015. Post competition, the athletes will have the opportunity to experience games culture until the Closing Ceremonies.
Good luck to the following athletes attending the Canada Games:
Pre-Novice Women
Emma Bulawka
Jolie Chiem
Winter Ross - representing NWT | Novice Men
Joel Braganza
Nathan Luong | Pre-Novice Men
Yu Jin Armstrong
MacKenzie Mah | Novice Dance
Nicola Salimova & Paul Ayer | Novice Women
Aislinn Ganci
Tressa Sabo
| Novice Pair
Katrina Lopez & Kurtis Schreiber | Special Olympics
Meg Osada
JorDen Tyson | Team Coaches
Tammi Chudak
Cody Hay
Barb Prystai
Heather Heide - NWT | Team Manager
Holly Henderson |
Check out the following websites for more information on how our athletes are doing!
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 Get In Sync:
There were 15 Section synchronized skating teams who competed in the 2015 Mountain Regional Championships, January 30 - February 1, 2015 in Langley BC. Congratulations to all of the skaters, coaches, team managers, chaperones, and officials for a fantastic weekend of skating! For full results, please click here:
http://www.skatinginbc.com/competitions/synchro/2015-mountain-regional-synchronized-skating-championships
Special Congratulations go out to the following teams who are now advancing to the 2015 Skate Canada Synchronized Skating Championships in Quebec City, February 27 - March 1:
Black Gold Open
Edmonton Edge
Lethbridge Ice Angels
Solstice | Calgary Synchronized Skating Club
Edmonton Synchronized Skating Club
Lethbridge Skating Club
Carstairs Skating Club |
We wish the teams the best of luck as they compete against the best teams in the country. Approximately 40 teams with over 800 skaters will be participating in the Championships, competing for titles in Novice, Intermediate, Open, Junior, and Senior categories. The top two senior teams will represent Canada at the 2015 ISU World Championships from April 10-11, 2015 in Hamilton Ontario.
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Clubhouse
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ANNOUNCING NEW PARTNERSHIP WITH RESPECT IN SPORT!
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Skate Canada has recently partnered with Respect in Sport, a leading corporation dedicated to providing online education on the prevention of abuse, bullying and harassment.
Although it is not currently mandatory for Skate Canada coaches, we do strongly encourage everyone to complete this training and bring more awareness on harmful behaviors. The Respect in Sport/Activity Leader program, which is now Skate Canada branded, is an on-line education program that was developed to empower all activity leaders such as coaches and club administrators to understand the effects of bullying, abuse, harassment, and discrimination. Certified by the internationally acclaimed RespectED organization (div. Canadian Red Cross), this program has been specifically tailored for Skate Canada. To access this training and earn CEP points, please access the following link.
Ice Shows and Carnivals
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Skating Director/Competitive Coach Position
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Coaches Corner
All coaching courses for 2015 will be held between April and August. They are now posted on the section website. Click here for details and to register.
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The Brian Pockar Male Seminar was held at the Glencoe Club on February 14, 2015. The seminar was attended by 30 Section skaters ranging in age from 8 to 20! The seminar is designed to allow boys from the Section to experience the camaraderie of skating with other boys on the ice.
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Yvan Desjardins from Montreal was the on- ice facilitator. Yvan has coached many boys from very young to International events. The skaters were led through exercises that enhance learning of skills and fun methods of skill acquisition.
Skaters were treated to off ice sessions in Hip Hop with Kaleb from Decidedly Jazz Danceworks. The boys benefited greatly and had a lot of fun working with Kaleb.
Ryan from the Glencoe Club provided the boys with some new training ideas.
Saturday night concluded with bowling and pizza. The boys were tired and smiling from a full day of activity.
It was a great weekend and we look forward to the 2016 Brian Pockar Male Seminar.
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October 30 - November 1, 2015 Lethbridge, AB
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Want to support the
LETHBRIDGE SKATING CLUB!
It's easy! When you buy your tickets online for the 2015 Skate Canada International use this special code (LETHBRIDGE) and part of the sale will go right back to our Skating Club!
Tickets on sale through Enmax!
Be sure to tell all your friends and family to use the code too. The more that buy with the code, the more money that comes back to support the Lethbridge Skating Club.
www.lethbridgeskating.com
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CanSkate Connection
GET YOURSELF AND YOUR SKATERS PUMPED UP WITH A GREAT PLAYLIST!
Many studies have shown that music provides a welcome distraction from discomfort and is a great mood booster. It encourages a person to move with the beat of each song and has the capacity to increase energy and improve physical performance. This is great news for anyone that may have trouble motivating themselves to exercise since all of the above have great applications for both the recreational exerciser as well as the elite athlete.
- Music can reduce feelings of stress or anxiety before a competition or race.
- It has the potential to switch a negative mood to a positive one.
- Your Rate of Perceived Exertion (RPE) will likely be lower and thus you may work longer and push harder.
- Moving to a beat may help you master a variety of movement patterns and increase your motor skills.
- Listening to music increases the chance that an athlete will experience a flow state. This means a person will essentially 'lose' themselves in what they are doing. It is considered to be an optimal state where an athlete will be relaxed but with a complete concentration and focus on the task at hand.
How do you pick a playlist?
Obviously music is very individualized so when you are working out on your own, pick songs that get you pumped up and excited to move. Ideally the best exercise music should be between 120-140 beats per minute (BPM). You can figure out the BPM of a song the old fashioned way by simply counting, or you can access software online that will calculate it for you. There are endless ways to customize your playlist and the music you pick will depend on your taste and the type of exercise you are performing. For example, if you are running at a steady pace on a treadmill, a playlist that slowly increases the BPM with the 'power songs' added at the end can provide the motivation needed to finish your workout strong.
If creating your own playlist seems too time consuming, there are plenty of exercise compilations available for free or to purchase online.
Keep them coming back!
Studies have shown that listening to music directly influences the enjoyment of the activity being performed. One of the number one compliments or complaints for fitness classes is on the music. This means that if you are leading a group workout class, the music you play (and the volume it's played at) is a very important consideration when designing a program. The right song selection can be that extra bit needed to get your participants coming back week after week.
When someone listens to music they enjoy, they tend to experience less pain and fatigue and have lower levels of perceived exertion. There are also indications that people will push themselves to work harder and move faster than they would without music. Incorporating music into your workout or exercise class is easy and provides a lot of positive benefits that can occur before, during or after physical activity so pick some songs and get your body moving!
Contact the following CanSkate Resource Team Members for great CanSkate music titles:
Leona Boyle - sk8leona@telus.net
Tammy Greidanus - tammylg@shaw.ca
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Olympians Kaetlyn Osmond and Evan Wynn Kosiner talk about Skate to Great on Breakfast Television
At Skate To Great we believe skating should be a right, not a privilege for every child regardless of their circumstances.
A 2011 report on poverty in Canada indicates 967,000 children, one in every seven, live in poverty. In addition, more than 323,000 children belong to families that rely on food banks.
Skate To Great was founded in March 2012 with the mission of providing every child in Canada the opportunity to skate; regardless of their economic or physical circumstances. In May 2013, Skate To Great received charitable status and has collected and distributed upwards of 6,000 pairs of skates to date. The organization directly supports schools, programs and charities in Canada, which enable deserving kids and at-risk youth the opportunity to skate.
Skate To Great's main initiative is to collect new and used hockey/figure skates along with equipment such as sticks and helmets for organizations that need them. Recipients then participate in programs that provide skating opportunities in a supportive environment.
Skate To Great is primarily run by volunteers who attend meetings and use our online portal to collaborate. The organization is always seeking new volunteers who can bring whatever it is that they do best to support all aspects of the administrative to on ice processes of running the charity.
We thank you for your support!
- The Skate To Great Team
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 Duso's January Female Skater of the Month
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Congratulations to Talia Sargent of the Okotoks Skating Club.
Talia is a first year Pre-Novice lady who is committed to training six days a week. On top of that, she also trains as a competitive dancer off the ice. She is a wonderful program assistant for the Okotoks Skating Club's CanSkate program and volunteers once a week to be a demonstrator for the young junior skaters. She is punctual, respectful, polite, hardworking and dedicated. Talia show such great commitment to our sport.
Congratulations Talia on being Duso's January Female Skater of the Month!
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Duso's January Male
Skater of the Month
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Congratulations to Morgan Kuhn of the Medicine Hat Skating Club.
Morgan is 8 years old, but for his age is very driven and hardworking. He pushes himself to get better and takes every second on the ice as an opportunity to do just that. He is very coachable, gets along great great with the other skaters and is always seen with a smile on his face.
Congratulations Morgan on being Duso's January Male Skater of the Month.
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Submit your nomination for upcoming Duso's Female and Male Skaters of the Month awards by the 15th of every month! Nomination forms can be found here .
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Duso's January
Helping Hand of the Month
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Congratulations to Lleyton Bates of the Vermilion Skating Club.
Lleyton has been helping with the Vermilion Skating Club's CanSkate Program for 2 years. At this point in time, he is the oldest Program Assistant in the club, so a lot of duties fall on his shoulders. He has been a tremendous help with the CanSkaters. He connects with the skaters, no matter their age. When running the circuits, he adds his own twist to make it even more exciting for the little ones. The kids are always excited to join his group!
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Congratulations Lleyton on being Duso's January Helping Hand of the Month.
Submit your nomination for upcoming Duso's Helping Hand of the Month awards by the 15th of every month! Nomination forms can be found here .
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Apr. 3-5, 2015
Calgary, Alberta
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To be a genuine individualist requires a great deal of strength and courage. It is never easy to chart new territory, to cross new frontiers, or to introduce subtle shadings to an established color.
(Toller Cranston)
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Use the Coach Wanted Ad Submission Form to submit your ad. The submission deadline is the 1st of each month. Cost per ad is $25 per edition. Email ads to info@skateabnwtnun.ca.
To see more Coach Wanted Ads
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Check out our ALUMNI Webpage
The Alumni webpage
is used to communicate between the Alumni community and Skate Canada regarding information, updates and events.
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