Basingstoke Synchronized Skating Teams: New Season Update

Despite the usual shaky start to the season, all three teams, through hard work and dedication, have reached very satisfactory pre-competition levels. Melissa and Fiona have worked hard with the teams, and once again their attention to detail, discipline, plus Melissa's choreography and experience have paid off and resulted in some truly remarkable programmes. Ms Beaumont has contributed by helping with the elegance, balance, grace and poise of the girls.

There are currently fifty two girls in the squad, but they are always looking to recruit new skaters and increase the numbers. Skating with the teams is not only character building but also helps to form friendship bonds which last long after their skating years are over. They not only participate in competitions and workshops in the UK, but the two older teams also travel abroad at least once a year. There are hard times and disappointments, the tears and exhaustion, but these are overshadowed by the team spirit, the great successes, the fun and the laughter, plus the excitement of travel and new countries visited.

Synchro Update
(A monthly account by Sharon Digweed, Synchro sub-committee).

July
Storm survived Hungary, buy only just! The skating was tremendous. As a bonus they were coached by the top Finnish coach whose team ranks second in the world. The 'not so good' was the exhausting off-ice training which was brilliant but extremely hard, particularly in temperatures reaching above 35 degrees.
Lee Valley Rink was host to the Performance Seminar, July 28/29 2005, organised by the ISU for Junior and Senior Teams. Storm were invited to attend as the senior team. It was coached by Andrea Gilardi, the International Synchro/Dance coach from Italy. The programme also included fitness training and monitoring by Cath Barker (NISA National Performance Manager & Video Analysis) and the ISU new judging system by Helen Poole (ISU Synchro Championship Referee, Chair of the Synchro Technical Committee, and a member of the ISU Synchro Technical Committee). This, like the training in Hungary, was extremely hard but the team coped well.
Sparkle and Stardust are gaining in poise and elegance in their programmes, helped by the additional ice time on Wednesdays. By the time September is here Sparkle will be ready for the new challenge of the NJS assessment in Sheffield, and Stardust for the Novice competition at Lee Valley in November.

August
August brought the finishing touches to all programmes for Stardust, Sparkle and Storm. Extra ice time was available and greatly received on Wednesday evenings until Junior Hockey returned in mid-August.
All teams are working hard for their ultimate goals to retain/regain their British titles, and for the senior team the chance to skate in the worlds in Prague in March 2006.

September
September brings the first of our Novice and senior team's competition, the 1st new NJS Assessment for Synchronised Ice Skating. It was held during the Single and Pairs NJS Assessment during 13th - 16th September.
Storm and Sparkle skated well although both had falls in their programmes. Results under the new judging system will allow coaches, Melissa Galvin and Fiona Gamble, to identify where their strengths and weaknesses lie, and allow for change accordingly before the British Championships at Nottingham in January 2006.