Today’s post isn’t directly about skating. Those of you who skate at Cleland know that the rink has been going through some major changes over the last year or so. At times it’s been interesting and at times frustrating. In the midst of change our figure skating program was often in limbo. There has been a lot of uncertainty, countless hours volunteered, we were at times severely understaffed. In all reality there’s no way the program ‘should have’ survived, it seemed like everything was working against us. Yet not only did we survive, we thrived. We grew, we performed, we competed. We almost tripled the amount of kids in our Learn to Skate classes! A few determined people who love the sport managed to make it work. I’m so happy that I can now say those times are over. I have no doubt that the rink will continue to go through changes in years to come – but we have secured our place, and now have the ability to grow our team. We can count on ice time, and lessons, and coaches. We can plan on more shows, performances, camps, and competitions.

It’s an exciting time and I am so thankful for all of those who stuck out the difficult times and worked hard to keep things going. We have such a great team of skaters, parents, and coaches. I am truly excited to see what the future holds!

Thank you again to our skaters and their families for always being understanding and supportive, and especially to the volunteers, who have been so amazing!