Starlights skaters sharpen skills during summer training
Coming off a strong season that included an opportunity to compete in Europe and represent Team USA, the skating community buzz surrounding the Starlights has generated strong interest in the club – attracting a tremendous pool of ice skating talent from northern Illinois and southern Wisconsin during spring tryouts. Thanks to a strong turnout, the Starlights will field a total of six different teams featuring more than 110 skaters for the upcoming 2011-2012 season.
Last season the club fielded five different teams, but high interest enabled the Starlights to bring back its Intermediate Team for the first time since 2008.
“We really benefited from attracting a lot of new skaters to our Starlights family in addition to retaining many of our experienced competitors from last season,” said Starlights skating director Chris Heiser. “Having such a deep roster of skaters really gives us an advantage as we gear up to go against some of the strongest teams in the nation.”
In addition to facing top teams across the country, the Starlights' Senior Team will have the opportunity to face some of the best synchronized skaters in the world for the third straight year. Based on last season's strong performance at the U.S. Synchronized Skating Championships in Ontario, California, the Senior Team was once again invited by U.S. Figure Skating as one of a handful of top-ranked teams to represent Team USA in an international competition this coming season. Last season, the Senior Team performed at the Mozart Cup in Salzburg, Austria and at the French Cup in Rouen, France in 2010. The Senior Team will learn its new international assignment in the next few weeks.
Experienced Coaches Add Strength
The Senior Team will again be led by head coach Heather Paige, a former synchronized skater for national collegiate powerhouse Miami University.
The Starlights' Intermediate team welcomes two new coaches this season. Kristi King is another former Miami University synchronized skater who also choreographed programs at Miami's synchronized skating summer camps. King competed on last season's Starlights' Senior Team and previously coached synchronized skaters on a nationally-recognized team from Northbrook.
She'll be joined by Melissa Hampson who skated, coached and served as a team choreographer at Boston University. Prior to skating on the collegiate level, Hampson competed in several national and international competitions with highly regarded Team Elan from suburban Detroit. Hampson has also earned the distinction of being appointed by U.S. Figure Skating as a technical specialist for synchronized skating. Her training in this regard will be a big asset to the entire Starlights organization.
"The strength of our coaching staff is a critical part of helping our organization grow and develop," added Heiser. "We believe by continuing to attract new coaching talent we are giving our skaters an opportunity to learn and benefit from a wide-range of skills and experiences. By working collaboratively we all can grow, coaches and skaters alike."
Through July and August, skaters for all teams, Adult, Senior, Intermediate, Novice, Juvenile and Preliminary, will continue on-ice conditioning workouts as they begin choreographing their performances. The season kicks off for all teams in November, but skaters and coaches are using the summer training season to their advantage in preparing to stand out among the best synchronized teams in the Midwest, the U.S. and the world.
About the Starlights
The Starlights are affiliated with the Skokie Valley Skating Club and all teams practice at Twin Rinks Ice Pavilion in Buffalo Grove and The Glacier Ice Arena in Vernon Hills, IL. Skater levels are determined by U.S. Figure Skating test level and age. Skaters 13 and under compete on the Preliminary and Juvenile teams while the Novice and Intermediate teams typically feature skaters in their mid-to-late teens. The Starlights' Senior Team is made up of 20 skaters at least 14-years-old and over. Skaters on the Starlights' Adult team must be at least 21, with a majority over 25. For more information on all Starlights synchronized skating teams please visit www.starlights.us or www.usfigureskating.org.