You can feel the nervous excitement as you walked into Leddy Park Arenatoday. The local favorite is about to skate in the Juvenile girls event at the New England Regional Figure Skating Championships hosted by Champlain Valley Skating Club.
Local skating fans from the past, present and future are in attendance. Her coaches are sitting patently waiting for the scores of skaters before her. 49.41 is announced. A look of concern comes across her coaches face knowing her skaters best is 47. Her mother finds a quiet place with nervous anticipation to watch. As the local favorite takes the ice the crowd applauds with excitement. Watching her glide on the ice with grace and beauty you would not have known she was only 12 years old. She lands her jumps with ease. Her spins are complex and elegant. Her final footwork flows across the ice to finish her program. Knowing that she skated her best she clutched her heart and sighs a relief of joy. The crowd roars with applause, everyone waiting with bated breath for her scores. Finally the announcer says 50.27! The crowd goes wild, the little girl screams with joy jumping up and down hugging everyone she knows. Tears fill all the locals eyes. Her mother emerges teary- eyed with an elated smile on her face. She has won her event and has qualified to compete in the USFS Eastern Section Championships. 24.87, 32.96, 27.10, 46.12, 38.22
As you walk into Leddy Park Arena today you will hear beautiful instrumental music and scores being anounced. You may be taken by surprise to find out the age of these skaters floating across the ice with grace and maturity. Young girls from ages 10 and up are competing in the New England Regional Figure Skating Championships hosted Champlain Valley Skating Club. These young girls are performing quick twisting double jumps and high speed spins with super human flexibility. All with a smiling faces. There was a calm bustle of skaters, parents, coaches and volunteers as I entered the building this morning. Like most figure skating competitions, the morning of the Non Qualifying events at the New England Regional Championships was full of emotions. Ranging from tears of joy to tears of anguish. Full of beautiful costumes and a lot of glitter.
Of course this is just the warm up for what is about to come. Skaters from all over New England performing great athletic elements of grace and beauty for a spot at USFS Eastern Section in hopes of moving on to National this winter. I cannot wait to see it all unfold. Good luck to all the skaters at this weekends event! — at Leddy Park Arena. |
AuthorI will be writing about my adventures in skating and things I discover along the way. Archives
May 2024
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