Synchronized Skating
Synchronized skating is the only discipline in skating involving more than two skaters. It introduces skaters to a team environment while promoting awareness, teamwork, and skating development. Skaters learn Synchro elements that include timing, power, balance, control, and spatial orientation. These attributes benefit all disciplines in skating.
Synchronized skating also brings an element of social interaction into a mainly individual sport. Offering an opportunity for skaters to learn, practice and develop skills side by side encourages many life skills and provides an environment to support club morale, sportsmanship and fun.
STAR 2 - 4 Synchro
A key part of the BC Coast Region’s mandate is to support skater development at the grassroots level. As synchronized skating is now included in Skate Canada’s STAR programming, this includes providing information and resources to clubs, coaches and skaters about Synchro at the early levels.
At the STAR 2 - 4 levels, it is not necessary to form a traditional “team” of skaters. The main requirement is that all elements in Synchro are performed by a group of skaters, teams or groups; these groups are not meant to be formal or binding. Other important requirements include: all skaters must have completed STAR 1 Skills, and the group size must range between 6 and 12 skaters.
At the BCCR Club Engagement Meeting in December 2022, our guest speaker was retired Synchro coach Colleen Laferriere. Colleen discussed developing STAR 2 - 4 Synchro at the club level, addressed a number of common concerns and answered questions about how clubs can include Synchro in their current club programming.
Click here to read Colleen’s notes from her presentation.
Colleen is available to advise BCCR clubs on developing Synchro programs; please email us for her contact information.