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We're so happy that our Special Olympics skaters are back with us again, starting with tonight's practice! Huge thank you to June Lum, and others, for working so hard to make this happen. June was recognized as a 2020 Community Sport Champion by the City of Vancouver. Check out her video here, filmed last season before COVID distancing protocols.
Any of us who know Michael and his volunteer work will not be surprised that he was selected by BC Speed Skating to receive the 2020 President's Award. These awards are given to volunteers from Sport BC organizations who demonstrate "the spirit of volunteerism through the dedication, commitment, and tireless energy they give to their sport organizations".
Michael is well-known in the speed skating community for his fabulous photos of speed skaters. He volunteers his time and the sale of his photos provide funds for the Vancouver Club. You can see his amazing work at the Vancouver Speed Skating Club's SmugMug site. Were it not for the COVID-19 outbreak, Michael would have been celebrated at this year's Sport BC Athlete of the Year Awards night, on March 12, 2020. Congratulations Michael, and thank you for all you do for speed skating in British Columbia! Charlotte Sernoski, one of our long-standing club skaters, won a Gold medal at the Canadian Youth Long Track Championships, held in Red Deer, Alberta, on the weekend of February 8-9. Charlotte placed first in the 7-Lap Mass Start, a race of 3000 metres and 16 skaters on the starting line. She finished in 4th place overall in the T2T (Train-to-Train) 14 year old Female Division. Team BC skated hard, won many medals and and had a great time in Red Deer, Alberta. Congratulations to Charlotte and her BC Teammates! We would like to acknowledge and thank George and Annabelle Gaffney, of the Rick Hansen Foundation, for donating $1000 to our Club.
We would also like to thank Sasha Faris for coordinating with the Rick Hansen Foundation. We'd like to extend our gratitude to Intact Insurance, for having named us a winner of the Podium Tracker Program. The award is accompanied by a $5000 grant.
Our thanks also go to Ed Sernoski and Beth Elliot for their work in applying for the grant. We are proud to announce that our Head Coach, Adam Ingle, has been selected as ViaSport's 2017 Coach of the Year in the Regional/Provincial Development Category. This award considers coaches from all sports across BC! Adam is recognized for his dedication and commitment to coaching in British Columbia. He was selected for outstanding achievement in his category and for his unique contribution to the advancement and well-being of athletes and their sport. The award recognizes contributions the coach has made to sport in British Columbia over a number of years. Adam was honoured at the 2018 BC Sports Hall of Fame Induction Gala, on May 31, 2018.  The Coach of the Year Awards were founded by the Coaches Association of BC, funded by the Bob Bearpark Foundation. The Foundation continues to support viaSport in providing recognition awards for BC coaches in the following categories: Recreational/Grassroots, Regional/Provincial Development and International.
Congratulations, Adam, we all know you deserve this award! Concussion prevention, recognition and return to sport protocols have been heavily featured in the media over the past few years. Speed Skating Canada has a webpage dedicated to Concussions/Brain Injuries, which provides speed skating specific education and resources for coaches, officials, club administrators and parents.
Within BC, the BCSSA Concussion Protocol must be followed at all sanctioned events. The protocol includes the administration of the Concussion Recognition Tool and the provision of the BCSSA Suspected Concussion Form. When skaters attend sanctioned competitions and meets, the entry form requires an acknowledgement that the BCSSA Concussion Protocol has been read. A 100m and a 111m track has been set at the Kitsilano Ice Rink ready for the start of the 2015 season. More information about how 11m tracks are laid out can be found here! For the 2014-15 Season, our Club received a $1,000 award from Intact Insurance's Podium Tracker Program which supports our national athletes and the regional clubs. Check out all of the recipients in the video. The BCSSA's AGM and Excellence Retreat will be held on May 22, 23, and 24 (Fri eve - Sun midday) in Richmond. This year in addition to the AGM, there is an opportunity for skaters to train with High Performance coaches on and off ice, and meet Olympian silver medalist Jessica Hewitt. For coaches, or those parents who want to grow into the role of a coach, there is a similar variety of events. Please take a look at the following link which has full details and registration information.
http://www.speed-skating.bc.ca/agm/ Dry land training is now up and running on Sunday mornings in Connaught Park just outside the rink. Meet at 9am for 1.5 to 2 hours of training on technical aspects of short track and conditioning exercises too. For more information, please contact Alex at straussal@yahoo.com The Year End Party and AGM will be held on Sunday, April 12 between 3pm and 5:30pm at the Kitsilano Community Centre.
Here are the dates for the last practices of the year:
More details will follow about the trial skate and boot-return. |
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