Synchro Summit 2019

by Maya Devkota

Let’s start from the beginning.  I heard about this seminar through my synchro coach, and I was very excited to sign up.  Although I have done synchro for a long time, I was still very nervous after hearing this was a national seminar.  However, I told myself that this was a learning experience, and I don’t regret going.  

Day one was amazing.  I learned so many new things, including team bonding, score tracking, and on ice skating skills and edges.  By the end of day one, my expectations for this seminar were exceeded when I was welcomed with open arms and kind faces from start to end.  From the spectacular coaches to the DREAM team skaters demonstrating gorgeous spirals, I was shown new and different ways of executing difficult skills.  

Day 2.  Something that I appreciated about this seminar was the grouping.  I felt that I was placed into the perfect group with girls who were similar in age and level as me.  With just these few similarities, I felt that we were all able to bond and connect with skipping the “awkward phase” of meeting someone.  Even though I knew that there would be skaters from all over the country, I was blown away by how many different teams from different states there were.  Between all the on and off ice training, I think I could speak for everyone that there wasn’t a time where we weren’t doing something. 

On ice training was full of amazing coaches with so many new techniques that I could barely keep track of all the new drills I learned.  For example, I learned new and simpler ways to make a beautiful spiral “duck under” much easier. While focusing on synchronicity, we also learned about solo skills which I feel are important when it comes to being on a synchro team.  

Day 3.  Each class was unique to its coach and the skill that we were working on.  On ice didn’t just include skills, but emotions and telling a story. As I looked around the ice, everyone was telling their own story, whether it was by just a simple hand gesture or someone really throwing their body into their skating.  I could tell everyone was really giving it their all. 

To say that I skated in this seminar would be an understatement, because I learned more in this seminar than just technical skills.  I learned about possible collegiate opportunities as well as new lifts and tricks and ways to use mental training to improve my skating.  Overall, I would say that this seminar will be very beneficial to the way I skate, and the new friends I have made are a nice cherry on top!