7 minute read
GO FIGURE (SKATE
Local Figure Skating Club is Making Moves with Adaptive Skating and More
by Nicole Willis
Photos courtesy of Missy Frisco, GPFSC President
When it comes to sports in Pensacola, many of us immediately think of football, baseball, golf or soccer. But one thing that might actually surprise you is that Pensacola also has its own figure skating club. The Greater Pensacola Figure Skating Club (GPFSC) is a volunteer-run nonprofit organization that is helping hundreds of children and adults throughout the city learn how to skate. Since its establishment in 1996, GPFSC has hosted a variety of figure skating and hockey classes on the ice at the Pensacola Bay Center. Today, the organization continues to thrive and has recently launched an all new program called Adaptive Skating to provide both children and adults the opportunity to take the ice in an all-inclusive environment.
GPFSC offers an assortment of group and private lessons for ages two and a half through adults and of every skill level from beginner to advanced. GPFSC’s new program, Adaptive Skating, is geared toward people who historically have not had access to ice sports. Adaptive skating allows physically and intellectually challenged skaters of all ages a way to thrive while learning how to skate. “Our mission is to make ice sports accessible to everyone in our community, regardless of any barriers or perceived barriers that have existed in the past,” GPFSC Treasurer Sharon Gaubert said. Gaubert and other GPFSC organizers are making sure that everyone is able to be included in the ice skating fun. This year, more than 230 skaters of all ages and backgrounds have taken to the ice to participate in GPFSC classes and free skate sessions. GPFSC coaches have taught skaters with a variety of health challenges, such as autism, cystic fibrosis and cerebral palsy, as well as kids with severe allergies and asthma that prevents them from playing outdoor sports. “One of our skaters had a stroke as an infant, which created some developmental issues,” Gaubert explained. “We have another little girl that's in a wheelchair, and she is just the cutest thing on the ice.” “She's a paraplegic and she has regained the use of her arms,” GPFSC State Director and Coach Kristie Albarran added. “She can actually wheel herself around. She is all smiles when she's out there just gliding around on the ice; it's amazing to see. It's just another opportunity for individuals like her to be able to participate in what everyone else gets to participate in.” Though Adaptive Skating is a new wheelhouse, Albarran is no stranger to skating. She was a competitive figure skater for more than a decade and has spent many years coaching the sport. This season is her sixth season with GPFSC.
5-year-old Emily Martin and father Cody Martin take the ice for an Adaptive Skating session
Both she and Gaubert love the club so much that their children are now involved in the GPFSC. “I tear up almost daily, just watching the classes go on,” Albarran explained. “It's really amazing to see, and the kids are having a blast.” The goal of the Adaptive Skating program is to provide everybody with the opportunity to be active and involved in something, no matter what challenges they may face. The program was designed by Learn to Skate USA to allow individuals with a range of physical and intellectual challenges to enjoy sports and activities. “These kids that are in the adaptive class have such limited opportunities in any sports in the community,” Gaubert said. “Other kids may do soccer or ballet or different things. Some of them do multiple things. But for a lot of these kids [in the adaptive class], this is it.” In addition to being designed by Learn to Skate USA, the Adaptive Skating program is endorsed by U.S. Figure Skating in conjunction with Special Olympics and Move United. GPFSC currently has eight adaptive skaters and prides itself on having a one on one coach to skater ratio. This one to one time allows coaches to understand the student and what will best help them progress on their skating journey. Children in the adaptive skating program are seeing results. “I had a skater who came to the adaptive class that asked if she could be enrolled in the regular group classes,” Albarran explained. “I said, ‘of course!’ She felt confident enough to want to continue skating in our regular programs. It's really amazing that we were able to connect her with a sport that she's fallen in love with, and that she really wouldn't have had the opportunity to get involved with, had it not been for our adaptive program.” This season is the first year that the adaptive skating program has been available at GPFSC. With students already experiencing such great success, coaches and GPFSC officials are looking to expand the program in the near future. “The skaters are
having fun and all of our coaches have actually asked to help out more with the adaptive classes,” Albarran said. GPFSC hopes to greatly expand both its programs and its physical facility. “Our ultimate goals are to have a rink that functions as a 365 day-a-year rink with a set schedule and storage, to develop programs like our Adaptive Skating, and to develop a program for at-risk youth,” Gaubert said. A barrier preventing GPFSC from accomplishing all of these goals is a lack of control over a year-round ice rink. The limitations of using a shared partial-year rink has made it challenging for organizers to develop new programs and allow skaters to improve. Since GPFSC courses are hosted at the Bay Center, skaters do not have the opportunity to skate all year long. Currently, the Bay Center serves as the only sheet of public ice in Northwest Florida, so when the ice season is over, there is nowhere for skaters to go. GPFSC believes that a year-round ice rink in Pensacola would greatly benefit the expansion and consistency of ice sports in Northwest Florida. Skaters travel from all across the region to participate in classes at the Bay Center, with skaters coming from as far away as Mobile, AL and Panama City, FL. Ample storage is another benefit of a dedicated year-round facility. Currently, the Bay Center offers no storage for large equipment necessary to the expansion of the adaptive classes. “If we end up purchasing anything [large equipment-wise], it'll have to be something that we all transport in our volunteer vehicles and store in our houses,” Gaubert explained. “That can be quite challenging when you've got something like a big sled or things along those lines.” In addition to strengthening the adaptive program, GPFSC would also like to develop new programs. A dedicated year-round ice rink would allow the organization to develop a new program for at-risk youth. The program would take place after school and be accessible to the children who need it most. In order to implement such a program, the GPFSC would need yearround ice as consistency and a set schedule are key to be able to help kids all year long. This program would serve as another way for GPFSC to support challenged youth. As a volunteer-driven nonprofit organization, GPFSC relies on volunteers and donations to continue their programs. GPFSC is always looking for people to help carry out the mission of the organization. To learn about ways you can get involved, visit pensacolafigureskating.com. To stay updated with happenings at the Greater Pensacola Figure Skating Club, follow @GreaterPensacola.FSC on Instagram and Facebook.
GPFSC skaters having some fun on the ice during their lesson.
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