5 minute read
2021 PSA Virtual Summit Review
By Carol Rossignol
The 2021 PSA Virtual Summit was a resounding popular success! The 2021 Summit was originally scheduled to be held in our favorite holiday destination, Orlando, FL near Disney World, but due to the pandemic, the PSA Board of Governors quickly made the decision to make it a virtual summit again.
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With over 60 presenters, eight showrunners, several videographers, and eight PSA staff, the 2021 PSA Virtual Summit went off without a hitch. This year’s theme was “TEAM PSA: Together Everyone Achieves More Success”. There were judges and coaches registered from all over the world, including Canada, Mexico, Europe, South America, Asia, and of course the U.S.
Off-Ice Skills Class – Aleksey Letov, Olga Ganicheva
The Summit opened with a welcome from PSA President, Alex Chang. What a great way to kick off the TEAMS theme with a presentation by Marie-France Dubreuil, Patrice Lauzon, and Steffany Hanlen with “The Montreal Effect”.
Teri Hooper, PSA Summit Chair, shared her thoughts saying, “I am so happy with the 2021 PSA Virtual Summit and all the incredible educational presentations along with the fun social events. I was especially impressed with the time and energy the presenters put into their presentations to make them so professional, and the openness with which they shared their expertise and knowledge. I look forward to exploring the journey we have all been on and will continue as we move into the Olympic year at the 2022 Summit…LIVE in Chicago! We will all be ready to embrace interactive presentations in addition to reconnecting with friends and networking with new acquaintances. I hope to see many of our PSA members in Chicago next year!”
General Assembly — Shulman Award for Lifetime Achievement announcement
Maude White, a longtime member of PSA since 1959, reflected on the virtual format. She stated, “I thought Virtual would be a good way to attract those who couldn’t get to the Summit for one reason or another. I still do. This year I had back surgery and would have not been able to attend in person anyway. This year’s virtual summit was good with lots of great information. I haven’t seen everything, as I like to look at some things later on and sit and absorb the info that is presented. I love to see new ideas.”
Keynote Presentation: Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion with Nathan Truesdell, Denise Viera, Darlene Lewis and showrunner Tim Covington
Presenter Jonathan Huer said, “The PSA Virtual Summit was a great opportunity to connect with the skating community amidst a difficult year. We can integrate more technology, look at new business models, share, and learn from skating and others who are also facing challenges. It’s exciting to take all the challenges and find new ways to be not just different, but better.”
“Being a showrunner for this year’s Summit was an eyeopening experience. I was so impressed with every presenter for their commitment to sharing their knowledge with each of us. I am also thankful to be a member of this amazing organization and was blown away by the PSA staff and their dedication, time, and passion to and for our sport. A lot of coordination and logistics go on behind the scenes to make the Summit a great experience for all,” commented Kirsten Miller-Zisholz.
Keynote Presentation: The Montreal Effect – Patrice Lauzon, Marie-France Dubreuil, Steffany Hanlen
Heidi Thibert, Sr. Director of Coaching Development reflected on the event. In Heidi’s words, “The Summit theme of: TEAM PSA: Together Everyone Achieves More Success far outpaced my expectations for content and delivery. The fact that every presenter took the time and effort to tie their session to the main theme of “teamwork” speaks to the commitment and dedication of the PSA staff and volunteers to assist in the advancement of their fellow coaches. There are so many valuable presentations to view that I cannot decide which one I would say that my favorite is the one I am watching at the moment I am asked! The Summit was designed to be full of information and strategies that coaches can’t obtain anywhere else, to be information that they can use all year and into the future whenever needed, and to inspire coaches to take this opportunity after the pandemic, to change and adapt their coaching in ways to ensure future fulfillment of their coaching dreams. As Pete Naschak quoted in the final presentation: “Teamwork is Everything”.
Keynote Presentation: 2020 Coach of the Year Team – Jenni Meno-Sand, Todd Sand, Christine Fowler-Binder with showrunner Tim Covington
Mariano Fuentes from Lima, Peru commented, “I enjoyed the PSA Summit theme this year: TEAMS. The current pandemic has taught us that in this difficult time, we ought to collaborate among each other to progress. The Summit content was very enhancing to learn more about the effort and success that we would like to spread in our country.”
Show-runner Ashley Wyatt remarked, “The 2021 Virtual Summit capped off a year that was interesting to say the least. Summit is my favorite time of year, so the idea of another lonely week on Zoom instead of seeing everyone in person was a little less exciting. I think Teri Hooper and her team knew we were all feeling that way and wow, did they deliver! The idea of presenting “TEAMS” in all their various aspects, during a time when we all need each other the most, was brilliant and inspiring. I had the honor of interviewing Shae-Lynn Bourne this year as one of the pre-recorded segments. She is a true gift to our sport. Her self-aware and holistic approach to her craft was echoed throughout so many of this year’s presentations. For me, the most beneficial moment of the week was the Diversity, Equality and Inclusion group led by Nathan Truesdell. I applaud the PSA for seeing the importance of this education, and I thank the members of this group for taking the time to facilitate our evolution. Go Team PSA! I can’t wait for our journey to Chicago in 2022!”
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Carole Shulman, past PSA Executive Director, hosted a virtual tour of the Taylor-Gebler gallery at PSA headquarters.
