Nottingham Synchronized Skating Academy (NSSA) is marking 25 years of graceful gliding this month with a gala celebration, showcasing all its team’s routines for the new winter season.
The club’s six teams will perform their new programmes for an audience of parents, former skaters and the general public, on Saturday 18 November, 2023, 11.45 am-12.45 pm.
Afterwards, the audience will be invited to join the skaters on the ice for a free skate, 12.45-2.15 pm. At the beginning of the event, a minute’s silence will be held in memory of the recent tragic death of Panthers Ice Hockey player Adam Johnson.
Synchronized skating involves teams of up to 16 performing complex routines at speed to music, using different types of hold techniques to present a seamless spectacle. NSSA’s Junior and Senior Icicles have represented Great Britain at the World Synchronized Skating Championships on several occasions. Several skaters are from West Bridgford.
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The club’s first coach, Christine Fletcher, 64, started the first team in 1998 and in a wonderful synchronicity, her daughter, Lauren Kelly, 33, is now one of the head coaches. Aged eight, Lauren skated in the club’s first-ever team alongside fellow coach Louise Alvey, 36.
Fellow head coach Esther Morris, 31, also skated as a youngster with the club as did the other club coaches Jemma Bowerford, 28 and Emily Potter, 24.
When Christine started the club, alongside her colleague Jo Lunn, the sport was called Precision Skating and involved teams of 24 people. She didn’t imagine how far it would come in a short time. Within a year of the club’s formation, the club’s two teams were winning silver and bronze medals at UK competitions and in 2004 the club won its first gold medal.
Later that year the club went on to make UK synchronised skating history when all four of their teams won gold medals at that year’s qualifier event in Sheffield, the first time any club had achieved this.
In 2006 another major milestone was reached when Icicles Junior beat the UK competition to represent Great Britain for the first time, at the World Challenge Cup (as it was then known) in Finland. Lauren, Louise, Esther were all in the team.
In 2008 Lauren, Esther, Louise and fellow team-mate Chloe Alvey (now sister-in-law to Louise) took over as coaches and the club went from strength to strength, representing Great Britain at Junior level in 2013 for the first time since 2006.
Then Chloë left to bring up her family and Louise went to live in Australia. With Esther and Lauren at the helm, the club went on to represent Great Britain at Junior level for nine consecutive years from 2013-2022, with the Senior team, formed in 2018, beating the UK competition to represent Great Britain at the Senior Worlds Synchronized Skating Championships, as they have done for each subsequent year. Louise rejoined the club in 2022.
Over the years, the club has trained many hundreds of skaters and while some have gone on to be coaches, others have achieved places to skate in Disney on Ice and the Robin Cousins’ choreographed Holiday on Ice.
Christine, who in her own skating days competed against Christopher Dean and his first partner in Ice Dance, said:
“I’m absolutely thrilled that my Lauren, and Esther and Louise have carried the club on, with such enthusiasm. It’s come on in leaps and bounds with a much more professional set-up than in our early days.
“I didn’t foresee them being successful as quickly as they have been but all their hard work has paid off. I’m proud of them.
“I think that the friendship that they gained early on, skating together, helps them in working so well together as coaches.”
Lauren wasn’t taught by her mum as a youngster. “She passed me onto other coaches. She couldn’t deal with me!” jokes Lauren, who has been with the club throughout its 25-year history. She became a NSSA coach aged only 18.
“I remember Mum saying: ‘We’re going to try this new discipline.’ Aged eight, I skated with people who were 20. I loved it.
“Travelling the world with the team has made me who I am. Not a lot of people get to do that with their friends. It shapes you.”
Esther echoes this. “As a coach, I love seeing the skaters develop, love seeing them on trips, having a blast, skating their best. The sport is the best thing ever. It’s good for the heart and soul.
“I was a figure skater when I started synchro. I was a good jumper but my confidence crumbled at competitions so I didn’t get on the podium. But being in synchro, working with my team, my confidence grew and after that I got podium places in figure skating too!”
The sport will make it into the Olympics soon, Esther feels. “How much it’s developed is mind-blowing. Every year, the rules get harder and the elements get more demanding. In the past there were no lifts and no jumps and spins. Now the higher teams do all of these.”
The success of the club is built on its early strong foundations, says Louise, and the continuity of skaters who have become coaches.
“It was set up from the ground very well. When it was handed over to me, Chloë, Lauren and Esther, we were passionate young coaches. Jemma, now also a coach and who has been with the club for 22 years, was in our first Icicles Junior team that represented Great Britain at the World Championships in 2013. Emily, our other coach, represented Great Britain five times at Junior level and three times at Senior level.” Louise’s proudest moment as a skater was going to the World Junior Championships in Finland, with Lauren, Esther and Chloë as team mates.
Lauren adds: “It’s an amazing club, I’m really proud to be working for them. We couldn’t do it without all the volunteers, the parents who are our managers and our committee, they do it all on behalf of their kids and the whole club.”
The club invites readers to come and watch the gala showcase and afterwards join our skaters on the ice for a free skate. Skate hire will be included.
Club chair Lisa Walker said: “We hope that people will enjoy coming along to watch our teams perform their beautiful routines and find out more about this unusual, but stunning sport. Everyone is welcome to join us for a free fun skate afterwards too!
“But synchronized skating is not cheap to organise or to run and we would also love to hear from any businesses who are interested in supporting us through sponsorship. Any help would be very gratefully received.”
Businesses in the region interested in becoming sponsors please contact lisa.nssa@hotmail.com to discuss.
To find out more about becoming a synchronized ice skater, visit the club’s website for details: https://www.nssa-nottingham.
