Girls get the edge on skating competitors through teamwork
By Beth Mlady
North Ridgeville Press
November 19, 2008
When Sarah Gellert and Emily Smith strap on their skates at the North Olmsted Recreation Complex rink, they know what lies ahead: physical exertion, fitness -and fun. It's important that the Cleveland Edges Skating Club takes to the ice as a unified, synchronized Open Juvenile class team. So much so, they even wear identical attire to practice to instill their athletic bond.
Smith, a 14-year-old freshman at North Ridgeville High School, began participating in synchronized ice-skating five years ago as a fourth-grader.
"I just remember watching whenever we were on the learn-to-skate rink, and I thought it looked like fun," she said. "It's fun being with all the girls and meeting a lot of new people."
But there's not a lot of standing around on the ice, she said.
"We work on teambuilding and speed," she explained. "And we work on the competition program. Our next competition is in West Virginia on Nov. 22, but we're more into the fun part of it. We want to win, but if we don't, we get over it pretty quick. "
Smith commented she enjoys seeing her team progress from year to year. She doesn't mind the challenges they face, either.
"I like just being together with everyone and getting better every year," she said. "The footwork gets harder every year. Our coach (Jeff Marshall) is always adding new elements to our program."
When she's not participating in marching band or the choir, she said she spends about five hours a week perfecting her skating skills. Synchronized skating is definitely a sport, she said-one that will be included in the Olympics in 2010.
"It's a sport because it takes just as much practice as baseball or soccer," she said. "You have to put as much of a commitment into attending every practice as other sports in order to get better."
Seventh-grader Gellert, 12, attends North Ridgeville Middle School and has been skating since she was 5 years old. She's not quite sure what drew her into the sport.
"I don't know why I got into synchronized skating," Gellert said. "I thought it was cool to travel all over and be part of a team and compete."
She has since learned there is more to synchronized skating than just wearing the blades.
"We all have to compromise on everything," Gellert said. "But I like being with the team and winning competitions."
She went on to say that her personal goals are to try her best and "to not fall," especially at competitions.
"If you fall, it's not good," she said with a smile. "We have elements we have to complete, like a perfectly round circle and straight blocks. It doesn't count at all if it's not done right. Everything has to be synchronized. We have to work really hard."
But what if their best efforts don't yield a first-place medal? For Smith and Gellert, being with their team is perhaps the best reward.
"We still celebrate," Gellert said. "Even if we don't win."
