The Skating Club of Boston will start offering skating classes at the Belmont Sports Complex’s James P. “Skip” Viglirolo Rink in January.
“Ever since we moved to Norwood, we’ve been expanding to satellite rinks,” said Club Director Mia Corsini Bailey. “We are really excited to partner with Belmont. There is a really rich history of ice sports in the community.”
The idea of figure skating at the new rink began as a grassroots effort by Belmont parents, anxious for their children to have a local ice sheet to practice on. Sonia Gupta’s 15-year-old daughter skates on a nationally ranked synchronized skating team based in Lexington. It’s a commitment that means team and individual practices, she said.
“We were traveling to multiple rinks every week. I was driving a lot,” she said. “A couple of years ago, when the new rink was proposed, myself and other figure skating parents wanted a place for our kids to practice.”
According to Bailey, there will be classes on two different days. The first, on Thursday morning, is called First Steps, and is for children ages 3 to 5. On Saturday, two classes will be offered for skaters from beginner to advanced, Bailey said. The first class is Jan. 10, and registration began Dec. 1.
The Skating Club of Boston is known for figure skating, but the goal is to get people on skates and familiarize them with the rink, Bailey said.
“Our core is exposure to ice, and that pipeline can lead you [to] so many places,” Bailey said.
While figure skating is the club’s bread and butter, they develop hockey players and speed skaters, she said.
The club will expand its Belmont offerings if there is an appetite for the classes, Bailey said. The genesis of the idea to bring the club to Belmont indicates that the appetite exists.
“There were club members who live in Belmont who reached out to us and said, ‘Did you know there was a new rink here?’ and [asked] how can we collaborate?” Bailey said.
According to Gupta, when she first approached Belmont about figure skating, it became clear the desire to offer figure skating was not matched by the ability. What was needed was a group that came with teachers and staff in place.
“They [town officials] are huge supporters of figure skating and see the need for figure skating,” Gupta said. “It was not for a lack of wanting to do something.”
Over the past month, representatives of The Skating Club have been in talks with the Belmont rink managers to set up the classes.
Within two days of Gupta approaching Bailey, Bailey had a plan on the rink manager’s desk, ready for approval.
Gupta believes the classes will be a popular offering. A social media group for figure skating parents has drawn a good-sized crowd. USA Figure Skating reports record numbers of skaters joining its ranks. In February, the Winter Olympics begin in Milan, Italy.
“When people think of skating, they think of hockey,” Gupta said. “But there are some really great, talented kids doing amazing things with figure skating.”
The town has been looking for tenants to occupy ice time at the rink, which opened Nov. 1. To date, Belmont Hill School, Belmont High School, and Belmont Youth Hockey have rented time.
“I’m thrilled that the Skating Club of Boston is coming to Belmont,” said Select Board member Taylor Yates. “Adding more sports at the rink is a win for the community, and bringing in another large tenant is a win for the taxpayers.”
“It [the rink] is a huge asset, depending on how you use it,” Bailey said. “We are a turnkey solution.”
Rink Manager Erik Harrington expressed his excitement over the new offering.
“They’re a very well-run ice skating organization that can provide freestyle ice for the figure skaters in town, as well as additional programming such as learn to skate for those interested in skating recreationally and competitively in figure skating,” he wrote in an email. “This relationship wouldn’t have been possible without the help of Sonia Gupta, Ellen Schreiber, and Taylor Yates, who have been amazing advocates for making this rink a multi-sport facility for years to come. So far, feedback has been positive, as expected given The Skating Club of Boston’s strong reputation at both the state and national levels.”
Costs
- The First Steps class on Thursday is $256 for eight weeks
- Classes on Saturday are $210 for eight weeks
- Register at skatingacademy.org/belmont
