The Greater Pensacola Figure Skating Club has a new Adaptive Skating program.
“We truly believe skating is for everyone and are committed to removing all barriers, real or perceived, to ice sports participation in our community,” said club president Missy Frisco.
Thanks to a grant from their local Kugelman Family Foundation, scholarships were made available to adaptive skaters to enroll in classes at no cost.
The club skates seasonally at Northwest Florida’s Pensacola Bay Center and became a Learn to Skate USA member club in the summer of 2020.
“This change, along with a renewed focus on recruitment, retention, and community awareness, has enabled our membership to skyrocket to almost 300 skaters,” Frisco said.
As the only public ice in Northwest Florida, club members travel up to two hours to participate in classes.
“Our adaptive skating classes are offered three days a week, and classes meet once per week for 30 minutes,’ Frisco said. “Many skaters enroll in multiple weekly days to experience the euphoric sense of freedom it provides. Skaters work one-on-one with a coach who has taken the time to learn about them in depth from their families before stepping on the ice. This has proven to be our greatest resource.”
“The best part of our program is how amazing and fun it is,” said club coach Ryan Donovan. “I’ve had the opportunity to skate with some fantastic kids, and they all share an excitement for being on the ice. Each session is unique because the focus is different for each individual, but the goal is always to have fun every time.”
“It’s GPFSC’s mission to ensure EVERYONE has the opportunity to Learn to Skate,” Frisco said. “ We are working diligently and relentlessly to remove all barriers to participation and will stop at nothing to expand all programming and to continue to impact the community because skating truly transforms lives and is for EVERYONE.”
For more information on participating in the Greater Pensacola Figure Skating Club, visit their website here.
