Welcome to the Trenton Figure Skating Club

Program Assistant Information (click here)

Every Skate Canada skating program complements the others and allows for unrestricted movement and development through the system. All programs are taught by professional coaches certified through the National Coaching Certificatio Program (NCCP) and they are offered at member clubs and skating schools across the country.

Pre School - CANSkate - STARSkate - COMPETITIVESkate - ADULTSkate

Helmet/Preschool Program

This is a fun program for the preschool though kindergarten youngsters learning to skate through an innovative program that is capable of progressing the skater into the CanSkate Program. This program is ideal in it's design to help your 3 1/2 to 5 year old to learn the basic skills and to participate in a group environment. The TFSC offers this once a week program for 30 minutes. See the registration page for more details.

CanSkate

CanSkate is Skate Canada's flagship learn-to-skate program for beginners of any age that teaches fundamental movements and basic skills.

When you sign up for CanSkate you will be in a program that focuses on fun, participation and basic skill development. You will earn badges and other incentives as you learn fundamental skating skills. Lessons are given in a group format and led by an NCCP certified professional coach. Professional coaches are assisted by trained Program Assistants. The coach to student ratio is a maximum of 1:10. Skaters progress at their own rate and coaches make sessions active using teaching aids, music and a wide variety of activities that create a fun environment and promote learning. CanSkate is the feeder program to all other Skate Canada Skating Programs, and is presented by BMO Financial Group, reflecting their commitment to grassroots development.

Why sign up for CanSkate?

CanSkate is Canada's only national learn-to-skate program. It was developed by experts to teach the fundamentals of skating in a progressive and sequential manner.

When you/your child registers for a CanSkate program at your local Skate Canada club, you also become a member of Skate Canada, the national sport governing body for figure skating in Canada. Membership benefits in the CanSkate program can include:

badges
stickers
tattoos
colouring sheets
parent information sheets
progress updates and report cards
special CanSkate events and club functions
BMO CanSkater of the Year award program
opportunity to be talent-scouted
opportunity to participate in a positive healthy lifestyle activity

Program Structure

The CanSkate program focuses on the development of six fundamental movements organized in six stages of learning, with an optional 7th level for skaters who want to move into figure skating. The skills are arranged in progressions, from very simple to the more complex. Each stage has a primary focus. Once the skills on each stage are mastered, a badge is awarded. The series of badges include Stage badges, Fundamental Movement badges and Fitness badges.

The names of the STAGE badges are:
Stage 1 - Balance
Stage 2 - Glide Forward
Stage 3 - Glide Backward
Stage 4 - Edges
Stage 5 - Power
Stage 6 - Speed
Stage 7 (optional) - Pre-Preliminary

The names of the FUNDAMENTAL MOVEMENT badges are:
Go Forward
Go Backward
Stop
Turn
Spin
Jump

The names of the FITNESS badges are:
Fitness I
Fitness II

Figure Skating

STARSkate offers opportunities to develop figure skating skills in four different areas.

When you/your child registers for a STARSkate program at your local Skate Canada club, you also become a member of Skate Canada and will have access to:

opportunities to be recognized through a nationally standardized testing system for achieving specific figure skating skills
complimentary Gold Test pins
invitational and interclub competitions, including the national STARSkate championship stream
specifically designed awards and incentives such as badges, tattoos and stickers
STARSkate Skater of the Year awards program
Progress updates and report cards
Special STARSkate events and club functions
Opportunity to be talent-scouted
Opportunity for personal growth and the development of important life skills such as goal-setting, self-discipline, confidence, time management, healthy lifestyle and coping strategies to deal with success and failure.

The STARSkate program consists of figure skating skills in four areas – Skating Skills, Ice Dance, Free Skate and Interpretive. Each area is divided into the following levels:

Primary Level Tests

Skating Skills: Preliminary, Junior Bronze
Free Skating: Preliminary, Junior Bronze
Dance: Preliminary, Junior Bronze
Interpretive: Introductory

Intermediate Level Tests

Skating Skills: Senior Bronze, Junior Silver
Free Skating: Senior Bronze, Junior Silver
Dance: Senior Bronze, Junior Silver
Interpretive: Bronze

Senior Level Tests

Skating Skills: Senior Silver, Gold
Free Skating: Senior Silver, Gold
Dance: Senior Silver, Gold, Diamond
Interpretive: Silver, Gold

Skating Skills

Skating Skills are a combination of fundamental skating movements, executed on a pattern and skated solo to prescribed music. The basic components of all disciplines of figure skating are incorporated into the program. The movements are derived from former compulsory figures, free skating and ice dancing. The objective of the Skating Skills program is mastery of the basic fundamentals of skating - edge quality, control, power and speed.

There are 6 Skating Skills tests in the STARSkate program:

Preliminary
Junior Bronze
Senior Bronze
Junior Silver
Senior Silver
Gold

Ice Dance

Consisting of seven levels of tests, the Dance Test program teaches timing, musicality, rhythm interpretation, structure as well as basic skating skills such as edges, flow, control and unison.

The dances in the STARSkate Program can be tried in any order but a candidate must pass the required number of dances in a dance test before proceeding to the next level. In addition to the traditional compulsory dances, there are also Creative Dances to challenge skaters' creativity, artistry and originality.

The Dance Tests are as follows:

Preliminary
Junior Bronze
Senior Bronze
Junior Silver
Senior Silver
Gold
Diamond

Free Skate

Free skating consists of the execution of jumps, spins, footwork, field movements and stroking, either in isolation or performed in sequence to music.

There are six Free Skating tests in the STARSkate Program:

Preliminary
Junior Bronze
Senior Bronze
Junior Silver
Senior Silver
Gold

Each test consists of 2 parts - Elements in Isolation and a Free Program.

Interpretive

The objective of the Interpretive program is to encourage and develop skaters' creativity, expression, musicality, movement, interpretation of music, as well as the use of space, rhythm, line and style. The program provides skaters with the opportunity to explore the performance aspect of skating without focusing on technical elements.

The Interpretive tests consist of skating to and interpreting a piece of music 2.0 to 3.0 minutes (+/- 10 seconds) in length. Skaters can take Interpretive tests as individuals and/or as a couple (male/female, female/female or male/male) at four levels:

Introductory
Bronze
Silver
Gold

Competitions for STARSkate Athletes

STARSkate participants love to compete! Our feedback indicates that even though a skater may choose not to participate in the Skate Canada CompetitiveSkate Program, they still want the opportunity to test their skill in a competition situation. Skate Canada offers several opportunities to do this.

Club Competitions

Clubs offer competitions for their own members to compete against each other. The club determines the categories which generally follow Skate Canada STARSkate guidelines (e.g. length of program, category name, type of event offered, etc.) The club may also offer other creative events such as longest shoot-the-duck, similar pairs, spins and jumps, etc.)

STARSkate Interclub Competitions

These are events involving a number of clubs in the same region or area. The competition categories offered generally fall in line with the applicable Skate Canada Section specifications, so that all Interclubs within the Section are standardized (this allows Skate Canada Sections to offer a Section Final). The National STARSkate Interclub Championship stream provides opportunities for skaters who want to remain in the STARSkate program but also want to have the challenge of competing up to a national level in a credible, nationally standardized event.

Invitational Competitions

These are events coordinated by a Section or Club(s) and offered, generally, to STARSkaters and competitive. Most events fall within Skate Canada's specifications regarding program length and eligibility to compete. For more information contact the hosting Section or club.

Competitive Figure Skating

CompetitiveSkate incorporates a series of tests and other training opportunities to help competitors with potential to advance.

What is CompetitiveSkate?

The Competitive Test Program is a testing program for skaters in singles, pairs and dance wishing to compete in qualifying events within Skate Canada. Skaters take tests specific to the discipline (Singles, Pairs and Dance) in which they wish to compete. A skater or team may begin testing at the level at which they wish to compete (there are no test pre-requisites)

It's more than just skating!

Skaters enrolled in CompetitiveSkate learn a variety of life skills as they progress up the competitive ladder. These include goal setting, focus, ability to deal with success/failure, time management and principles of fair play and sportsmanship. In addition to the life skill benefits, skaters in this program receive:

access to provincial and national funding programs (as applicable)
the opportunity to be selected to Skate Canada's National Team, Junior National Team, or Synchronized Skating National Team
the opportunity to compete at BMO Financial Group Sectional, Challenge, Junior Nationals and/or Canadian Championships
opportunity and potential to be selected to represent Canada internationally at one of more than 30 competitions each year
access to sport science services

If I Participate in the Competitive Program, is that All I Can Do?

No! Many skaters who compete in the qualifying event structure also take tests in Skate Canada's STARSkate Program or participate on Synchronized Skating teams. The only events that you may not be able to compete in are club, Interclub and National STARSkate events, some which restrict entry of skaters who have competed in the qualifying event system.

The Qualifying Event structure

There are several opportunities throughout the season for skaters to participate in competitive events.

The Skate Canada Competitive Program offers nationally standardized competitions to competitive skaters. These events are the stepping stones to other Skate Canada programs such as the developmental team, Junior and Senior National Teams and the World and Olympic teams. Skaters competing in the qualifying event structure can do so at the Juvenile, Pre-Novice, Novice, Junior and Senior levels in Singles, Pairs and Dance.

BMO Financial Group Sectional Skating Championships

The 13 BMO Financial Group Sectional Skating Championships are the first of the Skate Canada qualifying competitions. Skaters can compete in events from Juvenile to Senior. Those who finish in the top four places in the Pre-Novice, Novice and Junior events are eligible to compete at the BMO Financial Group Canadian Qualifying Event (Eastern or Western). Juvenile champions qualify automatically for the BMO Financial Group Junior National Skating Championships and the top four Senior skaters qualify for the BMO Financial Group Canadian Championships. Each of the 13 Sectional events takes place in November.

BMO Financial Group Canadian Qualifying Events - Eastern and Western

There are two Canadian Qualifying Events held each year - Eastern and Western. The Western event includes British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Northern Ontario and Western Ontario. The Eastern event includes Central Ontario, Eastern Ontario, Quebec, Nova Scotia, Newfoundland, New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island. These events are held in December.

Junior skaters qualify through these events for the BMO Financial Group Canadian Championships and Pre-Novice and Novice skaters qualify for the BMO Financial Group Junior National Skating Championships.

BMO Financial Group Canadian Championships

The BMO Financial Group Canadian Championships are held every January in a different city. Competition is offered in singles, pair and ice dancing at the Junior and Senior levels. The Fours event is also offered.

Junior competitors qualify for this national event through the Canadian Qualifying Events, while Senior skaters qualify through their respective Sectional championship. Skaters who are representing Canada at international events at the time of the Sectional or Qualifying Event are granted a "bye" to the Canadian event. In addition, skaters placing in the top three at the previous national championship at the Senior level, are granted a "bye" to the event.

After completion of the Championships, the Skate Canada Board of Directors selects the teams that will represent Canada at the ISU Junior World and World Figure Skating Championships as well as the ISU Four Continents team. Results from this event are also used to help determine what skaters will be on the Junior National and National teams.

BMO Financial Group Junior National Skating Championships

Juvenile, Pre-Novice and Novice skaters compete at this national level event. It is typically held in January of each year, and is hosted by a different city. The first-place finishers from the Juvenile category of BMO Financial Group Sectional Skating Championships and the top four Pre-Novice and Novice skaters from the BMO Financial Group Qualifying Events (Eastern and Western) are eligible to compete. The age of the competitors ranges from 10 - 17 years of age.

Where Do I Go From Here?

There are a number of options once a skater decides that the Competitive Program may not be the Program for them. Skaters may choose to enter Skate Canada's STARSkate Program or participate on a Synchronized Skating team. Others who are leaving the Competitive Program to pursue other interests may be interested in becoming coaches, evaluators, judges or accountants. Others may choose to participate on a varsity skating team (if offered), or continue to skate and compete as an adult member of the Association.

Adult Skating

AdultSkate offers CanSkate and STARSkate programs geared for adults.

Adult skating is growing in popularity and more and more clubs are offering recreational, test and competitive opportunities to this segment of the population. Adults participate in CanSkate, STARSkate and CanPowerSkate programs as well as on synchronized skating teams. Adult championships currently provide opportunities to adult skaters to experience the challenge of a competition in a fun, social environment. Skate Canada is currently expanding its programming in this area.

This program is subject to availability of ice time and sufficient participation.

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Trenton Figure Skating Club, Box 21003, Pharma Plus, 109 Dundas St, Trenton, ON K8V 1M0

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