October Update from the Board
So Long Sam:
CSSA is very sad to see long-time coach Sam Pollock leave. After coaching CSSA skaters for almost 15 years, Sam is putting his Masters in Engineering to good use and has accepted an engineering position in Kamloops, BC, starting in October. In the last few years, Sam was one of the lead coaches for the teen skaters, coaching at Youth Championships and other high-level events as well as mentoring many other coaches. He will be sorely missed. We hope to see him back at the Oval on occasion with a group of Kamloops skaters. We wish you the best Sam!
Photo Day:
Photo day will be in January for all groups. More details to come later.
First Mini-Meet:
First mini-meet for all youth groups will be on Thursday December 1st from 6-8 PM at the Seton YMCA. All skaters from Seton YMCA and Youth Groups C, D, E & F are invited to the mini-meet. We will have a few fun races, some prizes and snacks. It should be a great time! Registration is required by Nov. 27 on IceReg to a maximum of 50 skaters and is free:
https://icereg.ca/#!/events/parking-passes-skate-rental-other-2022-23
Second Installment on October 31st:
A reminder that credit cards will be charged in IceReg on October 31st for programs which have a 2nd installment. Please contact Isabella at info@calgaryspeedskating.ca if your credit card has expired or changed.
Long-Track Clap Skates:
The Oval skate shop has purchased a number of long-track clap skates that are available for rental for the season. It may be a good alternative to purchasing. CSSA has only a handful of clap skates available in very limited sizes.
Skinsuits have arrived:
Please contact Madeline at vc.communications@calgaryspeedskating.ca to make arrangements for pick-up. If you have not yet paid, please e-transfer the amount to info@calgaryspeedskating.ca. Madeline will confirm the amount to be paid depending on the type of skinsuit (Kevlar is $420). If you did not order a skinsuit, some extras have been ordered and are available for sale.
14-15 yrs; 16-18 yrs Short Track Junior Canadian Open on Nov. 12-13 at Oval:
Head Coach Marika Nadal will be submitting times for all skaters in Groups A & B for this event following the Lethbridge meet on October 30th. Please be aware of deadlines below as timelines are very tight.
| Time entry submissions | October 31, 2022 |
| Posting Entry List | November 1, 2022 |
| Registration / Payment | November 3, 2022 |
| Posting Participant List | November 4, 2022 |
| Replacement of skaters | November 7, 2022 |
Competition Results:
Congratulations to our CSSA winners in Medicine Hat on Oct. 22:
Division 1: Ian Smibert, 1st; Caleb Van der Merwe, 2nd; Justin Aasen-Courtemanche, 3rd
Division 2: Female: Maxine Volstad, 1st;
Male: Connor Craig, 1st; Angus Hicks, 2nd; Henry Zhang, 3rd
Division 3: Maddex Chomin, Greatest % Improvement in Personal Best Time
Division 4: Noelle d’Abadie, 1st
Competition Schedule:
Oct. 29-30: Canadian Youth Short Track (CYST) Qualifier #1 – Lethbridge Competition
Oct. 29-30: Grande Prairie Competition – Lime Series #2/Arctic Games Qualifier
Nov. 5: Red Deer Competition
Nov. 5: Peace River Competition
Nov. 12-13: 14-15; 16-18 Junior Canadian Open ST at Oval
Dec. 3: Lloydminster Competition – Lime Series #3
Dec. 3: Canmore Competition
Dec. 17: Edmonton Outdoor Long Track Competition
Jan. 7-8: Competition CSSA ABLT – Oval (CYLT back-up Qualifier)
Jan. 14-15: Red Deer Outdoor Long Track – Canadian Youth Long Track (CYLT) Qualifier
Jan. 28: Rocky Mountain House Competition – Lime Series #4
Feb. 4-5: Canadian Youth Long Track Championships (CYLT) – Fort St-John, BC
Feb. 25-26: CSSA Competition RU Fast – Oval, Calgary
Mar. 4-5: Edmonton Competition – Lime Series #5 & CYST Qualifier/Season Finale
Mar. 25-26: Canadian Youth Short Track Championships (CYST) – Saskatoon, SK
VC Officials:
The Vice-Chair Officials is vacant and we are looking for a replacement. It requires attending two meetings monthly (CSSA meeting & Officials Development Committee meeting with Speed Skating Alberta). This position also assists the VC Competition in filling officials’ roles for the two CSSA competitions. If you are interested, please contact Josie Daub at president@calgaryspeedskating.ca
Concussion education:
Speed Skating Canada has a module to help parents gain the knowledge and skills required to ensure the safety of skaters. We encourage families to learn more about this: https://coach.ca/making-head-way-concussion-elearning-series
New Drop-Ins for Short-Track & Long Track:
If you are looking to do a few drop-ins (adults, out-of-town athletes, etc.) this will be the process:
For ST: Register on IceReg and pay the drop-in fee of $30. As CSSA pays for ST ice on an hourly basis, there is no fee from the Oval. Just show them your receipt from IceReg, then inform them you are a ST drop-in and they will grant you access.
For LT: Register on IceReg and pay the drop-in fee of $18.25. In addition, there will be a $18.25 drop-in fee payable at the Oval front desk. Please show them your receipt from IceReg, pay the Oval drop-in fee and they will grant you access. 10x punch passes are no longer available from the Oval, but you may use these drop-ins as often as needed.
Registration link is: https://icereg.ca/#!/events/parking-passes-skate-rental-other-2022-23